How to choose the right cooler for a camping trip? The first aspect to consider is the cooler’s size, which directly corresponds to the number of days and the size of your party. You’ll also want to consider the season – the warmer it is, the more insulation and ice retention your cooler will need to provide to actually keep your drinks and perishables cool. Lastly, durability and build quality obviously matter a lot, so before you commit to a purchase, spend plenty of time researching and reading online reviews to get a feel for your selected model and its performance. We discuss the topic of best coolers for camping in-depth in the rest of the article.
Why Coolers Are an Essential Part of Your Trip
Traveling through the wild is exhilarating yet physically demanding work. Experienced campers will know that meal planning to have sufficient energy on the hikes is an important part of any pre-trip preparations. The same goes for hydration, especially in the summer, if you want to get the most out of your hiking experience.
Keeping your fluid intake at an appropriate level to keep you going as UV rays mercilessly pummel you is a key sun protection tip for hikers. When the temperatures rise high, chilling that drink will bring a lot more relief than what lukewarm water can offer. This makes coolers much more than a convenience – they should be a staple tool to take with you on your trip.
How to Choose the Right Cooler for Your Camping Trip: Key Considerations
As established, coolers are tools, and just like any other tool in your box, they need to be tailored to your needs. Otherwise, their usefulness crumbles. Below, we outline key criteria to keep in mind when picking the best cooler for your camping needs:
Size and Capacity
The physical volume of the cooler will translate to the number of drinks and perishables you can keep chilled at any given time. If you only ever go on trips by yourself, buying a chunky implement that can house up to 20 items is definitely overkill. Therefore, consider the following factors that impact the adequate cooler size:
- Size of your party
- Typical trip length
- What you’ll be storing
- Total weight
Depending on the above considerations, the larger the cooler will need to be, the more items you need to fit in it. Simple, right? Carefully thinking this through will allow you to select a cooler suited to perfectly serve you on solo or group adventures.
Insulation & Ice Retention
How well the cooler insulates its content from the outside will separate top-shelf picks from average ones. Most premium-quality coolers feature walls that are up to 2 inches in thickness to keep the ice frozen for days at a time. In contrast, cheaper models may only offer subpar ice retention, which may lead to unwanted surprises in the form of spoiled food.
Modern coolers tend to rely on rotomolding technology to provide the best insulation possible. If that’s what you need, it might be worth spending extra on a top-of-the-line cooler that keeps food fresh and cool for the longest.
Durability
Another essential factor concerns the build quality of your chosen cooler. Using it out in nature will often come with the inherent risk of bumps, drops, and rough handling in all kinds of weather conditions. If you’re mostly carrying fragile containers like glass bottles, a soft cooler made with fabric is out of the question.
Additionally, some coolers come equipped with wheels to make transport easier – make sure the wheels are good quality as well, otherwise, they might break, bend or twist at the sight of the slightest bump.
Lastly, consider whether your cooler needs to be bear-resistant. An IGBC certification means the cooler has been sufficiently tested and is built out of reinforced material to withstand a bear attack – a critical factor when camping out in bear country, but not really necessary otherwise.
Check Cooler Reviews Before Buying
As with any piece of camping gear, prudent practice dictates that you thoroughly research the subject before hard-committing and pressing that “Proceed to Checkout” button. Do your best to thoroughly research what others are saying about the cooler you’re considering. Does it stand up to the manufacturer’s claims? How does it stack up against the environments you plan to use it in? How long is its projected lifespan? Try to seek out answers to these and other questions through honest feedback from other users who tested the product. You could be saving yourself a good couple hundred bucks.
Best Camping Coolers - The Takeaway
How to choose the right cooler for a camping trip? Consider how many people you’ll need to accommodate, the length of your trip, and the quality of the cooler. Adjust these factors based on your needs to select a cooler best suited to your camping style. Also, don’t neglect online reviews! Researching all aspects of a cooler’s performance will help you make the right call, save money, and enhance your camping trips with a perfectly cold beverage anytime you need it.
You may also read: The Best Multi-Tools for Outdoor Adventures