HARD COOLERS – BUILT WITH A SENSE OF PURPOSE, AND PLACE, TO HONOR BOTH

Cordova, Alaska is an ideal place to develop stoicism and sharpen perspective. Conditions can be idyllic, harsh, or both at the same time. Bounded by the glaciated Chugach Mountains to the north, the Copper River Delta to the east, the untamable Gulf of Alaska to the south and Prince William Sound to the west, it is beautiful, unforgiving, and gloriously inaccessible by road or rail.

Industrialization’s westward march in the 19^th and 20^th Centuries did impact Cordova, and there was a railroad built, at great expense, to extract ore. There was even an attempt at a highway, but the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964 destroyed 28 of the 129 bridges (including the Million Dollar Bridge) on the railroad line, wreaking enough havoc to convince even the most intrepid of engineers that rebuilding was a fools’ errand. The road out of town never did connect to the Alaskan Highway and now ends a few miles outside of town, where the Copper River refuses to let manmade structures survive for long.

Its isolation, subarctic climate, and the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989 notwithstanding, Cordova’s harbor serves as a haven for commercial fishermen working the depths of the Bering Sea, one of the most bountiful, delicate, and perilous ocean ecosystems in the world. The Cordova Chamber of Commerce estimates that nearly half of all households in town have someone working in the fishing industry. 

Cordova Outdoors’ rotationally molded Basecamp Class™ hard cooler design is inspired by those who don’t just survive, but work in order to thrive, in wild places like Cordova, Alaska. We understand the importance of manufacturing gear that people can count on, and we work hard – very hard – to deliver products that will withstand serious use in idyllic or harsh conditions. Our hard coolers are not status symbols, they are tools. Admittedly visually striking, exceptionally well designed and durably constructed tools. But still; equipment intended for use.

Rotationally molded hard coolers are inherently more durable than any other type of outdoor cooler. The unique molding process costs more and takes more time and skill than other methods but creates a body that is one solid piece. In Cordova Outdoors’ case, we use a linear low-density polyethylene, which offers exceptional impact resistance, even when cold. To see our hard coolers handling harsh conditions like it’s their job, check out our Instagram; you’ll find us throwing them off the roof of our factory, onto concrete, full of ice. Our coolers are, in a word, stoic.

Cordova’s Basecamp Class™ hard coolers are insulated with EcoFoam which is the most environmentally friendly insulator available today, equipped with Top Loader Latches™ for easy access and have anodized aluminum handles with (four) bottle openers built-in so you’ve got one less thing to remember to pack when heading out. Whether your day on the water consists of pulling wakeboarders or pulling up crab pots, our hard coolers will keep your provisions fresh.

Established in 2015, we remain rooted in the Pacific Northwest, and make our Basecamp Class™ hard coolers, from start to finish, in Idaho’s Treasure Valley. We try hard to do more with less, first by building gear that is meant to last so it doesn’t need to be replaced. Second, by manufacturing efficiently. This means employing good people, limiting waste in our production process, using local vendors, and recycling our scrap resin into our Obsidian Basecamp Class™ hard cooler – the only recycled cooler on the market made with 100% resin. We’re proud to be a veteran-owned, American manufacturing company providing jobs to our community and coolers that are built to last a lifetime, and beyond, to our compatriots.