Yeti coolers are they worth the money?

[elkslayer069]

For those who own them are they worth the money or are buying the brand? I'm looking at getting another big cooler for camp I'd like it to hold ice for at least a week if not longer. If not what would be your next choice.

[Jonnyjammer]

No,I mean they are nice they do what they say they will do but so do so many others that cost so much less.      I own one,Its the 45 quart costed over $300 if I remember right,I also have the pelican 65 quart that I bought for under $300.Then i have the marine elite 94 quart for under $150 and they all do about the same for real.my yeti and pelican empty weigh about as much as the IGLOO full.

[Hunterman]

Jim Shockey promotes the hell out of them so they must be good. If you were to believe what he say's. Of course he gets his for free. So he'll say anything for the money.

Hunterman)Tony)

[elkaholic123]

If your a person that is hard on your gear and want a cooler that works as well as advertised and will last a very long time AND you can afford it I say they are worth it.
They are on the heavy side when full of food and ice.

[bobcat]

I don't have a Yeti, but I'd say they are probably worth it- if you have the money. Kind of like a Ferrari is worth it- if you have the money.

[Jonnyjammer]

Did i forget to mention that the pelican is made 100 % in the USA,the pelican uses s.s where yeti uses aluminum.Pelican uses heavy duty 3 in. press and pull handles where the yeti uses rubber bands.The yeti is made in the U.S and the Philippines.For the same size pelican is about 100 less money.Both made from same materials.The name and the commercials for yeti are the only things more popular than the Pelican,Pelican has been making this stuff since 1976 yeti 2006. just giving more info,like I said I have all of these.The pelican and yeti are the ones I use when I need the Ice to last.neither is better than the other.Just 1 isa cheaper because its built by a company that started long ago and doesnt have to spend a ton of cash on celebs to get their name out. 

[Bigshooter]

Did i forget to mention that the pelican is made 100 % in the USA,the pelican uses s.s where yeti uses aluminum.Pelican uses heavy duty 3 in. press and pull handles where the yeti uses rubber bands.The yeti is made in the U.S and the Philippines.For the same size pelican is about 100 less money.Both made from same materials.The name and the commercials for yeti are the only things more popular than the Pelican,Pelican has been making this stuff since 1976 yeti 2006. just giving more info,like I said I have all of these.The pelican and yeti are the ones I use when I need the Ice to last.neither is better than the other.Just 1 isa cheaper because its built by a company that started long ago and doesnt have to spend a ton of cash on celebs to get their name out. 

I agree.  You can't beat the pelican for the money.

[Jonnyjammer]

I dont know what they are called Bigshooter but the sayings you have under your post are both funny as all and more truth has never been written. 

[olsy]

No experience with Yetis, but I picked up Pelican from Costco last year, was hesitant to drop that much money on a cooler, but would do it again in a heartbeat.  Only negative thing I could say about it is heavy, and a pain to get in and out of my carpeted truck bed with the cooler's non skid bottom. 

[jackelope]

Check this out.

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30859

[Jonnyjammer]

very good read thanks for that.Yep really brings it home for the pelican in my op. It would take much more than hours to justify another $150. 

[Bean Counter]

I'd go with Pelican if I were going to get one. They seem to be the most well built.

as to whether they are 'worth' the money, I can only thing of two quantifiable metrics to make such a fiscal determination:
1. Will the 'premium' cooler last significantly longer than the cheaper cooler? If I break a $100 cooler once a year, a $500 premium cooler becomes 'worth' it in year 5. Personally, I've never broken the handles, body, or lid off my coolers, so in this regard, the answer is definitely a big NO.

2. What will the annual savings in ice and related expenses be? Lets say your deep in the woods and have three elk tags to fill. You kill an elk on day 1 and still have up to 7-10 more days of sitting in the woods with your buddies wanting to keep your meat cold, dry, and safe. Ice will  melt faster in a cheaper cooler, so maybe you have to make 3-4 trips to town to buy more ice at a cost of $20 in gas and $5 for ice each trip. That could mean upwards of $75-100 'saved' per hunt, plus the convenience factor. In my observation, you go through a bit more ice in the first few days getting the meat down to ice temperature, but after that it tends to last longer. I'm not ready to spend a $300-400 premium on a cooler at this point in my life to save a few trips for ice.

[RightPlace-RightTime]

I watched a video on packing coolers by yeti. Im sure u can use it on others.  They stacked the cooler accordingly.  Using Dry Ice. Check it out.

[hollymaster]

Check this out.

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30859

Getting sued by yeti. No surprise there. Lotta bucks to pay for a name brand.

[PolarBear]

My $100 igloo from Costco keeps ice just as long as my buddy's Yeti at 1/4th the price.

[sticky]

To me, a Yeti cooler seems more of a status symbol than a value item. It's been proven by market studies that consumers associate quality with high prices. There are plenty of people out there that would drop $600 just to have a $600 cooler.

Every Pelican product I've owned is of high quality and is still functioning as it was when purchased.  I definitely would go with a Pelican if it comes down to a choice between the two.

