Credit Card for a Yeti cooler

[nobody123]

So I was in a sporting goods store this weekend.  In the cooler aisle, I saw a sign by the Yeti coolers advertising a credit card with 0% financing so you could buy said $400 cooler and pay it off over 6 months or so.  I was shocked for about 3 seconds, wondering who on earth would open up a line of credit to buy a $400 cooler.  Then I remembered that the sign is only there because lots of stupid folks would take advantage of that offer.

[VaCPA]

Maybe they're hoping to get some young people to sign up who don't have a credit card yet. Could be a decent spot to place a credit card offer.

[Chris22]

Those coolers apparently are a huge status symbol amongst the hunting and fishing outdoorsy set down south.  Don't get it myself, my $30 Coleman does just fine keeping my beer cold, and more importantly, it has wheels. 

[eljefe-speaks]

As far as I can tell it's mostly the college kids. Yetis are somehow a status symbol akin to expensive sunglasses or trucks. I find it a totally bewildering phenomenon, but that's sociology at work I guess.

[eljefe-speaks]

FYI, from Wikipedia, LOL!:

"Brothers Roy and Ryan Seiders founded the company in 2006, pioneering the luxury cooler market, and convincing customers to purchase a cooler costing several hundred dollars vs. the typical $40"

Luxury cooler!? Like I said - just bewildering. It's one of the most un-mastachian things I can possibly think of. Gets my gears turning trying to figure out what else I can find to simply charge 10 times the pricing, call it luxury, and make a mint.

[VaCPA]

FYI, from Wikipedia, LOL!:

"Brothers Roy and Ryan Seiders founded the company in 2006, pioneering the luxury cooler market, and convincing customers to purchase a cooler costing several hundred dollars vs. the typical $40"

Luxury cooler!? Like I said - just bewildering. It's one of the most un-mastachian things I can possibly think of. Gets my gears turning trying to figure out what else I can find to simply charge 10 times the pricing, call it luxury, and make a mint.

Isn't anything with the word "luxury" basically a complete blatant violation of the MMM handbook?

[HPstache]

Yeti coolers are definitely a status symbol for country folk... they've even made their way into a very popular country song, "Buy me a boat"

[Rural]

People even pay a considerable premium for clothing advertising Yeti.

[fattest_foot]

I didn't realize there were coolers.

I know last year the company had some big hoopla because one of their coffee mugs was (allegedly) in a car fire and survived with ice intact. My in-laws ate it up and now both own one.

I'm assuming the coolers probably make the same claim?

[CmFtns]

Yeti stuff is nice but I think their stuff is just ridiculously stupidly priced and I hate the image they give off... I use their mug for coffee ever day but this is only because for some reason people think it's a good idea to buy and give away $35 cups as promotional items... WTF

I debate even using it because I am exactly the opposite kind of person that would ever own a yeti but all my other cups are terrible so...


My brother is all about the costa sunglasses and had a yeti cooler/cups/clothing and fancy cowboy boots to compliment his wannabe country lifestyle... Drives me crazy

[FIREby35]

OMG. I literally had no idea that was a thing and I am truly shocked. I watched. 1 minute promo for a $300 (!!!!) cooler with all this ridiculous stuff (apparently bear proof, wtf?!). The video ends "Great for 18 of your favorite drinks." Seriously, $300 for a cooler that holds an 18 of Busch Light😂

[libertarian4321]

OMG. I literally had no idea that was a thing and I am truly shocked. I watched. 1 minute promo for a $300 (!!!!) cooler with all this ridiculous stuff (apparently bear proof, wtf?!). The video ends "Great for 18 of your favorite drinks." Seriously, $300 for a cooler that holds an 18 of Busch Light😂

I'd never heard of them either.  My old Coleman (spent maybe $20 on it in the mid '90s?) seems to work just fine.

Marketing folks never fail to find another way to separate the rich broke-ass "wanna bes" from their money...

[mpg350]

The stupidity of people and how they deal with money never ceases to amaze me.

