Living Outside The Lines: Era Of The Insulated Tumblers

Yeti first entered the market in 2008 with its virtually indestructible ice cooler, gaining a somewhat cult following. Undeterred by prices ranging from $1300 for the Tundra 350 that…

Becky J Miller | Exclusive to Corridor News

Prior to 2014 ice in beverages did not stand a chance against the laws of thermodynamics nor the Texas heat. Thanks to Yeti, an innovative company founded by brothers Roy and Ray Seiders in our own backyard of Dripping Springs, now it does. Oh, it still melts eventually, but has a much longer cooling life.

Yeti first entered the market in 2008 with its virtually indestructible ice cooler, gaining a somewhat cult following. Undeterred by prices ranging from $1300 for the Tundra 350 that holds 82 gallons, to the significantly cheaper and smaller $200 Roadie 20 holding 16 cans of your favorite beverage, consumers snatched them off the shelves.

Yeti truly became a household name in February 2014 when the 20 and 30 ounce Rambler Tumblers were introduced. Sure the coolers were wildly popular, even making their way into pop culture via Chris Janson’s country song, Buy Me a Boat, but how many coolers can one family own?

In my house, there are four coolers; an old Playmate bought before we were Mr. & Mrs., a small picnic Coleman, a Coleman with wheels & a large “holds everything but the kitchen sink” Igloo. Insulated tumblers on the other hand, one can almost never have too many of those.

When they were first introduced in retail markets, the Yeti tumblers cost about $50 each. I really wanted one, but the plain silver color along with the price tag were enough of a deterrent to keep personal possession from occurring.

The first Yeti I purchased was a Christmas gift for my father. He really wanted one, but like me was unwilling to pay the hefty price tag. Since he rarely voices any desires, when he did, I gladly volunteered to buy him a Yeti rambler. Fortunately the building supply chain I worked for at the time had a pre-holiday sale, so I received a bit of a price break on my purchase, but not enough to warrant buying one for myself.

Like any new product, eventually other companies will produce a similar yet less expensive version. Today we are the proud owners of six insulated cups; two Yetis, two RTICs one ORCA, generally used for coffee, and one Bison.

My first insulated cup was an RTIC, custom designed just for me with a glittery pink finish and “Warrior Princess” by a friend/co-worker as a going away gift. My second insulated cup, also a going away gift was a pink Bison with a custom logo. Finally, once they announced the cups were available in colors other than silver and at a more reasonable price, I bought myself a blue Yeti. My sister in law used her Cricut to turn it into a Wonder Woman cup!

Why do I need so many cups? Well…one stays at home for ice water, one goes to work for ice water, and one is for sipping on adult beverages while poolside. All of them travel well and do an excellent job keeping liquid refreshment chilled. Since I prefer drinks super chilled, I’m convinced my insulated cups help me drink more water.

Now, if I could just twist my husband’s arm hard enough to buy me either a pink (too late, they are sold out), baby blue or Texas State Yeti cooler, my collection would be absolutely complete!

Until Next Time,
Becky J Miller
“Warrior Princess”

Becky J Miller is a contributor and is exclusive to SM Corridor News. You can read more of Becky’s columns in Lifestyle.