Author Topic: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler  (Read 28354 times)

Chris22

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3770
  • Location: Chicago NW Suburbs
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #50 on: June 16, 2016, 11:50:10 AM »
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'm in no way suggesting a Yeti is good for everyone, but when the next best alternative is a generator + fridge (plus the gas to run it) it does sort of amuse to me hear people HERE of all places suggest the generator is better.  I've got gas in my veins, and even I don't want to listen to the drone of a generator and refuel it frequently when in the great outdoors. 

ChairmanKaga

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 44
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #51 on: June 16, 2016, 01:30:57 PM »
Yeah, if you're REALLY outdoors oriented, they have a use. One of my best friends and his dad take monthly float trips and their Yeti cooler is sort of a multi-purpise cooler, bear box, and flotation storage for valuables like phones and keys. Could you spend less for more or less the same functionality? Yes. But the dang thing keeps food in the safe zone for 48 hours or more with nothing more than a few pounds of ice, AND it'll never leak.
On the other hand, my wife says among teachers the tumbler are as much a status symbol as a BMW.
And no, you would not use a generator. Never. Not even at deer camp.

Chris22

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3770
  • Location: Chicago NW Suburbs
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #52 on: June 16, 2016, 01:54:27 PM »
On the other hand, my wife says among teachers the tumbler are as much a status symbol as a BMW.

In fairness, a $40 dumb tumbler you use every day is a less stupid purchase than a $350 cooler you use a few times a year.  And, if that $40 tumbler keeps you bringing coffee from home instead of a $5 SBUX run, it pays for itself in less than 2 work weeks.  Should it be a $12 or $5 tumbler?  Probably, but it's a much lesser scale of stupidity. 

FINate

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3114
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #53 on: June 16, 2016, 01:55:14 PM »
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.

You are correct, I just looked it up. Guess I will keep my old plastic canisters for now.

FINate

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3114
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #54 on: June 16, 2016, 02:01:03 PM »
In fairness, a $40 dumb tumbler you use every day is a less stupid purchase than a $350 cooler you use a few times a year.  And, if that $40 tumbler keeps you bringing coffee from home instead of a $5 SBUX run, it pays for itself in less than 2 work weeks.  Should it be a $12 or $5 tumbler?  Probably, but it's a much lesser scale of stupidity.

I don't understand this. If you have a legitimate need for bear protection/better insulation/better durability then it makes senses to buy it once for a lifetime of use. Even if you use it just a couple times a year, let's say for a week at a time, that doesn't seem stupid to me.

Chris22

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3770
  • Location: Chicago NW Suburbs
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #55 on: June 16, 2016, 02:07:33 PM »
In fairness, a $40 dumb tumbler you use every day is a less stupid purchase than a $350 cooler you use a few times a year.  And, if that $40 tumbler keeps you bringing coffee from home instead of a $5 SBUX run, it pays for itself in less than 2 work weeks.  Should it be a $12 or $5 tumbler?  Probably, but it's a much lesser scale of stupidity.

I don't understand this. If you have a legitimate need for bear protection/better insulation/better durability then it makes senses to buy it once for a lifetime of use. Even if you use it just a couple times a year, let's say for a week at a time, that doesn't seem stupid to me.

Sorry, I meant "status use" as in "I use my cooler to go tailgating or camping overnight or or or" any other situation where a $20 Coleman would have worked just fine.  Correct, if you need the capabilities of a Yeti, it's not a stupid purchase.  I just meant the average person uses a cooler a few times a year, so a $350 status cooler is doubly dumb versus a $40 status tumbler given A) price difference and B) how often it's used.

ChairmanKaga

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 44
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #56 on: June 17, 2016, 11:33:37 AM »
Buying products that have no legitimate application to our lives other than to demonstrate how much money we are willing to spend is sort of the official pastime of Western Civilization, isn't it?

A Yeti cooler, a Corvette Z06, pick your poison.

BTH7117

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 71
  • Location: Washington, DC
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #57 on: June 17, 2016, 03:54:44 PM »
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😂

Haha. I did the same thing. I called my wife over to see the video. I'm in shock such a thing exists.

Goldielocks

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7062
  • Location: BC
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #58 on: June 17, 2016, 08:12:12 PM »
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.

