Show and Tell: A Look at Yeti Coolers

 

  A few years back, I was  walking through the Cabela's in East Hartford, Connecticut.  As I was strolling through the store I noticed the cooler display area.  At the time I just so happened to be looking for a 35-45 quart marine cooler for my boat.  I have had Igloo in the past so I was pretty set on them at the time.  By chance I noticed the Yeti Coolers on display, and checked them out.  The first point I noticed was the price, how could you not.  The Yeti's were 3-4 times pricier than the Coleman's and Igloo coolers.  I could see the fit and finish, I know I am out of my mind "fit and finish" on a cooler, was top notch.  I also could see Yeti Had much more insulation than the others.  At the end of the day I ended up buying an Igloo Marine based on price and my needs.  Fast forward 2 years and I need a new cooler.

    In the 7 years I have owned my 16 foot aluminum skiff I have gone through 3 coolers.  One was a Coleman and the other two were Igloo.  I have noticed the premium cooler market has exploded since I was last looking at coolers in Cabela's a few years back.  I will be honest, I figured it was stupid to pay $200+ for a cooler.  However, people love these new coolers, and many more companies are selling them.  Engel is making a run on the market as well as Igloo and Canyon.  The marketing folks at yeti got my attention through adds and product placement on every outdoor show.  I also talked to a good friend who owns one, and he thought it was worth the money.  Which again I will say $200+ dollars for a cooler is crazy, but curiosity got the best of me and I purchased one.  The cooler I picked up was the Yeti Tundra 45 white.  I got the cooler at my local West Marine since I had a few coupons.  The cooler retailed for $329, but with the coupons I paid half that.  Long story short, I am Very happy with the cooler, but is a Yeti right for you?  I will explain my reasoning for my purchase so maybe it will help you.  I considered 3 different areas before going ahead: My Needs, Performance, and Price.
       I don't really have stellar cooler needs like some guides going out for 4-5 days.  Realistically I need a cooler to keep ice for 12-24 hours, and in the past my Igloos turned the trick. Keeping a few Porgies cold to icing down adult beverages were the required duties.   Most of the time I would use my cooler for a 6 hour fishing trip to an over night run at the campground.  I also thought a cooler capable of  keeping ice for so long would be awesome on a trip or during a power outage.

      So does the Yeti Keep Ice longer?  Yes.  During the first week of ownership the whole country was held hostage inside by a severe heat wave.  Temps for us pushed well into the 90's every day with all the humidity you could ever ask for.  Seemed like good weather for a cooler test and not much else.  I gave the Yeti 15lbs of ice from the local CVS.  The temp in the stores ice chest was 18F.  I dumped the bags in and added some sodas, monster, and apple juices.  This was on Sunday morning.  I planned on keeping the cold drinks in and using it for my lunch.  How did it Perform?  Excellent!  On Tuesday there was hardly and melt.  I did notice the drain plug would sweat.  It was not leaking.  I also noticed the cooler was so cold a vacuum would form and the drain plug had to be cracked in order to open the lid.  The ice lasted to Thursday and the water left was cold into Friday.  So the Tundra Kept ice long enough to make me happy and fulfill all my needs.

    $325 dollars!  WTF!  Really, Yeti is busting balls in the price tag sector.  The cooler is amazing and looks to be a lifetime cooler, so Guess its not so bad if you look at it from that angle.  To be honest, if I did not have the coupons to lower the retail price substantially I would not have purchased the cooler and I would have written about a porgy trip.
      So, what do I think of the Yet?  I believe the Tundra 45 is the perfect all around cooler for me.  Yeah the initial coast is stupid, but If the cooler lasts for 100's of trips then I will be eating my words in 10 years.  I have used the cooler to keep my catch of Blues, Porgies, Fluke, Sea Bass, and Clams cold.  It has been working out fantastic and I am very happy.  I took It on a camping trip and i had ice for the whole 2 day trip.  My Brother used it at work for a week.  He liked it so much he went out and got a Roadie 20.  My wife and I took the roadie on a 4 day trip and that little cooler kept a 7 pound bag of ice for the whole trip.  These are great coolers.  Yes the price is crazy.  I believe that is due to Yeti's ultra aggressive marketing program.  I hope Yeti can find a way to bring the price down with out shipping the whole operation over seas.  I recommend a Yeti cooler to just about every one if you can swing the price.  The Roadie 20 is a great cooler for a big lunch box for those jobs way out of town or for cold drinks after a hike.  The tundra 45 is just a great all around cooler which you will find a use for.  I am very pleased to have added the Yeti's to our adventures.