Grizzly Coolers

What Grizzly makes for hunters and campers

On this site, Grizzly Coolers covers two product types: hard coolers and soft coolers. The lineup splits into four groups you'll see in the grid above:

• Rotomolded hard coolers: the Grizzly 15, 20, 45, 60, 75, 100, 165, 350 and 450, named by quart capacity
• A rolling hard cooler: the Scout Rolling 40, with wheels per its listing
• Drifter soft coolers: zip-top bags in several sizes, plus a small flip-top box
• Drifter carry options: a 24-quart backpack and 30- and 32-quart wheeled soft coolers

The grid filters by type and changes as listings come and go. Some sizes show up twice in different colors, which is why the same Grizzly 165 can appear more than once. So I'll write about the groups and what separates them, not about this week's count.

The specs for the rotomolded models (empty weight, outside dimensions, rotomolded build, drain plug) come from Grizzly's own product pages. The capacities and the soft-cooler details come from the Amazon listings, and the grid marks those values. Where a listing doesn't say, the grid shows a dash.

Lineup notes: the Grizzly hard cooler

What every rotomolded Grizzly has in common

Grizzly's product page for the Grizzly 60 lays out the build the hard line shares, per the maker:

• RotoTough rotomolded body: one molded shell, which the maker calls rot-proof, dent-proof and leak-proof
• Pressure-injected insulation: the maker says it's stronger, more durable and lighter than foam
• BearClaw latches: rubber latches with no hardware
• Molded-in hinge with a stainless steel pin
• Rubber gasket around the lid
• 2-inch drain plug with full-length drain channels
• Molded handles and rope handles, tie-down slots, non-slip rubber feet and a ruler embossed on the lid

Grizzly's "Why Grizzly" page explains the rotomolding pitch: the process gives each part a consistent wall thickness. Rotomolded is short for rotationally molded, which is how the maker describes it. The maker also lists the Grizzly 60 as dry ice compatible. More on the build across brands is on the rotomolded cooler page.

Small: the Grizzly 15 and 20

The two smallest Grizzlies are lunch-and-drinks sizes. The maker lists the Grizzly 15 at 12 pounds empty and the Grizzly 20 at 16. One difference worth knowing: the maker's data lists a drain plug on the 20 but not on the 15. On a cooler that small, you tip it. On a Grizzly 165, you do not tip it.

These are the stand-and-truck sizes: a day's water and lunch, a bait cooler, the cooler that rides behind the seat. The small cooler page covers that size range across brands.

Medium: the Grizzly 45, 60 and 75

The middle of the line is where most deer camps live. The maker lists the 45 at 28 pounds empty, the 60 at 30 and the 75 at 34, all with drain plugs. The outside footprint barely changes between the 45 and the 60; the 60 is the one Grizzly's page says holds 72 cans with 20 pounds of ice.

A 45 or 60 is a weekend for two or three people, or the drinks cooler for a bigger crew. The 75 is longer and starts to be a two-person lift when it's full. The 50 qt cooler page sits right in this range.

Large: the Grizzly 100 and 165

Now we're in game-cooler territory. The maker lists the 100 at 38 pounds empty and the 165 at 62, and the 165 runs close to four feet long on the outside. These are the coolers that ride in the truck bed and stay there. Measure the bed and the tailgate before you order, not after.

Very large: the Grizzly 350 and 450

The two biggest Grizzlies are chests. The maker lists the 350 at 80 pounds and the 450 at 102, empty. The 450 is about five feet long. Nobody carries these anywhere; they get set in place with the lid open and filled where they sit. The large cooler page covers the trade-offs of big coolers across brands.

Walt saw the 450's dimensions on my phone and said, "That's not a cooler. That's a root cellar with a hinge." Then he asked if it would fit on the cabin porch. It would. It would also be the porch.

The Scout Rolling 40

The Scout Rolling 40 is the one hard Grizzly in the grid with wheels, per its listing, with a 40-quart capacity. Its weight and build details come from the listing, not the maker, so the grid shows what's known. Wheels earn their keep on a long, flat walk from the truck. On roots and rocks, you're carrying it anyway. The cooler with wheels page has more.

