I've been told to pick out a new cooler for fathers day. With that said I'm looking for something in the medium size range 20-30 quarts or so. Need it to hold 20 or so beers/drinks and ice. I need it to be packable, and easy to use. Will mainly be used for day trip type of things: baseball games, pool, beach, weekend trips, etc. Multiple day ice retention isn't necessary, but the better it holds ice the better.

Currently I've been eyeing the Yeti M20 backpack. and the Roadie 24. Anyone have these and care to share experiences, or other recommendations? I'm not set on Yeti so any brands are on the table. However, since it is a gift I might as well get something nice and more of a step up from an Igloo which I'd buy myself.

ETA: probably not interested in the RTIC brand unless they've gotten better over the years. I've had several different types from them in the past and none of them have been all that great. Zipper breaking, lids warping, etc.

I'd take a look at Engel. I recently purchased their HD30 and have been super impressed. I was tired of spending money on RTIC coolers only for them to fall apart and decided to spend a little more (not crazy Yeti money) on Engel and haven't been disappointed so far. Their roll-top backpack cooler looks comparable to the yeti one and is almost half the price, which leaves more money for beer.

Their color schemes leave a bit to be desired, but it works for me.

I've been using the Hopper 30 in my boat for the last 8 months and love it. The top closes with super strong magnets and it holds plenty of drinks for a day. I'm not a yeti fanboy but these coolers are really good. My drinks are always cold and the ice comes out mostly frozen at the end of the day. I use this type of gear multiple times a week and don't have any issues with wear.

I use Arctic Ice from Amazon and this combo works great.

The more expensive it is, the more OB it is. Yeti, the big one. In some gawd awful color.

For hard coolers there's not really a need to go Yeti most of the time (and I have a few) but IMHO, the backpack Yeti coolers are awesome and definitely worth it compared to other soft coolers.

I like my Ice Mule backpack. I have a couple of Ice Mule coolers and prefer their "dry bag style" closure system.

The Yeti backpack coolers are sweet, though.

Does your wife work? Or do you keep separate finances?

If it's still my money but someone is else is swiping a card, igloo is the answer. If they're spending their money, what's most expensive?

TarponChaser said:

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For hard coolers there's not really a need to go Yeti most of the time (and I have a few) but IMHO, the backpack Yeti coolers are awesome and definitely worth it compared to other soft coolers.

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From a very general standpoint I would go with this recommendation. I have had the same experience.

I have no comment on the coolers, but here's one more vote for using Arctic Ice packs in whatever cooler you buy. I use one every day in my lunch bag. It's great in a cooler either as just the packs, or in conjunction with actual ice. Stays cold a long time, and I like it better than my Yeti Ice.

I have a roadie and don't like it. It is terribly awkward to carry and heavy. It would be great to just leave in the back of a ranger or truck, but lugging around for family stuff, it sucks. Friends have the big soft side yeti that is pictured in one of the first replies. That is what I would get.
I have a big rtic backpack and it is pretty awesome. It is big though. Takes a lot of room and when it is full of beer and ice it is mf'ing heavy. Had two of my buddies lift it so I could put it on my shoulders, but I couldn't take it off without falling over.

Fishpond has a soft sided one I like. Comfortable to carry. Keeps drink cold, not for extended amount of time, but easily for a full day.

This. We switched to Engel as standard OEM equipment for our center console model boats about 3 years ago.
Retail customers and our dealers love them. Super folks to deal with and customer service is really good.

I have an 52Q RTIC rolling cooler and it's a workhorse. BBQ's, Lake Trips, Fishing, camping, hotel stays, football/basketball tournaments, it's with us a lot.

These are all Made in USA:
1. Grizzly Coolers
Website: https://www.grizzlycoolers.com
Facebook: Grizzly Coolers
Instagram: @grizzlycoolers

2. ORCA (Outdoor Recreation Company of America)
Website: https://orcacoolers.com
Facebook: ORCA Coolers
Instagram: @orcacoolers

3. Pelican Products
Website: https://www.pelican.com
Facebook: Pelican Products
Instagram: @pelicanproducts

4. Lifetime Products
Website: https://www.lifetime.com
Facebook: Lifetime Products
Instagram: @lifetimeproducts

5. Igloo Coolers
Website: https://www.igloocoolers.com
Facebook: Igloo Coolers
Instagram: @igloocoolers

Gunny456 said:

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This. We switched to Engel as standard OEM equipment for our center console model boats about 3 years ago.
Retail customers and our dealers love them. Super folks to deal with and customer service is really good.

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This is what I put on my Gulf Coast. Absolutely love them

Was fixing to pull the trigger on a roadie 24 last night but for some reason since it was just redesigned rig the drain plug and longer strap my promo codes wouldn't work on yeti website. That led me to look elsewhere and stumbled upon this brand. Curious if anyone has ever heard of this? https://rovrproducts.com/products/coolr-25-my25

I have a buddy that has one of their wheeled coolers. It is very similar to my yeti tundra haul. Ice retention is very similar and handle/wheels appear to be on par as well.

These 3 are hard to beat and have better performance than Yeti.

Brumate Magpack 24-Can Backpack Soft Cooler

Rtic Ultra-Light 52 Quart Hard Cooler

Brumate BruTank 55-quart Rolling Cooler

I've got a couple Cordova coolers that I like. Vet owned and US made. You can usually catch a sale. Good features and they do well in youtube cooler testing videos.

https://shop.cordovaoutdoors.com/coolers/