For about four years I had been doing day hikes with a standard rucksack and a separate cool bag. The rucksack went on my back with the waterproofs, the first aid kit, the map, and everything else. The cool bag went in my hand or got strapped awkwardly to the outside of the rucksack, which never worked as well as I wanted it to. By lunchtime, whatever I had packed was lukewarm at best. By mid-afternoon, the ice had melted and the drinks were the temperature of the ambient air, which in the Peak District in July is not cold enough.
My name is Jamie Caldwell. I am a civil servant from Sheffield, and I hike most weekends between April and October. Day hikes, mostly, occasionally an overnight. The food and drink situation had been a persistent minor frustration that I had been managing rather than solving for longer than I should have.
The Decision to Sort It
It was a particularly warm Saturday in August that finally pushed me. We had done a twelve-mile circular in the Peaks, the kind of day where you really want a cold drink at the summit and a cold lunch at the halfway point. What we had was warm water and sandwiches that had been sitting in a cool bag that had given up by about 11am. I got home, sat down, and looked up insulated cooler backpacks.
I found the Tydi Insulated Cooler Backpack in 30L Grey at ALTOE. The spec addressed every problem I had been having. Premium PEVA lining with 18-hour temperature control. Leakproof interior that can hold ice cubes directly. 30L capacity holding up to 30 cans, with two front zipped sections and side mesh holders. Padded, adjustable straps and durable stitching for comfort on the trail.
At £38.97 it was a straightforward decision. I ordered it on the Sunday evening. It arrived Tuesday.
First Hike
I packed it for the following Saturday: sandwiches, fruit, snacks, four cans of cold drink, two water bottles, and a bag of ice directly in the main compartment. The leakproof lining held the ice without any issues. The padded straps distributed the weight well, noticeably better than carrying a separate cool bag in addition to a rucksack.
We stopped for lunch at about the halfway point, roughly five hours into the hike. The drinks were still cold. The sandwiches were still at a proper temperature. The ice had not fully melted. I opened a cold can of drink at the top of a hill in the Peak District and it was genuinely cold.
The organisation pockets were useful throughout the day. Snacks in the front sections, water bottles in the side mesh holders, main compartment for the food and ice. Everything had a place and was accessible without unpacking the whole bag.
One Full Season On
The Tydi cooler backpack has been on every hike since August. It has been used in rain, in heat, on rocky terrain, and on one occasion in a brief hailstorm. The PEVA lining has not cracked or degraded. The leakproof construction has not failed. The straps have not frayed or lost their padding. The zips run smoothly on all sections.
The 18-hour temperature control claim has been tested on longer days and holds up. On a ten-hour hike in warm weather, the ice was still present at the end of the day and the drinks were still cold.
My hiking partner, who had been sceptical about the concept of a cooler backpack, asked to borrow it for a solo hike in September. He returned it with a note saying he had ordered his own. I consider that the most reliable form of endorsement.
The separate cool bag is in the garage. I have not used it since August.
The Verdict
If you hike regularly and you have been managing the food and drink situation with a separate cool bag, combine them. The Tydi 30L cooler backpack is well made, genuinely insulated for a full day, leakproof enough to use with direct ice, and comfortable enough to carry on a long hike without the straps becoming a problem.
Find the Tydi Insulated Cooler Backpack – 30L Grey at ALTOE. Listed in Latest Products and Home & Garden.
Pack the ice. Carry one bag. Drink something cold at the summit.
— Jamie Caldwell, Sheffield
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