Author Topic: Cooler as bench seat?  (Read 2652 times)

Offline profisher

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Cooler as bench seat?
« on: Feb 07, 2019, 09:04 AM »
I am considering using a medium size cooler as a bench seat for a eskimo quick flip. I figure this could double as storage and a seat. I will mount fishing rod holders on the side as well. Any one try this or see possible issues I may have?

Offline Stickhick86

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #1 on: Feb 07, 2019, 09:12 AM »
Wont hold enough beer?
Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to ice fish, have his wife mad for ever.

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #2 on: Feb 07, 2019, 09:21 AM »
Frabill makes one out of a storage/sportsman's tote ...my issue would be back support and height ..take a look at the HT Sports chair .. its light.

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/ht-enterprises-padded-back-and-seat-sports-chair?a=64293
Give a man a fish he eats for a day .Teach a man to ice fish he has an obsession for a lifetime

Offline stinkyfingers

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #3 on: Feb 07, 2019, 10:19 AM »
Without some back support you'll soon be miserable, I'm afraid. I'd rather see you sitting on a clamp-on folding stadium seat for butt and back comfort since you'll have no room for a stand alone chair in your flip. That was my personal solution as well as using an office tote/milk crate to attach the rod holders. Solves much of the storage problem also.
We're born, we live for a while, and then we die.  Sounds like a good reason to go ice fishing.
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Offline Kevin23

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #4 on: Feb 07, 2019, 10:58 AM »
If it isnt a quality cooler it may crack with cold.  You could always mount one of those small boat seats on it for a little back support too. 
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Offline esox_xtm

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #5 on: Feb 07, 2019, 11:09 AM »
It'll be fine until the big drunk guy that gets irascible when you disturb him passes out sitting there and you want another beer.  :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao:

I have actually seen this...
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Offline FG Steve

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #7 on: Feb 07, 2019, 01:38 PM »
I echo the back support comments, but if you know a bench-style seat is OK for you, then I suggest a cooler that is designed to be a seat, such as the Coleman Coastal Extreme series:

https://www.coleman.com/70-quart-xtreme-5-marine-cooler/3000001845.html?cgid=coleman-coolersandwaterjugs-marinecoolers#start=1

I'm planning to put one of these in my boat this spring, because it seems that people are gonna sit on a cooler whether it is made to sit on, or not.
 Happiness is a wife who can outfish you.

Offline Fontona19

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #8 on: Feb 07, 2019, 01:44 PM »
I used a small cheap Coleman cooler for years. It worked great for the most part, but you did end up with a sore back at the end of the day. The great part was I used it as a bait well, or as storage. You could easily mount a seat to the top of it though.

Offline SKIFFLAKEJIMMY

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #9 on: Feb 07, 2019, 01:53 PM »
I had a 96 quart cooler mounted on skis, kinda smitty sled style. It held everything I owned for ice fishing. Year round. It finally died of old age. It worked well.
Thank you Lord for thinkin bout me. I'm alive and doin fine!!!!!!

Offline slipperybob

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #10 on: Feb 07, 2019, 08:54 PM »
Does it have to be a cooler?  Why not a foot locker or utlity bin like those from Contico.
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Offline Ice Scratcher

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #11 on: Feb 07, 2019, 09:28 PM »
Coolers generally speaking aren't that tough.. Thin plastic with foam filling.. If you're going to bolt anything to one use big fender washers to spread out the stresses, or a backing plate...

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Offline JohnnyO19

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #12 on: Feb 08, 2019, 12:41 PM »
  You could always mount one of those small boat seats on it for a little back support too.

Would have to be pretty big cooler, wouldn't it flip over? top heavy

Offline rdhammah

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #13 on: Feb 08, 2019, 01:48 PM »
flambou /plano storage box use a plastic folding stadium seat. mount to cover of the box and use fender washers

Offline RickWakeman

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #14 on: Feb 08, 2019, 03:14 PM »
I am considering using a medium size cooler as a bench seat for a eskimo quick flip. I figure this could double as storage and a seat. I will mount fishing rod holders on the side as well. Any one try this or see possible issues I may have?

I used to do this with a plastic footlocker I received as a kid. Same idea but it wasn't insulated. I bungeed it to a home made sled and put all my gear in it.

Offline perch chacer

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #15 on: Feb 09, 2019, 07:27 PM »
If you were brought up old school, like me, by sitting on a bucket before all the new huts and shanties, then sitting on a cooler won't bother you without a back rest.  But now that I am older I need the new cushion seats with a back rest.

Offline profisher

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Offline Seamonkey84

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #17 on: Feb 10, 2019, 12:27 PM »

Omg....this is it. That is exactly what im looking for. Thanks for sharing this.
Wow, that’s about as good as it gets without buying a yeti ($$) and attaching a seat to it.

Offline bootstrap

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #18 on: Feb 10, 2019, 12:43 PM »
i use on on my sled.  much better than sitting on a bucket. they are light and i fill it with a bunch of gear and sometimes even fish. if you had rods mounted they would prob get in the way.

Offline jbird68

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #19 on: Feb 10, 2019, 02:49 PM »
jbird68





Offline perchnut

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #20 on: Feb 11, 2019, 08:31 AM »
as an experiment, I mounted one of my old Yukon seats to a cooler I had and took out the bench in my shapely one man.  I'll give it a go this weekend.  doesn't seem extremely stable, and im quite a bit higher up, as in my head hits the ceiling....but I'll try it just to see if I like the concept...and if so, maybe find a more stable cooler.  Like one of those cubes or something.  I like the idea of putting most of my gear in the cooler, so its not just laying around willy nilly....my son said fill it with beer and it will be more stable....hmmmm, he might have something there..... 

Offline ajv5148

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #21 on: Feb 11, 2019, 09:28 AM »

Omg....this is it. That is exactly what im looking for. Thanks for sharing this.
happy to help. if you build something post it so we can see what you came up with



Offline Evinrude58

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #22 on: Feb 11, 2019, 01:10 PM »


I added these rod holders (like $2 at Walmart) by using an old door hinge I had. Just bolt a half hinge to the sled on each end. You do need to bend the rod holders a bit to get the right angle. They will swivel side to side.

Offline gola yona

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #23 on: Feb 11, 2019, 01:35 PM »
You could keep your shiners in the cooler as a livewell also, just saying.
Tight lines

Offline Kevin23

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #24 on: Feb 14, 2019, 03:54 PM »
You could keep your shiners in the cooler as a livewell also, just saying.

Or if you keep fish, the cooler keeps them from freezing. Little slush in the bottom and good to go.
EYECONICFISHING

Offline Unclegillhunter

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #25 on: Feb 14, 2019, 04:18 PM »
Or if you keep fish, the cooler keeps them from freezing. Little slush in the bottom and good to go.
Plus the vultures won’t see the fish on the ice and come swooping in to get in on your spot!
Keep it safe! JDL

Offline Kevin23

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Re: Cooler as bench seat?
« Reply #26 on: Feb 14, 2019, 04:19 PM »
Plus the vultures won’t see the fish on the ice and come swooping in to get in on your spot!
Keep it safe! JDL

It's so bad here I have to fish in a tent with all the windows open when its 40-50 degrees out. Otherwise you'll have a bunch of new friends sitting with you in a few minutes.
EYECONICFISHING

 



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