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I’m in a hurry! What are the best backpack coolers of 2024?
Table of Contents
- Igloo Lightweight Maxcold Insulated Gizmo
- Columbia PFG Thermal Pack Cooler
- Carhartt Insulated 24-Can Cooler Backpack
- Iculbag 48 cans Backpack Cooler
- Arctic Zone Titan Guide Backpack Cooler
- Double Leaves Backpack Cooler
- Maelstrom Backpack Cooler
- Coleman Backroads Backpack Cooler
- ICEMULE Classic Collapsible Backpack Cooler
Is it time for a backpack cooler?
Our Coleman Cooler has served us admirably for over 2 decades. We happened to see some new backpack coolers and were intrigued by the possibilities. First of all, every serious camper needs a cooler. That’s a given. So we figured, “Hey, Loonies, why not take a look at some of these fancy backpack coolers, and do a little research so that we can figure out some good ones?”
Okay, on some hiking trips, our cooler was just too bulky and heavy to schlepp around, so we have done without. The hard cold fact, though (Get it? Heh, heh, heh, cold fact) is that for most of our camping trips, a little luxury is welcome, and that means keeping our food and drinks cold. In addition, we also freeze a lot of our favorite dishes which serve as ice until it’s time to eat dinner. (You can read about that and other cool (heh) hacks in our article Camping Tips and Tricks.)
A certain amount of roughing it is fine, but we have also been known to kick back with a cold beverage and relax from time to time. The best backpack coolers make this easy, which is pretty cool. (Ya see what we did there? Whoo-hoooo!)
The Pros and Cons of Backpack Coolers.
Pros | Cons |
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We’re absolutely in love with them. As you may have noticed, our old Coleman cooler has been through the wars with us and has been terrific. We resisted the idea of a new cooler for quite a long time, believing that there was still a lot of life in the old Coleman, and that another cooler would be unnecessary. The Backpack cooler is just a horse of a different colour.
Having free hands for other stuff is great! Cycling to the beach? We’ll probably keep our old Coleman, but the backpack coolers are a game-changer.
What are the economics of backpack coolers?
We aren’t made of money, so we’re not gonna review anything over $100.00. On the other hand, you don’t want to go too cheap, because that’s a false economy. You may end up replacing it, which doesn’t save you bupkis.
If it’s well made, it will last longer, which makes it much more reasonable, especially if you use it a lot. It’s also great if you like cycling. So, no matter if you use it when car camping, on canoe trips, or just a day at the beach, its value is going to be greater. For example, we don’t remember what we paid for the Coleman 20 years ago, but it doesn’t matter, because we’ve used it so much. As a matter of fact, It’s paid for itself.
So we’re gonna keep the reviewed backpack coolers ranging from between $50.00 and $100.00. That’s the sweet spot for us.
How we know what we know about backpack coolers
To test these, we did a basic variation on this:
After about an hour or so of pre-cooling, we loaded up our frozen Chili, frozen scrambled eggs in a plastic bottle, snacks, and drinks. We drove for about 45 minutes to our favourite campsite, set things up, got out the guitar, and took out the Chilli to thaw. (We did this for everything, except we changed the chili for stews, Japanese nabe and spaghetti. We still froze them and used them for ice, it’s just that you can only eat so much chili. “Variety is the spice of life”.)
In all cases, the ice and eggs were still mostly frozen in the morning, which is pretty good. So if that’s what you’re really looking for in a backpack cooler, just pick up one of these based solely on price. You can’t go wrong. All of these will do the job. But some really shone, and we wanted to point out some extra value and mention them in this article.
The 9 Best Camping Backpack Coolers of 2024
(For between $50.00 and $100.00)
Igloo Lightweight Maxcold Insulated Gizmo 30-Can Backpack Cooler
Pros | Cons |
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We liked this one a lot. We didn’t know about the Igloo company, but it turns out they make quite a range of backpack coolers. This is the entry-level item. Check Amazon for current prices. They seem to often be on sale.
We weren’t crazy about the look, but that’s a small quibble for what you get. As always with any cooler, (and all of the coolers in this article) we “pre-cooled” it with a 500ml plastic bottle of drinking water that we put in the freezer the night before. (This is in our Tips and Tricks article, too.)
It kept the ice and the frozen scrambled eggs frozen for about 24 hours, which is all you can ask for, really. There are also some other boxes that it ticked: it seems to be well-made and durable, which is an important consideration for these times. The outside pockets are always welcome, although as noted above, the side pockets were a little bulky.
All that being said, we liked it a lot.
Columbia PFG Thermal Pack Cooler
Pros | Cons |
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Columbia is a company that has earned itself a reputation for quality outdoor gear. This was no exception. Its got a pleasing design (not that that’s very important to us, when we’re looking for a cooler) but it doesn’t hurt. This one too had some convenient pockets, but we really liked the large capacity cavity.
On the other hand, with the capacity comes weight, so it’s great for car camping, or a day at the beach but you wouldn’t want to hike any distance or portage with it. But, as we said, it does the job, kept things cold and hands free for other stuff.
