Maximizing Ice Retention

Tips for Maximizing Your YETI Cooler’s Performance

YETI Coolers are very strong and tough, but durability is just one of the benefits of a YETI. Outstanding thermal properties set YETI apart.

YETI coolers are among the best insulated coolers on the market today (a full 2” or more of polyurethane insulation in the walls and lid of most sizes). This insulation, combined with a freezer-quality sealing gasket and durable one-piece construction gives YETI industry-leading ice retention. Use the information below to maximize your YETI Cooler’s performance.

  1. Due to the insulation in the product, the cooler will retain heat as well as coolness. For this reason, to maximize ice retention, try to store your cooler in a cool environment before loading it with ice. If stored in direct sunlight or in a warm environment, a significant amount of ice will be melted to cool the walls of the cooler. In extreme cases, clients have placed the coolers in a commercial freezer to pre-chill their coolers.
  2. Ice temperature is paramount; the temperature of ice could either be hovering at 32 degrees or sub-zero before you put it in your cooler. Therefore, ice that is colder will last much longer under identical conditions.
  3. Chilling or even freezing the intended contents, such as drinks and food is an often overlooked solution to longer ice retention. Remember, the colder your contents are before loading, the less energy these contents will use to cool.
  4. The amount of ice is important. We recommend filling the cooler with as much ice as possible to keep the air space to a minimum. Large areas of air will cause ice to melt faster. A small bag of ice in a large cooler will melt faster than if the same amount of ice were in a small cooler; however, a large cooler filled with ice will keep ice longer than a small cooler filled with ice. In summary, the more ice the better; however, if weight is a concern, you can use other materials, such as towels or crumpled newspaper to fill the air space voids.
  5. Surface area to volume of the ice also affects how ice melts. Block ice will melt much slower than small cubes or ice shavings. However, as ice melts, it absorbs the heat from its surroundings; therefore, smaller pieces of ice will chill the cooler faster. Also, it is easier to keep food cold using smaller pieces of ice. Using a mixture, for example, putting food on top of block ice, then covering the food and filling empty spaces with cube ice will help retain ice, chill, and keep food cold.
  6. Once the cooler is in use, we recommend that you do not empty the cold water. The water in the cooler will be almost as cold as the ice and will help insulate the remaining ice.
  7. Use dry ice to keep ice longer. For more information visit: Using Dry Ice
  8. There are many variables that affect ice retention, such as frequent lid opening, outside environment, placement in direct sunlight, etc. Careful attention to these simple details will significantly extend ice retention.

Wildly Stronger

YETI Coolers are built to take the rugged abuse that comes with the way we work and play. Unlike ordinary coolers, which are essentially "disposable", a YETI is made to last! Read More

Keep Ice Longer

In the end, the functional purpose of a cooler is to keep the contents cold. By combining thicker walls, added insulation (especially in the lid), and a full-frame gasket, YETI Coolers out-insulate the others! Read More

Testimonials

"I've been buying coolers all my life! So have you! I'm THROUGH, DONE, FINISHED! I've got my YETI now. All I have to worry about is what to put in it." - Flip Pallot Legendary fisherman/ TV show host Read More

"The YETI Coolers are the Rolls Royce of all coolers. I have taken mine on several flights already and they even stand up to the baggage handlers in the airports. That's the quality I need in a product." - Dick Scorzafava The Radical Bowhunter Read More

"As professional guides we want professional equipment. YETI Coolers are definitely professional grade!" - Rick and Julie Kreuter Beyond the Hunt TV Read More

"YETI Coolers are superior ... from the hinges and latches to the tough-as-nails construction. Best of all, they keep everything colder, longer! You can spend less and get a cooler that will fail after a couple years of hard use. Or you can step up to a YETI and own the world's finest cooler that will never let you down." - Babe Winkelman Good Fishing and Outdoor Secrets TV Read More

"We use our YETI Coolers when traveling out of state to hunt big bucks. They are durable and most importantly keep our meat and capes cool so we can get them back home for processing! We don't leave home without one!" - Pat Reeve & Nicole Jones Driven TV Read More

"Having spent a lifetime using cheap coolers with hinges and fasteners that inevitably break, I'm glad to see that the YETI is built like the proverbial brick outhouse. There are 2 full inches of insulation inside the rotomolded body and lid. Hinges are recessed toavoid knocks, and the lid has a massive, freezer-type seal." - John Merwin Field Editor, Field & Stream Read More

"The YETI Tundra coolers withstand smashing, prying, scratching, biting, and tossing by hungry bears." - Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) Read More

"YETI coolers are one of the best I have seen. Simple, tough and keeps ice for 5 days in 117 degree heat!" - Arnie Chandola Northwest Voyageurs Little Salmon Lodge Read More

"This is the best customer service I have ever received on any type of product that I own." - George Pugh Read More

"I love my YETI cooler!" - Todd Moore Read More

"I bought the YETI 105 Tundra today. Wow, this thing is built like a truck!" - Capt. Scott Swartz Founder of the Florida Fly Fishing Schools and Atlanta Fly Fishing School Read More

"Just received my 85qt. Tundra..What a beauty!! GREAT quality is an understatement!" - Bob Popovics Read More

"I just received my Tundra 65 qt YETI!! I figured it would be built better than the competition, but I dint think it would be THIS STRONG. The handlesand hinges are great, the seal is superb. Hell, its built better than the 'fridge in my home!! We learned a tough lesson in Houston after Hurricane Ike. There's no such thing as too much ice chest. It's a fact, we may not haveanother hurricane for another 10 years...OR we may have a cat 5 NEXT YEAR, either way, I'll be better prepared with this YETI cooler." - Brad Read More

"I just took a 45qt. and 65qt. YETI Tundra for testing on a 5 day Smith float in Montana...Impressive!" - William Gillespie Read More

"The cooler exceeded my expectations...which were pretty high." - Kevin Ruland Read More

"Ya'll build one tough cooler. I have a fishing camp on Big Lake in Hackberry Louisiana. When Hurricane Ike came through, we had 5 ft of water under the camp from the storm surge. I found my YETI a quarter mile away, some 100 yards back in a tallow tree swamp. Other than a few scratches, it cleaned up very well. I am very happy to have it back. Great product!" - Jeff McDonald Houston, Texas Read More