Cooler co-champions: Orion 65

A foam mat on the Orion 65 lid serves as a non-skid surface for sitting, standing or temporary equipment storage.
A foam mat on the Orion 65 lid serves as a non-skid surface for sitting, standing or temporary equipment storage.

The Orion 65 is a tapered rectangular box with a true 65-quart capacity.

About the cooler

MSRP $500

WEIGHT 39 pounds

ORIGIN USA

WARRANTY 5 years

Orion’s Web site says that each cooler has at least 2 inches of insulation. The 65 measures 32.75 x 19 inches at the lid. Its footprint is 30 x 16 inches. It weighs 39 pounds. It pushes the limits for use with canoes but is ideal for car camping.

The shell is impact and stress resistant, and is Certified Bear Resistant from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. There is no ruler on the lid. A black foam mat almost covers the lid and can serve as a seat or casting platform. In direct sunlight, the glue holding the mat to the lid melted and the mat edges came loose. When temperatures cooled in the evenings, the glue hardened. The mat was never in danger of separating from the lid.

Unlike other coolers that come with a steel mesh dry goods basket, the Orion comes with a solid-bottom basket that has drainage ports. It also comes with a removable Princeton-Tec AMP1 LED.

Unlike every other cooler we’ve tested, which all had two-tiered freezer seals, the Orion has an unbroken oval seal. The material is thick and tough, and we consider it an asset. When you close the lid, all you hear is the vacuum thump. The Sportsman is also compatible for use with dry ice, and it works very well with a combination of Arctic Ice Tundra Series ice packs and loose ice.

We appreciate that the lid does not have pull straps. Aluminum camming latches tighten hard, thick rods with an easy push. This latching system is superior to anything we’ve seen outside the mechanical lock latches on Pelican coolers. When closed, they are flush with the box.

Handles are wide, filled, hard rubber cylinders with textured surfaces. Marine braid runs through the centers. The handles hang flush with the box.

Also, the Orion has six aluminum tie-down brackets. The four corner brackets can also serve as bottle openers. The center brackets can serve as channels for a cable lock to discourage theft.

The Orion also looks different, with multi-color camo blend schemes that match those of the Jackson kayaks. No two coolers look alike. They are available in forest camo, sky camo, jungle camo and Dorado. Our test version was jungle camo. It was too hot to touch in direct sunlight when the temperature was 90 degrees or more, but it did not seem to affect ice retention.

The Orion also has aggressive graphics that enhance its signature appearance.

Orion challenges Yeti’s stranglehold on the accessories market. Orion coolers have YakAttack gear tracks on the ends to which you can attach YakAttack rod holders, cup holders, smart phones, electronic fishing graphs, GPS units and more.

Two lock ports in the front lid corners are suitable for long-shank padlocks.

Orion uses the same plug as in a Yeti. A thick foam gasket provides insulation, but it is not tethered to the box, which means it can be lost. Replacements are expensive. A cooler this good should have a better plug.

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