Ultimate Big Cooler Review: Oversized, Lightweight, and Ready for Adventure

Discover the high-performance, lightweight cooler that can hold 115 cans and keep ice for over a week.

Oversized, Lightweight, and Ready for Adventure, the Rugged Road 115 is the ultimate big cooler. / Rugged Road

Sometimes you’re not ready to come home from your fishing trip after just one day. Sometimes, when the fishing gods smile on you, you get the opportunity to find yourself a nice campsite and really dig into a body of water for several days or even a week.

But all that fishing is going to require a lot of energy to stay on your game. Seven days of granola bars just won’t cut it. But how will you ever find the best large cooler to store all your perishable provisions that isn’t so heavy you’ll need a team of Clydesdales to drag it to your campsite?

Is This the Ultimate Oversized Cooler?

Introducing the Rugged Road 115, ultralight, high-performance cooler, the biggest cooler yet in their growing lineup. Actually, introducing isn’t exactly the right word, since they did unveil it to the fishing world at ICAST over the summer where it took the “Best of Category” award for Hard and Soft Coolers. So, it turns out, yes, this is officially, the ultimate oversized cooler.

Award-winning innovation! The Rugged Road 115 took home 'Best of Category' for Hard and Soft Coolers at ICAST—proving it's the ultimate choice for serious anglers. / Rugged Road

Why Choose a Lightweight Oversized Cooler?

The secret lies in its Rigorite™ coating—a proprietary innovation originally developed for military applications, including bomb-proofing the Pentagon. This cooler is tough enough to support the weight of a Jeep and survive a drop off a mountainside, but at just 22 pounds, it is literally half the weight of comparable, premium coolers.

Ultralight, and easy to transport—meet the oversized cooler that doesn’t weigh you down. / Rugged Road

How Big Is This Cooler?

It’s important to note this Rugged Road high-capacity cooler uses a unique system for describing their coolers. No, the 115 designation isn’t quarts or even inches. With their naming convention, Rugged Road has answered the number one question they receive, “How many cans will it hold?” This new cooler will hold 115 cans of your favorite beverage with room for plenty of ice. And not to be coy about it, they’re glad to share the actual size in inches in the features and benefits listed below.

Stay out longer! With 7+ days of ice retention, the Rugged Road 115 keeps everything frosty for your extended outdoor trips. / Rugged Road

Rugged Road 115 Cooler Features

• Ultralight — Weighs just 22 lbs
• Capacity — Holds 115 12oz cans, plus ice
• External Dimensions — 17-1/2" wide x 40-1/4" long x 17" tall
• Internal Dimensions — 13.25" wide x 34" long x 14.25" tall
• Patented Titan Shell™ Construction — Delivers 7+ days of ice retention, ranking in the top 1% of performance
• Versatile Lid — Multi-purpose, reversible lid with cup holders and a cutting board
• "Double-Up" Handle System and "Get a Grip" Non-Slip Surface

My Rugged Road Cooler Review

My Test

On a recent trip up north, I found himself on a Lake Michigan charter boat trolling for King Salmon—totally out of my regular fishing element, but I had a blast. I did have a chance to freeze our catch overnight before packing it in the cooler. With no additional ice, I started the nearly two-day drive home. As you might guess, everything was still completely frozen when I got home. I was impressed.

For my own personal test, I drove cross-country for two days with a cooler full of these beautiful salmon fillets, no problem. / Kurt Mazurek

My Impression

The high-quality of the materials and construction is immediately obvious. The surface of the cooler has a unique textured feel that doesn’t get slippery when it’s wet. The handles are large, comfortable and feel very secure. The big, stout latch that holds the lid shut, clamps down like a bank vault. And for its size, the cooler is dramatically lighter than you think it will be.

What Is That?

I also want to mention one more thing. To be perfectly honest and transparent, the Rugged Road cooler has an unusual smell. It’s not a bad smell, it just isn’t the typical plastic-y sort of smell you’d expect. It took me a couple minutes to place, but then it hit me and now it’s absolutely unmistakable. Lettuce! It smells like a freshly cut head of Iceberg lettuce. I assume it must have something to do with Rugged Road’s unique, Rigorite coating. And again, to be clear it’s not a bad smell, it’s just unusual for a piece of equipment like this. Heck, some people might even like that smell. And I haven’t noticed that it has transferred to anything I’ve kept in the cooler. I just thought it was unusual enough to make it worth mentioning.

Lightweight yet rugged—this cooler is built to handle anything, from Jeep tires to mountain drops! / Rugged Road

Who Needs This Cooler?

Are you thirsty? Really thirsty? Are you packing refreshments for a whole family? Will you be in a remote location for multiple days? Would you like an oversized cooler that average mortals can lift? Are you looking for the ultimate gift for your favorite outdoor adventurer? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, this may be the cooler for you.