As anglers, we often rely heavily on coolers, and there’s no doubt that YETI has become a go-to in recent years. It’s quite common to see YETI hard coolers on rafts, drift boats, flats skiffs, pangas, and in the back of trucks. However, there are many times in which lugging around a hard cooler simply isn’t worth it. Enter soft coolers.
In recent years, YETI has gone big on soft cooler design and innovation, and they have been rolling out many model and size options. And among their newest offerings is the YETI Hopper M30.
The YETI Hopper M30 is a great solution for anglers who want to keep drinks and food cold without the inconveniences of carrying around a heavy hard cooler (with ice). We tested the Hopper M30 for quite a while, and several great aspects stood out:
Pros
- Convenience
-It’s easy to use and carry. Only weighing 7 pounds, a whole new world opens up, as you can easily carry your goods to the river, to BBQs, or wherever you might want to easily transport cold goods. - Tough
-This cooler is designed to take a beating, and with us, it took one and stood strong. In fact, it seemed to withstand more abuse than its predecessor. In and out of boats, trucks, and getting banged around the banks of rivers, this cooler handled it all. - It works
-YETI products are so reliable that we sometimes forget to test their ability to keep things cold. In our case, we kept frozen venison frozen for two days while traveling from Montana to California. Critical.
Cons
- It can be awkward to first get dialed on the best way to carry over the shoulder. However, it gets figured out.
- The M30 has been praised for replacing the zipper with an incredibly strong magnet. This magnet is critical for keeping contents sealed, but it can make for challenges with loading and unloading. However, there are simple solutions. (See the video below.)
The YETI Hopper M30 is available now in several color options for $299.99.
To learn more about the YETI Hopper M30, please click here.
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Disclosure: YETI is in a professional relationship with The Venturing Angler. Though potentially benefiting from this relationship, we do not post what we do not believe to be true. To read more, click here.