Are Yeti coolers worth the $$?

[Forestdawg]

I own several yeti coolers, they hold up well but not indestructible. I had a 45 tundra in the bed of my truck as a job site cooler for several years and eventually the rim began to buckle and become misshapen. Doesn't hold ice longer than a day so now its now a really good bait cooler. Best advice would be to check fb marketplace, find tons of gently used yetis for cheap.

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[KrispyKotex]

Had many coolers in my time, but just can't seem to bring myself to spending over $300 if I can get by with something that suits me. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a high dollar Yeti, but there are alternatives that are just as good. I've got an Ozark Trail from Walmart. I throw a 1/2 bag of ice to prep it for a 1/2 day before an outing. Mine holds for 3 days if I prep it right and keep it out of the sun. For any cooler, if prepped right it will always hold ice better.

 

[omg]

Get a Kong, made in the USA

+1

i have Kong 110 cooler. made in USA,

a bit heavy, like any roto molded cooler. about 50 lbs empty.

takes 2 people to load into wrangler (when full).
typically for a 4 day camping. i NEVER had to add any ice in between. After returning home, there are still big chunks of ice left in there. i could easily go on for a 5-6 day camping and not worry about ice.

 

[jimim]

I was all set on orca cause they are USA. I really didn’t want to give my money to yeti but when they came out with that new roadie Thst is taller vs wide I caved cause of space on the boat. It’s great. Holds ice perfect all day in the heat on the boat in blistering sun. And I’m sticking it woth bar ice which melts quick cause I have an ice malee in my house. I’m impressed. Yes the orca would have been just as good and USA made not like yeti but that smaller foot print got me. It’s a sweet fishing perch also if some is in the front and back of boat and I’m stuck riding bitch in the middle. Lol

The orca material isn’t as smooth. Patches are the same as yeti. Hinge the same. They have that pouch on the back which I don’t like. I’ll prob buy an orca when I get a larger one. But that roadie serves my purpose. I stick it night before cause we leave 3 am usually and I’m half asleep. Everyrhing is perfect for during the day on the boat.

 

[Toycrusher]

I am a Yeti dealer and I can only recommend them for certain applications.

For a day trip, most anything will work and there are much cheaper and lighter options.

If you ARE staying out for multiple days, a Yeti can be great, holds ice well, BUT, you can't be opening it every few minutes and you have to pre-cool it before your ready to load it.

 

[OutlawBeard]

I was all set on orca cause they are USA. I really didn’t want to give my money to yeti but when they came out with that new roadie Thst is taller vs wide I caved cause of space on the boat. It’s great. Holds ice perfect all day in the heat on the boat in blistering sun. And I’m sticking it woth bar ice which melts quick cause I have an ice malee in my house. I’m impressed. Yes the orca would have been just as good and USA made not like yeti but that smaller foot print got me. It’s a sweet fishing perch also if some is in the front and back of boat and I’m stuck riding bitch in the middle. Lol

The orca material isn’t as smooth. Patches are the same as yeti. Hinge the same. They have that pouch on the back which I don’t like. I’ll prob buy an orca when I get a larger one. But that roadie serves my purpose. I stick it night before cause we leave 3 am usually and I’m half asleep. Everyrhing is perfect for during the day on the boat.

I bought the new roadie too, I had ice for like 3 days and it never left my hot truck. It was worth the money to me

 

[jimim]

I bought the new roadie too, I had ice for like 3 days and it never left my hot truck. It was worth the money to me

Ya those new latches aren’t bad. Deff not as tight of a seal but good. I hope this isn’t the way they go with all of them.

Even thought it’s tall it holds a good amount. Deff a better design than the old version with the metal handle.

 

[UrbanCowboyAZ]

I’ve done extensive research recently and most has been covered here. Yeti is designed in US, but made in Asia... hey Apple. Orca, Pelican, Grizzly, and others are all made 100% in America, are cheaper (slightly), and at least as good.

One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is that Orca (and I believe Pelican and grizzly) all run true to size meaning a 58qt is really 58qts. Yeti runs pretty small. Their 65qt is more like a 55 or something like that. I can’t remember the exact figures.

After a bunch or research I settled on Orca and plan to buy an Orca 58 the next time they have a sale for my camping/Jeeping needs.

Tons of good American made choices out there!

 

[intentsrig]

My Coleman xtreme would keep 40lbs of ice for 4 days of camping in the 80’s. Under shade. I can actually fit enough alcohol in it too unlike the massive yeti I would need. Who cares if it keeps ice for a week when I can only fit enough beer to last 2 days.

Though I havnt used it since buying an arb fridge

 

[jimim]

I’ve done extensive research recently and most has been covered here. Yeti is designed in US, but made in Asia... hey Apple. Orca, Pelican, Grizzly, and others are all made 100% in America, are cheaper (slightly), and at least as good.

One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is that Orca (and I believe Pelican and grizzly) all run true to size meaning a 58qt is really 58qts. Yeti runs pretty small. Their 65qt is more like a 55 or something like that. I can’t remember the exact figures.

After a bunch or research I settled on Orca and plan to buy an Orca 58 the next time they have a sale for my camping/Jeeping needs.

Tons of good American made choices out there!

That latch on the orca makes it. The orca tail is an awesome touch. And I say that cause I spent 3 days on orca island a few times going out each day to watch orcas and let me tell you to this day I’m still speechless. Never have I seen so many whales and the respect they have for these whales is just breathtaking. They are like family on the island. Nothing more amazing. Especially when on a boat with scientists so you are right over them.

 

[unsavory]

Others have already mentioned this, but the downside to those premium coolers is definitely the weight.

We bought an Orca and it is EXTREMELY heavy. So much so that it almost takes two people to carry it when it's empty.

They are also HUGE, because the insulation is thick. Ours takes about 1/3 of the entire packing space in the back of the Jeep.

As a result, we never use it. It's been used one time. And now it sits in our mountain cabin to keep our water jugs from freezing in the winter.

That being said, if you go camping for 5+ days at a time a lot, it does hold ice well.

 

[Robsalazar08]

Yeti is a good cooler there is company’s out there that make a better product for less money. The Engel coolers have thicker insulation and are also cheaper. Good product.

 

[UrbanCowboyAZ]

Others have already mentioned this, but the downside to those premium coolers is definitely the weight.

We bought an Orca and it is EXTREMELY heavy. So much so that it almost takes two people to carry it when it's empty.

They are also HUGE, because the insulation is thick. Ours takes about 1/3 of the entire packing space in the back of the Jeep.

As a result, we never use it. It's been used one time. And now it sits in our mountain cabin to keep our water jugs from freezing in the winter.

That being said, if you go camping for 5+ days at a time a lot, it does hold ice well.

What size do you have? I’m trying to find the right balance between size/weight and carrying capacity.

 

[PA JLUR]

I am a big fan of Otterbox Products. Their Venture series is made in the USA and will keep ice cold for up to 14days. We primarily use it for week long 8hour+ trips to the beach where we it keeps everything as cold or colder than when we left our home. They frequently go on sale, and are well worth the money. It will likely last you a lifetime. It’s also bear proof.....

 

[JeepSmash]

The lifetime coolers at Walmart are made in the USA and are supposed to perform very closely to a yeti. $97 for 55qt

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lifetime-55-Quart-High-Performance-Cooler-Grey-90949/490384164

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