ProView – Rugged Road 85 V2 Cooler Review

I am reviewing the Rugged Road 85 because I use coolers a lot as a biologist collecting water samples from different bodies of water. I’ll test for toxic algae and nutrient levels of all sorts. I also am an avid hunter, and I use coolers for holding meat and for general use while out camping out of my truck. It is important that I use a cooler that can hold ice for multiple days. 

As usual, I was hunting in the fall time, and I am required to use a cooler to hold the meat to keep it cool until I can break it all down. I process all my own wild game that I harvest. To keep the meat cold for several days is very important for the meat to keep and not spoil. 

For several months I had been hunting for Whitetail Deer and Elk. I finally connected with a deer and it was a very big Doe. When I packed her out, I knew I’d be pushing the limits of the 65 quart cooler that I have and I figured the 85 quart cooler would be no big deal. When I got the deer out of the woods and into the cooler, I noticed it seemed kind of tight for an 85 quart cooler.

The cooler had no problem keeping the meat cold for almost a week. My process for keeping the meat cold in the cooler is pretty simple. I will use one gallon water jugs. I have them about ¾ of the way full and then I freeze them into giant ice cubes. I don’t even bother with buying ice because it’s a waste of money. Every couple of days I will change the jugs and wash them off before I toss them back into my chest freezer. 

Features

Features of the cooler are unique. The cooler is capable of floating with a full load in it. Another cool part; the lid can be removed and flipped over. One side has cupholders (everyone loves cupholders) and the other side has a ruler on it. I didn’t test the ability for it to float, but its been well advertised on their website and other social media platforms. It of course has nice rope handles that are easy to replace and a nice latch to secure the lid.

Durability

The overall durability of the cooler seems…subpar for a $400 cooler. It is nice and well put together, so don’t get me wrong. It’s a very nice and strong cooler. It isn’t bear proof like the other $400 and up coolers out there. The latch is a hefty snap down system and has 3 hinges to help hold the removable lid in place.

Weight

The weight of the cooler is one of the nice things I do like. Whenever I grab one of my heavy coolers, it’s a chore. This cooler is 17 pounds empty, which is nice for hauling it to and from the garage or from the truck to the cabin. My wife isn’t very big, so she enjoys grabbing this cooler to toss in the back of her Forester when she runs to the grocery store. Other lightweight coolers don’t keep items cool like the Rugged Road does. 

Look

The color options are a plus. Just a few years ago, coolers only came in a select few choices. Not just Rugged Road, but almost every large brand out there. My other coolers came in a few different shades of brown and white. Some brighter colors would be nice to see, but it’s not a must have for me.  

The Final Word

This cooler is for the weekender or a family that likes to car camp in an area that wouldn’t be populated with bears. You could keep the cooler locked up in the vehicle, but I wouldn’t leave it in the back of a truck. Overall, it is a very nice cooler for someone who is on the water a lot such as myself and it’ll come in handy when I am taking water samples in the summer again. The fact that it’s light makes it easy to carry up and down the dock or loading/unloading from the boat while it’s still on the trailer. Even though it’s not a Coast Guard approved flotation device, I could see it working in a pinch. 

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