Checked website they had a freaking tub for sale for over $200 you gotta to be freaking kidding me.

[Ethernet]

Yeti is all the brand name. I used to work in a hardware store with a lot of downtime. We did some "Ice melt" testing with their cups. The first generation of knock offs was only a few hours short of the Yeti cups insulation.

But, the price was a $5 cup (which was also colored and much better looking IMO) vs the $45 Yeti cup that was still cheaper than what amazon was selling them at.

I'm sure the newer knock offs are starting to up their game too. Consumers.

[FINate]

Yeti is one of many bear resistant coolers and are about average in price for this category. There are legitimate places and situations where these are necessary and in the big scheme of things a $300 cooler that lasts a lifetime is not a big deal.

On the other hand, these are overkill for the vast majority of people hauling them to their lakeside campsites with 4x4s over gravel roads. My guess is that 99.9% of the people with Yetis don't even bother padlocking them, which makes the bear protection approximately nil. Have to hand it to the Yeti marketing folks for somehow getting people to overspend 4-5x, though.

[winkeyman]

Yeti coolers are another one of those items that serve a real purpose for some people who need them, but have become a status symbol for people who don't need them.

Who needs them? FINate made a good point regarding bear resistance. In my line of work though, they are a godsend for many people in the oil field. If you are pipeline welder who spends days at a time in the middle of nowhere in the summer in the desert, having a cooler that can keep food and drinks cold for a week is a blessing.

Yeti coolers are an example of combining a good product with great marketing to vastly expand your product base. Another favorite example of mine are Doggles. Dog-goggles were invented to protect the eyes of dogs with eye issues, as well as working dogs and military dogs in the desert. The fact that they are able to make a small fortune selling them to people to "accessorize" their dogs is icing on the cake.

[nobody123]

When I mentioned the promo to my neighbor (an avid hunter and camper) his face lit up and said they "are freaking awesome.  They will keep a bag of ice cold for like 7 days."  I asked him how many times he camps without access to ice for 7 days.  Then I asked him how many bags of ice he could by for $350.

I'm sure, like almost anything, there's an applicable use for a high-end cooler (like the oil field in the middle of nowhere example).  I'm just more surprised that someone would open up a credit card for the sole purpose of financing a $400 purchase of a luxury item.

[bloomability]

Walmart sells the same cups for $8/20oz, $10/30oz. Ozark Trail.

Yeti used to be very popular in my neck of the woods, but people are upset that the company was bought out and moved production to China. Now the popular item is Orca.

The cup crazes are so fascinating - nalgene -> camelback -> yeti -> tin camping mugs -> the re-emergence of camping thermoses 

What will be next?!

[mak1277]

When I mentioned the promo to my neighbor (an avid hunter and camper) his face lit up and said they "are freaking awesome.  They will keep a bag of ice cold for like 7 days."  I asked him how many times he camps without access to ice for 7 days.  Then I asked him how many bags of ice he could by for $350.

I'm sure, like almost anything, there's an applicable use for a high-end cooler (like the oil field in the middle of nowhere example).  I'm just more surprised that someone would open up a credit card for the sole purpose of financing a $400 purchase of a luxury item.

I think there are a fair amount of hunters who do spend several days out in the backcountry (or even at their cabins) without access to ice.  And when you have to cool off a deer or elk that you killed, it's crucial to have ice available at the end of your hunt.

Does the normal everyday person need a yeti cooler?  Of course not.  But comparing them to a $30 Coleman cooler is way off base.

Here's a good article (on a great blog) discussing the topic:

http://stalkingtheseam.com/2015/09/30/do-you-really-need-a-yeti/

[Chris22]

But comparing them to a $30 Coleman cooler is way off base.

It is and it isn't.  It's off base if you NEED the additional capability a Yeti offers.  It is undeniably better at some things.  But it isn't off base if you're not using the Yeti's capacity, and only using it for things like day trips where a Coleman is perfectly adequate.  It's like saying a Ferrari and a Honda are incomparable; yeah, if you're using the Ferrari to its capability they are, but if you are just driving each to work and back, is one really better than the other?

