Hopefully winter is in the rear view mirror and spring right around the corner. With that in mind, it’s time to start thinking about warmer temperatures. Staying hydrated is important regardless of the season and Yeti has a cooler to haul your beverage of choice for every occasion. New for 2017 is a soft sided cube shaped cooler as an addition to the well received Hopper line. Behold, the Yeti Hopper Flip 12 personal cooler. “The leakproof, ice-for-days, tough-as-nails cooler.” This soft sided brute of a cooler is well equipped for a days excursion off the beaten trail, on the river or as the king-of-all lunch box.

As with all Hoppers in the Yeti line, the Flip 12 utilizes an incredibly strong DryHide fabric for the exterior as well as the interior. Found on white water rafts, DryHide is a 840 denier nylon with double TPU lamination. This process ensures the fabric remains waterproof and highly puncture resistant. Additionally, a heavy duty EVA reinforced top and bottom increase both abrasion resistance as well as stability. The smooth interior features an FDA food-grade liner that is easy to clean, mildew resistant and anti-microbial.

Accessing an ice cold 12 pack is easily achieved via the wide-mouth HydroLok zipper. Similar zippers can be found on commercial drysuits guaranteeing a 100% watertight leakproof seal. And maintaining that seal is paramount to minimizing heat intrusion and holding in the cold. Equally important is the ColdCell Insulation built into the Hopper Flip 12. Offering superior ice retention, the 3/4″ closed-cell foam outperforms any soft sided cooler on the market. Rounding out the insulation is a full 1″ thick closed-cell foam used for the bottom of this 3.2 gallon cooler.

Always maintaining field functionality, Yeti incorporates a host of features on the exterior of the Hopper Flip 12. Reinforced grab handles and an over engineered shoulder strap insure that there are no mishaps while hauling cold drinks or a heavy load of ice. Furthermore, a HitchPoint Grid on the front of the Hopper Flip 12 allows easy attachment of bottle openers, carabiners or a key chain. Finally, the efficient cube design easily accepts Yeti Ice products and makes storage a snap.

Yeti Hopper Flip 12 Specs courtesy of yeti.com

• OUTSIDE 11 1/2” × 12 5/8”
• INSIDE 9” × 11”
• EMPTY WEIGHT 3.1 lbs
• CAPACITY 12 Cans of Beer or 15lbs of ice 
• MSRP $279.99

In conclusion, I find all the Yeti products to be constructed to the highest standards. Durability, quality, functionality and warranty are all industry leading. Although some may find the price to be a bit more than they budgeted for. I can assure you that it’ll be the last cooler you ever buy. I’ve tested Yeti products before and they continue to improve on existing products. Recently replacing the original Hopper design with an improved Hopper Two model. Featuring a newly revamped opening to aid loading. I’d like to see a Hopper Flip Two version in the future that extends the insulating foam past the zipper to minimize cold loss in that area. And if you haven’t visited the Yeti website yet, take a look at their new products for 2017 as well as the Hopper Flip 12. “There’s nothing soft about it.”