A jockey box magically transforms beer warm enough to burn your tongue into a delicious, frosty beverage via coiled tubes submerged in ice water. We’ve featured the jockey box several times before on our blog. Our neighbors, Live Oak Brewery, surprised us with their own ones (filled with their amazing product, of course). Find detailed instructions to build your own jockey box here.

The jockey box wasn’t the only YETI product featured at the AHB parking lot party that day. A YETI Roadie giveaway was prominent on the flyer for the event. We were so happy to be part of the event that we even offered a second Roadie for the raffle. We also gave away one of our newest products at the YETI table, the Tarpon beverage entry tool.

It’s perfect for popping the top of a cold beer if you haven’t gotten around to making your own jockey box just yet. The entry tool features a twist-off wrench, church key and can tab opener, so no matter what your drinking, we’ve got you covered.

The Roadie giveaways were a huge hit. People stuck around for an extra two hours because they had to be present to win. They definitely took advantage of the ice cold beer served from the YETI jockey box, too. The winners were thrilled and couldn’t wait to test out their new cooler. Judging by the crowd, they’ll probably test how long it will keep beers cold.

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The people of those areas have responded with overwhelming efforts, donations and contributions. We have received numerous reports from YETI owners that their coolers have been instrumental in relief efforts, providing ice and fresh water to those people left without. We wanted to share some of these images with you, including a clip from NBC Nightly News.

Cullman, AL - Brad Smith's YETI Cooler aiding in relief efforts.

Another shot from Brad Smith. This entire block was bulldozed the following day.

This 100+ foot tree fell on Hunter Devazier's cooler.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

If you would like to help the relief efforts, please click the American Red Cross logo below to make a donation.

Needless to say, The YETI Coolers team was very receptive to the amazing Live Oak Pilz and Big Bark Amber Lager they were passing out.  And to make it even tastier, they had actually converted one of our Tundra 155 coolers into a killer jockey box.  As you can see, they engineered it to actually hold two pony kegs plus the CO2 tank and all the hardware.

If you are going to be in Austin one weekend, we highly recommend checking out our friends at Live Oak Brewing Company and even taking a tour of the brewery (most Saturdays at noon, more info here).

To learn how to make your own jockey box, check out our previous blog post with detailed instructions.

Fixing it up, getting settled, moving inventory…needless to say we have been busy. We definitely have to give credit to Tim and the rest of our warehouse team who made the transition smooth and continued shipping out orders seamlessly, even when working from two locations. As you can see, we tapped into our own talent pool and got Micah and Blue to paint our sign on the front of the building.

A big part of our old offices were all the stickers that adorned the walls, doors and cubes. It was a tradition that started early on at YETI Coolers, and helped us show some love to the brands, restaurants, bars, organizations and other things that were dear to us.  Here is a shot of the door to the old “burn room” where we apply Custom Logos to coolers:

We need your help!

Now that we are moved into our new offices, we want to continue the sticker tradition on all these freshly painted walls.  We want your stickers to help decorate!  So, here’s the deal:  you mail us some of your stickers, we will put them up in our offices, post a picture on our Facebook page, and send you stickers in return.  Free stickers and free publicity…Awesome deal for everybody, right?  All you have to do is mail us your stickers and contact info to:

YETI Coolers
c/o Sticker Swap
PO Box 163686
Austin, TX 78716-3686

We look forward to seeing what arrives!

I don’t work a 9-to-5.  I work a 6-to-10.  There is something extremely gratifying about having your workday dictated by the natural sunlight.  Although if you are talking about Montana in the summer, that means a long day at the office.  But in most cases, particularly mine, it also suggests that your office is located smack-dab in the middle of paradise.

I work as a fly-fishing guide for PRO Outfitters.  For the first half of the summer, when water levels tend to be most cooperative, we run 5-day expeditions down the Smith River in central Montana.  If you haven’t floated the Smith, put it on your list immediately.  The river has one public put-in, one public take-out, and sixty miles of breathe-taking canyon in between.  I’m talking limestone cliffs rising a thousand feet straight up out of the water, looking down on a pristine freestone river full of healthy and heavy Browns and Rainbows.  The hatches, specifically Golden Stones, can be epic, resulting in some of the best dry fly fishing you can find.  Picture floating downstream, casting toward a canyon wall and landing your dry fly 3-inches off the rock.  But it isn’t close enough.  You recast, this time within an inch of the wall.  You mend, get a decent drift, and then the explosion.  You struggle to keep the fish on while your guide works the boat into slower water, where you eventually hold up a 20+ inch brown trout with golden sides, dark black spots, and an emerald green back.

Yeah, my office is pretty damn sweet.

With fishing trips, there are certain things you can’t control.  No matter how impressively I try to sing to the heavens at night, I have no say over the weather, the water conditions, or the mood of the trout.  But at PRO, we try to impress with all that we can control.  Intangibly speaking, this means knowledge, work ethic, instruction, and good humor.  Tangibly, I’m mainly referring to food and accommodations, neither of which can be undervalued.  And we need to pack everything necessary for the full 5-day trip.