[FINate]

When I mentioned the promo to my neighbor (an avid hunter and camper) his face lit up and said they "are freaking awesome.  They will keep a bag of ice cold for like 7 days."  I asked him how many times he camps without access to ice for 7 days.  Then I asked him how many bags of ice he could by for $350.

Many people, myself included, camp where the nearest ice is a multiple hour drive away. Basically camping along forest service roads in the middle of nowhere. I don't own a Yeti and when I do trips like this it is typically for just a few days so a standard cooler works just fine. However, if I ever started doing longer trips the gas/time savings would quickly justify the increased cost.

I'm sure, like almost anything, there's an applicable use for a high-end cooler (like the oil field in the middle of nowhere example).  I'm just more surprised that someone would open up a credit card for the sole purpose of financing a $400 purchase of a luxury item.

Agreed, this is absurd. Though, truth be told, I'm not surprised that people do this.

[shotgunwilly]

Somewhat of a status symbol...

But compared to other coolers, they are absolutely incredible.  It all seems like hoopla and "it's just a cooler" until you witness the damn thing keep ice for an eternity.  And the stainless Yeti rambler cups which i thought were for sure just a fad since Yeti became popular... Well I've witnessed the thing hold iced tea left in my truck in 95 degree Texas heat for an entire weekend, and come back and it still have ice in it.

Although I do not own a Yeti product. 

[shotgunwilly]

The cup crazes are so fascinating - nalgene -> camelback -> yeti -> tin camping mugs -> the re-emergence of camping thermoses 

What will be next?!

Copper mugs for moscow mules.

[mak1277]

And the stainless Yeti rambler cups which i thought were for sure just a fad since Yeti became popular... Well I've witnessed the thing hold iced tea left in my truck in 95 degree Texas heat for an entire weekend, and come back and it still have ice in it.

Although I do not own a Yeti product.

I do own a yeti rambler cup, and it far outperforms any insulated mug I've ever had before. 

[Villanelle]

Copper mugs for moscow mules.

Stuff like that is why we all "need" giant homes as well.  We need a special cup for one very specific drink (and probably not a drink that is consumed with much frequency in most homes) and we need a place to store those mugs, which will likely be somewhere near all of the super specific kitchen gadgets people own, when in most cases something they already have (like a knife) would work just as well.

[mak1277]

Copper mugs for moscow mules.

Stuff like that is why we all "need" giant homes as well.  We need a special cup for one very specific drink (and probably not a drink that is consumed with much frequency in most homes) and we need a place to store those mugs, which will likely be somewhere near all of the super specific kitchen gadgets people own, when in most cases something they already have (like a knife) would work just as well.

I call BS...there's NO WAY you could use a knife to drink a moscow mule.

[Mr. Green]

And the stainless Yeti rambler cups which i thought were for sure just a fad since Yeti became popular... Well I've witnessed the thing hold iced tea left in my truck in 95 degree Texas heat for an entire weekend, and come back and it still have ice in it.

That's seriously impressive!

[steviesterno]

I got one of their mugs, and I have to say it's helped me save money. I used to never make coffee at home, because it was cold by the time I got to work 30 minutes later (don't like chugging coffee while driving). But I can brew at home, take it to work, and it will still burn my tongue at lunch.


also, I got one for the wife (for her birthday). She's the one up all night taking care of the baby, and if she can have a big glass of freezing water without wandering down the stairs, it's worth it to her (and me!).

They are a great product with a crazy cult following. I'm fine with the off brand, but I will be replacing all my summer cups with versions of these. There's something really worth while about an ice cold drink in the Texas heat that makes life just a bit better. Used to be Tervis, but Yeti ice will last for days.

I don't see a need for the cooler, but I don't spend a lot of time overlanding. Those that do, this works like a fridge. Personally, I would buy a travel fridge since they are about the same price, but again not a need for me.

