Cooler backpacks

A cooling rucksack is indispensable for outdoor activities. The inside of the rucksack is lined with a special material that conducts heat poorly. Pre-cooled ice packs or ice create a cold environment. The backpack's insulation prevents heat from penetrating from the outside and the cold from escaping. This keeps your drinks and snacks pleasantly cool, even at high outside temperatures. Choosing the right cooling backpack depends on the duration of your tour, the outside temperature and the amount of chilled food.

This is not so easy to answer, because the cooling time of your backpack depends on several factors:

Insulation: The thicker and higher quality the insulation, the longer the contents will stay cool.
Cooling packs: The size and quality of the cooling packs have a significant influence on the cooling time. Gel packs generally last longer than simple ice cubes.
Outside temperature: The warmer the environment, the faster the rucksack loses its cooling capacity.
Frequency of opening: Each opening lets in warm air and cools the rucksack.
Contents: Large quantities of warm food or drinks require more cooling capacity.

In general, it can be said that for short trips, such as day trips, many cooling backpacks with sufficient cool packs can easily keep the contents cool for several hours. For longer trips, i.e. trips lasting several days, we recommend a cooling rucksack with particularly good insulation and powerful cool packs. We therefore recommend our Petromax cooling rucksack, which keeps your drinks and food cold for up to 8 days. So you can also go on long hiking tours without any problems!

The right way to pack a cooling backpack is crucial for optimum cooling performance. Here are a few tips on how to fill your cooling rucksack correctly:

Prepare the cool packs: Freeze the cool packs in good time. Large cool packs keep cold longer than small ones.
Pre-cool the rucksack: If possible, place the empty cool pack in the fridge for a short time before filling it.
Pre-cool food: Also pre-chill food and drinks in the fridge before packing.
Place cool packs: Distribute the cold packs evenly in the backpack. Place larger packs at the bottom, as cold air sinks to the bottom.
Pack tightly: Fill the backpack as tightly as possible, but not too tightly. This allows less air to circulate and the cold lasts longer.
Store food correctly:

Below: Solid foods such as fruit or vegetables.
Middle: Dairy products and meat.
Top: Drinks and perishable foods.

Packaging: Pack food in airtight containers or bags to prevent leakage.
Minimum openings: Open the backpack only as often as necessary and close it immediately after each access.
Seek shade: Place the backpack in the shade to protect it from direct sunlight.


The correct packing method is very important to get the most out of your cooling rucksack. Even distribution of the cool packs ensures optimum cold distribution in the rucksack. And by packing tightly and avoiding air, less warm air circulates in the backpack and the cold lasts even longer.