REVIEW – I love the functionality and convenience of a backpack cooler! Today we’re testing the Titan 24 Can Backpack Cooler by Arctic Zone which promises a 24 can carrying capacity and up to 2 days of ice retention! I have parties to get to, so let’s take it for a spin. To the review!
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $44.99
Where to buy: Arctic Zone and Amazon
What is it?
It’s a backpack-style soft sided cooler.
Tech specs
16.5″ tall by 10.5″ wide by 7.5″ deep
Leak proof liner with Microban
Insulated front compartment
Multilayered foam insulation
Design and features
The Artic Zone Titan 24 Can Backpack Cooler is a sturdy little beastie, measuring in at 16.5″ by 10.5″ by 7.5″. While it is a soft-sided cooler pack, the multi-layered insulation design gives the pack plenty of rigidity. This bag will stand on its own and retain it’s shape whether it is empty or full.
The side profile reveals a generous elastic mesh pocket on each side for carrying the things that don’t need cooling. This is a good spot for hydration bottles, for example.
Pockets and extra storage are one of the strong suits of this cooler pack. In addition to the side pockets, you have three layered storage options on the bag’s front face. The first is a bungee system with an adjustable tab, as shown below. This accommodates large items like a beach blanket, towel, or umbrella.
Behind that bungee rig is a slip pocket with a buckle. The panel wall has a lot of elasticity to stuff odd-shaped things that may not fit in the side pockets.
Behind that slip pocket is a tall insulated pocket. This pocket is only about 1″ deep, however, so it’s going to work for smaller items that might need protection from the heat.
The carrying system features padded shoulder straps and an integrated grab handle. These shoulder straps are adjustable to accommodate different body types.
The back panel and shoulder straps use the same ventilated mesh padding for extra breathability.
Working around to the core of the bag we have a zippered top lid that gets you into the main compartment. This zip is not sealed, so liquids will leak out of here is the bag is tipped or laid on its side.
There is an extra pocket on the lid for more stuff that needs stashing.
Opening the lid exposes the interior compartment. This whole space is lined with a reflective, leakproof, antimicrobial fabric.
Look at the shiny goodness! This also makes for easy cleanup.
The Artic Zone Titan 24 Can Backpack Cooler is rated to keep a full bag of ice (just ice) cold for up to two days, while promoting a bag that is half full of ice and half full of beverages/food cold for one day. Below is the explanation pulled directly from their web site. We’ll address this against my performance testing in a moment.
Build quality throughout seems perfectly fine at this price point. The stitching, seams and assembly look good with no obvious flaws or potential problem areas.
Performance
The Artic Zone Titan 24 Can Backpack Cooler has a lot of great usability, but I want to start by addressing the capacity issue. Below you’ll see 24 standard 12 ounce beverage cans stacked up against our tester.
I tried a number of different ways to get all of those cans into the main compartment, and my best case scenario was 19 cans. And that left very little if any room for ice to chill the cans.
It feels like the measurements on the interior are just a tad off. No matter how I tried to layer them (standing up or sideways), I struggled to get one extra can in each layer. An extra inch of width & depth would have solved this problem and easily allowed for 24 cans.
Here’s the beastie fully loaded. Maybe the advertised measurement assumes you’re going to stuff those extra cans in the side pockets? 10 ounce cans? No matter how you slice it you’re not getting a lot of ice in there at maximum cargo capacity.
Putting aside the capacity issue, I was pretty impressed with the cold retention. We looked at the rated cooling capacity above (1/2 ice to 1/2 food/beverage for a full day of cooling), and I decided to push that a bit. I loaded up what I would consider a reasonable quantity of beverages (about 15 cans) and packed the rest with ice. The net/net came out to about 1/3 ice and 2/3 beverages.
We’ve been under the “heat dome” here in Pennsylvania, and the thermostat spent my test day at right around 91 degrees and 64% humidity… or 103 degrees with the heat index. Yuck. I iced up the pack and set her on the bench in my backyard at 8 AM.
Checking back in at 12:30 (4,.5 hours in the heat and sun), I found that the top layers of ice had melted but the contents were still cold. There was also still some ice in the bottom of the bag. Not too shabby.
By 5:00 PM (9 hours in) we had given up the last vestiges of “cold”, but the contents were still relatively cool in there. I consider that a win given the ridiculous heat of the day. If this were a day at the beach, I would have been very happy with the result.
Usability throughout the bag is excellent. The harness system has enough padding and adjustments to find a good comfortable fit.
The size feels just about right for portability over medium distances. This is ideal for lugging from the parking lot to the beach, a walk to the local market, or hauling up to the neighbor’s cookout. You could do some extended walking with this too thanks to that breathable padding.
The extra pockets are super handy. I have a 20 ounce hydration bottle, my size 10 Sanuks, and a bottle of sunscreen in these pics for reference. There are plenty of places to quick-stash stuff you may need that doesn’t belong in the cooler area.
The top pocket is ideal for narrower things. I can stuff my sunscreen bottle in there, but it’s probably better suited for stuff like your smartphones.
That sunscreen fits nicely in the outside insulated pocket, however, which feels like the proper place for it. If you had stuff that you didn’t want to get too hot in the sun but don’t need to be chilled, this is the place for those items.
The grab handle is also very comfortable to use. I like the way it is integrated into the shoulder strap design.
I also really appreciate that the bag stands on it’s own. The one big design flaw in this bag (in my opinion) is that the zipper on the lid is unsealed. Tip this bag on its side and any accumulated water from melted ice will leak out through that seam. The stand-up structure of the bag helps to rectify this issue, but you’ll need to be aware of it if you’re packing it in your trunk or if it gets knocked over.
The interior lining is seamless, so I’m not concerned about other leakage through regular use.
Final thoughts
The Arctic Zone Titan 24 Can Backpack Cooler has a lot going for it. The core insulation is very good for day trips, the carry system is comfortable, and there are plenty of clever spaces to stash your extra stuff. This bag is going to see a lot of cookouts, beach trips, and shopping excursions this summer to test it’s durability. As long as you’re aware that the real-world capacity may not match the advertised numbers, I think it’s a great buy for the price.
What I like about the Arctic Zone Titan 24 Can Backpack Cooler
- Comfortable to carry
- Design includes extra flexible pockets for carrying other essentials
- Waterproof liner does not leak
- Bag stands on its own
- Very practical for multiple use cases
What needs to be improved?
- Lid zipper is not sealed – will leak if tipped over or sitting on its side/back
- Doesn’t hold 24 cans as advertised
Price: $44.99
Where to buy: Arctic Zone and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Arctic Zone. Arctic Zone did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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Costco has a slightly larger version that is excellent