Yeti Coolers

[Mollysdad]

How soon before someone makes a "Yeti" logo that has an adhesive backing to cover the "Ozark Trail" logo?

[CWSWine]

We get ous YETI from venders for free so I can't complain about the price I pay. We have several coolers and about 2 each of the drinking cups. We even gave some away last Xmas as presents. I'm not sure I would pay the price if I had to pay for them but they are rugged and do keep ice for longer than any other cooler we have had. We got a NON-Yetti cooler that's battery-powered and you can sit on it and ride. It was fun but also not worth the 299 price tag if we had to buy it.

[gypsydad]

My theory on Yeti vs Ozark after looking at them very closely, measuring the thickness, testing the thermal/cooling effects very scientifically with 2" ice cubes over night, and noting the size makes the tops interchangeable is: There are 2 brothers in China and one design...one makes the Ozark and sells to Walmart...the other is a bit smarter and sells his to Yeti...they both laugh at us at night while counting their money and sipping Maotai out of their paper cups!

[Ray Eklund]

I realize we are just having a good time trying to keep stuff... cool. Ozark or Yeti cool.

Our experiment in the Gila National Forest was to see if the '52 quart high performance Cooler aka Hielera de Alto Desempeno de 50L Ozark Trail' could keep our food from... FREEZING overnight. Our dog's water bowl froze to the bottom in May.

I am proud to say the Cooler did not freeze. It is better insulated than an Airstream in this example. Much better insulated than our tent, with the rain fly.

All in all, I have to admit, the next time we camp in sub freezing weather... I will leave the cooler open for the 'free ice option' overnight.

After following some of these posts... I think we could have one great time camping together. I will have my shots... updated.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

I realize we are just having a good time trying to keep stuff... cool. Ozark or Yeti cool.

Our experiment in the Gila National Forest was to see if the '52 quart high performance Cooler aka Hielera de Alto Desempeno de 50L Ozark Trail' could keep our food from... FREEZING overnight. Our dog's water bowl froze to the bottom in May.

I am proud to say the Cooler did not freeze. It is better insulated than an Airstream in this example. Much better insulated than our tent, with the rain fly.

All in all, I have to admit, the next time we camp in sub freezing weather... I will leave the cooler open for the 'free ice option' overnight.

After following some of these posts... I think we could have one great time camping together. I will have my shots... updated.

As for the 65Qt Yeti cooler we got (remember, I got a 40% discount thru my son's business, or I would not have purchased this one..) Anyway, he also convinced me to get 6 of the ice packs from Yeti. Great thing about them is they freeze in my AS freezer in an hour or so, or can be froze using a packs of ice over them. I am pretty happy with these vs the older ice packs we had.

As for Ozark vs Yeti label...wife has a label maker (if needed)

[Tralien]

I originally purchased a Yeti cooler and it performed as advertised. However rotomolded coolers are heavy and when filled with food and drinks it was a workout moving it around. 65 quarts was too big for how we camped and travelled. We sold the cooler easily for a fair price.

After looking at a number of ice tests on YouTube we replaced it with a 50 QT cooler from Kysek. Integrated wheels (like skate wheels), bottle openers, ruler and a cutting surface on the lid were all appealing. Might be worth a look.

[urnmor]

I have both the 45 qt Yeti which I keep in the back of my truck and a Yeti Hopper 2. I really like the Hopper 2. It is easy to carry and great for day trips whether it be boating or picnicking

[Belbein]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

If one child chose the Yeti, I would give that one enough money to buy one, including sales tax.

If one or both children chose the Walmart Ozark Trail, they would share the inheritance equally and manage it as a team.

Wow. I've heard of some hard-hearted decisions about how to leave money to children, but that's COLD, Ray.


[Couldn't resist.]

[Belbein]

I know this is an old thread, but hopefully some of y'all are still out there. Is it a bad idea to keep a chunk of dry ice in my AS freezer while we're on the road? I figured, instead of carrying a Yeti/Ozark/Coleman cooler, maybe this would work.

[Iansk]

Originally Posted by Belbein

I know this is an old thread, but hopefully some of y'all are still out there. Is it a bad idea to keep a chunk of dry ice in my AS freezer while we're on the road? I figured, instead of carrying a Yeti/Ozark/Coleman cooler, maybe this would work.

I’d be leery of keeping dry ice in my freezer as the plastic in there isn’t nearly as thick as a Yeti or other rotomolded cooler. I’ve used dry ice a bit for work and have experienced a regular cooler splitting from being in contact with dry ice for too long. Granted it was an older cooler, but it still gave me pause.

I’ve put a couple 4 lb Yeti ice blocks in my freezer and fridge for travel and that worked just fine. I typically run the fridge on propane when traveling or 12v and Yeti ice when going farther for LP savings.

Ian

[rmkrum]

An old trick with dry ice is wrapping it in several layers of newspaper to provide a bit of insulation. Nowadays, it’s a bit difficult to find that material, but any paper will work to keep the block of dry ice off the cooler surface. Maybe a sheet of corrugated cardboard cut to line the bottom of the cooler and go up the sides a bit?

