Then again, if you only have six gallons of cold water, chances are you’ll want to save it for drinking and use a separate supply for cleaning duty.

Unlike the Aquatainer, the Silo doesn’t lock in the open-spigot position, which means no hands-free dishwashing. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve returned to my car after a hot day in the mountains to find my water stash practically boiling. In my book, the promise of cold water all weekend is enough to balance out the size and weight drawbacks. The big, cooler-style opening allows easy access to dump in a bag of ice, and Yeti’s pressure-injected foam insulation and extra-thick walls mean the water will stay cold. Unwieldiness notwithstanding, the Silo improves on classic water-jug design in a couple ways. In practice, this means the Silo won’t fit in some kitchen sinks, it will take up more room in your trunk, and it’ll be a burden to carry when full. It’s also heavy-16 pounds empty, compared with the Aquatainer’s two pounds. The Silo, on the other hand, holds six gallons, but it’s 15.5 by 15.5 by 18 inches, roughly equivalent to a midsize guitar amp. It’s cheap and dependable, it holds seven gallons of water, and it’s easy to move around at camp, thanks to its modest dimensions (11.5 by 12 by 16 inches, smaller than most home printers). (Courtesy Yeti/Sarah Frankie Linder)įor context: a Reliance Aquatainer ($18) is a near-permanent resident in the back of my car for weekend camping and climbing trips. I haven’t yet tested the Silo 6G ($300), but a sample just arrived in our office, and a first glance tells me the insulation could be a game changer, though the burliness might be overkill for basic car camping. So when Yeti announced it was coming out with a hard-sided water cooler, we were intrigued. How would the company’s famous burly, overbuilt design compare with the cheap jugs we’ve been using for years? If you’ve spent much time car camping, you’ve probably used some sort of square plastic water jug with a spigot and big handle on top, the kind you can pick up at a hardware store for less than $20.

But one piece of gear has remained largely unchanged for decades: the lowly water cooler. Even the cast-iron skillet has gotten an upgrade. Gear is increasingly high-tech these days, from ultralight shells to stronger-than-steel running shoes.

Yeti silo mount