While planning an Alaskan backpacking adventure, you may find yourself wondering which supplies are essential and which ones can be left behind. One item that shouldn’t be overlooked is the cooler backpack, which can make all the difference in how enjoyable your outdoor excursions become. Below, we’ll discuss why it’s important to use a cooler backpack while backpacking in Alaska and provide some tips on how to enhance your outdoor adventure.

Keep Your Food Fresh

The biggest advantage of using a cooler backpack is that you can keep your food fresher for longer than if you were carrying it in a regular backpack. This is especially important when you are out for days at a time since you don’t have access to refrigerated storage or ice packs. With a cooler backpack, you can easily store perishables without worrying about them going bad before you can eat them.

There are several different cooler choices and the guys over at Shaggy Outdoors sure put together some excellent choices. Check out there Best Cooler Backpacks for 2023 review for more information.

Keep Yourself Hydrated

Another benefit of having a cooler backpack is that it will help keep you hydrated during your hikes. Many cooler backpacks come with pockets specifically designed to hold hydration bladders for your water while the interior of the pack stores your bottles filled with sports drinks.

Being hydrated on the trail makes for an enjoyable journey.

Using a cooler backpack will ensure that you have enough cold fluids available during long days spent exploring the wilderness of Alaska and will help prevent dehydration and heat exhaustion.

Stay Organized Using a Backpack

Finally, using a cooler backpack won’t limit the space you have to carry your gear. A larger pack like those made by ICEMULE have space for other key backpacking gear essentials. For the multi-day adventures, use a larger backpack that can handle more gear and give you more cooler space.

When you have more space, don’t exceed your weight capacity. Be comfortable with pack will make your trip the most enjoyable. But, using a larger pack with more space gives you room to put portable hiking stoves or additional clothing.

Best Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Cooler Backpack

When using any cooler you want to start the process by cooling down the interior.

The best way to cool the interior of the cooler is with ice. Depending the size of the cooler you may need 1/2 to 1 full bag of ice to get the cooler cooled down. You may need to place the ice in the cooler for 1-3 hours depending on the size of the cooler.

This amount of time will allow the cooler to get acclimated to lower temperature. Once cooler remove the initial ice and be prepared to use a new bag of ice.

Now that the cooler is cooled down, cool down your contents. Don’t put room temperature or hot beverages or food items in the cooler. This temperature difference will make the cooler heat up.

Once your food and drinks are cooled down, it’s time to pack the backpack. Keep the heavier items to the bottom and the lighter items and breakables to the top.

When Is a Cooler Backpack Handy when Hiking?

Recently I took my wife on a day hike. We’ve been hiking for 30 years, but this time I took our new ICEMULE Jaunt 15L. I had a few bottles of water in the cooler, but what my wife didn’t know was I had a few bottles of beer.

The cooler worked perfect to take the beer on the hiking trip. The beer was still cold after 4 hours on the trail.  I cooled the cooler down and put the beer in the freezer for about an hour ahead of time.

What a great hike and perfect surprise for my wife.

Conclusion

When planning an Alaskan backpacking adventure, one item that should never be overlooked is the cooler backpack—it’s essential if you want fresh food, cold beverages, and a successful trip! With its ability to carry perishables, hydrate its user, and stay organized with room for additional gear, there’s no question why this item should be part of every adventurer’s checklist when venturing into Alaska’s great outdoors!

So grab your gear—and don’t forget the cooler backpack!…

Hitting the trails this weekend? Check out the trail using sources such as Google Maps or OnX Maps before you go.

Knowing the terrain of a new trail is a good idea. Having the resources we have today makes sense to utilize all the available technology.

Getting out on the trails should be fun and adventurous. I like checking my maps and looking at Google Maps before I head out. What features might you find during the hike that could prohibit a good trip?

Apps with trail details are important for safety and possibly survival. OnX maps make a downloadable version so you can have the map available even when there is no service.

So get outdoors, today!…