The IceMule Pro is one of three backpack coolers we tested and the only model in this review with a roll-top closure rather than a zipper. It features 1,000D ripstop tarpaulin/vinyl/nylon with a 23L capacity.
Performance Comparison
The IceMule features. 1,000D ripstop fabric, welded seams, and an air valve for added insulation.
Insulation Value
When it comes to insulation, the IceMule Pro isn't as impressive as some of the best insulators we tested, like the Engel HD30, our Editor's Choice Award winner or the Hommit 30 Can, but it still performed decently. During our intensive insulation testing, the IceMule kept its contents under the FDA-approved 40º F for almost 40 hours, or 1.7 days. Which, if you're planning to head out for a hot day hike or even a single overnight in the desert, is plenty of time to keep your food on ice.
Compared to the other backpack coolers we tested, the IceMule Pro almost tied with the Igloo Outdoorsman Gizmo, which lasted 43 hours. The IceMule is a fair amount larger inside than the Gizmo, which does tend to cut down on the amount of time ice lasts. This bag also has a double layer of waterproof fabric sandwiching insulating foam and featuring an air valve to add and release air for additional insulation. IceMule claims that it is waterproof when you roll the top three times before clipping it. We were only able to achieve three full rolls with next to no insulating air in the cooler, and even then, a little water dripped out when we inverted the whole thing.
The three backpack coolers in our intensive insulation testing.
Ease of Use
At first, we found the IceMule to be a bit challenging to use. While the top opens easily and quite wide, the material starts very stiff and is difficult to roll appropriately. The more we used it though, the more the material softened up, and we got used to how it works. As a roll-top bag, it's a bit odd to load and unload when it's open because the roll top makes the cooler so much deeper than it looks when it's closed. But the cooler is wide and has a pretty good sized capacity of 23L, making it fairly straightforward to fit everything we needed along with ice inside.
This tall, roll-top design can't quite compete with the easy zippered, flip-top models we tested, like the Yeti Hopper series and Igloo Gizmo. However, it also will never need zipper lubricant for an overly sticky zipper, like many of those models do. Additionally, using air as an insulator means that when done with the IceMule Pro, you can roll it up and put it away. It even comes with a handy security strap precisely for that purpose. And while we appreciate the ability of the bungee cord on the front, most the other options we tested have one or several pockets to store non-chilled items or other handy things like a bottle opener, silverware, or your keys. Having extra pockets like these would certainly make the IceMule even more pleasant to use.
We couldn't quite get the IceMule to be leakproof, but we still enjoy the ease of this roll-top design.
Portability
This aspect is where the IceMule shines. While we do our best to factor in the weight of each cooler only as it relates to its usable capacity, the IceMule is the best of both worlds. Not only does it have a large capacity that can fill with tons of heavy drinks in glass bottles (if you so desire), but it's also the most comfortable cooler to carry of any we reviewed. Even among the three backpack models we tested, the IceMule shines bright.
This drybag-style cooler has the longest torso of all the backpack models we tested. Combined with that air insulation and a more flexible shape, the IceMule Pro is more rounded and more forgiving to carry up that summit. While the back panel provides a moderate amount of padding, covered in mesh to aid airflow, the shoulder straps are wide and soft and set far enough apart to fit most sizes of shoulders. For people with narrower shoulders, a sternum strap allows you to keep the shoulder straps exactly where you want them. In contrast, the Hydro Flask Unbound is thick and stiff, and traps heat against your back while also creating less comfortable edges that sit awkwardly on your lower back while you hike. The Igloo Gizmo is somewhere in between, with a softer shape and design, but an even shorter torso that emphasizes exactly where the bottom of the cooler rests on your back.
Wide straps, a ventilated back panel, a longer torso, and a flexible shape help make the IceMule our Top Pick for Long Distance Carrying.
Durability
This pack is built to last. Made of 1,000D ripstop tarpaulin/vinyl/nylon with welded seams, the IceMule is one of the most intense-feeling coolers we tested. Not only does meltwater not soak into the inside lining of this cooler, but no water from the outside will soak in either. Even after sitting in a sizeable puddle in the bottom of a kayak for a full day, the IceMule took on no water.
We had no issues with the durability of the IceMule during our testing, despite all the shenanigans we put it through. However, we do have a few questions about the durability of the plastic clips, as they seem like the least beefed-up part of this bag. We also scoured the internet looking for issues others have had with this model, and a handful reported the buckle on the top failing and a few reported the integrity of the fabric that gets constantly rolled down was starting to fail after years of use. While we didn't personally experience either of these failures, we also couldn't get years worth of use into just a few short months. In our experience, the IceMule is a solid piece of gear.
Even sitting in a puddle all day, it never took on any water.
Best Applications
This backpack option is a great choice for carrying long distances. Though it has no extra pockets for anything else you might want to bring with, so we'd recommend bringing a friend who's willing to carry anything extra. And really, aren't most adventures better with a friend anyway? If you like the backpack model but want more pockets, consider the Igloo Gizmo. It performed almost as well as the IceMule but is a smaller size and different configuration. But for long distance carries, we think the IceMule Pro can't be beaten.
Unlike most the other coolers in this review, the IceMule can be rolled up for storage when you're not using it.
Value
Retailing for $100 but being one of the handier coolers we tested, we think the IceMule Pro offers a great value for what you get. Trying to keep what you spend even lower? The Igloo Gizmo backpack cooler also offers a pretty good value, though it isn't quite as comfortable to carry long distances. If you aren't looking to carry you cooler very far, and instead want something super easy to use, consider our Editor's Choice Award winner, the Engel HD30 instead.
Conclusion
The IceMule Pro is an excellent backpack cooler, and remains our Top Pick for Long Distance Carrying for the third year in a row. Its ability to hold a good amount of weight while remaining fairly comfortable to carry is unmatched by the competition. It features durable construction to last you a long time and without any zippers to get stuck, will never require zipper lubricant. Though it lacks additional pockets and we couldn't get it 100% leakproof, we continued to come back to this comfortable and handy cooler for all our long distance picnic destinations.
Just a girl and her dog - and a really useful cooler.
