Yeti Hopper M20 Examined and Reviewed

As a Meals & Wine editor and out of doors fanatic, I’d heard praises sung for Yeti coolers from all sides. Want a bear-proof cooler with wheels? A tender cooler for snacks and drinks? Insulation to maintain smoked brisket heat? (Sure, actually.) With out me asking for it, Yeti continued to come back up as the advice time and time once more. So, once I wished to improve my cooler, I knew the place to begin.

I dwell in Texas the place summer time temperatures hover round 100°F. Along with severe insulation, the last word cooler needed to be leak-proof, as ice finally melts even in one of the best coolers, and nobody needs to show a automobile trunk right into a wading pool. All the Yeti coolers we’ve examined at Meals & Wine examine these containers, however I wished one I might simply transport, too. So I made a decision to check out one in every of Yeti’s backpack coolers, particularly, the Hopper M20. 

Yeti Hopper M20 Backpack Cooler

Proper now, you may seize the Hopper M20 in seasonal camp inexperienced (one in every of our favourite Yeti colours up to now) for 20% off on the Yeti web site. Whilst you can’t go improper with Yeti’s core colours, the model’s seasonal shades are restricted version, and snagging them on sale is particularly uncommon. 

I acquired a pattern from the model a few month in the past, and put it to the take a look at. For me, the primary problem (and maybe essentially the most telling) could be how nicely it might climate a visit to Massive Bend Nationwide Park, positioned within the Chihuahuan Desert close to the Texas-Mexico border. With highs as much as 98°F on the forecast, I wished to have the ability to pack a picnic lunch for some day hikes and depart it within the automobile throughout others to have chilly meals and drinks to come back again to.

Yeti recommends priming the cooler first, that’s, bringing its temperature down. This may imply filling it with a bag of ice for a few hours, discarding it, and including recent ice with drinks or meals. I didn’t have the prospect to prime mine, however the outcomes shocked me.

One bag of ice introduced eight room-temperature drinks all the way down to fridge temperature in a couple of hours, all whereas sitting within the automobile on a sweltering afternoon. After seven hours within the automobile, the ice had began to soften, however the drinks had been nonetheless as chilly as if refrigerated. After 24 hours, only a cluster of ice remained, however the insulation stored the drinks cool and refreshing nonetheless. 

Furthermore, the cooler by no means leaked, due to magnets on the opening that seal it shut. I left it on its aspect in a single day to see if the water would spill out as extra ice melted. I held it the wrong way up and shook it. I even unbuckled the straps over the opening to see if the magnets could be robust sufficient to maintain the cooler shut once I turned it over. Not a drop. Whereas the backpack doesn’t have a drainage spout for melted ice, as exhausting coolers are likely to, the concave form of the opening makes it simple to funnel water out. 

The Hopper M20 holds as much as 36 cans with out ice, however after we examined a earlier model of it in our lab alongside different backpack coolers, we stopped at 18 cans with ice. In fact, weight is an element to contemplate. The backpack weighs 5.6 kilos when empty, and in case you have a protracted stroll forward of you, I wouldn’t suggest filling it to max capability. A part of me regretted lugging it on a five-mile mountain hike, and I had solely packed lunch, a snack, and two liters of water. Nonetheless, I began to really feel the load, and the straps that after felt snug began bothering my shoulders. 

To be honest, the M20 doesn’t declare to interchange a climbing daypack, however I discovered myself wishing it had been extra like one. The backpack has only one compartment, and the buckles on the highest are troublesome to unlatch and shut once more. So, grabbing something inside required just a little detour. I assumed it could profit from an exterior pocket for simple water bottle entry and a compartment to maintain my cellphone, keys, and sun shades case separate from the ice. Because it seems, Yeti makes these equipment, the Sidekick Dry Gear Case and the Rambler Bottle Sling, and all Hopper tender coolers have loops on the entrance and sides to connect them to. It’s an additional value, however I’m investing in them for comfort. 

That mentioned, I plan on utilizing the Hopper M20 for the lengthy haul. It feels exceptionally sturdy — it didn’t get scoffed once I checked it on the airport, and the thick materials is mildew- and UV-resistant for out of doors longevity. It is dearer than a backpack, nevertheless it’s not one. It is a cooler you may take wherever. Belief me, I took it to the desert with a 100°F warmth index, and it held up completely.

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