Vent: My $80 'bear-proof' cooler got absolutely wrecked by a raccoon in Yosemite.
That little bandit figured out the latches in about 30 seconds flat, so now I'm looking for a legit cooler that can actually survive a night in the woods, any suggestions?
Honestly, calling it a "bear-proof" cooler is the real problem here. It sets this crazy high bar that no plastic box with latches can ever really meet against a determined animal. Maybe the goal should just be "raccoon annoying" instead. Spending hundreds on a cooler just to protect some beers and hot dogs from a raccoon seems like overkill. Sometimes you just have to accept that a clever wild animal is going to win, and maybe hang your food in a tree like you're supposed to.