That's right,  there are several parks, particularly those without a lot of trees on the hikes, where you need a bear canister.  I am not intending to visit any of them.  I like trees, and our more popular parks here have bear boxes if there is a concern large enough for a rule that is checked.  I like the idea bag because you can hang it, and other critters can't get in, and it is lighter / easier to pack.

The canisters don't let the bear grind your food to mush, *good* but I bet they can take it far, far away from you. (not ties to a tree if there are no trees?)

I want one. but I don't  want to pay for one.

bacchi

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7056
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #59 on: June 17, 2016, 10:15:40 PM »
The canisters don't let the bear grind your food to mush, *good* but I bet they can take it far, far away from you. (not ties to a tree if there are no trees?)

I want one. but I don't  want to pay for one.

I've always rented them from the backcountry office. If I spent more time in bear country, as opposed to desert country, I'd consider buying one.

MoneyCat

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1752
  • Location: New Jersey
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #60 on: June 18, 2016, 11:56:45 AM »
I told my friends that YETI coolers were stupid and they fell all over themselves saying how useful they really are. I have a Coleman cooler that I got as a free gift for opening a no fee checking account fifteen years ago (back when no fee checking accounts still existed) and it's still going strong. I can think of nearly no good reason to ever, ever, EVER purchase a $300 cooler.

JLee

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7512
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #61 on: June 18, 2016, 02:30:09 PM »
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'm in no way suggesting a Yeti is good for everyone, but when the next best alternative is a generator + fridge (plus the gas to run it) it does sort of amuse to me hear people HERE of all places suggest the generator is better.  I've got gas in my veins, and even I don't want to listen to the drone of a generator and refuel it frequently when in the great outdoors.

I had an Edgestar 63qt fridge/freezer in my offroad truck.  It'd happily run on 12v all night.  With ~100w of solar and a second battery, you could run one indefinitely as long as the weather cooperated.  For $212 shipped (scratch & dent from openboxdirect), I don't think there's a better option.

Physicsteacher

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 554
  • Age: 37
  • Location: Arkansas
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #62 on: June 18, 2016, 06:28:41 PM »
On the other hand, my wife says among teachers the tumbler are as much a status symbol as a BMW.

After reading this thread, I was amused when an email to attendees of summer professional development included the line, "There will be coffee and water all day so you may want to bring your own cups/Yetis so that you can fill as needed and then tea in the afternoon." The fad hasn't hit my district yet, but many of the teachers from the rich districts did indeed bring Yeti cups. I looked around, and they all had the Yeti logo so they weren't the Wal-Mart equivalents.

Chris22

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3770
  • Location: Chicago NW Suburbs
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #63 on: June 18, 2016, 07:39:52 PM »
Well, I joined the bandwagon. I was gifted an Amazon gift card for a specific purchase, and had $30 leftover. So I ordered a $30 30oz Yeti Rambler Tumbler. We'll see if it's any good :-D

Clean Shaven

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 821
  • Location: Wild Wild West
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #64 on: June 18, 2016, 08:41:51 PM »
I've bought two of the 30 oz Ozark Trail version of the Yeti rambler. $9.74 apiece. They keep ice a long time. 

horsepoor

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3497
  • Location: At the Barn
  • That old chestnut.
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #65 on: June 18, 2016, 09:24:55 PM »
On the other hand, my wife says among teachers the tumbler are as much a status symbol as a BMW.

After reading this thread, I was amused when an email to attendees of summer professional development included the line, "There will be coffee and water all day so you may want to bring your own cups/Yetis so that you can fill as needed and then tea in the afternoon." The fad hasn't hit my district yet, but many of the teachers from the rich districts did indeed bring Yeti cups. I looked around, and they all had the Yeti logo so they weren't the Wal-Mart equivalents.

Dang, no love for the Hydroflask?  Sometimes I check out the Yeti cups at the feed store, but they're SOOO pricey and don't seem as versatile as a wide mouth hydroflask, which is watertight and had interchangeable lids.  There are some good knockoffs now too, for about $10 at Ross.

Uturn

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 889
  • Age: 54
  • Location: Raleigh, NC
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #66 on: June 19, 2016, 06:46:28 AM »
I have a hydroflask that is wonderful.  It goes with me on the bicycle, motorcycle, and rounds of disc golf.  But I prefer the Yeti cup in the car and sitting around campfires.

seathink

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 109
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Los Angeles
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #67 on: June 21, 2016, 05:38:31 PM »
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.

