Just about every other daypack I’ve had falls apart under the weight of my books (med school). I also like the fact that for my outdoor activities, it’s designed to hold a hydration bladder. It even has a rain cover built in, which is great when I’m riding my bicycle across town on a rainy day. Because backpack coolers are a type of soft cooler, many use open-cell foam because it’s more flexible while still insulating, though not as well as the closed-cell foam of a hard cooler. However, there are a few backpack coolers that do use closed-cell foam. Closed-cell insulates better but generally costs and weighs more, so be sure you’re willing to pay literally and figuratively for the increased performance.
Think about how you’ll use this cooler and look for models that cater to your pursuits. We narrowed it down to 15 popular choices to test in our New York City lab and in the real world. We picked items that had a wide range of price points and uses. Igloo’s Reactor backpack cooler performs nearly as well as coolers priced hundreds of dollars more than it. In terms of ice and cold-retention, after 24 hours, the Reactor had amounts of solid ice similar to the IceMule Boss and IceMule Pro.
While it didn’t do as well at cold and ice-retention as other packs we tested, our testers loved how comfortable and easy it was to carry. They also enjoyed the cooler pack’s simplistic design and school backpack feel. One main issue with this pack is the leaking through the zipper. Our ozark trail canopy testers noted that this pack couldn’t be turned upside down if you use loose ice, which inevitably melts. But don’t let the simple design fool you—the Pro has some suped-up tech and features, making this pack a great option, especially if going onto the water is in your outdoor plans.
Many of the creeks and streams look crystal clear, but it’s still smart to make sure any impurities are removed with pumps or tablets before drinking. Backpacking stoves are a convenient way to boil water for dehydrated ozark trail chair meals and instant coffee without adding a lot of weight to your pack. Get your questions about the Ozark Trail 35L Convertible Backpack Duffel answered from our team and the Pro Community right here on the page.
We also found we could actually pack the claimed 24 cans with room for ice. Walmart claims the cooler will hold ice for days and our testing proved that’s likely in most conditions ozark trail canopy (we have not tested it in extreme heat yet). Our testers were impressed by how intact the ice remained after a few hours, especially compared to other more expensive coolers.
As we performed all of these tests, we gave scores for insulation, design, capacity, portability, and durability (on a scale of 1 to 5) for each cooler. Before heading out on your next hike or other outdoor adventure, make sure to grab the Ozark Trail 14 Liter Hydration Hiking Backpack. This 14L pack is designed for maximum versatility so you can focus on the great outdoors. It features two main compartments for maximum storage and organization, as well as a shove pocket with a clean, gusseted design for carrying extra items.
After 24 hours, the RTIC still had about 50 percent solid ice, on par with Yeti’s Hopper BackFlip cooler. Also similar to the Hopper BackFlip, RTIC employs some serious premium insulation to help keep contents inside the cooler cold. Like the Yeti Hopper BackFlip, IceMule’s Boss is heavy-duty, rugged, and spendy.
Plus, join discussions with other members about gear, guides, and more. To help us better protect your account security, please check the CAPTCHA box below. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Wetlands give way to ridgelines at the start of the Blair Creek section. The 26-mile route follows Blair Creek south as it carves down a valley through oak-hickory-pine forest before merging with the emerald waters of the Current River.