He's been using coolers for camping, picnics, fly fishing, beach trips, paddleboarding, road trips, grocery store missions, and bringing back beer from the local brewery via bike.

Nathan Allen is TripSavvy's Outdoor Gear Editor.

If she's not working or on the road, you can find her paying yet another visit to one of Berlin's incredible museums, hitting the dance floor, or exploring the city's wonderfully dynamic restaurant scene. Based in Berlin, Germany, she has been published in Conde Nast Traveler, Jetsetter, National Geographic Traveler, and. Krystin Arneson has been writing for TripSavvy since 2018. Chances are you won’t just be carrying drinks inside of it-you’ll probably want to bring along some snacks at some point-and in the case of a sudden downpour, it’ll keep water from getting inside. You might do well to look out for waterproof exteriors and zippers in your search. While it might seem like coolers are inherently waterproof, many aren’t. Also, think about what types of trips or excursions you need the cooler for cheaper coolers might not have some pretty nice-to-have functions-like leak-proof zippers-that more expensive models do. If you're only using it to tailgate twice a year, you may want to look into cheaper options. It breaks down to how often or how frequently you anticipate using it: If you golf or go fishing every weekend, getting a well-built cooler that offers features like easy portability or extended insulation time might be worth the money. Price-per-use is always a good metric to start assessing your ideal price point. Expect the latter to weigh a little more-and consider getting one with wheels if you go that direction.Ĭoolers are one of those items where, within a specific range, what you pay for is what you get. Look for lightweight coolers if you’re planning to carry them long distances soft-side coolers tend to be among the lightest options, though they don’t protect the contents quite like hard-sided coolers. To get an idea of how much you'll really be able to fit, deduct a few cans from the overall capacity.Ĭoolers filled with drinks are already heavy enough, so you don’t need the cooler itself to be super-heavy. Most coolers are measured by how many cans or bottles they can hold-but keep in mind that you’ll want to save room for some ice and maybe a few snacks. What to Look for in a Small Cooler Capacity Size: 10 x 11.5 x 12.6 | Weight: 3.1 pounds | Capacity: 12 cans with a 2-to-1 ice ratio Has it always been worth it to us? Absolutely. We've also had luck with it holding ice for days during camping trips. We once transported ice cream in it during a six-hour drive from Mammoth Lakes to Ventura County, California, and there was basically no melt. We've been using this cooler for over a year now, and it's definitely our go-to for picnics, beach days, and fishing trips. Although Yetis can be heavy, this one weighs just around 3 pounds. Yeti's HydroLok zipper claims to be 100-percent leakproof. The only thing worse than a cooler that doesn't cool is a cooler that leaks, but worry not-this one is built specifically to protect against that. We also love that the company's proprietary DryHide Shell delivers it's both waterproof and mildew-resistant and is incredibly durable, thanks to the HazMat suit material. We like the 12, which is perfect for an afternoon out at the beach-and they'll stay cold with Yeti's ColdCell closed-cell foam insulation. The Yeti Hopper Flip comes in three sizes measured by the number of cans it can hold with ice-8, 12, and 18. We're not saying that $250 isn't a lot to drop on a little cooler, but this might be worth the investment if you're outdoors every weekend.

Yeti hopper flip 12