Yeti Resting

[booplesmoke]

Anyone have a yeti cooler? Are they worth the money or are the knock offs just as good. Also, I've never rested brisket in a cooler but seems many do?

 

[smokinadam]

I got an ozark cup and it keeps ice longer than my brothers yeti who paid 4 times the amount. I would be willing to do knock off brand.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I have the RTIC 45 and I love it. I wouldn't pay what Yeti wants.

 

[wild west]

Resting brisket good practice. Yetti knockoff good financial practice.

 

[booplesmoke]

Thanks guys 

 

 

[gr0uch0]

I think Yetis are great, if you're going to spend 2 weeks in the Mojave Desert. Otherwise, save the money, buy a white marine-type cooler, and load it properly. Will do just fine.

I have a Yeti 30 oz. tumbler that I won in a golf tournament. It does a great job keeping cold cold, and hot hot. That said, I wouldn't have paid $40 for it, as is the shelf price. My $0.02.

 

[b-one]

I rest my food in cheap coolers,I also keep a few old pillows to take up air space for better insulation. They are nice coolers but if you don't need it why buy it. I seen a test on you tube it maybe a good watch to choose what you want. I think they tested 10 coolers.

 

[SmokinAl]

Unless I have the brisket done way ahead of time I don't use a cooler.

This goes for pork butts too.

I let it rest for 30-45 minutes on the counter top then slice it. Or for a butt, pull it.

If I need to keep it hot for a few hours because it got done early I just put it in a 170 degree oven wrapped in foil.

For me that is a lot easier than the blanket thing in the cooler.

But that's just me.

Al

 

[mdboatbum]

I have an RTIC 30oz tumbler. I usually fill it with ice water around 7-8 pm. A lot of times, I won't finish it. When I get up around 5, there will still be most of the ice left.
Not long ago, I was going out to lunch with a friend. I filled the cup with hot coffee just before I left at 11 to meet him about an hour away from home. We then took a 35 minute boat ride to the restaurant, had lunch, cruised around for a bit in the boat and got back to the car around 4. Coffee was still hot.
Based on that, I'd have to say the knock off is every bit as good as the Yeti. I don't have personal experience with the coolers, but everything I've read has convinced me that my next cooler will be an RTIC.
Yes, even at half the price of the comparable Yeti, its crazy expensive for a cooler. And no, I probably don't NEED to keep one load of ice for a week. But when it comes down to it, I'd rather have something that out performs my needs than something that might fall short when I really need it.
I used to try and spend the least amount possible on whatever I needed. Cars, computers, coolers, what have you. What I've learned is that while you don't always need the most expensive option, the least expensive option will almost always disappoint you. And what will happen? You'll end up replacing it. And end up spending the same money you would have if you'd just bought the quality item in the first place.

 

[gr0uch0]

Well put, Md. As with everything, there's a difference between buying inexpensive versus buying cheap.

One other thought on coolers: newspaper is a great insulator. I've used it for both hot and cold, don't have to worry about getting it wet/dirty/greasy/stained, cleaning it, the price is right, and it gets pitched after I'm done.

 

[rogerwilco]

I agree with gr0uch0, above.

   Yeti is an excellent choice if one needs to pack a chest and then not open it until day nine in the outback, possibly after suffering some pretty rough treatment: the contents will be found to be in great, safe condition. The Yeti has a terrific ability to withstand sharp blows without being penetrated, and the hinges are quite strong. For those who truly depend on having suitably cold contents many days after packing, and need a cooler capable of being hurled down a ravine or surviving a bear assault, there is not much better product to be had.

   For a day-or-two local campout, or a day at the lake, any marine-type cooler of modern manufacture will work. If, by chance something breaks, it will not be catastrophic, and it will be inexpensive to replace. If one intends for the cooler to be opened frequently, such as when grabbing another beer, there will be no practical difference experienced between the cheap cooler and the wallet-lightening Yeti. From what I have observed, almost no one owning a Yeti really derives much value from the investment: pride of ownership, perhaps, but no real value that could not be obtained for a fraction of the cost. It's kind of like how many off-road vehicles never leave the wilds of flat and level pavement.

   They are pretty cool, though.......

 

[youngbuck]

Im all for bang for the buck. I may have not owned yetis if they had other options at the time. Ive owned Yeti coolers for probably 6 years. This was before they were cool or a "status symbol thing". Some of my friends have had them for much longer, when the tundra wasn't their only model, maybe 10 years ago. I have had a 45qt in the back of my work truck 24/7/365 for over 4 years. It is beat up, but not broken. Works just as good today as it does new. I throw heavy steel on it all the time. I treat it like the bed of my truck, it shows, but no real damage, just cosmetic. They keep ice the same as anybody's best cooler. The real difference, for me, is the durability. In PHX, you are lucky to have a cooler last through the summer without sun rotting the lid off. Aside from that, good luck not having a lid fly off. And then, try to abuse it. It wouldnt last a month the way i use my Yeti. Are they cool? Sure. Are they worth it? For me, yes. For most people who own them? Maybe not. Ive rested lots of meat in my Yetis. One tip for guys using them is to pre warm or pre chill. If you have one that is small enough, put it in the shower. I fill mine with hot water or ice and cold water before i need it some times.

