Gear is increasingly high-tech these days, from ultralight shells聽to stronger-than-steel聽running shoes. Even the cast-iron skillet has gotten an upgrade. But one piece of gear has remained largely unchanged for decades: the lowly water cooler.
If you鈥檝e spent much time car camping, you鈥檝e probably used some sort of square聽plastic water jug with a spigot and big handle on top, the kind you can pick up at a hardware store for less than $20. So when Yeti announced it was coming out with a hard-sided water cooler, we were intrigued.聽How would the company鈥檚聽famous聽burly, overbuilt design compare with the cheap聽jugs we鈥檝e been using for years?
I haven鈥檛 yet tested the Silo 6G ($300), but a sample just arrived in our office, and a first glance tells me the insulation could be a game changer, though the burliness might be overkill for basic car camping.
For context: a Reliance Aquatainer ($18) is a near-permanent resident in the back of my car聽for weekend camping and climbing trips. It鈥檚 cheap and dependable, it holds seven gallons of water, and it鈥檚 easy to move around at camp, thanks to its modest dimensions (11.5 by 12 by 16 inches, smaller than most home printers). The Silo, on the other hand, holds six gallons, but it鈥檚 15.5 by 15.5 by 18 inches, roughly equivalent to a midsize聽guitar amp. It鈥檚 also heavy鈥16 pounds empty, compared with the Aquatainer鈥檚 two pounds. In practice, this means the Silo won鈥檛 fit in some kitchen sinks, it will take up more room in your trunk, and it鈥檒l be a burden to carry when full.
Unwieldiness notwithstanding, the Silo improves on classic water-jug design in a couple ways. The big, cooler-style opening allows easy access to dump in a bag of ice, and Yeti鈥檚 pressure-injected foam insulation and extra-thick walls mean the water will stay cold. In my book, the promise of cold water all weekend is enough to balance out the size and weight drawbacks. I can鈥檛 even count the number of times I鈥檝e returned to my car after a hot day in the mountains to find my water stash practically boiling.
Unlike the Aquatainer, the Silo doesn鈥檛 lock in the open-spigot position, which means no hands-free dishwashing. Then again, if you only have six gallons of cold water, chances are you鈥檒l聽want to save it for drinking and use a separate supply for cleaning duty.聽
Like Yeti鈥檚 Tundra line, the Silo is sturdy enough to double as a stool or table, with a聽grippy top finish to keep your happy hour in place, and it鈥檚 got large carry handles and latches that won鈥檛 come undone if bumped or jostled.
The Silo 6G goes on sale later this summer, and as temperatures crest the 90s here in Santa Fe, I鈥檓 excited to pack it聽into the back of my car and see how it changes my hydration game.