[CmFtns]

I got one of their mugs, and I have to say it's helped me save money. I used to never make coffee at home, because it was cold by the time I got to work 30 minutes later (don't like chugging coffee while driving). But I can brew at home, take it to work, and it will still burn my tongue at lunch.

Okay I feel like people exaggerate here...

I got to work at 8:20am and right now it is 12:40 and I have drank about 2/3 from my 20oz mug since this morning... And right now it is ever so slightly warm... Maybe this is true if you fill it to the brim with boiling water and never take a sip before lunch but in practical use this cup is not a miracle worker... It is just kinda sorta twice as good for 5-10 times the cost...

Before I would just use the microwave at 10am instead to bump up my crappy mug another 50 degrees. I don't care what people say but this cup is not worth the cost. I enjoy quality products at a fair price premium but come on guys this is a freaking $30-40 cup.

[Papa Mustache]

I got one of their mugs, and I have to say it's helped me save money. I used to never make coffee at home, because it was cold by the time I got to work 30 minutes later (don't like chugging coffee while driving). But I can brew at home, take it to work, and it will still burn my tongue at lunch.

Okay I feel like people exaggerate here...

I got to work at 8:20am and right now it is 12:40 and I have drank about 2/3 from my 20oz mug since this morning... And right now it is ever so slightly warm... Maybe this is true if you fill it to the brim with boiling water and never take a sip before lunch but in practical use this cup is not a miracle worker... It is just kinda sorta twice as good for 5-10 times the cost...

Before I would just use the microwave at 10am instead to bump up my crappy mug another 50 degrees. I don't care what people say but this cup is not worth the cost. I enjoy quality products at a fair price premium but come on guys this is a freaking $30-40 cup.

For the record our Thermos brand coffee cups can do this much. Luke warm after waiting from 7AM to about noon in a ~70 degree room.

We just bought our second pair. Both the originals and the new ones are keepers for us simply b/c they don't leak. Previous alternatives (usually cheap) leaked if tipped over.

Only problem is that the paint (powdercoating) flakes off after a year or so of being run through the dishwasher five days a week. Wife carries the new cups to work. I carry the worn cups b/c appreances are not nearly as important in my department.

Under the paint is a nice stainless steel finish so be patient long enough and that ugly cup will be presentable again.

[eljefe-speaks]

Yeti is one of many bear resistant coolers and are about average in price for this category.

Never done the outdoorsy stuff out west (except for skiing). I though one was supposed to suspend edibles from a tree to bear-proof it? Also, one can't really backpack with a heavy cooler, right? So I would assume if you have a heavy cooler, you have a car nearby. Is a heavy Yeti cooler locked in a car better than a Styrofoam cooler locked in a car? One other thing - if a grizzly gets my cooler - I am NOT, in a million years, going sit around and wait for him to finish, then go get my scratched-to-hell-but-miraculously-intact cooler back. I am going first piss down my leg, then take off my shirt (a guy's subconsciously programmed reaction to adrenaline and fear), then run like an m effer and never come back.

(I am really curious about these things, not just trying to be a dick.)

[Uturn]

The organization that I do volunteer work for gave each of us a Yeti 20oz cup.  I love this thing.  I make client visits all over town and it is great to be able to get back into my car and have ice water waiting for me.  That being said, it I lost possession of it, there is no way that I would pay that kind of money to replace it.  There has to be a comparable product for at least half the money. 

I've never used their cooler, but I can say the Coleman Xtreme cooler does not live up to the advertisement. 

[mak1277]

Yeti is one of many bear resistant coolers and are about average in price for this category.

Never done the outdoorsy stuff out west (except for skiing). I though one was supposed to suspend edibles from a tree to bear-proof it? Also, one can't really backpack with a heavy cooler, right? So I would assume if you have a heavy cooler, you have a car nearby. Is a heavy Yeti cooler locked in a car better than a Styrofoam cooler locked in a car? One other thing - if a grizzly gets my cooler - I am NOT, in a million years, going sit around and wait for him to finish, then go get my scratched-to-hell-but-miraculously-intact cooler back. I am going first piss down my leg, then take off my shirt (a guy's subconsciously programmed reaction to adrenaline and fear), then run like an m effer and never come back.

