YETI established the cooler standards for the outdoors, and they're rolling out new products based on those ideas, but better.
Who, among us, has hauled a huge, ice-and-drink-filled YETI cooler from the car to the beach by themselves? If you're in that fraternity, the initial thing to catch your eye when you check out YETI's new products for summer 2018 is the Tundra Haul, the first YETI cooler with wheels.
The Haul, along with a water cooler (with spout) and a fully submersible, waterproof backpack, are the newest products to roll out of the Texas-based company, and the latest since YETI faced backlash from a story last month involving their ended relationship with the NRA. The incident hasn't slowed new products from developing and debuting, and these show some promise.
The Tundra Haul's new StrongArm Handle is engineered with a T-Bar design, giving the hauler (get it?!) the ability to to pull the cooler alongside, not behind them. Anyone who's clipped their heels while dragging a heavy cooler can attest that's a true design perk!
The cooler's wheels never need to be inflated, and although it looks like there's some decent tread on the bottom, taking a full cooler across sand or some other soft surface is still going to be tough. Rolling will help, which is why our initial impression is that the Haul is a good idea overall.
It's said to fit 45 cans of beer, and for a $399.99 starting price, it's comparable to the wheel-less $349.99 Tundra 65 (Take note, this is after a $50 recent price decrease by YETI on most Tundras. If you consider the timing of the lowered price and the debut of the Haul, it's almost like you're getting wheels on your YETI for free).
Hunters, anglers, campers, and boaters will quickly see the advantage, and it seems like it's just a matter of time before more sizes are released with wheels.
The new YETI Silo is a six-gallon water cooler, the kind you'd see at an outdoor construction site in the summer.
We're guessing it isn't too long before these start to slowly replace the old orange water coolers that have dominated football sidelines for years. Trust us, there are plenty of high school coaches and kids in Texas who'd jump at the chance to have a YETI behind the bench.
Following the debut of the Panga Duffel Bag last year, the Panga Backpack is a scaled-down, slightly more organizable version that's going to be attractive for a lot of hobbyists that get near the water or exposed to the elements on a regular basis.
The same HydroLock Zipper and U-Dock terminal end from the original Panga are at work, keeping the seal tight on the closure of the pack as a whole. It has a zippered mesh pocket inside, plus a removable waist belt and chest strap, giving you the ability to choose based on your stability needs.
A high-density nylon and TPU lamination on the exterior make this the one backpack you'd never have to worry about if it fell down the side of a mountain into a roaring river.
The Tundra Haul will be available on yeti.com and through authorized dealers starting this summer in Charcoal and White. The Silo and Panga Backpack will be available around the same time and in the same places for $299.99 each. The Silo will be available in White, and the Panga in Storm Gray.
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