The canisters don't let the bear grind your food to mush, *good* but I bet they can take it far, far away from you. (not ties to a tree if there are no trees?)

I want one. but I don't  want to pay for one.

I've always rented them from the backcountry office. If I spent more time in bear country, as opposed to desert country, I'd consider buying one.


Yosemite (the definition of bear country!) requires an $8 deposit for the canister that is refunded back to you when you come back in. They also have bear boxes at every trail-head. <3

FINate

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3114
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #68 on: June 26, 2016, 03:47:25 PM »
Yosemite (the definition of bear country!) requires an $8 deposit for the canister that is refunded back to you when you come back in. They also have bear boxes at every trail-head. <3

I mostly stick to the National Forests North and South of YNP, which is also bear country though they aren't as bold there, maybe because bears are hunted in these areas? I love Yosemite, especially the backcountry, just find it to be overrun.

MayDay

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4953
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #69 on: June 27, 2016, 12:29:18 PM »
I don't own any yeti products.

Last summer we took our cheapo Coleman cooler camping with my brother's yeti. The yeti needed ice half as often. We were in Yellowstone so bear boxes/cans required, or you could leave stuff in your car. My brother didn't even have a freaking lock so we couldn't leave the yeti at the campsite! Argh!

We might buy one someday if we do longer/more serious camping in bear areas. Necessary? Obviously not. But we've destroyed 2 or 3 cheapo coolers in 11 years of marriage so I can partially justify it if they truly last 20+ years.

Final comment: I'm a big tea drinker, and only good tea (none of that Lipton shit). I have several extremely excellent vacuum insulated travel mugs that don't leak, and two insulated regular mugs for home. Once you go insulated, you don't go back. I bring my insulated mug everywhere. It's some other brand but cost almost as much as the yeti ones.  I don't buy stuff at Walmart, so for a semiethical purchase, the price of yetis are not that higher than other non-walmart options I have seen.

Chris22

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3770
  • Location: Chicago NW Suburbs
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #70 on: June 27, 2016, 12:45:13 PM »
FWIW, I went to a party this weekend, and put my 1y/o Coleman cooler (with wheels) next to my FIL's 10+y/o Coleman.  Both had ice and canned/bottled drinks.  The next morning (~20 hours later) the new Coleman had ~80% of the ice intact, the old one was ~30%. 

seathink

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 109
  • Age: 42
  • Location: Los Angeles
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #71 on: June 27, 2016, 12:46:27 PM »


I mostly stick to the National Forests North and South of YNP, which is also bear country though they aren't as bold there, maybe because bears are hunted in these areas? I love Yosemite, especially the backcountry, just find it to be overrun.

True. It's definitely jarring to go from off-trail to Glacier Point/the Valley Floor.

Papa Mustache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1650
  • Location: Humidity, USA
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #72 on: June 28, 2016, 11:42:55 AM »
FWIW, I went to a party this weekend, and put my 1y/o Coleman cooler (with wheels) next to my FIL's 10+y/o Coleman.  Both had ice and canned/bottled drinks.  The next morning (~20 hours later) the new Coleman had ~80% of the ice intact, the old one was ~30%.

Clearly your ice was colder than your FiL's ice. I hate it when people buy cheap ice. I order mine directly from the south pole by air mail... The stuff from the northern glaciers just don't hold up... ;)

Chris22

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3770
  • Location: Chicago NW Suburbs
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #73 on: June 28, 2016, 12:11:15 PM »
FWIW, I went to a party this weekend, and put my 1y/o Coleman cooler (with wheels) next to my FIL's 10+y/o Coleman.  Both had ice and canned/bottled drinks.  The next morning (~20 hours later) the new Coleman had ~80% of the ice intact, the old one was ~30%.

Clearly your ice was colder than your FiL's ice. I hate it when people buy cheap ice. I order mine directly from the south pole by air mail... The stuff from the northern glaciers just don't hold up... ;)

LOL

For those who don't get sarcasm, it was the same ice from the same place ;)

jinga nation

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2696
  • Age: 247
  • Location: 'Murica's Dong
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #74 on: June 28, 2016, 02:39:24 PM »
FWIW, I went to a party this weekend, and put my 1y/o Coleman cooler (with wheels) next to my FIL's 10+y/o Coleman.  Both had ice and canned/bottled drinks.  The next morning (~20 hours later) the new Coleman had ~80% of the ice intact, the old one was ~30%.