(I am really curious about these things, not just trying to be a dick.)

A lot of places out west require specific bear-proof receptacles for food storage.  No, you wouldn't use a yeti if you were backpacking, but you would have to carry a bear can (as opposed to just hanging your food).  But if you're in a base camp for hunting, this is definitely a good (if expensive) option.

[CmFtns]

Yeti is one of many bear resistant coolers and are about average in price for this category.

Never done the outdoorsy stuff out west (except for skiing). I though one was supposed to suspend edibles from a tree to bear-proof it? Also, one can't really backpack with a heavy cooler, right? So I would assume if you have a heavy cooler, you have a car nearby. Is a heavy Yeti cooler locked in a car better than a Styrofoam cooler locked in a car? One other thing - if a grizzly gets my cooler - I am NOT, in a million years, going sit around and wait for him to finish, then go get my scratched-to-hell-but-miraculously-intact cooler back. I am going first piss down my leg, then take off my shirt (a guy's subconsciously programmed reaction to adrenaline and fear), then run like an m effer and never come back.

(I am really curious about these things, not just trying to be a dick.)

Yesterday while at work I went to the bathroom and while I was away a BEAR had showed up at my cubicle and eaten my yeti rambler... Well obviously I followed the bear around for a few hours and eventually the cup made it through his system and after I washed it off in the drinking fountain I noticed there was not even a scratch on the cup... and the coffee was even HOTTER than it was before the bear ate it.

[RWD]

I saw a Jeep with a Yeti cooler bumper sticker yesterday. I wouldn't have even noticed it if it wasn't for this thread...

[FINate]

Yeti is one of many bear resistant coolers and are about average in price for this category.

Never done the outdoorsy stuff out west (except for skiing). I though one was supposed to suspend edibles from a tree to bear-proof it? Also, one can't really backpack with a heavy cooler, right? So I would assume if you have a heavy cooler, you have a car nearby. Is a heavy Yeti cooler locked in a car better than a Styrofoam cooler locked in a car? One other thing - if a grizzly gets my cooler - I am NOT, in a million years, going sit around and wait for him to finish, then go get my scratched-to-hell-but-miraculously-intact cooler back. I am going first piss down my leg, then take off my shirt (a guy's subconsciously programmed reaction to adrenaline and fear), then run like an m effer and never come back.

(I am really curious about these things, not just trying to be a dick.)

A lot of places out west require specific bear-proof receptacles for food storage.  No, you wouldn't use a yeti if you were backpacking, but you would have to carry a bear can (as opposed to just hanging your food).  But if you're in a base camp for hunting, this is definitely a good (if expensive) option.

A bear can easily rip a car open like a tin can, so storing food in your car in areas with a large bear populations is a bit risky. Better to store something like a Yeti outside and let the bear bat it around until they get tired of it.

My guess as to why hunters use these: Hunting in the West is a very active sport, typically requiring one to cover lots of off-trail mountainous terrain, and the best times to hunt are at first and last light. This means most hunters start hiking in the dark (anytime between 2-4am) to get to a good vantage point before sunrise, and then are out all day and hike back at night. It's not uncommon to bivouac for a night. So they keep a base camp to restock/refresh as needed, but are otherwise mostly out in the bush. Having a bear resistant cooler that apparently does a good job keeping ice for a long time (from what I've heard) makes sense.

[No Name Guy]

Yeti is one of many bear resistant coolers and are about average in price for this category.

Never done the outdoorsy stuff out west (except for skiing). I though one was supposed to suspend edibles from a tree to bear-proof it? Also, one can't really backpack with a heavy cooler, right? So I would assume if you have a heavy cooler, you have a car nearby. Is a heavy Yeti cooler locked in a car better than a Styrofoam cooler locked in a car? One other thing - if a grizzly gets my cooler - I am NOT, in a million years, going sit around and wait for him to finish, then go get my scratched-to-hell-but-miraculously-intact cooler back. I am going first piss down my leg, then take off my shirt (a guy's subconsciously programmed reaction to adrenaline and fear), then run like an m effer and never come back.