The Columbia marketing was awesome, filled with classics like “ThermaCool high performance insulation with Therma-Flect radiant barrier”, and our favourite: “Exterior is constructed of Slime-Tech durable, gunk, muck, and goo resistant material”.
Somebody at Columbia needs a raise. But seriously, like all their stuff, it’s well made and will likely last for years, which makes it a pretty good value.
Stats At A Glance:
Brand | Columbia |
Color | White Cap |
Material | Polyester |
Package Information | Bag |
Capacity | 30 Liters |
Product Dimensions | 8″D x 9″W x 15.6″H (20.3cmD x 22.8cmH x39.6) |
Item Weight | 2.7 Pounds (3.17kg) |
Special Feature | Insulated |
Included Components | Backpack Cooler |
Model Name | ColumbiaPFG |
Carhartt Insulated 24-Can Cooler Backpack
Pros | Cons |
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This backpack cooler was interesting because it was the only one we reviewed that combines a traditional backpack on the top, with an insulated compartment on the bottom.
It’s an interesting idea to do the 2-in-1 thing, but we already have a perfectly good backpack. There might be some situations where this might come in handy, but it seemed to us that it compromises both things. You get a small cooler, and a small backpack.
That being said, it’s well-made and looks very sturdy. It holds about 12 cans, but that’s without ice or frozen stuff, so realistically that drops down to 9 or 10.
It does have lots of pockets which hold useful things. It might be good for concerts or a day at the beach, (We just thought of one good use: a job site) but we think there are better options for camping, whatever kind of camping you like to do.
Stats At A Glance:
Brand | Carhartt |
Color | Black |
Package Information | Bag |
Capacity | 12 cans |
Product Dimensions | 21” X 16.5” X 10”(90cm x 467.7cm x 283cm) |
Item Weight | 2.7 Pounds (3.17kg) |
Special Feature | Combines a cooler with a backpack |
Iculbag 48 cans Backpack Cooler
Pros | Cons |
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We really liked this one for its simple yet practical design. It does everything that we wanted it to do and nothing that we didn’t.
Iculbag was a new brand for us, but some of our buddies knew it well and spoke highly of it.
One of its greatest strengths is one of its greatest weaknesses. The large capacity (great!) makes it heavy. But you can’t have one without the other. It’s a package deal.
We found this to be useful in almost every application we tried. We cycled to the beach with it, took it car camping, and put it in the canoe (surprisingly stable).
The weight makes it unsuitable for long hikes, but it would be great in a base camp situation for day hikers. This one ticked all the boxes for us. It took a while to figure out how to close it, but we managed it soon enough and it became second nature.
The ice and frozen stuff lasted long enough for us to remark about it – longer than our old Coleman, which is no slouch in that department. So, yeah, we liked this a lot.
Stats At A Glance:
Brand | Iculbag |
Color | Blue |
Package Information | Bag |
Material | Waterproof 500D PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) |
Capacity | 48 cans (or 35 litres) |
Special Features | Waterproof, Leakproof, Cooling 24 hours, Collapsible, Insulated (And the beer bottle opener!) |
Arctic Zone Titan Guide Backpack Cooler
Pros | Cons |
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This was one of our favourites. We liked the design right away. It was only after reading the included material that we realized that the good folks at Arctic Zone put some thought into this. One example: Sometimes bags containing food can break and make coolers pretty messy. (Once we had a freezer bag full of Chili start to leak, and we were cleaning that Coleman for a week!) We’re gonna come right out and say it: Cleaning coolers suck.
Therefore, when we read about the antimicrobial protection, that sounded great to us.
As we say in Nova Scotia: “Keep your fork, Duke, there’s pie!” (That means, but wait, there’s more!)
A litre bottle of drinking water that we froze in the freezer lasted for damn near two days, which is remarkable. (Although we have to note that this was in the early Spring, and the weather was not that hot yet. But still.)
In addition, the main bag holds 30 cans – but you have to allow for ice, so for practical purposes you can probably only fit 25 or so. If you take it all around, that’s still a pretty big capacity. The Pros definitely outweigh the Cons, to us.
The straps were comfortable, and there was a Sternum strap for the front, which is always nice. However, if this thing is full of food and beer, you’re not gonna want to take a long hike with it. (Just calling balls and strikes, here.)
Still, this is one of our favourites.
Stats At A Glance:
Brand | Arctic Zone |
Color | Blue and black |
Package Information | Bag |
Capacity | 30 cans |
Special Features | Waterproof, Leakproof, Antimicrobial Protection, Preserves ice for over 24 hours |
Double Leaves Backpack Cooler
Pros | Cons |
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This is one tough-looking backpack cooler! We loved the design, and there are some really thoughtful features. We were knocked out with the convenience of the detachable bag for cutlery or O-hashi. (Chopsticks. It’s big enough for several chopstick boxes, too.)
As a matter of fact, when we noticed that Double Leaves offers something called “Lifetime Quality Support”, we started to get really interested.
Another thing we liked was the reinforced bottom, which feels different from the main body and inspires confidence. We don’t often take wine when camping, but the side pockets inspired us to pack some red for our yakiniku. (Barbecue). It’s useful for packing out the empty, too. (“Leave No Trace”).
