28-02-2025
I dropped the new Yeti Ranchero Backpack off a cliff. It survived and I love it
It's no secret I'm a big fan of Yeti products. After testing the brand's water bottles, naming two of them the best of the best, and seeing its cooler top another one of our tested guides, I've grown to trust Yeti to make functional, durable and detail-oriented products.
So, when I got word the brand was launching two all-new backpacks, the Yeti Ranchero 27L and 22L Backpacks, I knew I had to try one. They launch today for Yeti members and will go live for the rest of the public on Tuesday, March 4. After testing the 27L for a few weeks and getting a feel for its utility, here's everything you need to know about Yeti's brand-new bags.
Yeti Ranchero 27L Backpack
The Ranchero 27L is a carry-on commuter pack built for the long haul. It's incredibly durable yet smartly designed to be your companion through everything from a day of rock climbing to late nights at the office.
Yeti Ranchero 22L Backpack
The smaller sibling of the 27L, the 22L is a more streamlined design for shorter trips and lighter packers, but it's still built with Yeti's legendary toughness. Both sizes are currently available in two core colors (green and black) and one seasonal color (tan). If Yeti is known for one thing, it's durability. And that promise continues to ring true with the Ranchero 27L. The backpack's tough outer fabric has held up to my testing and abuse without a scratch. I brought the bag on a day of climbing in Clear Creek Canyon, outside of Golden, Colorado, and as we were hiking back to the car, I accidentally dropped it off a ledge and it tumbled over 50 feet down a cliff. It bounced over rocks, dirt and branches and finally stopped against a tree just 30 feet from the river. While I was momentarily petrified it'd float off forever, once it stopped, I couldn't help but think, 'Wow, what a great durability test.' When I scrambled to retrieve it, I was pleasantly surprised it survived the fall without a single blemish (and the Yeti Yonder that was in its side pocket was still kicking too).
It's safe to say the toughness of the Ranchero lives up to Yeti's legendary reputation, but the bag's most prominent feature is its three-zipper design, which is directly influenced by Yeti's acquisition of Mystery Ranch in January of 2024. The backpack features one huge zipper that goes right down the middle of the pack's face and two smaller zippers at the top to create a 'y' shape. The center zipper makes it easy to access the main compartment so you don't have to take everything out to get at something in the bottom.
Yeti claims you can open all three zippers in one smooth motion, but I found that a bit difficult than advertised. By grabbing the main center zipper with one hand and the corner of the top piece with the other, you can open up the whole bag, but pulling the top two zippers open at once was a little difficult for me. When you do open all three zippers, whether in one motion or multiple, you get an impressively wide opening so you can easily reach its contents and the numerous organizational features of the bag, which is another standout feature.
The inside of the Ranchero 27L has some seriously impressive internal organization. It's got five pockets ranging in sizes so you can keep all your valuables safe and in order. I'm a big fan of the two zippered pockets on each of the interior sides, which are great for storing small things that you need quick access to like snacks, charging cords and more.
On the outside, the new Yeti backpack has a decently spacious top pocket with an integrated key clip and two stretchy water bottle pockets, which can even fit big bottles like the Yeti Rambler 36-Ounce. The 27-liter version also has a separate laptop compartment, while the 22-liter version only has a laptop sleeve in the main cavity.
Both the 22L and the 27L are also built with a super stable base, which allows the Ranchero to stand up by itself, even when empty. This may seem like a small detail, but it's a surprisingly helpful feature if you're putting your bag down next to your desk or by your table at a coffee shop.
Other features include compression straps that you can attach to the outside of the bag and a stashable elastic luggage belt. I should also note that the Ranchero is only water-resistant, not waterproof. To test this, I put the bag under my shower for about 10 seconds, and a small amount of water started penetrating the bag, especially in the top pocket. You'll likely be fine if caught in light rain, but I wouldn't trust this bag in sustained precipitation.
There honestly isn't much I didn't like about this bag, and if I was a frequent traveller or needed a backpack to commute to work, this would be a top contender. But there are some things to note before you splurge on this spendy bag.
First off, the price is a bit hard to swallow. Like many Yeti products, this bag is expensive. But since it's so durable, you can be sure it'll last years and years. I've tested other Yeti products, from camp chairs and coolers to water bottles and more for years, and I've never had anything break on me. So, as long as you like the design and the details, the Ranchero backpack is a good investment.
Another small issue I have with the Ranchero, even the 27-liter version, is its capacity. Don't get me wrong, it's a good size and fits a decent amount, but it didn't fit as much as I expected. I was recently at Outdoor Market Alliance's winter media show and brought the Ranchero along to stash all the inevitable product samples and business cards I'd pick up. To my surprise, I had to make a couple of pit stops at my car to empty the bag and make more room.
The main compartment could hold one big puffy jacket, a pair of shoes and a shacket — which were all quite bulky items, to be fair. I think the Ranchero's capacity seems tighter than expected because of how rigid and durable its outer fabric is. It doesn't stretch and expand much, but in return, you get a seriously tough bag.
The elastic luggage strap can also be annoying if it's exposed while you're carrying it around, and it took me a while to find where you can stash it away. The back panel has small openings on either side that you can stuff the straps into, but they're quite narrow and a little hard to work with. However, since you probably won't be taking the straps in and out every day and it creates a super streamlined look, I don't think it's that big of a deal.
Yeti's new line of Ranchero backpacks is durable and detail-oriented. They have all the organizational needs for working from a cafe all day, but the toughness to survive a literal drop off a cliff. I really like the new three-zipper design and its sturdy, self-standing base, so if you're in the market for a new travel bag, the Yeti Ranchero might be for you.
CNN Underscored editors thoroughly test all the products we cover and provide full transparency about how we test them. We have an experienced team of writers and editors who have many years of testing experience and ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted.
For this product review, Yeti sent CNN Underscored's outdoors editor Kai Burkhardt the Ranchero 27L for early testing. He brought it climbing, to a media show and wore it around town to test it out for this review. He even (accidentally!) dropped it off a cliff.
