Author
Field Mag Editors
While most of the mainstream attention on coolers in recent years has focused on the heavy-duty, bear-proof options (cough Yeti cough), many brands have quietly been innovating with and investing in wearable, soft sided coolers too. These backpack coolers are less flashy, but way more functional for folks looking to camp away from the parking lot or simply carry some coldies to the local swimming hole. (Tailgating and backyard BBQ-ing in your Carhartts are fair game too.)
Ranging in size, price, design, and intended use, the following options represent our top picks for the best backpack coolers for any adventure.
The 9 Best Cooler Backpacks for Summer Fun
Best Overall: Hydro Flask Unbound Soft Cooler Pack
We're big fans of Hydro Flask's insulated offerings here at FM HQ—so much so we hauled a ridiculous number of them across Oregon while bikepacking the Outback Trail. The Day Escape Soft Cooler Pack is just another reason to love the brand. This waterproof cooler has 20 liters of storage space to haul 36 of your favorite 12-ounce canned beverages and keep their contents as cold as an igloo for up to 36 hours thanks to Hydroflask’s Smart Insulation, which reinforces areas more susceptible to losing precious chill. We also like its flexible mesh side pocket, which is sized perfectly for carrying one of the brand’s 32-ounce vacuum bottles for easy access to a cool sip of water between can crushes. Extra functionality is on-hand thanks to two tote-style grab handles and a watertight zipper. This cooler also comes with a nifty five-year warranty.
Capacity: 20 liters; 36 cans (without ice)
Claimed Cold Retention: 36 hours
Weight: 2 lbs 10 oz
Price: $200
Best for Trail Cred: Yeti Hopper M20 Backpack Cooler
Yeti is the biggest name in the cooler game for a reason, but it mainly has to do with its rugged and high-end hard coolers. Nonetheless, the Hopper M20 Backpack Cooler, a follow-up to the popular Yeti Hopper Backflip, is just as adept at keeping perishables ice cold and is handsome, functional, and designed to last years. It can hold up to 20 cans, features a zipper-free, magnetic closure that secures with two buckles and lots of webbing lash points, and can accommodate a number of Yeti's add-ons (like its excellent ice packs). * Editor's Note: Yeti recently recalled this cooler along with other models because the magnets in the lid can be dangerous if ingested should they fall out. More info here.*
Capacity: 36 cans or 22 lbs of ice or 7 wine bottles
Claimed Cold Retention: not specified
Weight: 5 lbs 9.6 oz
Price: $325
Best for Short Trips: IceMule Pro X-Large Cooler
With a design based on the classic rolltop dry bag, the water-resistant IceMule Pro X-Large Cooler is the largest of our recommended lot. While it certainly won’t keep items frozen as long as the competitors, it is a lightweight backpack, and packs down quite small when empty. Consider this the best option for mellow day trips to the beach or park, hilltop hikes, or kayak trips, when a day's worth of cold is perfectly adequate. It's also remarkably easy to clean out when the drinks are gone and the ice melts. (For a more heavy-duty option from Icemule that includes side and front pockets, check out the Icemule Boss ($375).)
Capacity: 33 liters; 24 cans plus ice
Claimed Cold Retention: 24+ hours
Weight: not specified
Price: $145
Best Removable Cooler: REI Co-Op Cool Trail Split Pack Cooler
A smart design from outdoor retailer REI, the Cool Trail pack cooler lives up to its name by stacking a dry storage compartment atop an insert-equipped lower cooler compartment that’s accessed by a zipper spanning the width of the pack, opening up like a hamburger bun. The leakproof cooler insert is easily removable when not needed, and can even be used in other bags you already own, which provides additional versatile appeal here. The bag also includes many features you'd find in a solid day pack, like a padded back panel, two pairs of buckling webbing straps that are permanently attached and useful for packing bulky items like a camp chair or blanket should you max out the cargo space of the main compartment, and exterior pockets on the side and in the lid. It all adds up to the perfect picnic backpack.