[elkslayer069]

Thanks for all the input fellas sounds to me like your thoughts are the same as mine

[Buzz2401]

I watched a video a few years back and it had a bunch of high end coolers and a few lower end coolers.  The Engel came out on top but it had a coleman extreme in like 2nd or 3rd place the yeti was in the middle of the pack for ice retention.  They are tough for sure but I have seen first hand that they don't hold ice any longer then the cheaper coleman extremes. 

[splitshot]

nope     mike w

[NRA4LIFE]

You need one of these bad boys.  450 qts and will hold ice forever.  1.5" of rigid foam insulation all around.  I affectionately nick named him Big Red

[2labs]

And nobody's gunna steal it! Yeti is a methhead magnet

[splitshot]

  get a cooler for about $50.  don't open it much.  put a sleeping bag over it when not in use and it will work great.   mike w

[quadrafire]

And nobody's gunna steal it! Yeti is a methhead magnet

That's what I've been worried about

[Bean Counter]

I watched a video a few years back and it had a bunch of high end coolers and a few lower end coolers.  The Engel came out on top but it had a coleman extreme in like 2nd or 3rd place the yeti was in the middle of the pack for ice retention.  They are tough for sure but I have seen first hand that they don't hold ice any longer then the cheaper coleman extremes.

A big part of this is whether or not people use them properly. Remember that a cooler is an insulator before its a cooler. If you pull it out of your hot garage and immediately dump ice in it and leave for your hunt you'll probably be worse off than with a cheap cooler. This is because it needs to be properly prechilled before you fill it with ice and leave for the hunt.Think of all that heavy insulation that has been warmed by the garage. Its going to take a lot more cold to reverse that down to an ice-friendly temp which means more melting to get there.

[Stickerbush]

What are peoples uses for these? Seems like overkill for car camping but off grid maybe. There are so many of these rugged coolers now

[cbond3318]

I watched a video a few years back and it had a bunch of high end coolers and a few lower end coolers.  The Engel came out on top but it had a coleman extreme in like 2nd or 3rd place the yeti was in the middle of the pack for ice retention.  They are tough for sure but I have seen first hand that they don't hold ice any longer then the cheaper coleman extremes.

A big part of this is whether or not people use them properly. Remember that a cooler is an insulator before its a cooler. If you pull it out of your hot garage and immediately dump ice in it and leave for your hunt you'll probably be worse off than with a cheap cooler. This is because it needs to be properly prechilled before you fill it with ice and leave for the hunt.Think of all that heavy insulation that has been warmed by the garage. Its going to take a lot more cold to reverse that down to an ice-friendly temp which means more melting to get there.

  Excellent Point!!

[WAcoueshunter]

I love mine.  It's tough and rugged, and keeps things cold!  I backed into it with my boat trailer - would have folded a regular cooler, but the yeti keeps on ticking. 

In 2013 I drove 15 hours from WY with my Yeti and a Coleman Extreme side by side.  Same prep, same contents, same size, etc.  Carrying frozen, packaged antelope.  By the time I got home, the Coleman Extreme contents had warmed just enough that the packages started to leak blood.  Yeti still frozen solid. 

Over the fourth of July near Yakima, with temps above 100 in the shade, my Yeti still had some of the initial single ice bag on day 4. 

I haven't had an Engel, Grizzly, etc., and they might be just as good.  But they are similarly expensive, so I'll stick with Yeti until I see them in person and am convinced otherwise. 

[Jonnyjammer]

What are peoples uses for these? Seems like overkill for car camping but off grid maybe. There are so many of these rugged coolers now

They hold a lot,keep it cold and you can count on that,They are built with quality that you can depend on.Like the drains for instance if you lose a drain it wont hold ice for a day.  I can use mine for a stepping stool for loading on my truck or boat.I can stand on mine while i am fishing in my boat.Critters even the camping neighbors dog isnt getting in my cooler.Mine can be used to keep cool cool or hot hot.I can load one of mine with military alluminum hot food containers and it will stay hot all day.

[eastcoastguy]

There is a new brand just coming out. It's called Rtic and they are half the price of yeti and say they hold ice a few days longer.

[Stalker]

I looked at Yeti, Grizzly, Pelican etc.  They all seemed about the same for construction. So my priority was to get the largest one that I could afford for hunting and fishing. I cane across Esky coolers made by Coleman in the U.S.A.. I purchased the 205 qt and cannot be happier with it. I got it for $510.00 including 3 day shipping from Man Venture Out Post. See link below. This was absolutely the best price I could find on these type coolers of this size.

http://www.manventureoutpost.com/products/Coleman-3000002626-Cooler-205-Quart-Esky-UV-White-5893.html

[herdbull33]

I absolutely love my two. I bought the 105 and the roadie or jeeping in the hills. I am always impressed by how long they hold ice. I take mine to the early season elk hunt and I'm always happy I spent the money. They are very durable and will last a lifetime. Only downfall is they are very heavy when full. Wish they made a wheel attachment.

[splitshot]

     nope.   mike  w

[ballpark]

Try Canyon Coolers.
http://www.canyoncoolers.com

[Eli346]

 I've got a Coleman Xtreme that will hold ice for 5 days that I bought for $55. I'll sell it to you for $105. I'd worry about a cooler sitting in my truck or in camp that cost as much as a rifle. I guess if I had that kind of money to spend I might do it but the Coleman suits me fine.