Gear Review: YETI Hopper Backflip, Camino Carryall, and Sidekick Dry
created the high performance cooler market years ago and hasn't settled for anything but the best ever since. You have all heard of them and can't question their ability to keep things cold. I've trialed many YETI products and keep close tabs on other reviews and social media comments and have yet to see where they didn't perform in the upper echelon of cooler performance. With that being said, I had the opportunity to test YETI's latest offerings;
Hopper Backflip 24, Camino Carryall 35, and Sidekick Dry.
Backflip 24
I'll never forget years ago listening to my mother-in-law going on about carrying and dragging coolers around to all sorts of sporting events when her children were young. She then went on to say, and then someone comes along and decides to put wheels on them making life so much easier! She couldn't understand why she didn't think of such a simple concept that could make such a large impact. I feel the same way right now with what YETI did to their Hopper. They took a great and relatively portable soft sided cooler and made it even better by simply adding a couple straps converting it to a backpack. Why carry or roll a cooler when all you have to do is throw it on your back? What a concept!
Sidekick Dry
The final item in this review is the Sidekick Dry. This little piece of equipment will find a place in your year round gear arsenal. Its said to be "Dry" and I have no concerns at all that it would leak. When sealed, it is air tight. I am positive it could double as a pillow if you ever got caught without one in a pinch. I used it to carry my camera equipment, phone, battery packs, and other items for which moisture is an enemy. It serves many purposes as a stand alone item or can easily mate with other coolers in the
series making for a total travel companion. As a matter of fact, my wife keeps telling me that fanny packs are making a comeback. I happened to see a photo on the YETI website with a fly fisher sporting a Sidekick Dry for just that purpose. Not sure about fanny packs but the Sidekick is most definitely something you want to check out.
YETI says they build their products "For The Wild" and after testing their equipment for years, including their most recent releases, I have to agree. The Backflip makes carrying ice, fish, crawfish, shrimp, worms, beer, or anything else you can imagine a breeze. It balances the load on your back and keeps your hands free to carry fishing rods or kids. The Camino accompanies me on not only hunting and fishing trips but also a day in town with the family. Extra clothes, snacks, toys, electronics, and drinks all store very well in the Carryall. Lastly, the Sidekick gives me a great sense of comfort taking my electronics with me into the field. I've been rained on unexpectedly, thoughtlessly jumped in lakes, and fell on a creek crossing or two. With the Sidekick Dry, I'll just keep on trucking knowing my valuables will remain safe and dry. Give these products a look as I'm sure they can find a place on your gear list must haves.
Disclaimer: These products were provided to me at no charge in return for a fair and honest review. I have described and demonstrated to the best of my abilities the types and quality of products YETI is putting out. I receive no additional payment whether you choose to by any or not. However, you'll be missing out if you don't!
