GEAR

Keeping your perishables fresh and your beverages cold is important for any outdoor trip, and for those who need a durable, convenient cooler that offers days of ice retention, I’ve compiled everything to know about YETI Tundra 45 vs 65 to help you to pick the one that is suitable for your needs. 

In summary, if you need a cooler for a maximum of three-day trips that don’t require big capacity, with a capacity of 28 cans (or 37.6 quarts) YETI Tundra 45 would do the job perfectly. It takes up %27 less space on your trunk compared to YETI 65 (YETI 45 and 65 respectively takes up roughly 110 quarts and 140 quarts of space). YETI Tundra 65, on the other hand, can keep your beverages cold up to 6.5 days and it’s ideal for large groups’ outdoor adventures. 

YETI Tundra 45 Review

• WEIGHT: 23 lbs
• OUTSIDE DIMENSION: 16.1” × 15.4” × 25 .8”
• INSIDE DIMENSION: 9.4” × 10.6” × 18.4”
• CAPACITY: 28 Cans

First things first, contrary to common belief, the number 45 doesn’t refer to the size of the cooler, it’s just the name of the model, YETI Tundra 45 is actually 37.6 quarts, not 45 quarts.

So if you were expecting a cooler that offers a capacity higher than 45-quarts then I suggest you look at YETI Tundra 65 below.

Now that we’ve been through this, we can jump into the features of the cooler.

YETI Tundra 45 is the perfect balance for size and capacity, it’s not so big, won’t take up too much space in your trunk, but it offers a capacity that would be enough for 3 to 4 days (for one-two person).

With a 2:1 ice to can ratio by volume (recommended by YETI), the Tundra 45 can hold 28 cans, it’s also deep enough to take 1L bottles as well.

If you’re not familiar with the cooler market, you might find YETI Tundra 45 a little bit expensive (see the price on Amazon), but the thing is, YETI is the market leader for a reason, it offers the whole package:

• The perfect durability: YETI Tundra 45 and all other YETI hard coolers are bear-proof
• Excellent ice retention: YETI Tundra 45 can keep your beverages cold up to 3-4 days
• Very convenient: From nonslip feet to drain system it offers lots of features (I will get into each feature below)

Color Options for YETI Tundra 45

• Chartreuse (view at Amazon)
• Desert Tan (view at Amazon)
• High Country (view at Amazon)
• Sea Foam (view at Amazon)
• Sagebrush Green (view at Amazon)
• White (view at Amazon)
• Charcoal (view at Amazon)
• Coral (view at Amazon)
• Navy (view at Amazon)
• River Green (view at Amazon)

YETI Tundra 65 Review

• WEIGHT: 29 lbs
• OUTSIDE DIMENSION: 17.2” × 16” × 30.6”
• INSIDE DIMENSION: 10.6” × 11.1” × 23.1”
• CAPACITY: 42 Cans

Just like YETI 45, YETI Tundra 65 doesn’t offer 65 quarts of volume as well, it’s 57.2 quarts, so if you’re looking for a cooler that offers 65 quarts or higher volume, in YETI’s line I would recommend YETI Tundra 75 it’s 74.8 quarts (closest one).

So with that important information out of the way, let’s dive into the cool features of this very popular cooler.

YETI Tundra 65 is the perfect cooler for big groups, it’s big, it’s durable, and it offers excellent ice retention even better than YETI Tundra 45 (I will get into the details below).

With a 2:1 ice to can ratio (by volume), it can take 42 cans, and it offers enough capacity for at least 2-3 days for four people (really depends on what you’re taking with you).

And since they have the same design it offers every feature that YETI 45 provides, such as Doublehaul Handles, Neverfail Hinge System (I will cover and explain each feature below.

