Yeti Coolers....Baller status?

After looking at numerous pics of limits/kills, I can't help but notice all the Yeti coolers in the background. Heck in some of the pictures the cooler is worth more than gun in the pic. On the opening weekend of dove season, I stopped at one of those roadside ice makers and put 20lbs of ice in my 15 year old Coleman cooler. On Monday, I still had ice for my birds and my beer was still cold. So why a Yeti cooler or the like?

I own a few but the Igloo got preferential treatment over the weekend.

There is a "Yeti" thread going on in the "Off Topic" section, so it seems it depends on what side of the fence you want to be on.

Is it a high fence or low fence?

Electric

The more expensive coolers will last longer. Hinge, latches and etc.

Ice holding capability for most people is negligible unless you stranded in the Desert and need an extra day.

I own a Grizzly 400Qt because it fits my needs for fishing/hunting. Yes fish in the Gulf get big, lol.

Hinges and latches

Hinges, latches, durability, ice retention. These are the reasons that I own 4 yeti's

Latches on a Pelican are better. (Let the games begin.)

I purchased my first Yeti after my fat [censored] fell through the top of my coleman trying to stand on it fishing. I also got tired of after two days, having nothing but water in my cooler. When I go hunting/fishing, I sometimes need ice for a week and the yeti will deliver that. Also, the durability is absolutely unmatched. I now have 3 yeti coolers and a couple of the tumblers, (also a great value) and I will say this. Anytime I have bought a yeti product it hurt. It was expensive and I immediately had buyers remorse. A week later, the first time I used each I remembered why I paid a bit extra for the quality and durability I demand. I've have yet to talk to someone who bought a yeti product and was disappointed in them, only people who had never owned one making excuses about how they didn't need it, or it was too expensive.

Hey Rex,

I guess I'll be your Huckleberry.

I was given little a Yeti Roadie as a gift. I haul it in my truck every single day, rain, shine, hot ,cold of West Texas.

If I'd have paid for this cooler, I'd be extremely P.O.'ed.

In West Texas heat, opening the thing approximately 3 times a day, it will not hold ice for 24 hours.

I have PREFROZEN the entire cooler in my deep freeze the day before. Doesn't matter. Cold water the next morning with no ice left.

I purchased a Brute (big one), which is now Bison. I believe ice retention is a little better.

Both coolers are hell for stout. Neither will hold ice for as long as folks tout.

The usual response is don't open the cooler and it'll hold ice.

Well, they did put lids on them so I open them as needed.

Durable? You bet!

Ice retention......not so much

Interesting, I don't have a roadie but maybe since it is so much smaller it isn't holding ice as well? I can say from personal experience that I can retain ice for around a week in my yeti's. Heck even with the Yeti Hopper I will keep ice for two days. Weird.

I'm a Pelican man too....

I have a 20qt Yeti. I dont use it daily. I use my 45qt daily.

I will say that I just use my 20 as a beer drinkin cooler. Always, and I say always, the next day after a day of drinkin, I pour ice out of it.

My 45 qt in the back of my truck gets two bags of ice a week during the summer and 1 during the winter and it holds the ice well.

Igloo like the one shown above versus Yeti isn't even a reasonable comparison for all the things mentioned above. Yeti is hands down the best cooler money can buy, albeit a lot of money for a cooler. Having owned Igloos, Colman's, etc.. I can fill my 160 quart Yeti with ice when I leave home for a hunting trip and when I get home a week or so later, I am dumping the same Ice out of the Yeti. Your not doing that with the Igloo or others like it. Now I will say this, for just an evening of bird hunting or even a day, the cheaper coolers work just fine.

Give us at Bison Coolers a good look as well. We've been building coolers for over 4 years now (formerly Brute Outdoors). Our coolers are Made in America and feature more insulation, custom lid graphics, dual drain plugs (50 QT and larger), a built-in ruler, true to size capacity (Bison 50 = 50 quarts whereas Yeti 65 holds 44 quarts) and about $80 cheaper on average. We have a soft cooler and hard cooler line available in a number of colors.

https://www.bisoncoolers.com/

I had the chance to look at a hard Bison last week in person. It looks legit.

Go big!!!

I guess I'm not very gentle with my equipment. Have a box full of latches and hinges for my 150qt igloo's, my bulk meat transport coolers. My food and beverage( yeti's) have been used and abused for over 2 years. Still function like new.

I've spent so much money on Igloo latches, hinges, lids, plastic sides pulling off.....etc, that I could have bought a couple of Yeti's. I could never afford a Yeti though. I did get in on the ground floor with Brute though, and got some real good deals on their coolers. I even wrote a review here on them. They are fantastic, and are just as good as Yeti, if not better. I also have an IRP, which is now Grizzly coolers. They are great coolers as well.