Clearly your ice was colder than your FiL's ice. I hate it when people buy cheap ice. I order mine directly from the south pole by air mail... The stuff from the northern glaciers just don't hold up... ;)
I buy Polar brand ice... I'm trying to keep it generic and avoid a North vs South ice war.

Papa Mustache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1650
  • Location: Humidity, USA
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #75 on: June 29, 2016, 10:15:15 AM »
Just you wait until they come out with hybrid ice in a few years... Pop Science promises a revolution in portable refrigeration... ;)

Physicsteacher

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 554
  • Age: 37
  • Location: Arkansas
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #76 on: June 29, 2016, 06:19:51 PM »
I'm attending an education conference this week, and they are giving away Yeti mugs as door prizes. It turns out the fad has hit my district after all, as evidenced by my principal showing me a cell phone picture of the Yeti mug his wife had engraved for him. He did not bring his Yeti, however, and proceeded to drink bottled water while trying to figure out how to use Twitter, as tweeting about the conference is required to enter to win another Yeti mug. I somehow managed to survive drinking lukewarm tap water from a Nalgene bottle that I got for free at a conference eight years ago.

FIRE me

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1097
  • Location: Louisville, KY
  • So much technology, so little talent.
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #77 on: July 04, 2016, 06:31:31 PM »
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...

I first heard of them two weeks ago. A coworker bragged several times to me about how long the ice in his cup lasted, out on the hot production floor. I asked how much he paid for his 20 ounce cup. “$40, but it was worth it.”

$40 for one cup, not even a set. I just smiled and kept on drinking tap water out of my reused apple juice bottle. 

Chris22

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3770
  • Location: Chicago NW Suburbs
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #78 on: July 14, 2016, 06:45:25 AM »
For the record, my Yeti rambler arrived last night.  It kept ice overnight, which is pretty cool.  My usual habit was to use some of the 3-4 plastic 32oz mugs leftover from my college days, fill them with ice, and drink water from them all evening.  Water would be no longer cold after 2-3 hours.  Holding ice from ~6pm to 6am is pretty cool.  Worth $30?  Probably not.  Worth the $free I paid?  Sure!

snogirl

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 364
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #79 on: July 14, 2016, 07:27:59 AM »
For the record, my Yeti rambler arrived last night.  It kept ice overnight, which is pretty cool.  My usual habit was to use some of the 3-4 plastic 32oz mugs leftover from my college days, fill them with ice, and drink water from them all evening.  Water would be no longer cold after 2-3 hours.  Holding ice from ~6pm to 6am is pretty cool.  Worth $30?  Probably not.  Worth the $free I paid?  Sure!
Awesome!
I have the yeti knock off from WalMart 30 oz was 9 bucks and change 20 oz 7.74. Holds ice like a champ & no sweating.. I liked it so much I went back and bought some for gifts.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk


Kaydedid

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 216
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #80 on: August 02, 2016, 11:00:48 AM »
Still use the insulated mug from the hospital when I had the kid.  Never had a sweat - proof cup before, so it feels pretty swanky!

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


Chris22

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3770
  • Location: Chicago NW Suburbs
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #81 on: August 02, 2016, 11:05:01 AM »
Oddly, a second Yeti tumbler appeared out of the blue in the mail yesterday.  No packing slip, and it was dropshipped from China with Chinese label.  So, no way to send it back.  After I make sure my card wasn't double-charged, this one will go to my wife or someone else in the family who wants it.

JLee

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7512
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #82 on: August 02, 2016, 01:01:17 PM »
For the record, my Yeti rambler arrived last night.  It kept ice overnight, which is pretty cool.  My usual habit was to use some of the 3-4 plastic 32oz mugs leftover from my college days, fill them with ice, and drink water from them all evening.  Water would be no longer cold after 2-3 hours.  Holding ice from ~6pm to 6am is pretty cool.  Worth $30?  Probably not.  Worth the $free I paid?  Sure!
Awesome!
I have the yeti knock off from WalMart 30 oz was 9 bucks and change 20 oz 7.74. Holds ice like a champ & no sweating.. I liked it so much I went back and bought some for gifts.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

The WalMart ones work just as well, too - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfOPdAQQvLU

Digital Dogma

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 423
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #83 on: August 02, 2016, 02:35:30 PM »
I just purchased a 100 quart cooler on Amazon for 70 bucks and this thread was foremost in my mind when I spotted a "luxury cooler" selling for hundreds of dollars, only 6 left!