(I am really curious about these things, not just trying to be a dick.)

Yeah, there are places on the Pacific Crest Trail where bear resistant food storage is mandatory.  Hikers carry cans (e.g. Bear Vault,  Bearakade, etc).  A bear resistant cooler would be a horse packed item in the back country.

I do volunteer trail work here in Washington.  Black bears here are not like the Yosemite ones - here, they're afraid of people (since people = shot bear in the fall).  In the parks...well, different story, and the Yosemite bears have a long history of getting food from people so the mother Yogi's teach the little ones.  As others have stated, they'll rip a car open to get the food.  Hiker friend of mine had her pack stolen from literally 3 feet away from her by a bear - it scooped out the contents with one swipe of a paw and, lucky for her, went after her trash bag.  As it walked away with that, she grabbed up everything else, stuffed it back into the pack and took off.

Anyways....as to the cooler aspects of this product...I call bullshit.  My camp cook kept food for 12 chilled for 8 days in the back country on a trail project last year.....with a plain Jane pair of Coleman coolers.  That was being horse packed in hours into the Wilderness where getting more chill isn't going to happen.  It's about keeping the cooler in the shade and closed, and a bit of dry ice to start things off.  She packed "chill" food in one, nothing but solidly frozen in the other with a few blocks of dry ice grabbed on the way to meet the horse packers.  The frozen cooler was opened once a day to move the next day's meal into the "chill" cooler to thaw, in the process keeping the "chill" cooler chilled. 

YMMV. 

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

I haven't watched Shark Tank in a long time, but I remember a product that was just a cooler with an LED strip inside that turned on when you opened in. Daymond John's response was "I know a guy in the hood who will go camping with you every time just to hold a flashlight up to your cooler for that money."

[Fishindude]

Guilty here.   I own a Yeti.
Had enough Cabelas credit card points and a gift certificate so I bought one with no money out of pocket.  No way I would walk in a store and pay $350 cash for one.

I like soft side coolers for in the boat, but every one I've ever purchased eventually leaks, so thought I'd try a Yeti.   This thing is really heavy duty and I anticipate it will last a long time, so in that regard it was a pretty good purchase.   I don't really think it holds ice much longer than a regular cheap plastic Coleman cooler, so no significant gains there.

Oh yea .... and it's cool too.   Can't put a value on that :)

[snogirl]

Wal Mart sells Ozark Trail knock off yet tumblers and coolers at a fraction of the cost of Yeti.
If you peruse youtube or expedition forums (guilty) there are several comparison test of the Ozark Trail brands vs Yeti.
The results will surprise you.
I have purchase a 20 oz tumbler for $7.74 just to see. 
Yes it does keep my ice water freakin cold and doesn't sweat in 85 degree temps.
The ice even stayed pretty good leaving it in my car while at work (just wanted to see).
So I feel my $8 bucks was well spent and it looks EXACTLY like a YETI.
Seriously people are buying these at Walmart in cases reselling on Ebay making huge $$$.
I have been trying to get a cooler for a stay up at camp off the grid and will save a lot on ice if the testers are correct.
My Wal Mart hasn't had them in stock though. 
My two cents.

[FIREby35]

I went and looked at the Yeti website and laughed my a$$ off at thei product and prices. I even showed it to a couple friends. Now ALL the ads on my browser are for Yeti....

[hucktard]

These coolers and others like them are actually much better than standard coolers. They are made out of rotomolded plastic that is super durable, they last for years and hold ice forever. They make sense if you are spending long periods of time in the back country. I used to be a whitewater rafting guide and these are the types of coolers we would take on multi day trips. If you ever take a trip down the Grand Canyon, you will see these coolers. So they aren't just a stupid luxury product. They have a legitimate use. A normal cooler would last a professional outfitter a couple of months before falling apart. That being said, they are a stupid purchase for 95% of people. Just like a jacked up jeep is stupid for most people, and 90% of people never even take them off-roading. Since I do a far bit of rafting I needed a good cooler, so I bought a high quality used one for $100, because fuck spending $500 on a cooler.

