Engel Roll-Prime Excessive Efficiency Backpack Cooler Assessment

It’s annoying on a brief journey to search out melted ice in your cooler that’s left every thing soggy and heat. The Engel Roll-Prime Excessive Efficiency Backpack Cooler solves that downside: It retains ice chilly for as much as 4 days and supplies ample area for every thing it’s essential to carry.

Measuring 20 inches tall, 14 inches lengthy, and 9 inches huge, this backpack cooler presents a stunning quantity of storage. The design simply suits meals, drinks, and ice with out feeling cramped. Whether or not I used to be heading out for a week-long searching journey or a day on the river, this cooler offered the room and cooling energy I wanted to maintain my stuff chilly all day (after which some).

Briefly: The Engel Roll-Prime Excessive Efficiency Backpack Cooler ($190) is priced towards the upper vary of coolers. Whereas it’s not the most cost effective possibility in the marketplace, it performs in addition to most of the costlier coolers and presents superior storage capability. When you’re in search of a dependable cooler that gained’t break the financial institution however nonetheless supplies loads of room for meals and drinks, I’d suggest this one. It may retailer 20 kilos of ice or as much as 36 cans with out ice — that’s a number of room!

Throughout my ice retention take a look at, it stored ice for as much as a powerful 4 days. Whether or not heading out for a multiday journey or packing for a big group, this cooler has the area and ice retention to maintain every thing chilly. Its leakproof, dry pack design — with a roll-down high that clips securely on the perimeters — ensures that your meals stays dry and guarded even in unpredictable climate.

Learn the complete assessment or see how this backpack cooler stacks up in the Finest Backpack Coolers purchaser’s information.

Engel Roll-Prime Excessive Efficiency Backpack Cooler Assessment

First Impressions

With its massive body and roomy inside, the Engel Roll-Prime Excessive Efficiency Backpack Cooler was already checking issues off my cooler want record. I like the massive opening, which made loading and unloading my gadgets a breeze.

The roll-top closure, which clips tightly on the perimeters, retains every thing inside shielded from water whereas making certain it’s sealed and leakproof, which is right for when the climate turns or the cooler unexpectedly takes a dive.

At 3.5 kilos, the cooler felt surprisingly gentle for its dimension, which was nice since it may well get heavy shortly as soon as I pack it with ice and meals. Nevertheless, even when absolutely loaded, I didn’t really feel like I used to be going to topple over whereas carrying it. The again and aspect handles make it extra handy to elevate it as much as my knee, and from there, I can swing it onto my again, similar to I might with a backpacking pack.

The added comfort of the aspect mesh pocket is good for stashing smaller gadgets like water bottles or sunscreen, whereas the entrance zippered pocket supplies a secure place to retailer valuables like keys and telephones.

These padded shoulder straps and the adjustable chest strap made it comfy to put on, even when it’s absolutely loaded. I used to be initially skeptical, given the boxy form of the cooler. However as soon as on my again, it felt surprisingly comfy with the chest strap serving to distribute the load.

Consolation

Given its boxy design, I wasn’t positive how comfy the Engel Roll-Prime can be to hold, particularly as soon as it was packed full. Nevertheless, I used to be pleasantly stunned by how nicely the padded straps distributed the load.

Even when absolutely loaded, the pack was comfy to put on and the chest strap helped preserve it comfortable on my again. The straps felt sturdy and didn’t dig into my shoulders once I was mountain climbing all the way down to the river for a fishing journey. That mentioned, a waist strap would’ve been a pleasant addition to raised distribute the load.

Roll-Prime Closure

The roll-top closure seals tightly, retains every thing inside shielded from the weather, and prevents leaking if it will get knocked over. Not that it simply will get knocked over; the rectangle-shaped base is sturdy and retains the cooler upright. I did pack it on its aspect at the back of an UTV and located no water leaking out, regardless of the bumpy 4×4 highway.

On a distinct journey, as a brief rainstorm rolled by, I used the empty cooler in a pinch to guard my digicam gear from the rain, discovering how versatile this cooler may be. It made me consider different potential makes use of, like utilizing it as a weatherproof pack for different out of doors adventures.

Sturdiness

The Engel Roll-Prime Cooler is constructed to final. Comprised of 840-denier material and fortified with laminated thermoplastic urethane (TPU), this cooler can tackle lots. I took it on a week-long searching journey the place it received tossed round, dragged by camp, and customarily put by the wringer.