Capacity: 31.5 liters; cooler compartment holds 12 cans plus 6 lbs ice
Claimed Cold Retention: 40 hours
Weight: 2 lbs 8 oz
Price: $80
Best Colors: RTIC Backpack Cooler
This waterproof, insulated backpack cooler from RTIC includes a full bag of ice in its stated 20 or 30-can capacity rating. Should you decide to put it to the test, all of that weight is easily managed by a pair of wide shoulder straps that include a sternum strap and supportive hip belt. Once at your hydration destination, it’ll stand itself up on any mostly-even surface. Welded seams and a waterproof zipper keep water from getting in or out while adding the bonus feature of buoyancy for a day out on rivers, streams, and oceans.
Capacity: 20 cans or 30 cans plus a bag of ice
Claimed Cold Retention: not specified
Weight: not specified
Price: $170+
Best for Dry/Wet Organization: Pelican Dayventure Backpack Cooler
Pelican does not mess around with the rugged protective products it puts out, and its cooler products are no exception. The Dayventure Backpack Cooler is divided in two, with a lower compartment that's insulated with high-density closed-cell foam, accessible by a waterproof zipper, and has enough space for a six pack. (It could even be a good spot for your camera or electronics on a day when severe weather poses a threat.) The top portion of the bag offers a decent amount of weather protection for dry goods in a main compartment that’s accessed by a dry sack style closure and a flap lid secured with an adjustable strap. Pelican also offers the Dayventure Sling Cooler ($170) should you just need a container for cooling.
Capacity: 18 liters; 6 cans in lower compartment
Claimed Cold Retention: not specified
Weight: 9 lbs 4.8 oz
Price: $290
Best for Hydrating: CamelBak ChillBak Pack 30 Soft Cooler & Hydration Center
CamelBak's first cooler stays true to the brand's hydration roots thanks to a high-quality, one-of-a-kind design that includes a six-liter reservoir for water that's accessible from the cooler's exterior. But the ChillBak isn't just another CamelBak—this backpack cooler is perfect for day hikes to swimming hole spots or even backcountry camping trips with its comfy closed-cell foam backpack straps and pack panel, plus a chest strap and hip belt. There's also an exterior mesh pocket, and the roll-top design has room for extra goods up top. And the cooler itself? Thanks to high-grade foam insulation, it boasts an ice retention of 72 hours for keeping drinks cold, but you'll probably drink and eat everything you can carry in it before that long.
Capacity: 24 cans and 15 lbs ice
Claimed Cold Retention: 72 hours
Weight: not specified
Price: $300
Best for Wine: Corkcicle Eola Bucket Cooler Bag
Beverage product brand Corkcicle made their initial splash with their namesake product, the Corkcicle Air in-bottle wine chiller. But should you need to portage more than one bottle of natty wine to a scenic location, the brand's fashionable Eola Bucket Cooler Bag is sure to be of some hands-free help in getting your Pét-Nat on the go. The tapered shape of the insulated bag is optimized to carry twelve 12-ounce cans or two full size 750-milliliter wine bottles with eight cans. Take whichever combination suits your glou glou needs and leave the Bota bag at home. Bottle opener not included.
Capacity: 12 cans or 8 cans and 2 wine bottles
Claimed Cold Retention: not specified
Weight: 12.8 oz
Price: $160
Best Budget Cooler Backpack: Coleman XPAND 30-Can Soft Cooler Backpack
With a day pack-inspired design that includes a padded back panel and straps, a mesh side pocket, and another front exterior pocket for small items, the XPAND packs a lot of features into a very affordable cooler backpack. The bag is comfy enough for full day outdoor adventures—which is about as long as it'll keep its contents cold for—which makes it a solid option for beach days and quick hikes. There's an exterior bungee for bringing along a blanket, towel, or extra layer too. Durability and waterproofing are the sacrifices you'll make with that low price here, but it does come with a one-year warranty.
Capacity: 30 cans
Claimed Cold Retention: 34 hours
Weight: 2 lbs 13.8 oz
Price: $43
Published 05-03-2023