Color Options for YETI Tundra 65

• Desert Tan (view at Amazon)
• Ice Blue (view at Amazon)
• Sagebrush Green (view at Amazon)
• White (view at Amazon)
• Navy (view at Amazon)

Specs: YETI Tundra 45 vs 65

The Differences of YETI 45 vs 65

Size & Capacity

The main differences between YETI Tundra 45 and 65 are their size and capacity. Also, as I’ve mentioned above, the number on the name doesn’t refer to the size of the cooler.

YETI Tundra 45 and 65 offer respectively 37.6 and 57.2 quarts of volume, so YETI Tundra 65 offers %55 (20 quarts) bigger interior volume than YETI Tundra 45.

Also with a capacity of holding 42 cans, you can put 14 more cans to YETI Tundra 65 compared to YETI Tundra 45 (holds 28 cans). 

Here are other YETI Tundra sizes and dimensions:

Ice Retention

YETI Tundra 65 is the clear winner in this department, with roughly 6.5 days of ice retention, it can keep your beverages cold 3 more days than YETI Tundra 45 (offers roughly 3.5 days of ice retention).

Although YETI Tundra 65 is better than Tundra 45 when it comes to ice retention, you must know that it depends on a lot of factors, like outside temperature, things you put in the cooler, etc. Therefore most cooler brands including YETI don’t provide you an approximate ice retention day.

But, if ice retention is an important factor for you, without any hesitation you can go with the YETI Tundra 65.

Weight

With 29 lbs of weight, YETI 65 is 6 lbs heavier than YETI 45 when empty. Compared to the big difference in capacity, the weight difference is not that much.

If I have to put it another way: YETI 65 weighs %26 heavier than YETI 45 but it offers:

• %55 bigger interior volume
• %50 higher can-holding capacity (it can hold 14 more cans)
• 3 more days of ice retention

One important factor that most people miss is, how heavy are YETI Tundra 45 and 65 are when they’re fully filled with cans and ice.

So I must say over-all YETI Tundra 65 is more efficient than YETI Tundra 45, but at the end of the day it all comes down to “how much capacity and ice retention do you actually need?”.

There’s no meaning to get a bigger cooler, if you won’t be able to carry it, right?

When it’s fully filled with cans and ice, YETI Tundra 65 weighs roughly 96 lbs, YETI Tundra 45 on the other hand weighs roughly 67 lbs.

Colors

What color Yeti should you get

YETI 45 is the clear winner in the color department, but the thing is, darker colors absorb more heat. A black cooler’s surface can get up to 170°F on very hot days, on the other hand, a white cooler’s surface gets up to a maximum of 110 °F, so not only it’s impossible to sit on a black cooler during hot days, but it’s also less efficient ice retention-wise.

So, always go with the white cooler…

Efficiency

Weight: YETI 65 can hold 42 cans while weighing 29 lbs (empty), which means,  you will be carrying 1.44 lbs of the cooler for each can, YETI 45 on the other hand holds 28 cans with 23 lbs of weight, so it can carry 1.21 can/lbs. So, if you go with YETI 65 you will be carrying less “cooler weight” per can.

Size: YETI 65 takes up 146.5 quarts of space but offers 57.2 quarts of capacity (due to the thick walls), so it offers %39 of its space for storage, YETI 45 on the other hand takes up 110.5 quarts of space but offer 37.6 quarts of capacity, so it offers %34 of its space for storage. So YETI 65 is again the more efficient one.

Ice retention: Although it depends on a variety of factors YETI 65 offers roughly 6.5 days of ice retention, YETI 45 on the other hand can keep your beverages cold for 3-4 days.

So, for efficiency comparison of YETI 45 vs 65, the winner is YETI Tundra 65 for every factor you should take into consideration.

But keep in mind that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should directly go for YETI 65, consider how much space you actually have in your trunk/boat? or likewise how much ice retention you actually need?

The Similarities of YETI 45 vs 65

Since both coolers have exactly the same design they offer the same features, so let’s dive into each feature, with pros and cons.

