Yeti. Once associated with a mythical hairy creature, it is now synonymous with keeping things cool and requiring serious cash. I was initially intrigued at the notion that someone would pay a premium to keep their bologna and mayo sandwich cold during a day chasing trout, and I certainly couldn’t imagine the dirtbagger dropping that kind of coin to keep their PBR cool during a day at the crag. Money aside, I wasn’t even certain that any cooler could actually live up to the claim of keeping ice for days. Turns out my market forecasting is as bad as my haircut and the Yeti has more ice than Elsa from Frozen.
When the Yeti 65 came to my local REI I went it to pick, and was shocked at what it weighed. I hadn’t paid much attention to the specs when ordering, and failed to take into account that any cooler keeping items cold for a week would require some serious insulation. That is the only consideration that would prevent me from ordering another Yeti, weight. Empty the 65 weighs in at a staunch 29 pounds (http://yeticoolers.com/size-and-capacity/), and loaded it can be somewhat unmanageable depending on who is moving it around. As the Yetis get bigger they get heavier, and we have a Yeti 160 (54 pounds dry) at work that is virtually useless to some employees, simply because once it’s full of ice and two cases of water it is incredibly heavy. Of course, I’ve put it to use on days spent out on the Colorado River, and it’s been a lifesaver. Now, don’t think that I hate Yeti, or that they’re like bags of hard concrete, because neither of those assumptions are true.
So, how did I test the Yeti 65? What did I do to ensure that it lives up to the hype surrounding these legendary coolers? Given my location, you can’t really pick a better place to test a cooler. The arid Mohave Desert tops 110 many days this time of year, so leaving the cooler in the elements for a test was the best way to see whether or not they could take the heat. I have a patio that is west facing, which means that during the hottest part of the day, the sun is blasting my backyard. I left two 10 bags of ice in the Yeti for over 60 hours, opening the cooler only twice every 8 hours. Now I know that this isn’t realistic, but I also wasn’t going to let my kids open and close the cooler non-stop.
The results were pretty amazing, and they made me a believer. With the day time high over 105 for all three days of the test, and the lows dipping into the low 80s, I felt that the weather was perfect for testing the capabilities of this cooler. Day 1 - 4:00 pm. I loaded the cooler with a 10 pound bag of crushed ice and a 10 pound block, closed the lid, and sealed the black locking handles. Around 11:00 pm I let the Golden Retriever out and checked the thermometer on the pool deck, which read 83 degree F. I cracked the cooler and to my surprise nearly no ice had melted in the 7 hours the cooler had been outside. I stuck my hand in and the inside was actually cold. I wish I had a handy electronic thermometer because I'd have liked to measure the air temp in that cooler, because it was cold! I repeated this process daily, opening the cooler at 4 pm, 11 pm, 7 am, and noon. Despite opening the cooler and leaving it open for 30 seconds, the ice seemed to last.
So, long story short is that after 60+ hours, the Yeti 65 maintained ice in some of the hottest summer conditions around. Now, I know you're probably thinking that this is a very basic test, and that it doesn't merit you spending your hard earned money on a $300 cooler. Well, I've been using this particular Yeti for a year now. I've taken it on Boy Scout outings where kids are using it as a bench and reaching in every 10 minutes for another root beer. It's kept their sodas cold, kept its shape even when it has been sat on by guys who top 215 pounds, and maintained its structure after two boys dropped it when trying to carry it to my truck. I've had lunches in it, water samples, and even upland game after its been dressed. It has kept everything cold, saved me dozens of trips to the marina to buy more ice, and even elicited positive feedback from frugal co-workers and friends who think it was overpriced. It has slide around the deck of the boat, had gear stacked on top of it, and been dragged across the boat dock. My wife leaves it in the trunk of her car when she goes shopping, because she knows that she can leave milk in it after the store and still go into shop for a new pair of shoes because the milk will be plenty cold. Even after all this use it still looks new.
What else do I like about the Yeti? The handles are recessed, so it fits nicely into a fully loaded truck, or on the boat. The rope handles make a nice addition when carrying the cooler with you fishing buddy. The drain plug is genius. It is threaded and has a gasket to keep water it, and makes the cooler an ease to drain on the boat before reloading with ice. When the cooler is empty and getting ready to go into storage, I used the drain plug to prop open the lid to ensure it dries. Accessories like the lock are a must for those that have a truck and want to protect your asset. Check out Yeti's site for all the accessories you can get to customize your cooler and make it yours.
So, if you're an outdoorsman looking to keep that next deer cool, or you're just a soccer mom looking to keep the half-time snacks cold during a day at the soccer field, the Yeti 65 is well worth the money you'll spend. It's durability will ensure that you'll have it for years to come, in fact, in the time I've had the Yeti, two other cheap coolers have quietly slipped into the landfill after their plugs have broken off, handles have broken, and lid hinges have failed. You'll save money on bags of ice, and you're food and drink will remain at safe temperatures.