I'll be using it soon to store smoked meat when I do my traditional once-yearly smokeout, I'll have about 25lbs of bacon, 10-15lbs of pulled pork, a 10lb ham, a brisket (if I can find a good high quality one), and ribs! Should just about fill that thing up with a little room to spare for a beer or two.

Papa Mustache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1650
  • Location: Humidity, USA
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #84 on: August 03, 2016, 07:52:17 AM »
For the record, my Yeti rambler arrived last night.  It kept ice overnight, which is pretty cool.  My usual habit was to use some of the 3-4 plastic 32oz mugs leftover from my college days, fill them with ice, and drink water from them all evening.  Water would be no longer cold after 2-3 hours.  Holding ice from ~6pm to 6am is pretty cool.  Worth $30?  Probably not.  Worth the $free I paid?  Sure!

My water needs to be refilled every ~30 mins b/c I drink it all. ;)

For that reason I get by with a big plastic cup from a decade ago that was left at my house by my MiL.

mm1970

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 10881
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #85 on: August 03, 2016, 10:02:29 AM »
FWIW, I went to a party this weekend, and put my 1y/o Coleman cooler (with wheels) next to my FIL's 10+y/o Coleman.  Both had ice and canned/bottled drinks.  The next morning (~20 hours later) the new Coleman had ~80% of the ice intact, the old one was ~30%.
We noticed this last year or two years ago when we bought a new cooler.  It kept things colder for much longer, and took longer for the ice to melt.

I can see the Yeti desire.  We don't need one - but when we camp, we tend to camp in the desert (Joshua Tree NP).  Except for the one time we camped in Feb (holy cow it was below freezing), it's hot.  It gets up to 80-90 during the day in the spring, no matter when you go really.  So the ice melts.  (I also have a thermoelectric cooler, recommended by MMM himself, and it is not at all useful in the desert). 

There's not a lot of shade in JTNP.  Luckily, we are never more than a 45 minute drive from more ice.

gggggg

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 428
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #86 on: August 04, 2016, 06:16:00 PM »
We are in a yeti bubble. The pop is impending. Just poking fun, sort of.

Goldielocks

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7062
  • Location: BC
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #87 on: August 05, 2016, 12:01:19 AM »
Just sold my Igloo Marine cooler on Craigslist for $80.  I can't believe people pay so much for the Yetis that have the benefit of an additional 4-5 days of ice (12 days instead of 7), bear proof.  In return, they are very expensive, and big on the outside, and small on the inside (due to all that insulation).  They must weigh a lot too.

fredbear

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 170
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #88 on: September 05, 2016, 08:29:23 PM »
We use Yetis rafting the Grand Canyon in midsummer.  You have to follow cooler management techniques - try to start with some dry ice, use large ice blocks or frozen gallon jugs, keep them in the shade, cover them with burlap that you keep wet, keep a layer of wet lifejackets over the top, open only once a day in the evening to remove the next day's food - but you have ice on the 12th day of 105 - 113F.   It may be possible to break one, but I don't know anyone who has done it.  I've also used it to bring out oryx meat taken in midsummer.  The only thing that performed comparably was Korean War surplus blood coolers, which I have not seen available in almost 40 years, and which were even larger and more ungainly. 

I admit these are specialized uses.  Yetis are worth it to those who practice the activities.  As long as they exist, I will buy nothing else for what I need them.  But practically speaking, I won't need to buy again in this lifetime. 

pdxmonkey

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 364
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #89 on: September 05, 2016, 09:52:31 PM »
FWIW, I went to a party this weekend, and put my 1y/o Coleman cooler (with wheels) next to my FIL's 10+y/o Coleman.  Both had ice and canned/bottled drinks.  The next morning (~20 hours later) the new Coleman had ~80% of the ice intact, the old one was ~30%.