 

[tripleq]

I have a RTIC 65, my neighbor has the big Yeti, we have not seen a deference in performance between them, both are built like a brick shit house, only real deference is I can buy two RTIC for what a yeti costs.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

 
I have a RTIC 65, my neighbor has the big Yeti, we have not seen a deference in performance between them, both are built like a brick shit house, only real deference is I can buy two RTIC for what a yeti costs.

This is exactly correct. A friend and I have done a side by side comparison of my RTIC to his Yeti and there are no differences in quality or performance. We did the comparison because he was looking for another cooler and didn't want to buy the RTIC, if it didn't perform or wasn't as rugged as the Yeti. He ordered the RTIC 45.

 

[matlocc]

I worked at Cabela's and talked people out of yeti. The first problem is try lifting a large one empty, then fill it and try to lift it!  Not many people camp where they cannot get to ice for 8 or 9 days. Also to make the ice last that long you have to keep the cooler closed. Opening and closing the cooler often, like done when camping cuts WAY DOWN on the time that it keeps things cold.  For the cost of the yeti tundra 75 at 450 dollars you could get 1500 lbs of ice at 3 bucks a bag. (I get it cheaper)

 

[gr0uch0]

150 lbs. of ice, matlocc, but I get where you're going.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

 
I worked at Cabela's and talked people out of yeti. The first problem is try lifting a large one empty, then fill it and try to lift it!  Not many people camp where they cannot get to ice for 8 or 9 days. Also to make the ice last that long you have to keep the cooler closed. Opening and closing the cooler often, like done when camping cuts WAY DOWN on the time that it keeps things cold.  For the cost of the yeti tundra 75 at 450 dollars you could get 1500 lbs of ice at 3 bucks a bag. (I get it cheaper)

We don't need to buy ice now that we use the RTIC. I use either frozen food that I take, or one small, ice pack if not packing frozen food. We only open the food cooler when we need food out of it, which is 2-3 times a day. With the small ice pack all is good for 5 days. With the frozen food option up to 10 days. 

I have always done the frozen food option for ice in the food cooler. It works great and the food defrosts slowly ready to cook when you are. It takes a bit more persuading now to thaw. Actually need to take the food out of the cooler to thaw.

Well worth the money, instead of paying for ice we opt to spend the money on food!

 

[gr0uch0]

Looks like the fun is just beginning with Yeti and the Clones...they've filed suit against RTIC, Wal-Mart (Ozark Trail), and Mammoth Coolers for various forms of trademark infringement/patent theft/etc.  RTIC has counter-sued, claiming attempted monopolization by Yeti as of May.  Supposedly, RTIC was legally held up in order shipments until certain hurdles were cleared and they could start filling orders again, but I don't see where there's been any definitive, final resolutions to any of this. Apparently, nothing precluded RTIC from still accepting orders during this time frame, shoving ship dates farther and farther out, creating a bad experience for the customer, and a bad service rap for RTIC.

Perhaps one of our esteemed legal minds could weigh in with any current updates, as these briefs are beyond my pay grade.  I'm not an attorney, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night....  

 

[hillbillyrkstr]

I own just about everything rtic makes with the exception of the bag cooler.

The rtic 65 I own never leaves the bed of my truck. Always has beer in it. A large bag of ice weekly and it's set to go. Buddy of mine had a yeti 45 and I'm not seeing much difference in how long each keeps ice. I filled my rtic last Thursday afternoon with a large 20 pound bag of ice and I still had ice in it yesterday.

I have 2 30oz rtic tumblers and a 20oz tumbler. friends have yeti, and ozark and I can find a difference in any of them. All hold ice most of the day. That equals cold drinks and that's the goal.

I also have a few rtic colster koozies. they help on real hot summer days but other than that who drinks beer so slow they're worried about it getting warm? They are exactly the same as the yetis.

And finally I have an rtic rambler (whiskey glass). It's a stainless steel cup. It's also exactly the same as the yeti. No difference.

I'd suggest rtic unless you like throwing cash away, or tipping the yeti owners.

Brisket and butt always rest in coolers for me if it's going to be over an hour wait. That said I never rest them in my rtic. That cooler is full of beer. Any cheap cooler will do just wrap the meat in a few layers of tin foil and then in a few old towels.

Recently a lot of guys I know are really liking the ozark trail tumblers. They swear by them and apparently they are cheaper than rtic. Something to look into I guess.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

 
Looks like the fun is just beginning with Yeti and the Clones...they've filed suit against RTIC, Wal-Mart (Ozark Trail), and Mammoth Coolers for various forms of trademark infringement/patent theft/etc.  RTIC has counter-sued, claiming attempted monopolization by Yeti as of May.  Supposedly, RTIC was legally held up in order shipments until certain hurdles were cleared and they could start filling orders again, but I don't see where there's been any definitive, final resolutions to any of this. Apparently, nothing precluded RTIC from still accepting orders during this time frame, shoving ship dates farther and farther out, creating a bad experience for the customer, and a bad service rap for RTIC.

Perhaps one of our esteemed legal minds could weigh in with any current updates, as these briefs are beyond my pay grade.  I'm not an attorney, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night....  

When I ordered my RTIC, the shipping was 2 months out. However I received it 4 days later. That was a nice surprise!