Insulation Features

FatWall Design

Tundra series have a very thick wall design (up to three inches) to provide the maximum level of insulation and increase ice retention.

Permaforst Insulation

There is a material called polyurethane, which is also used in refrigerators and most of the cooling systems, between the inner wall and the outer wall of the cooler to decrease the heat loss through the walls.

ColdLock Gasket and InterLock Lid System

In addition to the wall insulation, Tundra 45 and 65 features a gasket and Interlock Lid System (the ridge design that sits perfectly to the gap on the lid) to keep the cold air inside and hot air outside to extend the ice retention time.

One important thing to mention is although it comes with a gasket, they’re not leakproof, once your YETI Tundra fall down to its side, it will leak… Personally, I think this is the biggest con of the Tundra series.

Durability Features

Rotomolded Construction

The YETI Tundra series are made of extremely durable polyethylene material and a combination of this durable material and great construction results in a bear-proof cooler.

NeverFail Hinge System

YETI Tundra series features two hinges that attach the lid to the cooler, and they’re designed with two hinge pins and an interlocking system to prevent them from ever breaking.

T-Rex Lid Latches

So far, except for the leaking problem, I’ve pointed mostly the pros of the Tundra, but it’s important to mention the bad parts too, the lid latches of the Tundra line which is called T-Rex are not the most customer-friendly design.

Some people like it but for me, they’re not the most convenient lid latches on the market, if getting something from your cooler quickly is important to you, you might not like the Tundra Lid Latching system.

But I also have to give credit to Latch design, they do keep the lid tightly closed.

Convenience Features

Vortex Drain System

This is probably my favorite feature of the Tundra Series. If you ever had a cheap cooler you might know how annoying it’s to try to pour the water out of the cooler without losing any ice.

Well probably YETI Tundra designers had this problem before and they thought of placing this very convenient drain system.

It really is very very easy to use, just open the drain lid, let the gravity do its job, and close the lid again, there you go, you’re done.

Non-Slip Feet

Another annoying thing with cheap coolers is, if you don’t place them tightly, they tend to travel around in your trunk while you’re driving.

So to avoid this problem, YETI Tundra series have non-sliding bottom.

Handles

YETI Tundra series feature DoubleHaul handles which is basically military-grade nylon rope that has a plastic rubber on it, so not only they’re extremely durable but they also ease the carrying process very much.

Also, the Tundra series has Lipgrip handles as well, they’re built in the design, therefore the handles don’t take up any space.

Locking Holes

YETI Tundra series have locking holes on each top front corners to keep your food safe, it’s not a must, but still, it’s good to have.

Tie-down Slots

Last but not least, the Tundra design has two slots on the top right and top left sides allowing you mounting the cooler to your truck, boat or etc.

Frequently Asked Questions For YETI Tundra Series

Is the Yeti Tundra Worth It?

Well, it all depends on what you’re expecting from a cooler if you’re an outdoor enthusiast who’s looking for a convenient cooler that will hold your ice for more than four days which is durable enough for years of use then yes they’re worth it.

BUT, if you only go for one or two days trips maximum of 2-3 times a year, then going for a cheaper brand such as Igloo Coolers might be a better option for you.

How Do Yeti Coolers Work?

YETI coolers have a material called polyurethane between their inner and outer walls, and this material has an extremely low “heat transmission coefficient” to decrease the heat loss to a minimum level, and also YETI Coolers have a gasket on their lids to prevent hot air from coming in and heat the inside of your cooler. 

Verdict – YETI 45 or 65

YETI Tundra 45 is the better option for you if you:

• Don’t need ice retention for more than 3-4 days
• Have a small trunk (YETI 45 takes up 110.5 quarts of space)
• Don’t need a capacity of more than 28 cans
• Don’t want to carry more than 67 lbs (weight of YETI 45 when fully filled with ice and cans)

YETI Tundra 65 is the better option for you if you:

• Need ice retention up to 6 days
• You have a trunk that is big enough to hold 146.5 quarts of space
• Want a cooler that can hold up to 42 cans
• Are able to carry 96 lbs of weight (YETI 65’s weight when it’s full)

You might also like our article about the YETI Hopper Flip 12 and 18.

