Humans have been harvesting ice for more than聽200 years, but it wasn鈥檛 until 1951, when the portable ice chest was patented, that we could hit the road with reliably chilled grub and frosty beverages. These days, no campsite, barbecue,聽or beach day is complete without a cooler,聽but the sheer ungainliness of most large models can lead to packing headaches and聽transport difficulties. Fear not, disenchanted cooler owners: the luxury SUV of mobile refrigeration is here.
Will the 聽($300) keep your food and beer cold? Most certainly, thanks to Ultratherm insulation and an elevated base that holds the cooling cavity well clear of hot surfaces like sand and pavement. Your burgers and brews will stay chilled for up to five聽days鈥攂ut that鈥檚 only part of the story.
It also has 10-inch聽soft-ride wheels and Hummer-like ground clearance. Combine these rugged features with the broad telescoping handle, and you鈥檙e looking at 50 percent聽less hauling effort. It鈥檚 called leverage, and you鈥檒l quickly realize how much better this works than those narrow, knuckle-crushing handles on most coolers. When you鈥檙e ready to set up shop at the beach or campsite, a butler tray snaps into the middle of the telescoped handle for extra surface area.聽
For important items like phones and car keys, the Trailmate聽has a water-resistant storage box that attaches to the front, and an exterior kangaroo pocket聽stores miscellaneous must-haves like sunscreen, first-aid gear, and horseshoes. Beer lovers will appreciate the four self-draining cup holders on top and the two bottle openers sturdily affixed to each side. This cooler also comes with a suspended interior basket to keep your food high and dry above the ice below, plus a vertical umbrella holder to keep you nicely聽shaded.
We should note that聽the Trailmate聽is not advertised as a bear-proof cooler, like some of its competitors, so if you鈥檙e planning a multiday raft trip deep into Yogi and Boo-Boo territory, you may want to consider a different option. But for anywhere else you might be headed with good food and drink that needs to stay chilled, this thing will make for an extremely suitable (albeit somewhat ostentatious) cooling companion.