I did a ton of research and reading and finally ended up purchasing a Bison (Brute) Cooler. As mentioned by someone earlier in this thread, ice retention is completely negligible. The money you spend goes towards the quality of the cooler its self. The fact that Bisons run true to size, have MUCH better latches, and the built on handles sold me.

I have one which I received as a gift. Based on my experience I would not buy one.

My cheap coolers keep ice equally as well and are equally as durable. When they eventually fail in some way or, heaven forbid, get stolen (which I wouldn't be sad about since they didn't cost hundreds of dollars!) I can cheaply replace them with "new technology"... still at a cost savings.

-Mickey

Yup

I loaded my brute cooler this summer at 5:00 one morning. I loaded the cooler in the back of my wife's minivan and we drove to Disneyworld. When we arrived 17 hours later, all I had was water. Had I paid for the cooler I'd have been disappointed. I won it in a raffle, so I won't complain that much. All it cost me was a dollar. If I'm buying, I'm buy igloo or something comparable.

Had it been in a hot garage before you filled it with ice? Insualtion works both ways.

Nice to meet you...... My (8-year old) Igloo Ice Box olds ice longer than my Yeti. I've even left mine in the freezer for 2 days prior to using it and it didn't hold ice any longer. You want to talk about stout? Sure, it's a tank but not the ice holder as advertised.

My 125 has had the same ice in it since the weekend before last.

It had been inside the house, so 70-75 degrees.

I aint near as fancy sorry

But but but - the cool bumper sticker!!!!!

Is that green one an orca?

if your yeti is not holding ice that means you have a collapsed gasket
and it's no longer air tight.

if you slam the lid down and can't open lid without cracking the drain valve
then your gasket is sealing properly.

YETI does sell replacement gasket

The 125 yeti I borrowed for my 5 day camping trip had almost the same amount of ice for all 5 days.

The igloo we brought didnt even last overnight with ice.

Not sure why yours didnt hold ice but they do hold ice for almost a week

Why buy replacement parts!!!
Taiga Coolers have a lifetime warranty!!!
American Made in Jacksonville, TX

Yezzir

They look nice but.... Doesn't the Orca 58 cost more than then Yeti 65?

Me? I didn't go as big as BOBO but I did my best

Taiga 27 ($219) is the same internal size as a Yeti 35 ($350+).
I'll take American Made and save money!!!

Yes but... I sell them

I use the cheap Coleman more than the nicer one anyway dam things are too heavy

My cheap Coleman has drink holders in the lid, which are sometimes pretty darn useful.

Well.. U got me there. I like 'em.. Especially that green! I just got that 125. Yeti was replacing my 65 with a warped lid so I upgraded for $150. I love the big one but that damn thing has not moved from the truck since I put it there. Mostly because it's been full of ice for over a week! Now that I got this big one I need another medium size!

I started questioning the OPer when he said his Coleman was 15 years old. Its only true if in that 15 years he's used it once or twice a year. I've had Coleman's and igloos and they normally lasted 5-6 years before I had to let them go. But yeah if you are someone that only uses a cooler a few times a year then yeah cheap coolers are fine.

I have survived these 40 years of hunting with out....and what years remain Ill do the same...
Seems having ice left over is the big deal on these if you listen to the Yeti owners. Hell Ice don't hardly cost anything compared to a $$$$ cooler!

Yeah rick it just comes down to how much you use a cooler and how you use it. For those with specific needs they are well worth the money. Sounds like you would be foolish to get one since you don't have that need.

"Yeti aggressor" alert.

haha...Yeti aggressor....that's funny. I also think it's funny that people get real fired up about why they don't have one...I mean you don't see people calling each other out for owning huge trucks when they don't actually tow anything or use them to haul anything. Or what about people that live in big houses with a bunch or room they don't really need...fools for spending so much. haha

I just always assumed they're suffering from acute Napoleon complex.

Just remember that ice retention is always impacted by a few things including including...

• Quantity of ice
• Temperature of the cooler
• Temperature of the contents
• How often the cooler is opened

We get emails from folks thinking that 8 pounds of ice will keep 24 beers in a 75 QT Cooler cold for a week. We always recommend a 2:1 ice to drink ratio and minimizing the amount of air you have in the cooler. Ice and cold water are always better than air.

Good tips ^^^^

Just to stir the pot, I have started seeing Roadies built into the newer AT&T trucks.

I think my last bill paid for one.

I have put frozen 1 gal containers of water that I had in my freezer at -2 and they stayed frozen for 3 days with no sign of melting. The cooler was completely full and I did not open it till I needed it to ice down my deer. So what he said above is spot on...

Also keep the coolers in shade. And if you can't and it is not white cover it with a white sheet.

I haven't seen any on the new trucks in my yard yet. Maybe mine will come with one.

I bought it for the chicks. Works great so far.

I like my Yeti. Would I pay retail for one? No. Was it worth the trade I made? Yes.