Yeti Cooler

[James.]

I don't know if I mentioned this before but I won a Yeti cooler at work a few months ago. Well, sort of. There was a contest for the managers and he said if he/we won I could have it....well he won. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him he won and then when the realization set in that he promised it to me. I had to guilt him into giving it to me too.

Anyway, I got the first chance to use it this past weekend. Holy Crap! I was gone from Friday to Monday and the temperatures ranged from 43 to 98 degrees. When I got home there was NO water in the bottom. I don't drain while camping either. Cold water still cool better than air. But there was NO water in the bottom when I got home. I am still amazed. Now, to be fair it wasn't just ice. I started with a base of plastic bottles filled with frozen salt water....and, if you are not doing this you should start. The salt lowers the freezing point of the water making them colder to start. Plus since its in bottles when it melts it doesn't leave your food a soggy mess. Then I use ice as filler. What happens is the ice melts and refreezes when it gets to the water bottles. This is what happened but usually after a 3 day trip there is water in the bottom of the cooler. And that is with lining the cooler with reflexit. I didn't do that with the Yeti.

They might be worth the price. Definitely worth the nothing I paid for it.

[bluestar99]

Re: Yeti Cooler

Congrats on the Yeti. I have a few and love them. Are they expensive, yes, but they work. I freeze gallon jugs and put them in the cooler the night before I leave to prechill the Yeti. For my trip I use old Tupperware cereal storage bins that fit real well. I have never used salt in the water but will try that. How much salt per gallon do you use James? I have had good block Ice last 7 days on a trip around WY. I wish block Ice was easier to find. The blocks that worked the best were sort of pillow shaped and were very clear, no air bubbles. Those are great once the Tupperware thaws out.

[Irate Mormon]

Re: Yeti Cooler

I'm not ready to trade in my styrofoam minner pail.

[James.]

Re: Yeti Cooler

Congrats on the Yeti. I have a few and love them. Are they expensive, yes, but they work. I freeze gallon jugs and put them in the cooler the night before I leave to prechill the Yeti. For my trip I use old Tupperware cereal storage bins that fit real well. I have never used salt in the water but will try that. How much salt per gallon do you use James? I have had good block Ice last 7 days on a trip around WY. I wish block Ice was easier to find. The blocks that worked the best were sort of pillow shaped and were very clear, no air bubbles. Those are great once the Tupperware thaws out.

I don't know. I just kept adding salt until it stopped dissolving. Someone on another board said he used ziplock bags to freeze water because it packed better. I was thinking if I did that but put them in rectangular baking pans they would make ice bricks that would pack really well.

[bluestar99]

Re: Yeti Cooler

This is what I freeze in. They also make a tall rectangular one that I think was for tall sleeves of crackers. I believe the larger the block, the longer it will last. I find these at garage sales for .50 - 1.00

[MacGyver]

Re: Yeti Cooler

My mother buys these one quart boxes of milk that don't have to be refrigerated until they're opened. They're roughly the size of a brick. As soon as I saw one I told her to start saving them for me. I used to freeze gallon and half gallon milk cartons but never liked that you had to figure out how to shift the food around to accommodate the big blocks of ice. With the bricks I have more flexibility.

[Irate Mormon]

Re: Yeti Cooler

Omaha steak boxes are good too.

[Happy Joe]

Re: Yeti Cooler

Congrats;
I, too, am definitely a fan of high tech coolers...
Got to watch those Omaha Steaks coolers; mine are trying to take over the basement.

Enjoy!