Brand · Camp Gear
Orion products aren’t currently available on Amazon US.
Orion coolers aren't listed on Amazon US, so the grid on this page shows hard coolers from other brands instead. Orion makes rotomolded hard coolers in the Jackson Kayak family of brands, sold now as the Core series in four sizes, plus latches, gear track, pads and a cart. Pick the size by trip length first, because the maker does too. (Renee asked why I'm writing about a cooler you can't buy here. Real talk: the ice math works the same on every brand.)
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How alternatives are pickedSame type of gear from other brands, closest first: same price tier as Orion’s own listings at our last check, then the most maker-published specs. No popularity, no paid placement.
Orion coolers aren't listed on Amazon US. Search "orion cooler" or "orion rotomolded cooler" and you get fans, car audio and other things that happen to share the name, not the brand's coolers. I won't guess why.
So the grid on this page is "Alternatives to Orion": hard coolers from other brands, chosen by matching type. They're sorted by how many specs their makers publish, closest first, and nobody paid for a spot. The list changes as listings come and go, so I'll write about what separates hard coolers, not about how many are in the grid this week.
The maker sells Orion coolers on its own site, the Jackson Kayak store, and that's where everything below about the Orion line comes from.
Orion makes hard coolers. On the maker's current collection page, that's the Core series in four sizes: 35, 45, 65 and 85 quarts. Around them sits a shelf of accessories built to fit those sizes, which I'll get to.
How they're built: a 2015 Carolina Sportsman article on the line's launch describes a one-piece, rotomolded shell. The maker's collection page describes snag-free camming latches, aluminum bottle-opener corners and multi-day ice retention. It doesn't put a number of days on that, so neither will I. Rotomolded coolers across brands are on the rotomolded cooler page.
The Jackson Kayak site's footer calls its family of brands "American-made" and "family-owned," and lists Orion Coolers among them. More on that in the company section.
The maker pins each size to a kind of trip, right in the product names. I like that. It's the ice math done for you.
The maker's tagline for the Core 35 is "day trips and solo outings." Its page pitches it as the cooler for the day that turns into an overnighter. Per the maker:
The Core 45's tagline is "weekend trips for 2-3 people," and its page says it fits a canoe, a truck, a boat or an RV. Per the maker:
That's the size a lot of deer-camp weekends end up needing. Sizes near it across brands are on the 50 qt cooler page.
The Core 65's tagline is "long weekends and groups." The maker's sources here don't give its weight or dimensions, so I won't quote numbers I haven't read. Check the volume, empty weight and outside size on the maker's page before you plan truck space around it.
The Core 85 is the biggest in the line, and the maker's tagline names us directly: "large groups, extended trips, hunting camps." The page says it's sized for a large amount of game, a week of groceries or a family's worth of ice. Per the maker:
Quick math on the line: the 35 weighs about 0.76 lb per quart of space, the 45 about 0.69, the 85 about 0.51. Bigger coolers carry less plastic per quart. They also carry a lot more ice, which is where your back gets involved. Big coolers across brands are on the large cooler page.
People search for these too. The 25 and 55 don't appear on the maker's current collection page. Both are on the IGBC's certified products list (more below), and the 25 still shows up in accessory names like the 25Q cooler pad and the 25Q/45Q gear track kit. That tells me they existed and that parts for the 25 are still sold. It doesn't tell me they're sold new, so check before you hunt for one.
The maker's accessories page is long for a cooler brand, because the coolers grew up next to fishing kayaks. What's listed:
The 2015 Carolina Sportsman article explains the gear track. It's a mounting rail for rod holders, camera mounts, phone holders and a drink holder, and the 25 and 45-quart sizes could replace a kayak seat. For a deer camp, the useful parts of that list are the drain plugs, the latches and the cart. A lost drain plug ends a cooler's day.
The sources here don't say which sizes the cart fits. Read that before you buy one for the 85. Wheeled coolers across brands are on the cooler with wheels page.
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) certifies bear-resistant products and keeps two lists. One holds products whose makers have confirmed this year that they're still built to the original spec. The other holds certified products whose makers haven't completed that check. The IGBC says products on the second list still carry its certification.
Orion is on the second list. The June 25, 2026 version names Orion 25, 35, 45, 55, 65 and 85-quart coolers, each with its own certification number. Orion doesn't appear on the July 31, 2026 confirmed list I read.
Two lines from those documents matter more than any brand name. Coolers need bolts and nuts or appropriately sized padlocks to be bear-resistant. And the IGBC doesn't decide which products meet food storage rules; each land manager does. If you camp where food storage rules apply, read that land manager's rules first.
The maker's warranty page splits by purchase date:
Coverage starts on the original purchase date, can't be transferred, needs proof of purchase and applies only to purchases in the US and Canada. The maker decides whether to repair or replace parts, the lid or the whole cooler. The general exclusions on that page include abuse, misuse, commercial use and normal wear like scuffs, chips and fading.
