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Price & Applications: The Roadie 20 retails for a whopping $249.99, which is a lot of money for a cooler, but also quite likely the very last personal cooler you will ever have to buy. As our tests indicate, the Roadie 20 is built to last. The weakest point of this cooler is actually the stainless steel handle which can be bent if torqued just right. How many times do you look a product and say the stainless steel is the weakest point? The Roadie’s rotomoloded construction makes the cooler a very confidence inspiring armored shelter for whatever you choose to store inside.

A eva grip helps make the steel handle more comfortable

To employ this cooler for only keeping things cool would be just scraping the surface of what it is capable of doing. It can be used as a storage device for your tackle, or in a backcountry situation for all your food and critical gear like a firestarter, propane and stove, and water filter. It is so tough that the Inter-Agency Grizzly Bear Committee has certified the Roadie 20 as bear resistant food container when used with a padlock on either corner.

The Roadie is certifies to be bear resistant

When you first look at the Roadie 20 it looks like a pretty unassuming cooler, but once you start using this product you will admire just how impressively thought out and well-built the Roadie really is. An example of the design details include the ability to strap the cooler down onto a vehicle via the built in tie-on slots on either side that enable you to completely secure the Roadie, yet still allow you to access the contents normally.

Holes are available on either corner to apply padlocks

So what is the Roadie 20 good for? This is not a cooler that you can put your offshore catch in as the volume really falls more into the personal category. This cooler is great for single day trips and can protect your drinks and lunch from as well as any other important gear from the elements. It is strong enough to act as a casting platform and because of its compact sub 20 inch width it fits on a large variety of vehicles ranging from the backseat of your truck to the deck of your boat, or even riding shotgun on your canoe or kayak. It also is a great cooler for work duty and I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the cooler that anglers use during the workweek carrying their lunch back and forth from jobsites.

Tired of having the cooler bump into your legs and knees? The Roadie is small enough to be carried on your shoulder

Now the million dollar question, or in this case the 250 dollar one, is if the Yeti is really worth the initial high price investment? The answer is “it depends.” It depends if you are really in need of a premium cooler and going to really put this beast to use. If you are ok with ice melting mid-way through your trip or are simply looking for a cooler that keeps contents cold for under six hours then a run of the mill cooler is probably just fine, heck you can probably buy three or four of them for the price of a single Roadie, should they ever fail on you.

A little impromptu cooking in the truck bed courtesy of the Roadie

If you are an outdoor enthusiast and partaking in activities that you know are going to be tough on your cooler, and are simply unwilling to have your day outdoors shortened by gear failure then the Yeti is absolutely worth every penny. This is by far the toughest most well designed cooler I have ever owned and I have no reservations about throwing it in the back of truck and taking it with me on future adventures off-road and on the water.

This is one cooler that can take some serious abuse

The biggest limiting factor on the Roadie is not the construction, but the capacity. If you need to stow more food, drinks and gear then you’re going to need to step up to the larger Tundra Series coolers which range from the 35 to absolutely mammoth 420 size. The Tundra 35 is only 50 dollars more than the Roadie 20 but only the Roadie has that convenient stainless steel handle. 

The "Coldlock" gasket is freezer quality according to Yeti

A cooler as tough as the Yeti Roadie should come with a warranty that is equally as robust, and the company provides a 5-year warranty that covers all defects in material and workmanship for the original owner of the cooler. The one thing to be aware of is this warranty is for recreational use and is void if the cooler is used commercially or structurally altered.

 
The Roadie is tough enough to be a casting platform, stool, or simply a place to sit after a long day

Conclusion: Yeti has a well-earned reputation for designing and manufacturing heavy-duty premium coolers, and with good reason. The Roadie 20 takes a lot of what the company learned when developing their original Tundra Series, and shrunk it down into a portable size that makes it ideal for personal use when hunting, fishing or simply spontaneous day out with the family. The Roadie 20 may be an investment but it delivers exceptional ice-retaining capabilities and provides sturdy and secure storage for whatever you choose to place within the cooler’s thick armored construction.

The Yeti Roadie quite possibly may be the last personal cooler you may ever buy

While there are more and more premium coolers popping up on the market the Yeti offerings like the Roadie 20 continue to hold their own with the right balance of features and durability that give you confidence to really push this cooler to the limits. When I look at my standard Coleman cooler I think family picnic, which is a stark contrast to the visions that pop into my head when I glance at the Roadie 20 sitting idly in the TackleTour office. The Roadie always seems to be calling me, no… daring me to take it out and hit the mountains or the lake. There are not many coolers that can inspire you to go out and enjoy the outdoors, and yet the Roadie manages to do exactly that. 

Looking for the Yeti Roadie 20? Try Monster Fishing Tackle