Cooler question

[Bwana]

Yeti seemed to have been the first company out there with that type of cooler, but now I see a number of copycats.

A few questions:
1) Are they worth the $$$?
2) Has anyone tried the RTIC brand and if so, what are your thoughts?
3) Why do I need one?

[Big Muddy]

Bwana, I'm sure they will all do everything they claim....call me a cheap curmudgeon, but unless someone gave me one, that'd be the only way I'd ever own one because I'd never spend that much on a cooler....I just can't think of any reason or situation that I'd, personally, ever need a cooler of that quality or price....if I did, then I'd go buy a couple of them....jmho.

[LJ3]

Uhh, Bwana? I don't think any of these high end coolers can beat your front porch.

[Captain]

I've had a lot of yeti coolers over the years and still do. All my friends have lots of yeti coolers on their off shore boats. That said Bass Pro had a company named Sub-Z build a Redhead cooler exactly like the yeti. In that it was much less expensive AND I get a great break on Bass Pro stuff I bought a couple of them. To be honest I cannot tell any difference between the yetis I have and this Sub-Z.
I don't know how these other companies are getting away with making these yeti type coolers and cups. They are an exact copy down to hinges, locks and lids would all interchange with yeti parts.
I would not check up buying one of the off name brands. I'd be willing to bet they will be just as good...

[Chicken Dinner]

Lots of videos out there on YouTube of folks doing direct comparisons of Yeti and RTIC. (I assume other comparable coolers as well.) The couple I've watched show RTIC as good, if not better, than Yeti. You do have to order the RTIC in advance and wait for it. I have a tough time justifying the cost and don' have one yet. I have been on trips where folks had them and they will keep ice stuff cold even in the heat of the summer for days.

[Big Skyz]

I read an in-depth comparison a couple years ago. Interestingly enough the Yeti did not come in first place or even in the top 3 if I remember right. The really interesting thing though was that the Coleman Extreme cooler kept ice as long or longer than most of the super expensive coolers. It only costs a fraction of what those high end coolers cost. I have an Extreme and frankly, I've never felt a real need to upgrade. They also make the Extreme in a Marine version that runs about $70.00-$160.00 depending on quart size. On a side note, those that conducted the test were all shocked that the difference in ability to keep things cold was so minimal between the Coleman cooler and the Yeti or Yeti copy-cats. Granted the cooler doesn't lock down on the Coleman, but I've never really had an issue with it coming open either. Short of a bear tearing into it, I really don't care about the lock downs. For that matter if a grizzly decides he wants in the cooler he will get in not matter how expensive your cooler is.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I've about decided to keep my old Champion hull and spend the money to put a 4 cycle motor on it and a few other things and keep it. One of those things is to look into replacing the built in coolers with that that new cooler technology. You'd have to fiberglass them into the hull but that shouldn't be any great shakes. I love the built in coolers in my boat. It keeps me from having to haul any around.

B KB

[johnboy]

Barry, if you're looking to re-power your boat, check the new Evinrude E-tec Gen 2's. They are getting great reviews from the hard core 4 stroke guys out here on the coast. http://www.evinrude.com/en-CA/engines/e-tec-g2.html

Too bad they are so friggen ugly.

[Trav]

Bwana just have Cappy buy you the bass pro yeti knock off and use his 40% discount and ship it to you.

[Thumper]

I've been watching all of this cooler madness for a while. It appears (to me) that Yeti jumped in with both feet and pretty much dominated the "new" market for super-coolers and could basically name their price (which was ridiculous for a pile of plastic!). Once their success showed in the marketplace, the competition jumped on-board. You know what they've always said about competition in a free-market economy! Expect those prices to continue coming back down to earth!

Heck, our Canuckian neighbors pay through the nose for things like cell phone service and airline service for example. If it ain't a Canadian telecommunications company, it ain't allowed. Why should the few companies operating there bust their butts to improve services or lower prices? Have you ever noticed you cannot book a flight, originating in Canada, on a non-domestic (read non-Canadian) airline? Again, you have no choice, pay what they want ... no other airline can undercut them. I used to run into the same thing when driving a truck. We could haul freight into Canada and bring freight back out, but we could NOT pick up freight in Canada and deliver within Canada. Only a Canuckian trucking company can do that. Those transportation charges our northern neighbors pay? No competition means higher costs to the consumer.

I'm not sure what Trump is going to do about foreign competition, but I'm all for an eye-for-an-eye so to speak, even if it ends up costing me a little more. If the Republic of Bumfuckia charges us a 65% import tax or American goods entering their country, charge THEM a 65% tax for any goods they bring here. In Thailand, there is a 100% import tax on "outside" goods. You wouldn't believe what I paid for a Honda motorcycle while there back in the early 70's! Heck, they're one step above a frigging 3rd world country (IMHO), but sometimes I think they're smarter than we are. Can you imagine purchasing a car in Thailand with a 100% import tax? You want a Toyota? Double it's price and you can drive one! That is, until Toyota (and all other car makers) figured out they could open a huge market for themselves by building an assembly plant in Thailand. Now that Toyota is no longer imported, it sells for HALF the price! (as long as that particular model is made there) What else do they do that I think is pretty smart? A foreigner is not allowed to hold a job that an equally qualified Thai national can perform.

Oooops! I'm rambling. Sorry. ;)

[johnboy]

Yeah but our beer is better. :friday

[Thumper]

Yeah but our beer is better. :friday

:thumbsup

[BarryBobPosthole]

I love Canada. They are the good understanding neighbor that never calls the cops.
BKB