[elaine amj]

I've never used their cooler, but I can say the Coleman Xtreme cooler does not live up to the advertisement.

If I recall correctly, the Xtreme promises to last for 5 days. I mostly do 3-4 day camping trips. At the end, I still have blocks of ice in my Xtreme. And that's opening it multiple times a day. Granted, I use frozen water bottles as ice packs (they last MUCH longer than ice cubes  AND we can drink the water after it melts). Very pleased Xtreme owner :)

And speaking of useless camping gear - I got a Coleman tent with a hinged door last year. Never thought I'd say this - but it is super high on my list of priorities in a tent now. It's that awesome :)



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nobody123]

Ha, just heard a radio ad for the local Kia dealer.  Free Yeti cooler (ARV $299) with the purchase of any new Kia!

[horsepoor]

Yeti coolers are another one of those items that serve a real purpose for some people who need them, but have become a status symbol for people who don't need them.

Who needs them? FINate made a good point regarding bear resistance. In my line of work though, they are a godsend for many people in the oil field. If you are pipeline welder who spends days at a time in the middle of nowhere in the summer in the desert, having a cooler that can keep food and drinks cold for a week is a blessing.

Yeti coolers are an example of combining a good product with great marketing to vastly expand your product base. Another favorite example of mine are Doggles. Dog-goggles were invented to protect the eyes of dogs with eye issues, as well as working dogs and military dogs in the desert. The fact that they are able to make a small fortune selling them to people to "accessorize" their dogs is icing on the cake.

Yep.  I'd never heard of them until a co-worker talked about the ones she and her husband have.  They were mostly used by river guides, and she said they were giving ice out of their coolers to people who had Colemans and Igloos after being on the boat in Hell's Canyon in the summer for several days.  I kind of bought into it and picked up the similar Pelican cooler when CostCo had it for $250, but after looking at it sitting in the house for a few days, I decided it was way overkill, and returned it.  It wasn't even the biggest one, but I knew I'd never be able to move it on my own when loaded because the walls are so thick, and the cooler itself is so heavy.  Went back to my Coleman that it totally fine for ~3 days or so.

Most casual campers and tail gaiters have absolutely no reason to buy one, and they're totally bulky and inconvenient for those purposes.

Saw someone at the airport the other day with a Yeti insulated cooler bag thing; came home and looked it up online $350!  For a glorified picnic basket!

[Fishindude]

Don't be misled about the ice holding capability of those Yeti coolers.  It's not all that much better than a normal cheap Coleman cooler.
Take either one out in the sun all day, opening it frequently to get drinks and your ice is going to be melted.   The Yeti might get you a few more hours.

For ice to last a long time in a cooler:
Use blocks or frozen milk jugs vs bag ice.
Have the cooler somewhat cool to start with.
Start with prechilled drinks or products, rather than warm stuff.
Keep it in the shade.
Don't open it any more than you need to, and close it quickly.
Cover with a blanket or tarp for additional insulation.

I've kept block ice all week on hunting trips, in normal cheap coleman coolers following the above instructions.

[MoneyCat]

I had to look this up because I didn't even know what a Yeti cooler was. Must be a newer thing, because I used to live in the country and I had never heard of it. Ever since I moved to New Jersey, I haven't kept up to date on that kind of stuff. I own three cheap plastic coolers which were all gifts to me and I pretty much only use them for bringing food to the beach with me. They work just fine with ice packs from my freezer. Luxury is a weakness.

[Goldielocks]

Yeti is one of many bear resistant coolers and are about average in price for this category.

