Yeti might be an outdoor brand known for their coolers and insulated cups, but their product catalog actually features some other pretty interesting stuff too. The Yeti Loadout Bucket is one of these products that are quite different from the company’s usual offering.
As with all Yeti products, the Yeti Bucket does come with a price tag that is higher than other seemingly similar products out there. In this article, we give our honest Yeti Loadout Bucket review to help you decide if it’s really worth spending a bit more money to get your hands on it.
Yeti LoadOut Bucket Review: Is It ACTUALLY Worth $40?
The Yeti Loadout Bucket is tough, durable, and designed to be used in challenging outdoor environments. With a five-gallon capacity, it can hold a lot of whatever you need it to while still looking cool too!
The Yeti Bucket has been made to handle the toughness of outdoor life. It is impact-resistant and even has anchorpoint tie-down slots so you can securely transport it in the back of your truck, on your boat, or anywhere else you can tie it down.
With multiple comfortable carrying options, there’s no plastic handle in sight, instead, the Yeti Loadout Bucket has the HeftyHauler handle as well as the LipGrip handle to help you move it around anywhere you need it to be.
- A non-slip ring base means your Loadout Bucket won’t be slipping and sliding around (it’s also non-marking)
- High impact-resistant and extremely tough, the Yeti Loadout Bucket is almost indestructible
- Comfortable to carry and move around with the HeftyHauler Handle or the LipGrip handle which encircles the body of the bucket
Why it is Better than a Regular Bucket
Thicker and More Durable
Yeti have made the Loadout Bucket to be around three times thicker than a regular bucket. It’s made from high-density polyethylene just like the brands’ famous coolers are made from.
The thickness of the Yeti Loadout Bucket makes it extremely tough and durable (and “virtually indestructible” according to Yeti themselves). It can handle being used in tough outdoor environments so it will likely last you a long time.
This is something to keep in mind when deciding whether or not it’s worth paying $40 for a bucket. Sure, you can get buckets for a lot less than this, but it’s not likely you will be able to get a bucket as tough and as long-lasting as this.
$40 for a bucket that will last you years, regardless of how much use it gets, seems like a pretty good deal.
Comfortable handle
The handle of the Yeti Loadout Bucket is one of its most notable features. If you think you will get a normal plastic handle on your new bucket, you are mistaken. Yeti have gone for a strong canvas handle that is much more comfortable to carry compared to its plastic counterparts.
Stronger Than You Need: Supports Up to 300 Lbs
If you know anything about Yeti, you probably know that they have a habit of over-engineering all of their products. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that the carrying capacity of the Loadout Bucket is ridiculously high.
The handle (and the rest of the bucket) can comfortably hold up to 300 pounds!
When was the last time you saw a 5-gallon bucket hold more than a few pounds before bowing, cracking, and ultimately breaking?
Obviously, it’s unlikely you will ever actually put that much weight into your bucket but it’s always nice to know that it can handle pretty much anything you can throw at it.
Tucks Away
As the handle is made from canvas, you can tuck it away inside the bucket during storage and transport. While this may not seem like too much of a big deal, the extra space you can save on the sides of the bucket can make things easier than you might think.
Won’t Move, Won’t Scratch: Non-Slip Rubber Base
The base of the Yeti Loadout has a complete bearfoot non-slip ring going around it. This is the same material used on the base of Yeti coolers and it does the same job for both products.
It prevents the Yeti Loadout from sliding around. Another great benefit is that it’s non-marking so, no matter what surface you put your bucket down on, there will be no marks left behind.
This may be an expensive bucket but other cheaper models will slide easily and the contents will probably end up all over the rest of your gear. The Yeti Bucket stays exactly where you put it keeping things safe, clean, and spillage free.
Food Safe
While this 5-gallon bucket isn’t insulated so can’t be used for keeping your food cold and fresh, it is BPA-free and food safe.
This means you can carry food safely inside the bucket without having to worry about contamination from the materials used to manufacture it.
Tie Down Slots
Even though the non-slip rubber ring on the base of the Loadout Bucket does a great job at keeping it in place, sometimes, you need to be extra sure it will stay put. Yeti have built two tie-down slots into the bucket so you can strap it securely in place in the back of your truck, on your boat, or even to your ATV.
Yeti sell straps designed to be used with the bucket but you can easily use your own too.
Additional Accessories Are Very Useful
There are some very cool accessories available for the Yeti Loadout.
The Loadout Caddy is useful for organizing some of the stuff you keep in your bucket. It is made to be as tough as the Loadout Bucket so it is crack resistant and fits tight on top of your bucket. The handle of the Loadout Caddy depresses into the caddy itself when not in use to save some additional space.
If you have a bit more money to spend, the Yeti Loadout Utility Belt could be of interest. It can be quickly and easily added or removed from your bucket and is held in place with strong velcro straps. There are multiple pockets for carrying a range of outdoor gear and the hitch point grid allows you to attach MOLLE accessories.
Lid Seals Tight
If you want to make sure everything in the Loadout Bucket stays there, Yeti has a reinforced lid available that perfectly fits the top of the bucket and seals it tight. The lid is clear so you can still see what’s going on inside and it is exceptionally strong. The lid can handle as much weight as the rest of the bucket and won’t crack on hot or cold days as other cheaper models could.
Backed By a 5-Year Warranty
Like pretty much all Yeti products, the Yeti Loadout Bucket comes with a five-year warranty. This means that if anything goes wrong with your bucket, Yeti will quickly resolve the issue for you.
As the Loadout bucket is so tough, it could be the last bucket you ever buy so having the reassurance it will be covered if things do go wrong will give you the confidence you have made a good investment.
Comes in Multiple Colors
If you like your outdoor gear to match your style then Yeti has you covered. The Loadout bucket is available in multiple color options so you can find one that best suits you and your outdoor style.
Alternatives To The Yeti LoadOut Bucket
The Huck Performance bucket is even more expensive than the Yeti Loadout as it costs around $100. This is one super strong bucket and it has been tested to hold up to 600 pounds!
As cool as this bucket is, you’ll need a big budget to add one to your outdoor gear.
Shurhold Bucket
The Shurhold Bucket looks much more like a standard 5-gallon bucket than the other buckets mentioned in this article but it does have some key differences.
The handle is made from 3/4 inch nylon and there are several useful accessories you can add to the bucket too. At around half the price of the Yeti Loadout, the Shurhold Bucket could be a more budget-friendly choice while not sacrificing all of the benefits the other buckets offer.
The Yeti Tank is a drink cooler that has impressive ice retention capabilities considering it is not actually insulated.
It can keep ice for several days and is big enough to hold a lot of ice and drinks. If you are going on a camping weekend and want to put all your drinks in one place, the Yeti Tank could be a great choice.
Yeti LoadOut Bucket Verdict
The Yeti Loadout Bucket is undoubtedly very cool and has lots of great features. It is a lot more than a standard 5-gallon bucket and has multiple accessories you can add to it for further practicality and convenience.
While the $40 price tag might seem quite high, the Loadout certainly has the toughness and durability to last for a long time. The five-year warranty also helps to make the investment a good one.
There are definitely cheaper buckets out there, but they all struggle to perform anywhere near as well as the Loadout. Cheaper models break and let you down whereas the Loadout will keep doing what you need it to for a long time to come.
