Last fall I picked up my first Yeti cooler. I was hooked. True to their word, the ice lasted longer and it was durable. I took it to the Badlands bow hunting. I took it to South Dakota duck hunting last fall and snow goose hunting this spring. It rode great in the back of the pick up and kept the cold stuff cold.
Segue to this summer and I found myself in boats and various backyard bbq’s and other events where a big Yeti was just too much cooler to bring. I resorted to my small portable six pack coolers with a shoulder strap.
Enter The Hopper.
Once I found out that Yeti was coming out with a portable “bag-style” cooler with a shoulder strap, I instantly wanted one. It was exactly what I was looking for: Something I could take in the boat, on camping trips and other events where I needed to be on the move and didn’t need the size of my Yeti 75.
The Hopper rides in the backseat, fits in the boat and is light enough to carry the steaks to the grill at a friend’s house. More importantly, it’s perfect for portaging on a canoe trip.
I broke my Yeti Hopper in at Moondance Jam this year. Things can get bounced around a bit and you might need to carry your beverages to another campsite for an afternoon. The Hopper was perfect.
According to their website:
YETI’s are known for being indestructible and keeping things cold. And the Hopper 30 is no exception. It’s the first 100% leakproof portable cooler that’s built for the long haul and is insulated to keep ice for days. It’s reliable. It’s convenient. Easy to carry and designed for those on the go. It’s well-suited for a weekend at the ranch, a BYOB dinner at the Salt Lick, 18 holes on the golf course, or a day on the water. Not your ordinary soft-sided cooler. And like all YETI products, built for the wild.
The walls are thick and heavily insulated. The heavy duty zipper may be the most important part of the cooler. It’s what gives you the leakproof aspect and also holds in the cold. Open it slightly and it tip it sideways if you need to drain any liquid.
It’s a zipper I could see getting used on the Space Station. I don’t think I could break it if I tried. When it closes you give ‘er a little elbow grease and it slides into a holding position that keeps it sealed up.
The only negative I’ve been able to find is that the opening gets a little narrow, so when you’re loading it up it takes a little maneuvering. But if I were a betting man, I’d say that without that design, you wouldn’t be able to keep things as cold. A small price to pay to keep ice longer.
They say it’s tough as nails and so far it sure seems that way. It’s durable, it’s portable and it kept my stuff cold.
If you are sick of getting new soft-sided coolers every summer and having them rip, tear or leave you with a broken zipper, it’s time to get one that will last. The Yeti Hopper looks to be that cooler.
-MNSJ Staff