Whether you’re going for a long-time car camping or a one day trip to the backcountry, an insulated durable cooler is essential for you, and when it comes to coolers, no doubt the first brand that pops into mind is YETI, and to help you to pick the most suitable model for you, I’ve compiled everything you should know and consider to decide between YETI Hopper Flip 12 vs 18.

If you’re in a hurry, YETI Hopper Flip 12 has a capacity of carrying 13 cans by only weighing 3.1 pounds, it’s the perfect option for one or two-day adventures for a maximum of 2 people. YETI Hopper Flip 18 on the other hand with a weight of 5.1 lbs, is bigger and heavier than Flip 12 but it can carry 20 cans with a better ice retention performance, which makes it the better option for longer trips. 

Skip the reviews and go straight to the detailed comparison.

YETI Hopper Flip 12 Review

• WEIGHT: 3.1 lbs
• OUTSIDE DIMENSION: 10” × 11.5” × 12 5/8”
• INSIDE DIMENSION: 8” × 9” × 11”
• CAPACITY: 13 Cans

When you need a small, soft-sided cooler that’s durable enough for years of use, and that is light enough to carry around on your backcountry trips, YETI Hopper Flip 12 offers everything you’re looking for.

With a 2:1 ice to can ratio, it can take 13 cans. Even though it depends on what you prefer to carry in your cooler, this capacity should be enough for at least two-person, but don’t expect the cooler to be keeping your beverages cool for a couple of days, since it’s a soft cooler, ice starts to melt after the day one, but it’s more than enough for daily trips.

It’s made of waterproof 840-denier double-sided thermoplastic urethane, which is an extremely durable material for a soft cooler, you can throw it from a moving vehicle it wouldn’t break.

And thanks to this material and its Hydrolok Zipper, the cooler is extremely waterproof, if you’re planning a fishing or kayaking trip, it won’t allow water to get inside or melted ice leak through the zipper.

I should mention that the one downside of this cooler is the zipper, there is nothing wrong with the functionality but it’s a little bit tight, you might find it a bit hard to unzip the zipper.

Last but not least, it has two handles on sides, one handle on top, one handle on the very back, and it features one shoulder strap which makes it very convenient to carry, and also it features Hitchpoint Grid, to easily attach small accessories such as bottle openers.

Color Options for YETI Hopper Flip 12

• Field Tan (view at Amazon)
• Charcoal (view at Amazon)
• Coral (view at Amazon)
• Fog Gray / Tahoe Blue (view at Amazon)
• Navy (view at Amazon)
• River Green (view at Amazon)

YETI Hopper Flip 18 Review

• WEIGHT: 5.1 lbs
• OUTSIDE DIMENSION: 10.75” × 13” × 16.25”
• INSIDE DIMENSION: 8.5 ” × 10.25 ” × 14.25”
• CAPACITY: 20 Cans

Although YETI is mostly famous for its hard coolers, soft coolers in YETI’s line are getting more and more popular each day. And YETI Hopper coolers are loved more than the other soft coolers in YETI’s line by the community.

And YETI Hopper Flip 18 especially is the optimum cooler for 2 to 4 person, one or two-day trips. A common misunderstanding is people think Flip 18 can carry 18 cans but actually it can take 20 cans, and it’s light enough carry by hanging on your neck, when it’s full it might be hard to carry by one person but for that, it has two handles on each side, so you can divide the load with your partner.

YETI Hopper Flip 18 features a Dryhide shell which is basically a very durable, mold-resistant material, and the liner is also made of FDA-approved food-grade material in order to keep your food in the cooler without any concern.

