Improving the cooler

[rsballer10]

I am in an engineering design and development class, my group mates and i are seniors in high school. for our senior project, we are trying to improve the cooler. We want to make it so it is easier to transport and keep food cold longer. As a consumer, i would like to know what you look for in a cooler. the reason i am doing this is because we need customer requirements, and someone that is more familiar in camping would know better than us.
thank you for your help

[oki]

Oh, are you from the same design class as the person asking about the light? I suppose you probably don't need a reply anymore, but I just want SOMEONE to invent a less bulky cooler! It doesn't have to have a fancy lid or wheels or anything, just less bulky would be awesome, and maybe something (anything;; ) to keep the milk from tipping over. x__x (The problem is the ice sack making an unstable surface..)

[Bigdog57]

A few ideas.....
1)  A shallow tray to keep the lunch meat, cheese, etc up out of the ice/water.
2)  A smaller top door on one side, to pull out soft drinks without having to open the large top and losing the cool air.
3)  Maybe have the space inside the body shell able to take those 'blue ice' packets to remain colder longer, in addition to better foam insulation.
4)  Have a positive lock on the telescoping pull handle on wheeled coolers - the ones I usually see collapse too easily while pulling/pushing.
5)  Have raccoon-proof latches!  And make the plastic taste BAD to chewing critters!

[split21]

I dont know if this is exactly what you are looking for, but you could try one of the following:
http://www.picnictrend.com/coolers-13/metro-kart-rolling-cooler-70.html - Keeps items very cold and folds down when youre done using it

or

http://www.nationaltailgate.com/store/celler-with-trolly-c-5-p-288.html - its a bit smaller, but very portable and durable...

just a thought

[campgirl25]

I would like a tent with a shallow shelf for sanwiches that is actually in the cooler, i hate the coolers where the sandwiches go in the lid that zips open and they never can get chilled. Also it's most coolers aren't designed for women to be able to handle them. The handles are too far apart and i end up dragging it by one side. I would actually like to see a backpack cooler... just an idea.

[mrman]

I really liked the idea on a top tray for food to stay dry. I would suggest reinforce the idea of a layer on the inside that lets you insert cooling pacs, the more large pieces of ice you have the longer it will stay cool. And simply making a lid that can open as one big lid or as two smaller lids would be simple and keep it cool.

[mike1959]

rsballer10-Obviosuly there are a lot of companies making both soft coolers and hard coolers out there who are trying to innovate. Soft side coolers are the growth part of the industry right now. They have more flexibility regarding potential innovative features than hard side coolers. Please keep in mind as you do your project that coolers are more than just for camping. Recent research indicates the 5 top uses for cooler are:
1. BBQ/cookouts/backyard
2. Picnics
3. Beach
4. Parties
5. Travel
Purchases are usually driven by females and many soft coolers are seen as disposable, which has changed the cost/value relationship among consumers. You might try and contact a company like Coleman who has extensive customer research in this area.