Another backpack cooler with a bottle opener! (But don’t forget your cork screw! We were inspired to pick one up just for the camp kitchen box!) We’re gonna start making that a habit.
It has a large capacity and lots of pockets. We really liked it.
Stats At A Glance:
Brand | Double Leaves |
Color | Black |
Material | Polyester |
Package Information | Bag |
Capacity | 54 cans |
Product Dimensions | 6.69″D x 13.39″W x 17.72″H (189.6cmD x 379.6cmW x 502.3cmH) |
Item Weight | 1.4 Kilograms |
Special Features | Portable, Waterproof, Leak Proof, Detachable Cutlery Box |
Maelstrom Cooler Backpack
Pros | Cons |
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This backpack cooler has a useful amount of pockets, but the one that we really liked was the “secret” pocket on the back for your wallet or keys.
It has a large capacity and separate compartments for food and drinks. That’s pretty useful for keeping things organized.
It’s a durable-looking backpack cooler, made of strong, confidence-inspiring nylon. We liked the fact that the straps can be adjusted, and the foam back was pretty comfortable. Here’s another backpack cooler with a bottle opener! All of you manufacturers should be looking into that. Great. But where’s our corkscrew? Huh? Huh?
Stats At A Glance:
Brand | Maelstrom |
Color | White and Black |
Material | Polyester/Nylon |
Package Information | Bag, Cans (50) |
Capacity | 36 Liters |
Product Dimensions | 8″D x 21″W x 13.5″H(226.8cmD x 595.3cmW x 382.7cmH) |
Item Weight | 2.67 Pounds (1.2kg) |
Special Features | Insulated, Lightweight, Foam Back for comfort |
Model Name | 50 cans cooler backpack |
See Amazon for the price.
Coleman Backroads Backpack Cooler
Pros | Cons |
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Okay, so you must have known we were gonna throw in a Coleman product somewhere! You’re probably thinking “You’ve been flapping your gums about your old Coleman so much the company ought to be paying you a commission!”
Guilty. We have a brand loyalty after 20 years of great service. We’re gonna review this honestly, however.
Okay, we think it looks durable, with a waxed canvas exterior. It’s not a beauty queen, but that’s not what we need, to be frank. (Have you seen our old Coleman?) The capacity was not as much as some of the others reviewed here, but it ought to be enough for anyone.
It has padded shoulder straps that can be adjusted, a sternum strap, and waist straps that were pretty effective in distributing the weight. It kept the food and drinks cold for about a full day.
There’s a large front zippered pocket for whatever you need to put there, and the wax exterior looks pretty waterproof to us. Holy mackerel! Here’s another backpack cooler with a bottle opener, this one in a front zippered pocket.
It looks durable, and given our experience with this company, we think it’s certainly worth your consideration. It seems to be on sale from time to time, so check Amazon for the price regularly.
Stats At A Glance:
Brand | Coleman |
Color | Gray |
Item Weight | 2.03 Pounds (0.92kg) |
Special Features | Waist and sternum straps |
Included Components | Backpack Cooler |
Recommended Uses For Product | Camping |
Model Name | Heritage |
Product Care Instructions | Hand Wash Only |
Pattern | Solid |
ICEMULE Classic Collapsible Backpack Cooler
Pros | Cons |
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When we first saw this, we thought “This is cool”. The design was completely unique to us. First, it’s not truly a backpack cooler. To us, a backpack has two straps, and this has one. One strap causes it to slip around. You might have experienced that with your gig bag for your guitar or your over-the-shoulder carry-all. It’s no fun to be shoving it back into place all the time.
On the plus side, it feels very well-made. In fact, extremely tough looking. In addition, we liked that it was collapsible; storage when not in use is something to always consider with a cooler, so we appreciated that.
Here’s another company that was new to us, but we expect big things from them. This cooler has an interesting design, it’s just that we’re all about practicality, and the capacity was a little too small. ( I know a lot of picnic people who might find this perfect. But we’re campers, and this is simply not large enough.)
There’s nothing wrong with the performance, it kept things cold for a long time, just not that many things. It just felt like a one-meal cooler. If that’s what you’re after, the quality of this thing is unbelievable.
Check Amazon for the price.
Stats At A Glance:
Brand | IceMule |
Color | Many |
Material | MuleSkin |
Package Information | Bag |
Capacity | 10 Liters (9 Cans) |
Product Dimensions | 9”L x 9”W x 18”H (255.1cmL x 255.1cmW x 510.2cmH) |
Item Weight | 1.6 Pounds(0.72kg) |
Special Features | Insulated, floats even when full |
Included Components | Backpack Cooler |
Recommended Uses For Product | Picnics, day trips |
Model Name | Classic Small 10L |
In Conclusion:
We hope you find this article helpful. It was a lot of fun to write and research. We will continue to produce content like this, so if you find it useful, tell your friends.
Here are some other articles you might find useful:
- The Best 9 Camping Cots of 2024
- How to waterproof your tent
- Fire Safety and how to build a campfire
- The 9 Easiest, Most Delicious Camping Foods
- The Benefits of Camping
See you out there!