# Cooler for the oarsman seat



## BEAVER BELIEVER (Mar 4, 2016)

Need some advice from the buzzards out there. Im going with an engel 65 as a seat for the oarsman. Ive got just a basic NRS fishing frame. Ive added a second cross bar to wedge the cooler in between but my question is drop bag or cooler straps? Wondering about the side to side movement of the cooler? I know ive seen threads on this exact subject just couldnt find them. Any advice would be fantastic! thanks


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## protechie (Jun 16, 2005)

If you can afford it, get a drop bag, preferably custom made to your specifications. It will be so much easier and less of a hassle to use, and is more versatile if you change your setup later cause it can hold other stuff. It's worth the extra money.


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## 2tomcat2 (May 27, 2012)

Agree with protechie, have an 18' cat, use of drop bags gives you options.


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## Whitewater Worthy Equip (Dec 11, 2013)

I have not laid hands on an Engle yet so I'd suggest you get the cooler first and see if there is a lip big enough to rest on the cross bars. If so you don't need anything under it. To deal with side to side movment strap the handles to the the frame members that parallel your tubes. If there is a strap slot near the handles that is even better. I use a couple of different brand coolers that have both the lip that sits ont he frame and strap slots. Feel free to contact me if you want more info. 

Keep doing your snow dance!!!


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## dsrtrat (May 29, 2011)

You can run a long loop strap around the entire cooler to keep side to side movement in check if you don't want to use a drop bag.

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## seantana (Mar 5, 2015)

If you order a custom drop bag, make sure to take your depth measurements on the water. I made the mistake of measuring for mine on the trailer, and it's about 1" too deep and rides on the floor of my raft. Not a huge deal since I use it for random shit storage, but I'd have been pissed if I ordered it for a cooler and ended up with my cooler riding on the floor.


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## caverdan (Aug 27, 2004)

I like using trucker straps and pop rivets with washers, for permanent cooler and dry box straps.


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## SigNewt (Oct 27, 2015)

I was taught to row off the cooler. 

My current seat is an 80qt Engel with a JPW Paco dog bed, it sits in a River Boat Works drop bag. Easy to throw it in and if necessary strap it to the frame with a couple cam straps. 

13' RMR with a River Boat Works frame.


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## Sherpa9543 (Jul 22, 2014)

I use cam straps to support my engel. You can adjust height better with cams over the drop bag. If you rest cooler on frame rails, opening/closing of latches is hindered. I primarily sit atop drybox, but if necessary row from cooler in the opposite bay from drybox. 


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## climbdenali (Apr 2, 2006)

I like the river/trucker strap idea Dan! I may have to have a look at that for my rig. 


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## lncoop (Sep 10, 2010)

Dan, I remember seeing this from you before but didn't really understand it. Now that I do understand it I love the idea, but I'm wondering; does it ever bother you that you can't remove or adjust that set-up (assuming I'm not missing something)?


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## PhilipJFry (Apr 1, 2013)

lncoop said:


> Dan, I remember seeing this from you before but didn't really understand it. Now that I do understand it I love the idea, but I'm wondering; does it ever bother you that you can't remove or adjust that set-up (assuming I'm not missing something)?


maybe use chicago screws instead of pop rivets so you can remove them. (that's how i do this same setup)


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## caverdan (Aug 27, 2004)

The thing I really like about that frame it that it is not adjustable and it's set up perfectly for me. The seat drybox height never changes. You get in it and you know what you have and where it fits. The rowers seat dry box fits really tight, which is key, and the cooler set up is wide enough to hold about any 120 to 150 quart cooler. 

What I don't like about adjustable straps is they tend to let your load down over a period of days. A heavy cooler will eventually end up riding on the floor. Having something permanent to keep the floor gap consistent is the way to go.

It's incredible how well the four rivets hold the straps in place. The white ones have been on the frame since the mid 80's and show no sign of wear or tear on the straps. simple and effective.


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## Alaskajim (Apr 5, 2011)

*Cooler Hangers*

I too sit on a cooler or dry box. I've tried pretty much every thing mentioned. My solution is the NRS adjustable cooler hangers. They're not free but they hold the cooler very solidly - fore/aft/laterally. I choose the adjustable because the non adjustable cooler mounts keep my cooler/dry box too high. I never take the cooler out of the boat during a trip. I adjust to keep the "seat" low but high enough to get in the cooler. I use them with different size coolers. My go to cooler is my Yeti Tundra 75.

I also use them for cooler/dry box passenger seat up front and cooler/dry box behind the oarsman seat. I find I actually lose storage space with the drop bag so I use DRE slings for anything I don't strap on top. Good luck. 

An aside here, REI sells Yeti's so if you're a member and get a dividend then shop the sales you can get them pretty cheap. Good Luck.


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## QuietHunter (Jun 8, 2010)

I went from sitting on a tractor style seat to a cooler or dry box a long time ago. The best way is to have a cooler that sits directly on the rails. The discontinued NRS Big Sky line was good for this and made it so you could just use loop straps over the top to hold the cooler and a pad down. 
The best solution I have seen is implemented in the Canyon Prospector. It has slots for straps so you can strap the cooler to the frame at 4 points using 1 foot straps. The lid still opens, and all is very secure. You can also use a loop strap to hold a pad to the lid very simply. 
For a cooler that does not have the lips needed to sit on the frame, cam straps or loop straps will work, but make sure to set the rails so they make tight contact with the cooler, and make sure to keep the cam accessible since they will need adjusting.


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## ob1coby (Jul 25, 2013)

caverdan said:


> I like using trucker straps and pop rivets with washers, for permanent cooler and dry box straps.


 I had never thought about using those straps in that way but....


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## ob1coby (Jul 25, 2013)

And I have tons of it. last year I made a web floor for a 16' frame from 4" webbing. I didn't realize that when you use large webbing it leaves large holes around the edges of the frame. Large holes make large entrapment hazards, so... I have lots and lots of it. Seriously...lots. 

Do you have any close up pics of the rivet and washer system that you used to secure them?


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## caverdan (Aug 27, 2004)

ob1coby said:


> Do you have any close up pics of the rivet and washer system that you used to secure them?


The washers are sold as backup washers and you find them next to the rivets, at Ace Hardware. Hope this helps.


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## BEAVER BELIEVER (Mar 4, 2016)

Awesome thanks for all the feedback. So im figuring my cooler will be about 5" above my cross bars. My next question is what size oar towers will i need? I have 6" oar towers now. If i go up in oar towers will i need to get longer oars also. I have 9.5' cataracts now


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