Clearly your ice was colder than your FiL's ice. I hate it when people buy cheap ice. I order mine directly from the south pole by air mail... The stuff from the northern glaciers just don't hold up... ;)
I buy Polar brand ice... I'm trying to keep it generic and avoid a North vs South ice war.
if you want colder ice put salt in the water before you freeze it.

pdxmonkey

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 364
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #90 on: September 05, 2016, 10:06:30 PM »
Final comment: I'm a big tea drinker, and only good tea (none of that Lipton shit). I have several extremely excellent vacuum insulated travel mugs that don't leak, and two insulated regular mugs for home. Once you go insulated, you don't go back. I bring my insulated mug everywhere. It's some other brand but cost almost as much as the yeti ones.  I don't buy stuff at Walmart, so for a semiethical purchase, the price of yetis are not that higher than other non-walmart options I have seen.
I bought a tea tumbler by Planetary Design yesterday. It's double wall and the infuser has a plunger that seals off the tea when you push it down so your tea doesn't oversteep. Apparently these things usually go for $32 for a 16 oz cup. I got one for 12.50 on clearance which seemed reasonable enough for a double wall tumbler with fancy tea features. I haven't tried it yet because I haven't washed it yet, but it looks very promising.

HPstache

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2859
  • Age: 37
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #91 on: September 05, 2016, 10:43:34 PM »
The company my MIL works for gave out YETI laser etched tumblers to their employees.  She didnt want it and asked if I did... so I said yes.  I bring it to wok every day and it certainly keeps my ice water cold.  I like it but would not pay $30+ for it

mtn

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1343
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #92 on: January 03, 2017, 09:34:46 AM »
Bumping this thread up. My MIL and FIL got me a Yeti for Christmas--the smallest hardsided one they have. I think it retails for $250.

I'd wanted a Yeti or similar for a while because I like overbuilt things that are really a "buy it once" type of thing, but never was willing to pay for it. I'd been searching Craigslist but it kept coming up empty (and I wasn't searching too hard since I didn't need one, just wanted it).

After using it twice, Holy Cow. You know the difference in using a really cheap ratchet and a really nice one, or maybe a dull kitchen knife and a $200 one? That is kind of the difference in this and my old Marine Igloo. The Igloo works just fine for what I need a cooler for. It keeps beverages and food cold for a day or two, which is all I need a cooler for. But the handle is broken, the hinge is going, and ice does melt faster. After 5 years, it is about worn out and needs to be replaced.

The Yeti? Everything just feels better. The handle won't break. The hinge would probably withstand a nuclear blast. The only thing I see wearing out is the latches, but I don't see that happening for 20 years, and then they can be replaced. My Igloo? It is 5 years old and only had light use. It is ready for a replacement--the sides are cracked a little, it doesn't hold ice the same as it used to (a bag a day is necessary, block ice gets me a little bit longer but not much). Will I ever get to the value of the Yeti? Probably in about 30 years. But I won't have to replace the damn Yeti in that time. It is just better. I put cold beer in the warm cooler to take to my parents, just because I wanted to show it off. The beer had just been in the fridge. I left 2 bottles of beer in the cooler for 3 days when I remembered they were in there (the cooler had been in my basement for those 3 days) and they WERE STILL COLD. Not just pulled out of the fridge cold, but still a "cold beer". No ice. No ice packs. Just 2 cold beers.

I never thought I needed a cooler like this, I just wanted one. Now, I kind of "need" one. I'm on the search for another, a bigger one--I figure that I can use 3 more: One for Dad's boat (Great Lakes salmon fishing), One for Dad's vacation home (it would be awesome to load it with beer and ice ONCE for the week), and a big one for me at home--in addition to my small one. I figure that that "big one for home" would cover the 2-3 weeks a year that we think "man, we need to get a fridge in the basement/garage"

Luxury? Yeah. Faceslap worthy? Probably. I don't foresee taking it into bear country, although I have been camping/canoeing in bear country (albeit without a cooler). Dads vacation home is technically in Bear Country, although its extremely unlikely that they'd ever find his place. I just never expected to get it and think "yeah, this cooler is totally worth the $250", even though I really was getting by fine with my Igloo.

I am now searching craigslist every day for Yeti/RTIC/Ozark Trail/Igloo Sportsman*/Pelican/Orca/etc. For anyone looking for new, it seems like the Cabela's brand or Igloo Sportsman* is the best deal if you care about made in USA, and the RTIC or Ozark Trail is the best if you don't. I do think there is a Yeti tax on the name for being a status symbol that isn't necessary to pay for.