Never done the outdoorsy stuff out west (except for skiing). I though one was supposed to suspend edibles from a tree to bear-proof it? Also, one can't really backpack with a heavy cooler, right? So I would assume if you have a heavy cooler, you have a car nearby. Is a heavy Yeti cooler locked in a car better than a Styrofoam cooler locked in a car? One other thing - if a grizzly gets my cooler - I am NOT, in a million years, going sit around and wait for him to finish, then go get my scratched-to-hell-but-miraculously-intact cooler back. I am going first piss down my leg, then take off my shirt (a guy's subconsciously programmed reaction to adrenaline and fear), then run like an m effer and never come back.

(I am really curious about these things, not just trying to be a dick.)

A lot of places out west require specific bear-proof receptacles for food storage.  No, you wouldn't use a yeti if you were backpacking, but you would have to carry a bear can (as opposed to just hanging your food).  But if you're in a base camp for hunting, this is definitely a good (if expensive) option.

I don't know....   If you have a motorized vehicle to transport the cooler, I have seen many people also with generators, and the primary competition for the YETI in this instance is a ($200-600) cooler that plugs in... or an xtreme cooler ($90+) with dry ice (a common alternative). The yeti has very small capacity due to insulation, but the plug in one is not bear proof..

Maybe for a very niche market (base camp hunting, desert camping without a generator where your homemade dry ice cooler is not cutting it, or you don't mind paying double for a smaller capacity)

For comparison, the bear vaults you backpack with are $50 to $100 (ursack bag).. so bear protection does charge a premium.

[FINate]

I don't know....   If you have a motorized vehicle to transport the cooler, I have seen many people also with generators, and the primary competition for the YETI in this instance is a ($200-600) cooler that plugs in... or an xtreme cooler ($90+) with dry ice (a common alternative). The yeti has very small capacity due to insulation, but the plug in one is not bear proof..

Maybe for a very niche market (base camp hunting, desert camping without a generator where your homemade dry ice cooler is not cutting it, or you don't mind paying double for a smaller capacity)

For comparison, the bear vaults you backpack with are $50 to $100 (ursack bag).. so bear protection does charge a premium.

Agree, it's a niche market, or should be. My point was that there are certain cases where they make sense. For everyone else they are a waste of money.

I do have a couple of bear vaults (the hard plastic kind) for backpacking which are bulky and heavy, though required in certain areas. My preference is to hang bear bag where allowed, which is minimal but somewhat of a pain. I will have to look into the ursack, so thanks for the link.

[mak1277]

Yeti is one of many bear resistant coolers and are about average in price for this category.

Never done the outdoorsy stuff out west (except for skiing). I though one was supposed to suspend edibles from a tree to bear-proof it? Also, one can't really backpack with a heavy cooler, right? So I would assume if you have a heavy cooler, you have a car nearby. Is a heavy Yeti cooler locked in a car better than a Styrofoam cooler locked in a car? One other thing - if a grizzly gets my cooler - I am NOT, in a million years, going sit around and wait for him to finish, then go get my scratched-to-hell-but-miraculously-intact cooler back. I am going first piss down my leg, then take off my shirt (a guy's subconsciously programmed reaction to adrenaline and fear), then run like an m effer and never come back.

(I am really curious about these things, not just trying to be a dick.)

A lot of places out west require specific bear-proof receptacles for food storage.  No, you wouldn't use a yeti if you were backpacking, but you would have to carry a bear can (as opposed to just hanging your food).  But if you're in a base camp for hunting, this is definitely a good (if expensive) option.

I don't know....   If you have a motorized vehicle to transport the cooler, I have seen many people also with generators, and the primary competition for the YETI in this instance is a ($200-600) cooler that plugs in... or an xtreme cooler ($90+) with dry ice (a common alternative). The yeti has very small capacity due to insulation, but the plug in one is not bear proof..

Maybe for a very niche market (base camp hunting, desert camping without a generator where your homemade dry ice cooler is not cutting it, or you don't mind paying double for a smaller capacity)

For comparison, the bear vaults you backpack with are $50 to $100 (ursack bag).. so bear protection does charge a premium.

I could be working with outdated information, but I don't believe the Ursack (which is a soft-sided kevlar bag) is approved for use in places like Yosemite or other areas where a bear canister (hard plastic, difficult to open) is required.