[uncle_bob]

Hi

The bigger question to me: Is it easier to deal with dry ice or with propane? I can refill a propane tank pretty cheap within a few minutes of any campground I've ever been at. ( ok, maybe it's a half hour drive ... ). Getting dry ice is quite a bit more difficult. I can run the fridge on propane for weeks and weeks before I need a refill.

Bob

[nryn]

My fridge died about 5 days into an 80 day trip to Alaska. It was replaced about 30 days later (yay) and in the interim I used the fridge as a cooler.

At first I wanted to keep the freezer going but after eating down its contents I abandoned that just to make life easier. I got dry ice where I could but it’s impossible outside city centers. The only place I found it sometimes was at the local grocery stores, which receive some seafood or meat shipments on dry ice and are happy to just give it to you if you ask. But more often than not they receive these shipments once a week and by the time you call the dry ice is at the bottom of their dumpster.

When I had it, I put dry ice in a paper bag and put that in the produce drawer at the bottom of the fridge. The rest of the time I’d split an 8 lb bag of ice between a garbage bag on the top shelf and the produce drawer. Kept everything cool and only needed to be changed out every 2-3 days if you were good about keeping forays into the fridge to a minimum.

As for propane use, I have no reservations about using propane—it’s incredibly efficient. I’ve been running the fridge, a quick connect grill, fire bowl, and of course the stove on propane all summer on this trip. I’ve used up one of the two bottles on my trailer and just had it filled. I’ve just passed 7,500 miles of travel on this trip and have yet to be in a place where getting propane is difficult. It’s the lifeblood of many remote communities.

[gypsydad]

As we plan for Alaska next year, we are watching Moosetags closely, along with some others on this year's trip. We would like to bring back some halibut and crab and were also thinking to use our 65qt. Yeti and dry ice...no not so sure...we do have 6 Yeti blocks; they do freeze pretty quick in the AS freezer or with a couple bags of ice, but they will not keep contents froze in the cooler...I have never used dry ice, but was told it could keep things froze...any input appreciated.

[Iansk]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

As we plan for Alaska next year, we are watching Moosetags closely, along with some others on this year's trip. We would like to bring back some halibut and crab and were also thinking to use our 65qt. Yeti and dry ice...no not so sure...we do have 6 Yeti blocks; they do freeze pretty quick in the AS freezer or with a couple bags of ice, but they will not keep contents froze in the cooler...I have never used dry ice, but was told it could keep things froze...any input appreciated.

That’s how we shipped halibut back from Alaska several years ago, although in a styrofoam cooler. Took a few days. A buddy has family up there and ships his Yeti 110 back full of moose each year. Typically takes up to 5 days.

I’m talking about dry ice btw.

Ian

[nryn]

Not sure I understand—I’ve got 8 filleted sides of Alaskan Sockeye salmon that I caught two weeks ago on the Kenai and froze in my Airstream. They are as hard as a rock. Are most Airstream freezers not cold enough to freeze things?

A Yeti, dry ice, and proper pre-cooling will keep anything frozen for a week or more, no problem, even in hot weather. I have to imaging shipping a 65qt Yeti full of fish (not to mention the cost of the charter, etc) is way more expensive than buying fresh halibut in most places, though.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by nryn

. . .
. . . Are most Airstream freezers not cold enough to freeze things?
. . .

Most AS freezers do just fine, but [IMO] their small size -- plus inconsistency of operation -- could result in very expensive fish thawing on short notice.

Just a thawt FWIW . . .

We keep an accurate thermometer in the freezer plus one in the fridge.

Peter

[nryn]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Most AS freezers do just fine, but [IMO] their small size -- plus inconsistency of operation -- could result in very expensive fish thawing on short notice.

Got it. The fridge is far more inconsistent than the freezer in my Airstream. Temps fluctuate about 9-10° (I also keep thermometers in both the freezer and the fridge). Freezer has been pretty steady though (though the whole unit was replaced in July).

[nryn]

I’m in Alaska now—FYI almost all the fishing towns and the airports in larger towns here have services for packaging and shipping fish. Many charters will also take care of it for you. I’m at Anchorage airport now picking up a friend and I swear every fourth person entering the airport has a frozen fish box with them, either for shipping or for check-in.

[Iansk]

Originally Posted by nryn

Not sure I understand—I’ve got 8 filleted sides of Alaskan Sockeye salmon that I caught two weeks ago on the Kenai and froze in my Airstream. They are as hard as a rock. Are most Airstream freezers not cold enough to freeze things?

A Yeti, dry ice, and proper pre-cooling will keep anything frozen for a week or more, no problem, even in hot weather. I have to imaging shipping a 65qt Yeti full of fish (not to mention the cost of the charter, etc) is way more expensive than buying fresh halibut in most places, though.

I think the Alaska/fish/travel question came up when someone asked about transporting fish in their AS from AK to the lower 48. Someone else asked about dry ice in the AS freezer and yada yada... in the end, this is a Yeti thread but its become a cooling skills thread. Which I think is great.

Ian