This cooler feels like you can roll it across anything without the handle straining or bending or the wheels breaking. We’ve covered coolers for more than seven years now, building on hundreds of hours of research and watching the category change and evolve in a myriad of ways. As the weather heats up, many of us head to nature to cool off in the shelter of trees and coolness of rivers. Whether your go-to exclusion involves fishing, camping, or road-tripping to the next town over, you’d better be stocked with snacks and drinks. Coolers are one of the most vital outdoor equipment to have on hand for the summer, providing a solution to warm beers and melted cheese.
Its ice life is among the best in the industry and its products are designed to last a lifetime. No matter which model you go with, you will get to enjoy multiple storage options. This comes thanks to both the large, insulated area as well as storage pockets on the front and/or sides. The pockets on the front will be zippered while any on the sides will be open and mesh.
It’s also easy to wipe clean and fold flat when you’re done with it. We found that this cooler can float in water, and there’s an exterior pocket for your phone or other small items. Overall, this is not the model we would expect to last the longest, as its materials and craftsmanship are not top-tier.
The HD30 is the largest in our lineup and will fit just about any odd-shaped food item you could take on your picnic. The Soft Pack features a wide lid that stays wide open for easy packing of all those refrigerated goodies. The Lifewit Large Insulated 24 and the REI Co-op Cool Trail Split Pack were exceptionally packable. The Lifewit lid unzips from the top and fully flips to the side of the cooler for total access. It stays open and upright on its own, and it has a large zippered external pocket, as well as two large mesh water bottle pockets on either side. The REI Co-op Cool Trail Split Pack top flap stays open for easy loading.
All in all, both mugs do an incredible job at insulating both hot and cold drinks for hours on end. Additionally, when holding each tumbler, I couldn’t feel any heat or chill through the material, which makes either ideal for drinking exceptionally hot or cold drinks. Watching ice melt was probably the most difficult task of the tests I performed—only because it seemed to take forever for the ice to melt in each tumbler. I started the test first thing when I got to the office and was waiting for hours on end.
The top half of the bag is a normal non-insulated pocket that can be used for hiking layers or cutlery. The cooler itself can hold 16 cans and can even pack in a wine bottle, though it does cause the pack to bend a bit. By adding a fully supportive, weight-bearing waist belt, this cooler is ideal for relieving your shoulders when you need your cooler filled to the brim with delicious picnic provisions. While the IceMule is our favorite for smaller and medium loads because of its comfortable straps and flexible body, the Trail Pack is our go-to choice for heavy cargo. It’s comfortable like a daypack and saves your shoulders over the long haul. If you’re planning to bring a handful of snacks and beverages for you and a few buddies, the comfort of the IceMule models is top-notch.
But all models could make do with a few additional color choices. Also, there is nothing in the way of custom ozark cooler colors, decals, etc. That being said, the two premium soft-sided coolers were no slouches. The tote, in real-life conditions, should hold ice for around 1 ½ days while the backpack should last a full day.
On one of the hottest days, the remote sensor reported temperatures exceeding 107 Degrees Fahrenheit while the air temp was in the high 80’s. Our sister site Alloutdoor.com recently reviewed a hiking backpack sold by Ozark Trail that had an overall stellar performance and it triggered a question among our staff. Is Walmart’s Ozark Trail brand a true sleeper, putting out products that deserve much more attention among outdoorsmen?
We also wish it had more pockets on the outside for extra items. For another backpack option, consider the RTIC Backpack 30, which boasts a big capacity with that coveted waist strap. It has a zippered top that may be easier to close, and our items inside still stayed 100% dry throughout our adventures. With a capacity of 13.2 liters, this cooler can fit 24 cans and a standard-sized wine bottle if you place it horizontally.