In addition to the four guides, our crew consists of two gear-boaters and a chef, arguably the MVP’s of our expedition.  When the fishing boats come into camp at the end of the day, everything is set up (including a kitchen fly, a wall-tent dining area, and a large 8-man tent for each pair of guests) and appetizers and cocktails are on the table.  The food is awesome, and it gets better with each day of the trip, ending with crab cakes and a New York strip on the last evening.  Obviously, in order to offer meals like this, we have to be able to keep stuff cold for a long time.  And Montana summers can get hot.  YETIs are a must and an essential part the first-class dining experience.  We travel with a 155 Qt in each gear boat and 65 Qts in each guide boat (on day 5, you don’t want to be handing a client a lukewarm beer!).  Before we had YETIs, we were constantly worrying about how to keep stuff cold throughout the trip.  Not anymore.  Plus, we now view the Smith River’s black bear population purely as a remarkable feature of the fauna landscape, and not a pest that will raid and destroy our coolers.

Sixteen hours can seem like a long workday, but it isn’t when that day begins and ends with the sound of a river running beneath towering canyon walls that reach up toward Montana’s big sky.  I’ve heard people complain about tedious schedules that occasionally force them to sleep in their office.  Well, that’s what I’m stuck with and I couldn’t feel luckier.

To learn more about the amazing trips that PRO Outfitters offers, visit their website www.prooutfitters.com or call 800-858-3497.

Trout’s Fly Fishing has been serving the greater Denver Front Range region for over a decade now.  They pride themselves on offering the finest in fly fishing goods and services to the Colorado angling community. Their 3,000+ sf store boasts two floors of retail goods, as well as a fly fishing education center and outfitting office on the 3rd floor. In addition to their retail offerings, Trout’s Fly Fishing has also teamed up with The Flyfisher Guide Service to provide over 30 years of experienced guiding along Denver’s front range. And with permits to 11 of the best rivers in Colorado, including the famed Cheesman Canyon, as well as leases to some of the best private water in the West, The Flyfisher will surely be able to meet all your needs.

In addition to all the great fly fishing brands they carry, Trout’s Fly Fishing also carries a full supply of YETI Coolers. But the good people of Trout’s even sing our praises outside the shop.  At the recent International Sportsman’s Exposition in Denver, The Trout’s team exhibited and built a very authentic store environment in their booth, complete with YETI Coolers, and sent us these pics:

The next time you are in Denver, be sure to check out our friends at Trout’s Fly Fishing.  The store is located at 1303 E. 6th Avenue in Denver, on the corner of 6th Avenue and Marion Street in between Downtown Denver and Cherry Creek North. Whether you are looking for some time on Colorado waters or just re-stocking your fly box, they will take good care of you.

BOTE Paddleboards was founded just a short time ago and is already taking the world of paddle boards by storm.  Designed specifically with the fisherman in mind, BOTE is a brand new stand-up paddle board that redefines the way people will use their paddle boards, adding a new level of versatility through the use of its unique leaning post. The company is based in Destin, Florida, where both water and fish are plentiful.

Combining his love for the outdoors with his mechanical engineering skills, founder Corey Cooper has created “the world’s first fishing paddle board”. Cooper, uses advanced engineering and modeling software to make the BOTE the most high-tech and high-quality stand-up paddle board on the market.

BOTE’s most unique feature is it’s removable leaning post. Not only does the leaning post allow the paddle boarder to lean back for greater stability and comfort, it is equipped with a paddle clip, hooks for hanging items such as a BOTE back-pack and rod holders. And they are made right here in the USA.

But the best part is that BOTE chose our 35qt Tundra Cooler to be a part of their fully loaded board package.  The cooler can be attached to the front of the board or moved up under the leaning post and turned into a seat. Bote only uses the best materials so it would make sense that a BOTE Board should be rigged with the best coolers!  They even have a custom logo SeaDek pad on the cooler for added traction.

If you are considering buying a paddle board, you should seriously check out Bote Paddleboards.  Check out their website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel for more info.  Here’s one last parting shot just so you remember what nice weather looks like…

YETI in use at PJ Clarke's in NY

World's largest flypatch, Mark Raisler (www.headhuntersflyshop.com)

Jay Parrish's bulldog in action

Elk hunt with Joey Macomber (www.laterallinemedia.com)

Zach Collier's jockey box on the Rogue River (www.nwrafting.com)

This week between Christmas and New Year’s is often a great time to get in a hunting or fishing trip.  From the looks of our recent Photo of the Month winners, Whitetail Photo Contest and Waterfowl Photo Contest (psst…this one is still going on!), many of you are thinking the same thing. On that note, we wanted to share with you some pretty amazing pics sent by George Works, friend of YETI Coolers and dedicated advocate of Pheasant Forever, from a pheasant hunting trip to Montana. Dogs, birds, great outdoors…hard to beat.

Stay tuned for lots of fun and exciting news from YETI Coolers in the months to come.  For now we hope everyone has a safe and fun New Year’s Eve and we will see you in 2011!

On the eve of Christmas, we would like to thank all of our customers, dealers, partners and friends for a wonderful 2010.  From everyone here at YETI Coolers, we wish you a very safe and happy holiday.  We would also like to thank all of our staff who has worked long hours this holiday season to make sure all orders were filled and shipped in time for the holidays.

Earlier this month, we received word from the North Pole that Santa Claus himself was using one of our special edition red and white Tundra coolers. It also appears that lots of folks asked him for a cooler of their own.  Tomorrow morning will tell!

“And to all a good night!”