Due to its cold cell technology, it offers roughly 40 hours of ice range (40 hours is an approximate ice range, it actually depends on many factors).

The YETI Hopper Flip weighs only 5.1 lbs and given the features above the cooler strikes the perfect combination of longevity, ice retention, and lightness.

Color Options for YETI Hopper Flip 18

• Sagebrush Green (view at Amazon)
• Field Tan (view at Amazon)
• Charcoal (view at Amazon)
• Coral (view at Amazon)
• Fog Gray / Tahoe Blue (view at Amazon)
• Navy (view at Amazon)

Specs of YETI Hopper Flip 12 and Hopper Flip 18

Detailed Comparison of YETI Hopper Flip 12 vs 18

Capacity

Yeti recommends two to one ice ratio when it comes to Capacity, which means you need to fill 2/3 of your cooler with ice, and 1/3 of your cooler with cans or soda bottle.

With that being said, you can put 13 cans to your YETI Hopper Flip 12 to fill up the 2/3 of the cooler with ice. You might wonder why 13, not 12? It’s because you can fill 12 Cans vertically and put 1 can horizontally on the other 12 cans. Therefore, YETI Hopper Flip 12 has the capacity to carry 13 cans.

YETI Hopper Flip 18 on the other hand, can carry 20 cans, you can place 15 cans vertically and 5 cans horizontally on top of the other cans.

But cans should not be your only consideration factor when comparing capacity, you will be putting bottles in your cooler too.

And since YETI Hopper Flip 18 is 16.25″ wide, it can take 1 L of soda bottle (when placed horizontally), YETI Hopper Flip 12 on the other hand is only 12 5/8″ wide therefore it’s not possible to put 1 L of Bottle neither horizontally nor vertically.

Size

Depending on your needs, you might need a smaller cooler, for example, if you need a cooler for kayaking you need to make sure that the cooler you’re aiming for fits in your kayak, or you might be car camping with a small trunk, therefore, it’s important the know the sizes of both coolers.

• YETI Hopper Flip 12 has the dimensions of 10” × 11.5” × 12 5/8” and it has 1452 in³ of volume
• YETI Hopper Flip 18’s dimensions on the other hand are 10.75” × 13” × 16.25” which equals 2271 in³ volume

So, volumetrically YETI Hopper Flip 18 takes up %56 more space than the YETI Hopper Flip 12, and here is a size comparison of the two coolers:

Weight

When empty, with a 5.1 lbs of weight YETI Hopper Flip 18 is 2 lbs heavier than the YETI Hopper Flip 12 (3.1 lbs).

And if we look at it from a different angle (let’s call it the efficiency angle):

• With Hopper Flip 12, you will be carrying 3.1 lbs for 13 cans, so you will be carrying 0.23 lbs of the cooler for each can
• With Hopper Flip 18, you will be carrying 5.1 lbs for 20 cans, so for each can you will be carrying 0.25 lbs of the cooler

Although the difference is not big, for the YETI Hopper Flip 12 vs 18 comparison Flip 12 is the winner in the weight department.

BUT the most important issue here is, will you be able to carry the coolers by yourself when they’re full or how hard will it be to carry the coolers when they’re fulled.

YETI Hopper Flip 12 weighs around 25 pounds when it’s full of ice and cans, on the other hand, Hopper Flip 18 weighs roughly 38 pounds when it’s full. So if you’re thinking of carrying the cooler by yourself, Hopper Flip 18 might be too heavy for you.

But that is for only carrying ice and cans, if you’re thinking of carrying sandwiches or fruits as well, the cooler would be much lighter.

Ice Retention Capacity

First things first, ice retention varies on very different factors, such as:

• How warm was the cooler before you fill it in with ice?
• How warm were the things you put in the cooler?
• What is the outside temperature? and many other factors…

But, for the comparison of YETI Hopper Flip 12 vs 18, Hopper Flip 18 is the winner in the ice retention department.

