Yeti

I remember growing up, my Dad had one of those metal Coleman ice chests that was built to last.   Those were the days when you bought something one time and you never thought of replacing it because you just didn't have to.

Along came the petroleum industry with their plastic encased foam coolers that now come in every size, shape and color.  These items are so mass produced that it is more practical to just replace it with a new one than find the replacement parts and extend the life of it.

Then, out of the blue, some avid outdoorsman got to thinking that there has to be a better solution for their game needs than just regularly replacing them with a new one.  And thus, the Yeti cooler was born!

The Yeti was built for the outdoorsman that loved to hunt and fish and bring home the spoils of their adventues without becoming spoiled on the way home.  The Yeti is built so well that once sealed up, there are no worries of any major ice meltdown.

With a cooler being built so well it has to come at a significant cost.  It does, and they are very pricey.  But, it will be the last one you will ever  buy.  You will even go "old school" and buy replacement parts like the rubber latches and the handles.  You will even buy the accessories to lock that sucker down so that it doesn't grow legs and disappear.

The other manufacturers have even gotten in the act once they saw Yeti taking an ever growing market share.  But, the Yeti has gone into full cult status overload!

The original market for Yeti coolers was the outdoorsman.  Now, every college bound kid is getting one as a graduation gift.  Couples are receiving them as wedding gifts.  These coolers are now being sold in several colors and they even have several college logos in their inventory.

Yeti coolers are easy to spot at the beach.  When fully packed, it takes 2 to 4 guys to get them to your spot in the sand.  My nephew and his buddies had one with them during spring break one year.  After enough beer had been consumed they got the bright idea "let's sink it"!  Those were some of the funniest pictures I'd ever seen!  These full grown young bucks trying to ride their Yeti like it was one of those bull riding bucking machines!

Last year, at my cousin's daughter's wedding reception, beer was packed in Yeti's by flavor.  I'd  never seen so many big boy Yeti's in one place!  It was funny watching to see which flavors would go
first and what would be the lone holdout!

The boys at Yeti are quite the inovators.   First, they came out with the gaming bigboy cooler, then gradually adding smaller versions for the tailgaters, the beach crowd and now the weekender guy.  They have even added color options mentioned earler.  Now, they have expanded their product line even more!

Remember that Stanley thermos your dad had that he took with him hunting or on long hour work days?  They would keep coffee hot for hours.  Here comes Yeti!  They have expanded their product line to include their  "Rambler" and "Colster".  The Rambler is a 20 or 30 oz tumbler with a sippy top and  the Colster is an aluminum can holder .  Both are made of steel, like the Stanley thermos,  but they are marketed toward the ice shaking crowd  and the beer & soda drinker.

I bought two of the 30 oz tumblers for the spousal unit, since she is a lifetime ice shaker.  We took them out for a test drive last night using hotel ice, and I got the anticipated result this morning, all melted :-(.   I knew that hotel ice wouldn't go the  long haul because it is so thin, and it didn't.   Next up for testing will be chunky ice!  The tumblers themselves did not disappoint.  Once filled, the liquid contents, in my case Diet Dew, was ice cold in just a few seconds.  And, the cups do not sweat due to their insulated design.    The literature on these recommend handwashing only. Despite the price, $29 and $39, I think there tumblers will be giving Tervis a run for their money!

These Yeti boys aren't  done yet. They now have a "soft cooler" bag called the "Hopper" and an accessory bag called the " Sidekick".  If you're thinking lower price point, forget it!  The Hopper has 2 sizes and are priced at $299 and $349!

My guess is the Yeti boys are already working on something new, maybe a clothing line made of the Hopper material???  Stay tuned!