I was given the opportunity to test the ROVR Cooler as a part of a project with my favorite camping site The Dyrt. I was excited to be able to give honest feedback on the item and share it with all of my readers and subscribers to help each and every one of you in making your selections for not only your camping trips but also your day to day functions such as kids ball games, a day at the lake or even just having a family bbq.
I was very excited because I haven’t had a larger style cooler to travel with in some time and really liked the option to be able to store larger food items as well as drinks when on a longer trip. I really wanted to see how long I could keep items cold for future reference and just how easy or difficult the coolers large style would be to do everything from load to maneuver in my campsite.
Upon first arrival I was shocked as to how large the cooler really was. 60 quarts is very large, large enough to place 2 1/2 24 packs of water and still have room for ice. The cooler was available in 4 color options orange, green, white and blue. I really liked the green so when I selected it I had a grand idea of naming my cooler the Bunny Hulk and taking it everywhere I would go because it would be rugged with its large rolling wheels, tough handle and massive storage bin designed for carrying anything that didn’t need to go inside the cooler. When it arrived I knew my selection was perfect!!
The box itself is massive and unboxing the cooler on my own was somewhat of a task in itself because they pack it for safe keeping from the warehouse to your home. It took me a few moments and a lot of wiggling but finally I was ready to rinse it out and load it up for the big adventure.
I packed my cooking supplies, my meals and camera equipment into the bin which in my small car took up one entire side of my back seat. The cooler itself rode in the other side of the back seat and that was pretty much all the room I had for items unless they would fit in the floorboard. This is one of those coolers I could take with myself and one other person when riding in the car but it does not fit in my compact car trunk and because of the handle cannot ride in the front seat either. If I were in a truck or SUV my space would not be as limited clearly but for a person who travels like I do this is definitely something to consider.
When I left town for the day I had packed one small bag of ice into the cooler with only bottles of water. I wanted to see how long things could literally sit in the cooler without going hot so I didn’t want to pack food in it for this first outing. Texas is so hot during summer so imagine a 97 degree day then imagine being locked in a car for about 3 hours on that day where temps creep up to almost 130 degrees inside. This was the life of my ROVR cooler on its first outing. I was really going to put that 2 inches of insulation to the test.
By the time I arrived to my campsite late in the afternoon after my day of travel and many stops the single bag of ice had been sitting for over 7 hours with me reaching in and out of the top and sealing it 3 or 4 times. Before dinner I opted to grab some water and check my ice and noticed that it had melted quite a bit. Now typically they do recommend more ice in the cooler than what I initially placed inside of it, but I wanted to see how the bare minimum of one bag could hold up. I was really quite impressed that with the beaming heat it still had large chunks of ice and though there was some melt it was freezing cold inside the cooler itself.
ROVR is pretty interesting because it does offer a variety of attachments for the cooler to customize your experience. There is a cutting board style prep board, umbrella holder, stash bag and even a cup holder which can attach to the cooler in a variety of ways to make it more user friendly. For this trip I went with the bare minimum but will be purchasing attachments in the future to trick out the “Bunny Hulk” because I feel after using the cooler it is worth the investment to upgrade further because I will be using it often.
I used the cooler for a table for cooking and additionally a seat for my campsite itself so I didn’t have to bring an additional chair. It serves many purposes well beyond just being a cooler.
By morning most of my ice had melted away, there were a few remaining chunks but they were few and far between so I opted to drain the cooler of the excess water and see how long the waters themselves would remain ice cold. I didn’t predict they would have much of a chance as temps heated up again to the high 90s but I was surprised to see that the water itself retained the chilling cold throughout the day and was refreshing as ever well into the evening when I arrived back home. I definitely had not expect that!! I left the cooler in the car overnight instead of unpacking it and in the morning when I went to move it around, the water was still chilled.
I was very pleased overall with the ROVR cooler’s ability to keep my items cold. The ice was a bit deceiving and new trip in addition to adding the recommended amount of ice I will probably refreeze a couple bottles of water to keep the temps of the lower levels and upper levels evenly cold. I think this will increase my length of overall cooling for longer trips. I can honestly say that I feel confident putting my fresh veggies and meats in this and safely and securely stowing them away for my trips and might even prepackage several meals for lengthy trips just to cut down on at campsite prep time.
The only downside for me was the amount of space it consumes within my personal vehicle. For solo trips this is not a problem but if I am traveling with friends and there is additional luggage this could really be something to consider in my car.
With all the attachments ROVR offers I can see this cooler adding a lot of value for those who are seeking a versatile cooler for all their needs well beyond camping itself. The umbrella feature makes it perfect for sports mom and dads who are attending their children's games and need a little sun block to keep out of the direct heat, the tray offers those who like fishing a place to prep their catch before they throw it in to cook, the cup holders make it great for putting it on the boat and giving you a little extra place to stash your drink and keep it from bouncing around everywhere. This is a great cooler for the every day person!!