Although it depends on many factors, I can say that while the Yeti Hopper Flip 18 will keep your drinks cold for about 40 hours, the Hopper Flip 12 will keep them cold for about 30 hours.

It’s important to mention that when it comes to keeping your food cold, due to YETI’s closed-cell foam technology, the YETI Hopper Flip series does a much better job than almost every soft coolers out there .

Color Options

Similarities of YETI Hopper Flip 12 and 18

Zipper & Waterproofing

Although YETI uses a very high-quality zipper for flip 12 and 18 it’s maybe the only downside of the coolers.

Yes, this waterproof Hydrolok Zipper definitely doesn’t allow water getting in the cooler and it prevents melted ice from leaking out from the cooler, for functionality, it’s perfect, but the downside is, it’s very tight and hard to zip and unzip.

Since the zipper is made of hard material to make the cooler more durable and waterproof, getting something from the cooler quickly is not as easy as cheap light coolers.

Durability

All YETI Hopper Flips are made of 840D double-side thermoplastic urethane/foam insulation/EVA bottom, this high-density fabric called Dryhide shell is mold, puncture, and UV resistant.

It is also worth noting that the Hopper Flip soft coolers are not bear-proof like YETI hard coolers. But still, for soft coolers, they are as robust as it gets.

YETI Hopper Flip Design

Both YETI Hopper Flip 12 and 18 have the same design, the only difference is their size. But for those who’re not familiar with the design, it’s important to mention its features.

Hitchpoint Grid

YETI Hopper Flip series has multiple tie-down loops on both front and back, you can either use this loops for attaching the cooler to your vehicles such as your car or your motorcycle to make it more stable, or you can attach equipment to the cooler itself using this loops, such as YETI MOLLE Bottle Opener.

Although they both feature Hitchpoint Grids, YETI Hopper Flip 18 has four loops on each line, Flip 12 on the other hand has three loops on each line.

Handles

This design offers too many options to carry the cooler, and these options are:

• Side Handles: The coolers feature two easy-carry handles to ease the carrying process, this is especially important for YETI Hopper Flip 18, you may carry Flip 12 by yourself when it’s fulled, but you’re most likely to need a hand when carrying YETI Hopper Flip 18.
• Top Handle: Hopper Flip Series also features one handle on the top if you prefer to carry that way (it’s more comfortable to carry this way when the cooler is light).
• Back Handle: There is also a handle at the very back of the cooler.

Besides the handles, Hopper Flips comes with a shoulder strap, if you didn’t fill up the cooler so heavy, you can carry it with the shoulder strap as well.

The shoulder strap is made of really tough material so no matter what you carry there is no way it rips off, and also it features a rubber backing to prevent it from sliding off your shoulder. And the cool thing is it’s optional, the strap comes off very easily if you don’t want to use it.

Lastly for the design, since both coolers have a robust design and a smooth top surface they can be used as a small table too.

Accessories for YETI Hopper Flip

YETI ICE

These ice substitutes are mainly used for increasing the efficiency of ice retention. Contrary to popular belief, YETI ICE alone is not enough to keep your beverages cold for a long time, but when used with your ice stash, it increases the ice retention performance.

YETI ICE comes in three different sizes: 1lb, 2lb, and 4lb. Here are the dimensions of all three sizes:

All are compatible with Hopper Flip 12 and 18, and fun fact, 4-pound YETI ICE actually fits perfectly to Hopper Flip 12. 

YETI MOLLE Bottle Opener

Whether you have one on your keychain, in your car, or on your cooler, having a bottle opener is crucial. And it’s a tool that is usually forgotten, the good thing about the MOLLE Bottle opener lies on that actually, since it can be attached to the Hitchpoint Grid it’s literally impossible to forget it.

Also, it’s made of durable corrosion-resistant material for years of use. Check out the latest price of Molle Bottle Opener on Amazon.