Yeti (Not Al) Coolers

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Phares

Phares

Mostly Useless
10 Year
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Charlotte NC
I think I really want one but the price is tough to swallow. I've got 40$ in REI coupons plus the rebate if it is still eligible so...I'm looking at the 45 qt which has a sticker of 350$. If anyone has an opinion on these coolers chime in. Everything I read says great but like I said it is hard to justify that sticker price. A trip to PI would almost necessitate this caliber of equipment. Thought? Or should I just put that money torward a fridge system?
 
I have the pelican 37qt cooler and have used it at PI on a 4-day trip.

I prefer the pelican as it's made in the US. I have a friend who is a dealer in Raleigh so the pricing might be better.

If there is interest, I could probably get a group buy but together.
 
Oh, and I have a fridge, but that's for food. Pelican is for beer :)
 
There are lots of good arguments for both methods. Think about the bulk of each and the option to use the cooler in a variety of vehicles if needed. Remember that the usable space inside the Yeti is MUCH less than the outer dimensions would indicate. Also, with a fridge, you'd probably want a dual battery setup, and it's always gonna be in the way if you prefer to leave it in the vehicle. A sliding tray for it might be something to look into. Lots of people love them.

I've had great luck with my Coleman Extreme cooler. Much better than all my other coolers. Still not up to the Yeti standard but good enough for my current needs.
 
Phares said:
Any have any experience with Brute coolers? They're made in TX which is a plus for me and seem similarly priced to the pelican. If we do a group buy I'm interested.
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I have a brute and love it. I have a75 quart yeti and a 50 quart brute. The brute is almost the same size and keeps ice just as long.
 
Engel is a very close if not superior competitor with significantly lower price. They had the advanced ice retention technology before Yeti arrived IIRC. Yeti got in the fishing market and now every Yuppy with money has one - most are shooting themselves in the foot carrying a much heavier and more expensive cooler around when they are going on a few hour outing at most.
 
Phares said:
Any have any experience with Brute coolers? They're made in TX which is a plus for me and seem similarly priced to the pelican. If we do a group buy I'm interested.
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I would also be interested in a group buy. Would be nice if we could have them at Logan's Run...
 
I bought the 35 quart Pelican (yes the same as the gun cases) from Walmart for $199. It has several handy features that the Yeti does not have and it is very well built. I like the stainless steel hinges and hardware, the extra handles, metal latches, recessed drain and rubber anti-skid base blocks. I'm glad I didn't get the Yeti. When I bought the Pelican I immediately threw 2 bags of ice in it and slid it under the tonneau of my pickup. It sat under there in the hot sun at the beach for four days and nights with the outside temp at 90 degrees during the day. The temp was probably higher under the black vinyl tonneau. On the fourth day it still had about 1/4 ice. By the sixth day it was water but it was cold, cold water. Beware these high end coolers are very heavy. I think the 35 quart Pelican weighs about 30 lbs dry. IMO the Pelican is equal to the Yeti in its ability to keep ice. It is a little heavier than the Yeti due to the hardware but the price is right.
 
personally id put the money towards an arb or Engel fridge. A plug in cooler if you are planning on doing much overlanding off the beaten path style makes more sense. An ice cooler would be good and cheaper though if you are just using it for short camping and beach trips. Plus around here you'd be hard pressed to be too far from an ice cooler at a gas station as to where it would make too big of a difference. The nice thing about a small Yeti style cooler is mounting it on a rear bumper also.

PS I think I heard the PI has an ice machine, but I may be wrong
 
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Interesting video...

 
One thing about the test above... they don't use a sacrificial bag of ice first. that is where the higher performance of the Yeti and Engel really shine. They recommend you cool it down first with a bag of ice overnight (for longer trips), then add your items and ice. I think if they tried that test with all 3 in that type of test, I think the Coleman would fall well behind. For the record, I fish some and boat a good bit, and still only own a Coleman extreme. Engel is likely in my future, possibly a Yeti.
 
mtweller said:
One thing about the test above... they don't use a sacrificial bag of ice first. that is where the higher performance of the Yeti and Engel really shine. They recommend you cool it down first with a bag of ice overnight (for longer trips), then add your items and ice. I think if they tried that test with all 3 in that type of test, I think the Coleman would fall well behind. For the record, I fish some and boat a good bit, and still only own a Coleman extreme. Engel is likely in my future, possibly a Yeti.
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Agreed about the sacrificial ice to pre-cool. What I do is rather than sacrifice a bag of ice, take a couple of empty 2 liter bottles and fill with water and freeze. Drop the frozen bottles in the cooler the night before. Additionally, once you pack your goods, if you use large blocks of ice such as the frozen 2 liters in addition to cubed ice the ice lasts longer.
 
I typically load my coolers without precooling. Throw cold beverages in the empty cooler, layer on the ice until the lid just barely shuts.
 
Seriously considering the Pelican. Much better price vs. Yeti
 
Supposedly, Yeti was a splinter off Icey-Tek. I've seen mixed reviews, but they are cheaper than Engel, Yeti, or Pelican(I think). Might be worth a look, since all these get mixed reviews. People really expect them to hold ice for 5 days camping in 95* weather, opening and closing them all day long.

:beer: R
 
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