Test: I ran two tests with this cooler; one to see about the leaking concern I saw other reviews mention in regard to the two drain plugs, and my other test was for simple ice longevity (I did no pre cooling or any of the suggested methods to make ice last the longest).
- plug test: I hand tightened the plugs and then added a layer of ice above the plug holes and let it sit for a few days. No water leaked out of the plugs.
- ice longevity test: I did a very simple no preparation test of the cooler: just simply drove it down to Costco and picked up a 24lb bag of ice, filled it and closed the cooler. The 24 lb bag is the perfect size to fit food leaving about 15-20% space at the top (basically just touching the basket). I kept the cooler in my living room at room temperature. I did not open the cooler until exact day 3. At day 1 I shook the cooler and could feel very little water or ice movement. At day two I shook the cooler and could feel a little sloshing of water but most of the ice solid. At day to three I opened the cooler (pictured) and could see half the cooler with ice and half in water. At day four I shook it and would feel about 15%~20% if the ice left.
All together, I feel this cooler will take care of my needs in being able to hold food for several days without needing more ice. It looks good and fits well in my vehicle.
Update: I have since taken the RTIC on a 4 day trip. We made meals ahead of time and froze them. We filled the cooler with our frozen meals to the top (no ice). The frozen food stayed frozen for all 4 days. It worked perfectly. I didn’t need to buy any ice or anything. We were even able to add in groceries we bought. I only finally got ice for the drive home with leftovers. It worked better than expected for my needs. I highly recommend it.