Stay tuned for an update, as I'll be taking the Yeti 65 deer hunting this fall and will let you know how it cools large game that has been recently dressed.
Visit http://yeti.com/ to check out all their offerings and to learn more about these amazing coolers.
When the Yeti 65 came to my local REI I went it to pick, and was shocked at what it weighed. I hadn’t paid much attention to the specs when ordering, and failed to take into account that any cooler keeping items cold for a week would require some serious insulation. That is the only consideration that would prevent me from ordering another Yeti, weight. Empty the 65 weighs in at a staunch 29 pounds (http://yeticoolers.com/size-and-capacity/), and loaded it can be somewhat unmanageable depending on who is moving it around. As the Yetis get bigger they get heavier, and we have a Yeti 160 (54 pounds dry) at work that is virtually useless to some employees, simply because once it’s full of ice and two cases of water it is incredibly heavy. Of course, I’ve put it to use on days spent out on the Colorado River, and it’s been a lifesaver. Now, don’t think that I hate Yeti, or that they’re like bags of hard concrete, because neither of those assumptions are true.
So, how did I test the Yeti 65? What did I do to ensure that it lives up to the hype surrounding these legendary coolers? Given my location, you can’t really pick a better place to test a cooler. The arid Mohave Desert tops 110 many days this time of year, so leaving the cooler in the elements for a test was the best way to see whether or not they could take the heat. I have a patio that is west facing, which means that during the hottest part of the day, the sun is blasting my backyard. I left two 10 bags of ice in the Yeti for over 60 hours, opening the cooler only twice every 8 hours. Now I know that this isn’t realistic, but I also wasn’t going to let my kids open and close the cooler non-stop.
The results were pretty amazing, and they made me a believer. With the day time high over 105 for all three days of the test, and the lows dipping into the low 80s, I felt that the weather was perfect for testing the capabilities of this cooler. Day 1 - 4:00 pm. I loaded the cooler with a 10 pound bag of crushed ice and a 10 pound block, closed the lid, and sealed the black locking handles. Around 11:00 pm I let the Golden Retriever out and checked the thermometer on the pool deck, which read 83 degree F. I cracked the cooler and to my surprise nearly no ice had melted in the 7 hours the cooler had been outside. I stuck my hand in and the inside was actually cold. I wish I had a handy electronic thermometer because I'd have liked to measure the air temp in that cooler, because it was cold! I repeated this process daily, opening the cooler at 4 pm, 11 pm, 7 am, and noon. Despite opening the cooler and leaving it open for 30 seconds, the ice seemed to last.
So, long story short is that after 60+ hours, the Yeti 65 maintained ice in some of the hottest summer conditions around. Now, I know you're probably thinking that this is a very basic test, and that it doesn't merit you spending your hard earned money on a $300 cooler. Well, I've been using this particular Yeti for a year now. I've taken it on Boy Scout outings where kids are using it as a bench and reaching in every 10 minutes for another root beer. It's kept their sodas cold, kept its shape even when it has been sat on by guys who top 215 pounds, and maintained its structure after two boys dropped it when trying to carry it to my truck. I've had lunches in it, water samples, and even upland game after its been dressed. It has kept everything cold, saved me dozens of trips to the marina to buy more ice, and even elicited positive feedback from frugal co-workers and friends who think it was overpriced. It has slide around the deck of the boat, had gear stacked on top of it, and been dragged across the boat dock. My wife leaves it in the trunk of her car when she goes shopping, because she knows that she can leave milk in it after the store and still go into shop for a new pair of shoes because the milk will be plenty cold. Even after all this use it still looks new.
What else do I like about the Yeti? The handles are recessed, so it fits nicely into a fully loaded truck, or on the boat. The rope handles make a nice addition when carrying the cooler with you fishing buddy. The drain plug is genius. It is threaded and has a gasket to keep water it, and makes the cooler an ease to drain on the boat before reloading with ice. When the cooler is empty and getting ready to go into storage, I used the drain plug to prop open the lid to ensure it dries. Accessories like the lock are a must for those that have a truck and want to protect your asset. Check out Yeti's site for all the accessories you can get to customize your cooler and make it yours.
So, if you're an outdoorsman looking to keep that next deer cool, or you're just a soccer mom looking to keep the half-time snacks cold during a day at the soccer field, the Yeti 65 is well worth the money you'll spend. It's durability will ensure that you'll have it for years to come, in fact, in the time I've had the Yeti, two other cheap coolers have quietly slipped into the landfill after their plugs have broken off, handles have broken, and lid hinges have failed. You'll save money on bags of ice, and you're food and drink will remain at safe temperatures.
Stay tuned for an update, as I'll be taking the Yeti 65 deer hunting this fall and will let you know how it cools large game that has been recently dressed.
Visit http://yeti.com/ to check out all their offerings and to learn more about these amazing coolers.