Flexible cooler for travel

[Scuba]

DH and I enjoy beach vacations and often go to a beach for the entire day. If the vacation rental we’re in doesn’t provide a cooler, we usually buy one and leave it behind for the next guest. I was thinking about buying a flexible one that we could pack in luggage, but it seems that most of the good ones are pretty rigid.

Anyone here travel with a cooler that is flexible enough to go inside luggage but also keeps ice cold for 12+ hours?

 

[kitesurfer2]

the grocery store sells a plastic insulated bag that we have used before. $3 or so

 

[DrRoy]

Search on Amazon. They are out there.

 

[folivier]

polarbearcoolers.com and others make nice durable soft coolers. And durable enough to use as luggage! That's what we usually do, use a smaller one for a carry-on or the larger one as a checked bag. Really nice as a padded bag for cameras, laptops, etc.

 

[braumeister]

I've found that most decent sized supermarkets carry styrofoam coolers that are good enough and cost less than $5. I just leave it behind when I go.

For more serious efforts I have an RTIC cooler (it's a YETI knockoff) that does a fantastic job but is very, very heavy.

 

[Dawg52]

For more serious efforts I have an RTIC cooler (it's a YETI knockoff) that does a fantastic job but is very, very heavy.

I have one of their soft coolers. Light and does a pretty good job. I'm sure the hardshell ones maintains the ice better tho.

 

[Scuba]

Thanks. I wondered if the Yeti is worth the money. I researched several online yesterday but couldn’t find many that looked flexible enough to fold up and pack inside checked luggage. We want something that will keep ice, drinks and food cold for a day in the sun so the grocery store cooler bags likely won’t do the job. Trader Joe’s does sell a pretty nice one that might be an option, but I think the grocery store ones are just intended to keep stuff cool for an hour or two in the trunk of a car. We want something we could easily take with us from island to island.

 

[skipro33]

Check sporting goods stores for soft sided fish bags. These are bags designed to carry ice and when a fisherman catches a fish, he puts the fish in the bag. Most are roll-up with clips/straps and look like a mini sleeping bag when stored. They are water tight/fish stink tight as well.

Here's a photo of one from Walmart;
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Silver-H..._IgMFAaBMyEZN-qglxR5M-CEQYFRyqHUaAjJoEALw_wcB
Prices vary by size. This one is $40

 

[COcheesehead]

Google "Igloo collapsible cooler." They have a bunch and you can buy them all over the place.

 

[bloom2708]

Walmart's "Ozark Trail" brand stacks up pretty decent vs. Yeti and the spendier options.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-Premium-24-Can-Cooler/55187091

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Premium-Backpack-Cooler/169497894

 

[Bir48die]

Depends on how much you want to hold. Usually 12 pack soft coolers will handle drinks and a couple sandwiches. Have three roller soft pack coolers (like carry on luggage) but obviously not good for sand.

 

[Texas Proud]

The problem is that most soft coolers have a rigid plastic liner inside... we just remove that and use what is left... some are not as water tight as you would like... others are really good...


But I am like others, buy at Wally World for $15 or so and leave if needed... we were able to pack the one we just bought and brought it home.. but the ridged part did get a crack at the top but still good to use..

 

[RunningBum]

You don't necessarily have to fold them up. Stuff clothes or especially breakables in there if the bag will fit in your luggage. Or use it as a carry on bag as was suggested. I have a cheap soft cooler, it leaks water pretty badly when ice melts so I take along ziplock bags to keep ice in.

 

[COZICAN]

I carry-on a playmate ice chest. Great to have at destination and solid to pack breakables. Can't pass by Mexico police with it though; they all have to look inside even if it's empty.

Coz

 

[Scuba]

Check sporting goods stores for soft sided fish bags. These are bags designed to carry ice and when a fisherman catches a fish, he puts the fish in the bag. Most are roll-up with clips/straps and look like a mini sleeping bag when stored. They are water tight/fish stink tight as well.

