The
Yeti Roadie Cooler is made to Travel
(continued)
 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
Ratings:
(We've
re-calibrated our
ratings standard for
2008 and have
included a key at
the bottom of the
following matrix as
a guide):
Yeti
Roadie
20
Ratings
(?/10)
|
Construction/Quality |
An
absolute
beast,
built
like a
tank and
can take
plenty
of
abuse.
The
Roadie
20's
only
real
point of
failure
is the
stainless
steel
handle
(which
is
saying a
lot) and
even
that is
built
seriously
tough |
9.5 |
Performance |
Top
notch
performance
when it
comes to
durability
and ice
retention.
The only
downsides
are
really
the
walls
are so
thick
that
capacity
is lower
than
traditional
coolers
of this
size and
it is
also
quite
heavy.
Small
gripes
when you
consider
what the
cooler
delivers
overall |
9 |
Price |
Expensive.
Plain
and
simple
this is
a
premium
cooler
with a
price to
match.
If you
are
looking
for a
cooler
that is
just
good
enough
this is
not it.
The
Roadie
is
designed
for
outdoor
enthusiasts
that put
a
premium
on
quality
and
performance
|
6 |
Features |
Plenty
of
features
including
the
ability
to last
a
lifetime,
tie down
features,
durable
latches,
an
excellent
gasket
and even
the
ability
to
withstand
a bear
attack |
9 |
Design
(Ergonomics) |
The
handle
makes it
easier
to carry
but make
no
mistake,
fully
loaded
the
Roadie
is heavy
and
cannot
be
transported
for long
distances...
unless
Big Bald
Mike |
9 |
Application |
A great
personal
cooler
that has
a wide
range of
uses for
shorter
trips.
Great
for use
on small
watercraft
or as a
casting
platform
and can
pull
double
duty as
a cooler
Monday
through
Friday
to job
sites.
If you
are
traveling
for
extended
periods
or
looking
for
somewhere
to store
your
catch
you will
need a
larger
cooler |
8 |
Total
Score
|
8.41 |
Ratings
Key:
1 =
terrible
: 2 =
poor : 3
=
lacking
: 4 =
sub par
: 5 =
mediocre
: 6 =
fair : 7
= good :
8 =
great :
9 =
excellent
: 10 =
unbelievable!
For More
Details
of the
updated
rating
system
visit
our
explanation
here |
Pluses and Minuses:
Plus
Minus
|
+
The
cooler
company
that
helped
define
the
concept
of
"premium"
enthusiast
coolers |
-
Still a
serious
investment
at
$249.99 |
+
Excellent
design
|
- Small
capacity
for a
cooler
of this
size |
+
Built
like a
tank,
quite
possibly
the last
personal
cooler
you will
ever
need to
buy |
- Heavy,
by
itself
and
loaded |
+
Keeps
ice and
contents
cold and
is even
rated
for dry
ice |
|
+
Can
double
as a
casting
platform,
stool,
or seat |
|
+
A cooler
that
actually
inspires
you to
go out
and
enjoy
the
outdoors |
|
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

|