The biggest problem with soft coolers have always been ice retention, as they just don’t keep ice half as well as comparably-sized hard coolers. Simply put, you usually feel lucky if there’s still ice remaining on your soft cooler after 24 hours outdoors. That’s why we’re excited about the Icemule Boss, an upcoming soft cooler that boasts multi-day ice retention.
How many days? Icemule doesn’t really say. They do make a point of repeating the claim that it will “keep ice for days” over and over, so if we can get at least two or three days out of this, I’ll be a happy camper. We’re guessing they’re still testing to see its ice retention performance in different conditions, so, hopefully, we can get a definite word by the time it actually hits the market.
The Icemule Boss achieves its unique level of ice retention using a combination of highly-efficient insulation and clever design. For the insulation, it uses a 3cm layer of closed-cell PolarLayer XT, which has proven to be a workhorse at maintaining cold from the outfit’s previous creations. It pairs that insulation material with an IM Airvalve system that allows air within the insulated area to be fully squeezed out when the bag is closed, as well as a roll up closure that limits the amount of room in the cooler while loading it up with several layers of insulation up top (something many soft coolers don’t have) to keep cold air from escaping.
Clad in a backpack form factor, it’s styled like a regular weekender-sized bag, so it’s just as low-profile as other soft coolers. Of course, the large Icemule Coolers label right in front of the bag kind of gives its actual function away, so we guess you can’t really use it to sneak drinks into places where bringing your own libations aren’t tolerated.
Since coolers are frequent companions for folks heading to the water, the Icemule Boss is fully waterproof, all while being capable of staying afloat any time it’s submerged in water. That means, you can safely tie it down to an anchor somewhere instead of having to carry it in your back the entire time that you’re angling for fish.
Icemule claims the backpack has a best-in-class suspension system that uses ventilated back pads and carrying straps, as well as a cushioned hip belt and sternum strap, so you can carry this comfortably while spreading out the weight across your entire upper body. And, yes, you’ll appreciate that suspension system, considering this thing is designed to hold two dozen cans of beer with a good load of ice.
The Icemule Boss comes with a wide-mouth rolltop closure making it easy to load with drinks and ice. You can also retrieve drinks by only partially undoing the opening and reaching in, allowing you to minimize the amount of cold air that escapes to maintain low temperatures inside. They also come with three oversized zippered exterior pockets that you can use to store gear that you probably shouldn’t keep inside the cooler.
Slated to ship in September, the Icemule Boss is priced at $299.95.