*Note: Igloo makes a version called the Igloo Sportsman. When I refer to my Igloo, it is not a sportsman--just a normal marine cooler.

FINate

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3114
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #93 on: January 03, 2017, 10:26:51 AM »
RTIC coolers are of equal quality but half the price. Normally you'd have to wait 3-6 months to receive your order because they manufacture them in batches, however, at the moment they are on sale and shipping next day - guessing they produced extra for Christmas and are clearing them out?

ginastarke

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 112
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #94 on: January 03, 2017, 01:39:51 PM »
Hydroflask fanatic here too, It goes everywhere with me on the bicycle. (For anyone that needs to know, TwoFish makes bottle cages for the wider bottles like the 40) Since I'll have it for life presuming I can continue to buy lids when they break, I don't see an issue with a $40 price tag.

A great knock-off available on Amazon is Liquid Savvy. Their bottles come with 3 lids that also work on Hydroflask bottles, and are sometimes on promotion for around $10.


BeerBeard

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 31
  • Age: 35
  • Location: WI
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #95 on: January 05, 2017, 10:55:21 AM »
I can't believe it hasn't been mentioned yet, but Yeti is simply a branding company. They pay Asian manufacturing companies to create a product that was invented by someone else, rotational molded coolers are not a new technology.

Also the Walmart tumblers are not knock-offs, Walmart pays the same manufactures for the exact same product; YETI has no patents.

mtn

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1343
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #96 on: January 05, 2017, 11:05:51 AM »
I can't believe it hasn't been mentioned yet, but Yeti is simply a branding company. They pay Asian manufacturing companies to create a product that was invented by someone else, rotational molded coolers are not a new technology.

Also the Walmart tumblers are not knock-offs, Walmart pays the same manufactures for the exact same product; YETI has no patents.

Uhh... This is mostly wrong.

1: Yeah, big in branding. That is true. But they are not "simply" a branding company.
2: They designed and made their own coolers. Some are still made in USA. Their hardsided coolers are all made in USA (Roadie) or USA and the Philipenes (Tundra). If you want to make sure yours was made in the USA, call them and request it specifically. And FWIW, they're made in Wisconsin and Iowa.
3: Rotomolded coolers are not new, no, but Yeti took them big-time. And yes, they do have patents: http://yeti.com/patents


Can't speak on the tumblers.

As someone who tries very hard to buy things made in USA, I've done quite a bit of research on this.

Cowardly Toaster

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 473
    • My MMM Forum Journal
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #97 on: January 05, 2017, 11:19:10 AM »
Outdoors stuff is like a lot of other markets. People want to upgrade to the absolute biggest professional thing, often while the real pros are making do with a lot less.

In the PNW for instance, people are constantly upgrading their top of the line REI purchased Patagonia and Mountain Hardware clothes, even though many of those lines began as equipment for the most extreme adventures. Also, a lot of that stuff lasts half a life time, we still use REI brand stuff from  30 years ago.But people want the "extreme" image, so they buy new stuff.

Hunting is the same way. So is cooking (I theorize that someone's cooking skills are often inversely proportional to the amount of high end cooking equipment they have. I can whip up almost anything delicious you would ever want with a cutting board, deep cast iron skillet, a butcher knife and a spatula)

So Yeti coolers are probably appropriate for the fishing charter guide who makes his money with his boat in Key West, but most other folks are going to fine with a Coleman.

Just Joe

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6721
  • Location: In the middle....
  • Teach me something.
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #98 on: January 05, 2017, 02:30:47 PM »
Just you wait until they come out with hybrid ice in a few years... Pop Science promises a revolution in portable refrigeration... ;)

My son has some of that. Little plastic ice cubes that have a gel inside. (sarcasm: really has it, doesn't work that well, was a gift, looks like dirty ice).

I expect Yeti to be much discounted in a few years. I'll pick one up then maybe. The world is full of well built, nice stuff. I seldom need that level of quality but I'll pay for it when I do.

« Last Edit: January 05, 2017, 02:35:53 PM by Tasty Pinecones »

Cowardly Toaster

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 473
    • My MMM Forum Journal
Re: Credit Card for a Yeti cooler
« Reply #99 on: January 05, 2017, 03:24:20 PM »
Just was at the sporting goods store. There are giant Yeti coolers that cost $800. $800 for a cooler. Let that sink in.