In any case that, it got here house trying soiled however in nice situation — no rips, tears, or punctures. It appeared pretty much as good as new after a fast rinse with a hose. The thick, versatile roll-top material held up impressively nicely underneath heavy use and didn’t present any creases or indicators of breaking down.

Equipment

A easy however usually ignored characteristic that I’ve discovered useful on a number of events, particularly as I usually neglect to pack one, is the detachable bottle opener. It snaps on the entrance daisy chain however may be moved to completely different attachment factors. Simply don’t neglect to reattach it for those who take it off!

The entrance daisy chain is one other handy characteristic, providing 5 attachment factors (or 4 if the bottle opener is utilizing one). I used a carabiner to connect a Nalgene bottle and a rolled-up blanket.

There’s additionally a aspect mesh pocket for different gadgets, though it’s higher suited to slender water bottles or sunscreen. My Nalgene was too huge to suit, therefore using the carabiner to the daisy chain. On the alternative aspect of the mesh pocket is one other daisy chain with three chains.  Lastly, there’s a entrance zippered pocket (6″ x 5.5″) for valuables you don’t wish to bounce out. My iPhone 16 (in a slim case) and keys simply slot in it.

Expertise: Vacuum Valve Expertise

Engel’s use of 1-inch closed-cell foam insulation and vacuum valve expertise is designed to maintain your gadgets colder for longer. The 1-inch closed-cell foam additionally makes the cooler thick and helps retain its form. I initially ran two ice retention exams on the Engel cooler: one utilizing the vacuum valve expertise and one with out.

The indoor temperature was round 67-68 levels F for each exams. After I used the vacuum characteristic, I may see the outside material tighten across the insulation foam because it sucked out the air.

Nevertheless, lower than 24 hours later, the tightness pale, and the material returned to its common form. By way of ice retention, each exams resulted in almost an identical efficiency: about 4 days of ice.

I opted to run a 3rd take a look at, utilizing each the vacuum valve and retaining the cooler sealed (I didn’t open the highest to do an ice examine) till day 4 to see if it might last more. By the top of day 4, once I opened it, the ice was nonetheless gone. Whereas I perceive the speculation behind the vacuum valve to increase the nippiness, my at-home exams didn’t present a major distinction in real-world efficiency.

Ice Retention Take a look at

I initially ran two ice retention exams on the Engel cooler: one utilizing the vacuum valve expertise and one with out. The indoor temperature was round 67 to 68 levels Fahrenheit for each exams.

Each instances, I crammed the cooler two-thirds filled with store-bought cubed ice after which closed the highest. I opened the cooler each 12 hours for every take a look at to file how a lot ice melted. The outcomes of every take a look at have been almost an identical: one-quarter of the ice melted on day one, one-third by day two, two-thirds by day three, and all of the ice had melted on day 4.

After I used the vacuum valve characteristic, I may see the outside material tighten across the insulation foam because the air was sucked out. Nevertheless, the tightness pale lower than 24 hours later, and the material returned to its common form. The vacuum seal didn’t make a noticeable distinction in my authentic take a look at. 

Enhancements

Whereas the Engel Roll-Prime Cooler does a terrific job of carrying massive masses, it may benefit from a waist strap to assist distribute weight. That small enchancment would actually make an enormous distinction for customers who max out the cooler’s area.

Last Ideas

The Engel Roll-Prime Excessive Efficiency Backpack Cooler is a sturdy, spacious, and environment friendly possibility for anybody trying to preserve their meals and drinks chilly throughout out of doors adventures. With the flexibility to retain ice for as much as 4 days, it presents glorious efficiency, even on multiday journeys or when packing for a gaggle.

Whereas the vacuum valve expertise doesn’t prolong ice retention in real-world situations, the baseline efficiency is already greater than among the costlier rivals. The leakproof roll-top closure supplies peace of thoughts in unpredictable climate or unintended tipping over, making it versatile for numerous out of doors makes use of past simply retaining issues chilly.

This backpack cooler does a powerful job of balancing capability, consolation, and sturdiness, there’s room for a slight enchancment in its design, primarily including a waist strap. Its worth level of $190 makes it a terrific midrange possibility for these in search of a dependable cooler that may maintain a considerable amount of meals with out reaching the value tag of higher-end fashions.