The claim process has one step I've never seen before. If the cooler is being replaced, you decommission it by drilling at least ten half-inch holes in the bottom, then email a photo. Don't throw it out until they confirm. It's the only time anybody has ever told me to put holes in a cooler on purpose. (Walt says he's been doing it by accident since 1991.)
The alternatives in the grid are hard coolers from other brands, the same type Orion makes. With no Orion listings to match a price tier against, they're ordered by how many specs their makers publish: weight, outside dimensions, construction, drain plug and the rest. Values marked as listing values came from Amazon, the rest from the maker. A dash means neither lists it.
If you liked the Orion idea, a rotomolded shell with a drain plug in a size named for the trip, look at the construction and drain plug columns first, then match the volume.
Orion's taglines are a sizing chart in plain English: 35 for a day that might become a night, 45 for a weekend for two or three, 65 for long weekends and groups, 85 for camps. That's a reasonable way to read any brand's sizes. The coolers page covers volume against people and days across brands.
The 85 weighs 43 lb empty, per the maker. Add ice and food and it's a two-person lift. Walt's take: "A cooler that big isn't luggage. It's furniture with a lid." He then sat on it. If you'll carry it alone, a smaller cooler or a cart decides more than the brand does.
Outside dimensions are what fit a truck bed, a boat deck or the space under the camp table. The maker lists them for every size it publishes. Measure the space with the tailgate up, because that's how it'll ride.
A drain plug lets meltwater out without tipping the cooler. Latches and plugs are the parts that wear and walk off. A brand that sells replacements, as Orion's accessories page shows, keeps a cooler going longer. Check the same thing on any alternative.
Food safety first. The FDA says to keep perishable food at 40°F or below, drain meltwater and replace ice often, and keep raw meat sealed so juices don't reach other food. Penn State Extension says to cool a deer carcass quickly to 35 to 40°F and to bring a large cooler full of ice when you hunt.
My one opinion on this page: run two coolers at camp, one for drinks and one for food. The FDA recommends exactly that, so the food cooler isn't opened every time someone wants a soda. At Hemlock Run the drink cooler gets opened roughly every time Walt walks past it. The food cooler stays shut.
Packing order is its own topic. The best coolers page has a ranked list across brands.
Both brands make hard coolers. Orion's current line is the Core series in four sizes plus accessories, sold through the Jackson Kayak site. YETI's listings on this site cover hard coolers, soft coolers, camp chairs and beach chairs, and its investor site describes a range from coolers and drinkware to backpacks and bags.
The practical difference for a shopper: YETI is on Amazon US and Orion isn't. SGB Media reported that Orion coolers are made in Sparta, Tennessee. I couldn't verify where YETI coolers are made, so that's left out. Compare volume, empty weight and dimensions size for size. The YETI brand page has its lineup.
Orion Coolers is one of the brands in the Jackson Kayak family, alongside Jackson Kayak, Werner Paddles, Eddyline and KIALOA, per that family's site. SGB Media reported in November 2019 that the parent, Jackson Adventures, is headquartered in Sparta, Tennessee, where most of its products are made, including Orion Coolers. Its president, Eric Jackson, described the company as owned by the Jackson family. SGB also reported the company started in 2004 with Jackson Kayaks; I couldn't verify a separate founding year for Orion, so that's left out.
Pick the size for the trip, check the empty weight, keep a spare drain plug in the glove box. Then let Walt sit on it. He will anyway.
No. Amazon US has no cooler listings under the brand, only unrelated products with Orion in the name. The grid on this page shows hard coolers from other brands instead, picked by matching type. The maker sells Orion coolers on its own site.
Here's what can be checked. The maker lists a 5-year limited warranty, publishes volume, weight and dimensions per size, and its site calls its family of brands American-made. The IGBC's list of certified products not confirmed by the maker includes six Orion sizes. A 2015 Carolina Sportsman article describes a one-piece rotomolded shell. Whether one suits you depends on size, weight and how you carry it.
Orion Coolers is one of the brands in the Jackson Kayak family, and its coolers are sold on the Jackson Kayak site. SGB Media reported in 2019 that the parent, Jackson Adventures, is headquartered in Sparta, Tennessee, where most of its products are made, including Orion Coolers. Its president described the company as owned by the Jackson family.
The maker lists a limited 5-year warranty for coolers bought on or after September 1, 2023, and a limited 10-year warranty for earlier purchases. It covers the original owner with proof of purchase, for purchases in the US and Canada. The maker decides whether to repair or replace parts, the lid or the whole cooler.
The IGBC's June 2026 list of certified products not confirmed by the manufacturer includes Orion 25, 35, 45, 55, 65 and 85-quart coolers. That list says such products still carry IGBC certification. The IGBC notes coolers need bolts and nuts or properly sized padlocks to be bear-resistant, and it doesn't decide which products meet a land manager's food storage rules.
The maker sells the Core series and its accessories on the Jackson Kayak site. On Amazon US there are no Orion cooler listings, so the grid on this page links to hard coolers from other brands. Compare the volume, empty weight and outside dimensions with the Orion size you had in mind.
