Mention Yeti听and anyone familiar with the brand will immediately think of aggressively durable ice chests. (That the听mythical, furry听mountain-dweller is not top of mind counts as one of the biggest marketing coups of this century.)听The Texas-based brand is famous for its 鈥攂ulky rectangular boxes insulated with up to three inches of foam, capable of keeping ice frozen and food听(including game)听cold for days, and strong enough to withstand the prying of hungry bears.
Now it鈥檚 bringing that signature function and aesthetic to gear storage. On Tuesday听the company launched the ($250), a waterproof, dustproof trunk for safeguarding your most valuable tools while you鈥檙e out in the field. At 30 liters, it鈥檚 big enough to stash a complete camp kitchen鈥攕tove, pots, fuel, utensils, and more鈥攐r bulky items like climbing gear and fishing tackle. A removable internal divider helps keep听contents听organized, while three mesh pouches on the lid and a compartmentalized top tray hold small sundries.
Of course, $250 is steep compared with the $10 to $30 price point of the plastic Rubbermaid bins听available听at home-improvement stores. And weighing in at over 11 pounds, the LoadOut GoBox is far heavier, too.
In most situations, this is overkill. For basic car-camping trips, those run-of-the-mill hardware-store bins will keep your gear dry in most conditions outside of complete submersion or a daylong downpour, and their light weight means they quickly slide out of听your car when the sky opens up. Most nice ones (the ) are durable enough to last at least a few years听of heavy use.
But if you鈥檙e heading way out for long periods of time in places where prolonged inclement weather, frequent dousing, or humidity are likely (think open water, rivers, and hunting camps) or just want a storage container you can really beat the crap out of, the LoadOut GoBox seems like a sure听bet.听(It is made through injection molding rather than rotomolding, the process behind Yeti鈥檚 Tundra line, though on its site the brand claims it鈥檚 still 鈥渘early indestructible.鈥) Though we haven鈥檛 tested it yet, the waterproof gasket and latches promise total protection against precipitation. And the rectangular shape and internal storage compartments mean you鈥檒l be able to stay far more organized than you would with drybags or waterproof duffels听like . 听
Yeti says the LoadOut GoBox will be available on May 8, though it鈥檚 already listed on the brand鈥檚 website. You can sign up to be notified when the containers are on sale.
Is it excessive? Yes. Would we all rest a little easier on our sleeping pads knowing our gear is guaranteed to stay 100 percent dry鈥攁nd organized鈥攄uring an unexpected storm? Also yes.