The Renetto Original Canopy Chair, a cleverly designed specialty seat, is ideal for anyone who wants sun protection and doesn’t mind a heavier, bulkier chair. Despite the Renetto’s weight, our testers found it easy to carry and ozark trail canopy simple to set up and adjust. We discovered that even though most testers had not previously considered a shade-equipped camp chair, once they used one they appreciated the comfort and convenience of built-in sun blocking.
The Arctic Zone Titan Deep Freeze 30 offers great utility for a steal. Despite having some of the thinnest insulation of any model we tested, it maintained recommended food temperatures for a little over two days, which was right around the group average. The zipperless design for the main compartment makes it completely painless to use, and the hard plastic interior makes it simple to pack.
And if you’re looking for a wagon designed to tote kids around in, see our guide to stroller wagons. But after half a dozen excursions, we found—as we had with the Renetto Original Canopy Chair—that having a chair you can easily carry without a bag is preferable. In real-world conditions, you’re often packing up fast to try to get ahead of crowds or traffic.
After many years, its durable construction has proven worth the investment, with consistent performance, unchanged over time, and even looking like we bought it last week. I spent six hours researching folding wagons (sometimes called utility wagons), first identifying popular models and looking at the technology involved. To find out which features people value most in wagons, I surveyed half a dozen individuals who regularly pull or push loads of stuff—from groceries to gardening supplies to toddlers. I also visited a handful of outdoor-gear stores to see what models they recommend. This lightweight bag resembles a traditional backpack, with plenty of pockets and mesh bottle holders.
From the best camping stoves and top portable fire pits to the best camping tents and coziest and top-rated sleeping bags, we’ve got the scoop on the gear that’s worth your money (and the stuff that isn’t). Soft coolers offer portability and versatility that traditional hard coolers can’t. From lunchboxes to beach days, we meticulously put these soft-shelled sidekicks through the paces, side-by-side, to discover which are the best insulators, the supremely rugged, and the sensationally portable. We fully loaded these coolers, walked with them for miles, and went through hundreds of pounds of ice.
Though not completely waterproof, we still find ourselves reaching for its straightforward functionality and above-average insulation time and time again. The most inexpensive cooler we generally recommend is the Arctic Zone Titan. It’s surprisingly easy to use and handy for infrequent use at a bargain price. The AO loses some points since its exterior and zipper are not waterproof, though the regular zipper is much easier to use than waterproof ones, which typically require a lot more tugging. And though its hull isn’t as stiff and impenetrable as some of the others we tested, it’s still pretty strong and well-constructed. Lastly, this model lacks the high-end look of the more premium models in our test, but that may not matter to you.
All this adds up to a comprehensive review, which will thoroughly equip you to make a well-suited soft cooler purchase. However, it’s not the most durable, and its insulation performance is lacking. Though we didn’t see any major issues throughout our tests, we found the attachment points and zippers to be on the weaker side. With this in mind, the bag isn’t waterproof, and the zipper tends to leak. During our cleaning test, we had a bit of trouble with this backpack.
Any gear’s durability comes down to a few simple factors—the quality of its materials and components, the method of construction, and the overall design. The coolers we tested feature a wide variety and quality of materials. We assessed durability over months of use, paying attention to how they handle daily rigors. We threw them around, dropped them on the ground, and filled them to the brim with heavy drinks. We also packed, emptied, repacked, and bounced them around in back seats and truck beds, left them out in the sun for hours, strapped them into water-logged boats, and anything else we could think of. The clear winners in this class are the backpack-style coolers, as the weight distribution across both shoulders and resting behind you will almost always beat out a unilateral carry.
Many of these coolers have handy features that add to their overall convenience. Both the Engle Roll Top and Arctic Zone Titan Zipperless come with bottle openers on the outsides ozark trail chair of the bag, though we struggled to effectively use the one on the Titan. The Engel and IceMule include air valves, which help eliminate excess warm air within the bag.
The Trail Split, Pack Away, AO 24 Pack, and the Maelstrom Backpack 35 all have traditional, user-friendly zippers and just the right amount of handy design elements and features. The AO 24 features clips on the ends of the top zipper and a single long external pocket with plenty of space to bring along dry items and your favorite binoculars. The Pack Away adds to this design with four 3-loop daisy chains located around the body of the bag, and the ability to fold flat — adding capacity and making it easier to store when not in use. Meanwhile, the Maelstrom and the Trail Split have a traditional backpack style that’s easy to get in and out of.