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Backpack Coolers Fit for an Adventure (or Just a Day at the Beach)

These coolers allow for easy, hands-free cold drinks on all your excursions this summer.

With summer approaching, outdoor activities under the sun become increasingly frequent. Floats down the river, hangouts at the beach, hikes in the mountains. What makes a fun outdoor activity even better? Cold drinks and good sandwiches. The one obstacle is the cooler. Who’s going to lug an entire cooler halfway up a mountain on a hike or drown it in water on the river? Some people might, but all it will end in is frustration.

Read more in:

Sunset’s Outdoor Living Issue 2022

More from this issue:

1 /8 Courtesy of Food52

Oniva Portable Backpack Cooler

This backpack cooler can hold up to 30 cans inside, with an insulated, water-resistant lining inside. The roll-top lining makes picnicking and backpacking both easier, fit for all your needs.

Oniva Portable Backpack Cooler, $53
2 /8 Courtesy of Hydroflask

20 L Day Escape Soft Cooler Pack

The waterproof design makes this cooler the perfect product to accompany you to the river, lake, or beach. The insulation guarantees your contents 36 hours chilled and is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the safety of your food and drinks inside.

20 L Day Escape Soft Cooler Bag, $200
3 /8 Courtesy of Corkcicle

Eola Bucket Cooler Bag

Coming in six trendy and eye-catching colors, this cooler backpack serves both style and practicality. The padded, adjustable straps add an extra level of comfort for your outing.

Eola Bucket Cooler Bag, $160
4 /8 Courtesy of REI

Cool Trail Split Pack Cooler

This practical cooler has two compartments. The removable leakproof cooler on the bottom for your drinks and a regular cinch bag for your gear on top. With a cooler on your back, there’s usually no room for the rest of your needs if on a long hike, so this backpack brings you a solution for both.

REI Co-op Cool Trail Split Cooler, $80
5 /8 Courtesy of The Get Out

The Get Out Cooler Bag

This hard-sided backpack cooler comes in three colors and is designed to be tall enough to pack a wine bottle. With its insulated, waterproof lining on the inside, this cooler is sure to keep your drinks cold all day.

Cooler Bag, $250
6 /8 Courtesy of Brumate

Backtap Backpack Cooler

This cooler doubles as a tap. Pour beer straight into the cooler, or stack between 12 and 14 cans (depending on the can shape) into the backpack and open them at the beach. It’s fit for big groups and turns a gathering into a party.

Backtap Backpack Cooler, $200
7 /8 Courtesy of Ice Mule

Ice Mule Jaunt

This fun pattern adds a bit of style to your accessory and comes in six different color options. Comfortable and easy to carry, this backpack is a must-have!

Jaunt 15L, $100

8 /8 Courtesy of YETI

Hopper Backpack Soft Cooler

The trusty YETI cooler. This backpack can be worn all the time, in any condition. With the use of powerful magnets to seal the top, you can keep your contents cool for hours on end.

Hopper Backpack Soft Cooler, $325

The perfect solution: backpack coolers. Lightweight and stylish, they will become a new staple of your summer adventures. Refresh yourself with a taste of cool beer or a swig of ice-cold water; both taste that much better after a long day out in the sun. Take a bite out of your turkey sandwich at the top of an ambitious hike, and the shock of bread that isn’t soggy will have you absolutely hooked on this cooler!

From fun colors to stylish shapes and vegan leather materials, you have a wide variety of backpacks to choose from depending on what you want from it. They’re all hardcore and versatile, and each serves the same purpose, using different approaches. Some are more fashionable, others are waterproof, some soft-sided and others hard-sided. They are all successful at keeping your food and drinks cold inside.

Elevate your summer excursion with some ice-cold drinks, hands free! Take a hike out in the Rockies, float down the Colorado River, walk to waterfalls in Hawaii, or enjoy a beach day in San Diego. All the while, you’ll be prepared with food and drinks that will not only give you energy but still taste good after miles of distance.

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