wait…it’s not even a cooler?? Yeti as a cooler brand is ridiculously expensive. Yeti is a “lifestyle” brand with the cost in no way related to the quality or performance. it’s simply a sticker you must have on your cooler at the marina.
That said I’ve been looking for a backpack/cooler for mealtime hikes in acadia where I might want some beer/wine and sandwiches…so I was willing to pay $130 for this label.
so again…It’s not even a cooler? it’s a typical crappy laptop backpack that you can get here or anywhere for $50…but naturally since it has the “yeti” label it’s worth 100% more? I got a Gregory daypack here a month ago for $50, with Gregory being a far more respectable backpack, with many more features. I’ll just buy a cooler bag and stuff it inside that for sunset hikes.
Yeti lifestyle enthusiasts will pile in here and swear up and down that all yeti products are worth their 150% premium…plus they come with a sticker for your SUV window!
The price definitely impacts the quality. Also the enhanced price has a 5 year warranty included in it. And unlike other brands, Yeti will pay you to ship your crap back and get you a new one within a total 21 day time frame. Not that I’m saying it’s worth the price. I’m just saying that, in part, is why this stuff is so expensive. You’re basically paying for the back-end customer service that you are likely never to use.
Just to note. This backpack comes with a 3 year Yeti warranty.
The Gregory backpack I found a link to came with a 90 day Woot warranty.
Both are perfectly fine backpacks. Aesthetically I prefer the Yeti. Very clean looking. Although I don’t like to buy things that show off the brand. I would of be interested if it just had Yeti on the shoulder strap and nowhere else.
Not sure I could agree with that 100% but Yeti seems to be “branching out” away from it’s cooler/tumbler box. And, that means getting more “commercial”. We see how that can cause quality to spiral down (look a Columbia and NorthFace) though you can still get the MORE EXPENSIVE items, the lines of wear you find in places like Target, Walmart and even online is 1/4 the price of what they use to have. Now, the generation that wore the SAME black NorthFace fleece jacket in 10deg temps have moved on to patagonia and Canada Goose. Once a line hits the mainstream and drops the price, and quality is the first casualty. I guess duty over beauty is how I roll. $250 MSRP or $130 for this pack does not impress me. I’d rather spend that much on a battle tested military surplus backpack for 1/4 the price.
This is nothing like those backpacks. No its not a cooler but Yeti is an outdoor lifestyle brand. All their products are made to perform above and beyond. I own the Tocayo and its pretty sweet. More comparable to a Goruck GR1. It is not lightweight for hiking but extremely durable. It stands up on its own with nothing inside it. It has handles all along the edge to make carrying at any angle a breeze. It has a top pocket which is great for carrying keys and other essentials for easy access. It has built in pockets to fit the Yeti water bottles. It’s a pretty great backpack for someone looking for a minimalist backpack for everyday carry to last a lifetime.
Ironic, a company famous for making coolers to carry beverages made a backpack that doesn’t have a beverage holder.
they hid the cup holder inside the main compartment. which is good because you can have water without shelling another 50 bucks on a yeti.