Lineup notes: the Grizzly Drifter soft cooler

What the Drifters are made of

Grizzly's 2020 press release on the Drifter line describes a waterproof ballistic polyester shell, EVA foam in the lid, base and walls, and a flip-top lid. On the Drifter 20, it describes a removable waterproof TPU roll-top liner (TPU is a flexible, waterproof plastic film). The maker says the Drifters keep things cold all day, and pitches them for short trips.

The Drifter sizes in the grid, per their listings, run from the small 4-quart Drifter 6-Pack flip-top box through the Drifter 8, 16, 20 and 24 up to the 30 and 32 wheeled versions. There's also a plain 20-quart soft cooler listing. The soft cooler page covers how soft coolers differ from hard ones across brands.

The Drifter 24 Backpack

The Drifter 24 Backpack is listed with a backpack carry style. Grizzly's own soft-cooler page lists it among its larger soft coolers. A backpack cooler leaves both hands free, which matters if one hand already has the chair and the other has the bow case. The backpack cooler page has more on that shape.

The Drifter 30 and 32 wheeled coolers

The two wheeled Drifters are listed at 30 and 32 quarts. Grizzly's site calls the 32 its all-new rolling cooler. A wheeled soft cooler is lighter than a wheeled hard one, which is the whole point of it.

How to choose within the Grizzly lineup

Size first, then weight

Pick the size for the longest trip you take, then look at the empty weight the maker lists. Every pound of cooler is a pound you carry before the first can of soda goes in. A full medium Grizzly is a two-hand lift; a full 165 is a two-person job. Wheels or a short walk are what make the big sizes work.

Hard or soft

A rotomolded cooler is the one you strap down and leave in the truck. A soft cooler is the one you carry into the woods for a day and fold into the corner when you're done. Grizzly makes both. Most camps end up with one of each, and that's not overpacking. That's the system. (Renee disagrees on the word "system.")

Drain plug and handles

The maker lists a drain plug on every rotomolded size in the grid except the 15. On the medium and large sizes, you want it. Rope handles and molded handles matter as soon as two people carry one cooler.

Bear country

Grizzly's site says its coolers have been tested and certified by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. The IGBC explains that certification means a product has met minimum standards for the effort grizzly bears must spend to get in, tested with captive bears or by technical evaluation. It also says plainly that certification doesn't mean bear-proof. My one opinion on this page: in bear country, treat the certification as a backup to the local food-storage rules, never a replacement for them. Those rules vary by area; check the rules for the land you hunt or camp on.

Packing and care for a Grizzly cooler

Pre-chill it

Grizzly's packing guide puts pre-chilling first: start with a cold cooler so the ice you add doesn't spend itself cooling the walls. It suggests frozen water jugs, an overnight open lid in cold air, shade, or a rinse with cold water, then draining and wiping it out.

Keep the retention number in perspective. Grizzly describes its own test method as cubed ice in a 90-degree climate-controlled room, opened twice a day. Your tailgate in October isn't that room, and you open the lid more than twice.

Pack it full and keep it shut

The same guide says to pack densely and leave as little airspace as possible, with ice on the bottom, sides and top. Keep the lid closed; every opening lets warm air in. Use one cooler for drinks that get opened often and keep the game or food cooler shut. Wrap it in a blanket and keep it out of direct sun.

Packing order and the drain

Real talk: meltwater goes wherever a loose lid lets it. Tight lids, food in sealed containers, ice where the packing guide puts it, and open the drain plug before the meltwater finds the bread.

Dry ice

Grizzly lists the Grizzly 60 as dry ice compatible, and its packing guide says dry ice should never touch your skin. Handle it with gloves or tongs, wrap it in towels or newspaper, and use it only with good ventilation. Never carry dry ice in a closed truck cab or a tent.

Grizzly Coolers facts

Here's what I could verify from the maker's own pages:

• Where made: Grizzly says its coolers are made in Decorah, Iowa, and its hard-cooler pages say Made in the USA
• Build: rotomolded hard coolers with pressure-injected insulation, per the maker
• Bear certification: the maker says its coolers have been tested and certified by the IGBC
• Warranty: the Grizzly 60 page lists a lifetime warranty in its specs

The sources on this page don't give a founding year or name the company's owner, so those are left out.

Cold cooler, tight lids, and the lid shut until you need it. The ice math always wins in the end.