Getting back to the coolers, we used to use an Igloo and two years ago bought an Engle. It has much better insulation, full gasket and is very well made. Less than a Yeti, but much more than a coleman/igloo. It does a great job holding ice, but if you are using the cooler for drinks and opening it a lot, it won't make much difference. On longer trips, we load the Engle with ice then use the old Igloo for drinks, adding ice as necessary. Our 9-day trip we still had ice in the Engle, but then again it was only being opened once a day. As for the seal, it does make a difference. The first time we used it, I opened the drain at the end of the weekend and didn't open the top. Water flowed for a few seconds then stopped. When I realized what was going on, I unlatched the top and was able to pick up the whole thing from the top without it opening. After shaking it a few times I was finally able to get it to burp through the drain which broke the vacuum.