COURTESY: UNCRATE.COM
Between the trees of the Grove, elaborate tents line the Walk of Champions on gameday Saturdays. The green expanse is filled with men and women in their best clothes and enough food for an army, but something else stands out: YETI coolers worth hundreds of dollars are found in almost every tent, filled to the brim with bottles and cans.
These coolers are intended for hunting, fishing and camping use, but they have quickly become stars at tailgates.
The YETI company was founded in 2006 by brothers Roy and Ryan Seiders. They are built with the same materials as whitewater kayaks and are extremely durable. After being placed in controlled settings and wild settings with Grizzly bears, they were given the title “bear resistant” and were approved for use on any land occupied by grizzlies. This earned the company’s slogan, “stronger than a Grizzly.”
“I really like how long it keeps ice,” said Jeb Todd, junior, and owner of YETI’s Tundra 65. “It only holds it for about three to four days, but three days is good enough for me. I use mine for hunting and fishing, but mainly for tailgating. It holds a lot of beer and it’s really useful to have in the Grove.”
YETI coolers have over two inches of polyurethane foam in the walls and lid and can keep ice for longer periods of time. Some YETI owners have reported that their coolers have held ice for up to two weeks, which is significantly longer than many other coolers.
The coolers are also sold according to how many quarts they can hold, ranging from 20 quarts to 420 quarts, with the largest size being suggested for industrial or commercial use.
“When I bought a YETI for my boyfriend, I didn’t want to detract from actual storage space by purchasing one too small or make it impossible for him to carry by purchasing one that was too big,” said senior Samantha Bobotek, who purchased the Tundra 65 for her long-time boyfriend. “The 65 was the perfect size.”
Not everyone is a fan, however. Many complain of the high cost. YETI Coolers range from $249.99 to $1,399.99, making it one of the most expensive brands on the market.
“I think they’re a good cooler but there is no way I would pay that much for one; they’re overpriced,” junior Sean Reilly said. “I wouldn’t buy one because I don’t have a practical use for them. I’m not an avid fisher or hunter and I don’t place a high value on coolers.”
Other complaints that owners have had include the size of the product and difficulties opening the lid.
“I love my cooler but my least favorite part is definitely the bulkiness,” Todd said.
Having such an expensive cooler can have downsides, however.
“Arkansas weekend last year my cooler went missing,” said freshman Charles Copeland, an owner of multiple YETIs. “I was beside myself; it was like losing a child.”
Although the coolers are mainly purchased online where they can be customized, retail stores such as Kinnucan’s also sell them.
“We sell more 35 to 55 quart coolers than anything else, but our top sellers are probably the 35 quarts,” said Ariel Ladner, Kinnucan’s assistant manager.
According to Kinnucan’s, the coolers are sold mostly during the summer and right before Christmas by people coming in to purchase them for their husbands or sons.
“I wanted to get a really sturdy and long-lasting cooler for my boyfriend, who hunts and fishes and plays golf often,” Bobotek said. “He was so excited and couldn’t wait to test it out. I gave it to him at the end of summer so he immediately wanted to go out to Sardis, to the golf course and of course to the pool so he could show it off to all of his friends.”
Despite the high cost and technical complaints, many customers are willing to pay top dollar for the cooler and have no plans to stop.