Here's a photo of one from Walmart;
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Silver-H..._IgMFAaBMyEZN-qglxR5M-CEQYFRyqHUaAjJoEALw_wcB
Prices vary by size. This one is $40

Love this idea! Thanks.

 

[Scuba]

Thanks for the ideas. I like the idea of one that folds up so that we aren’t forced to use it as our carry-on, and also a flexible vs rigid design would work well for us because what we carry varies a lot. A more flexible bag could hold some combination of food in Tupperware, bottles of wine, ice, plastic glasses, rum punch, water, etc. Some of the other bags seem more focused on cooling cans which is not a common need for us.

 

[NorthNola]

while planning my road trip to the Utah Mighty Five national parks two summers ago (when people were getting 2nd degree burns just from opening their car doors) I researched a ton of coolers that would keep things cool for a long time and that I could pack for the flight to Vegas. I love the Ice Mule and would recommend it. I used it as my carry on for the trip home and put my clothes and laptop in it.

https://icemulecoolers.com/products/the-icemule-pro-large

 

[Scuba]

while planning my road trip to the Utah Mighty Five national parks two summers ago (when people were getting 2nd degree burns just from opening their car doors) I researched a ton of coolers that would keep things cool for a long time and that I could pack for the flight to Vegas. I love the Ice Mule and would recommend it. I used it as my carry on for the trip home and put my clothes and laptop in it.

https://icemulecoolers.com/products/the-icemule-pro-large

Thanks. Would the Ice Mule work well with water bottles and food rather than cans? We usually pack our cooler with water bottles filled with a variety of drinks along with Tupperware or Ziplocs with snacks. I’m wondering whether the shape of this cooler would work well with contents of various shapes and sizes vs all cans?

 

[Winemaker]

We travel with these types of coolers all the time. Very efficient, very flexible. We have two styles, but only travel with one type at a time. One is a square foil/space blanket cooler with a zipper top, pockets, and two flexible cup holders. The other is a large zipper bag similar to the one above, but not as long. Don't know the cost, they were both safety awards years ago. We don't leave home on a trip without either one of them. Inside is a corkscrew, our 2 unbreakable wine glasses, a ceramic knife, and a flex cutting board.

 

[Sarah in SC]

NorthNola, your post is great timing, as I was looking just this week at the Ice Mule mini.

I see you are using the large one, how has it held up? My specific need is fairly odd: I keep a comprehensive first aid kit in my car and want to store medications that are ideally kept at controlled room temperature—think OTC pain meds, antibiotic cream, and Narcan, not insulin or other stuff that actually needs refrigeration.

Since it is hot as blazes in my car, I wanted to see if the Ice Mule might work to store them, or if I would be better off just using a big hard sided cooler and storing the entire kit in it, and helping prevent heat-related deterioration of other items like bandages.

Thoughts? Thanks!

 

[daylatedollarshort]

We used to have an inflatable cooler. We could pack it flat and IIRC it floated as well.

 

[PoorOldCountryBoy]

We bought an "Ozark Trail 50 Can Insulated Cooler Tote" designer bag (lol) from Walmart for $4.95. It is Ok for temperature, folds away in luggage and can be used as a carry on/duffle bag. We returned the first as the handle was separating and got a brand new one, no questions asked. We took this to Washington state, Florida, and our southwest trips and it is still going strong. If you want a high performance cooler this is not it but it is great for driving all day in a car around tourist sites.


It went through airline security fine and we used it as a carry on flying Southwest Airlines with no trouble.

 

[Walt34]

Kind of pricey at $49, but it should be durable is the Milwaukee Electric Jobsite Cooler, which includes that all-important and essential recreational tool, the bottle opener.

I have no personal experience with it but reviews are generally good.

 

[braumeister]

Kind of pricey at $49, but it should be durable is the Milwaukee Electric Jobsite Cooler, which includes that all-important and essential recreational tool, the bottle opener.

Are you seriously implying that there are people who don't have a bottle opener attached to the keyring in their pocket?