It’s a really cool story. YETI was started by two Austin born and raised brothers, Roy and Ryan Seiders, who were avid outdoorsmen growing up. They frequented the Gulf Coast for fishing, and quickly got tired of their coolers breaking when used as a standing mount to cast off of. Their dad was an entrepreneur and that mindset was deeply instilled in the Seiders brothers from an early age; They created a rather lofty goal for themselves and decided to develop the world’s most durable cooler.
When they developed the original YETI Cooler, the hard-side cooler, it was priced completely different than any other cooler. They were over $200 above most retail priced coolers (depending on the model). Regardless, it took off and the Seiderses spent countless weekends traveling across Texas with nothing but a van full of coolers to sell. Buyers quickly recognised the product quality and the attribute that came in addition to the durability, which was ice retention. The YETI Cooler became a staple piece of gear for offshore fishing trips, backcountry hiking, and long hunting trips.
