IceMule Jaunt 15 Review

At 9 by 8.5 by 17 inches, the IceMule Jaunt 15 has 15.7 liters of capacity. That's a decent amount of space, and it weighs only 1.8 pounds, so it is light on the shoulders. This is the ideal amount of space to take your lunch or some snacks on the road with you—or to keep a bottle of wine chill for a beach adventure at sunset. While this cooler won't carry everything you need for a full picnic with the family, it's an ideal backpack-style option for solo day trips.

Performance Comparison

Insulation

We took a look at what the USDA Safe Food Temperature scales say for food safety. And we were not too impressed with the IceMule Jaunt 15's ability to meet those standards—but it wasn't the worst soft cooler we tested in terms of insulation. This cooler remained below 40 degrees Fahrenheit for 2.7 days and below 50 degrees for three days, which gave it an average score. We have seen worse, but we have also seen better.

The mediocre insulation is the only reason why we wouldn't recommend this cooler for multi-day trips. It is not big enough to store enough food and beverages to last you much longer than a day trip. And, even if it could fit more inside, you won't last longer than a short weekend with it. However, for a day trip, this cooler is the best option.

Convenience

The IceMule Jaunt 15 is a highly convenient soft cooler. The dry bag-style opening at the top is easy to open and close; you only need to roll it a few times and buckle it shut. The exterior material feels thick and sturdy, and you can puff some air into the bag with the valve in case you want to give it a nicer, rounded shape to keep it upright. There is also a pocket with a waterproof zipper on the front of the pack that can easily fit a phone and keys.

Cleaning this cooler is fairly easy, and the inside is easy to wipe down. It's worth noting that the bag needs some help staying open in order to dry out completely. We found that flipping the pack over is the easiest way to air it out. And, when you're all done with it, you can simply squish the air out and fold it flat. If you need help getting more air out, you can use the same valve you use to puff air into it. The base of the pack is thicker than the walls, and it gets folded over them so you can pack it down into a relatively flat profile that takes up very little storage space.

Portability

The IceMule Jaunt 15 is easily portable because it can be carried like a backpack. The straps, however, are thinly padded. Still, they come with an adjustable waist strap. There is no back padding for this cooler, but if it's uncomfortable for you, you can also carry it by grabbing the shoulder straps or the loop from the rollover top.

This is not the most comfortable backpack-style cooler we have ever tested, and the material can feel sweaty against the skin. But because it is small, it's easy to lift. It's important to pay mind to how you carry this cooler, however, because we noticed some bouncing around inside. We found that using a jacket, towel, or another soft layer helped absorb some of the impact while we were on the move.

Packability

The small size of this cooler does make it easy to pack as you can touch the bottom without having to reach too far. Since you can only open the cooler from the top, this is a major plus. You can load it up with 28 cans and a wine bottle with no problem.

Durability

The IceMule Jaunt 15 is decently durable in our tests. We were a little disappointed with the cooler's performance as a dry bag, but as a cooler in and of itself, we consider it adequate. That's because the cooler didn't necessarily crush our dunk test with flying colors. When we soaked it in water, it did get soggy and damp. While it didn't soak totally through, the inside of the cooler did get moist. The outside of the cooler, including the shoulder straps and back padding, was wet and felt heavier. However, the cooler did dry in 30 minutes, and the outside zipper pocket somehow stayed 100% dry. We think that giving this roll-top an extra roll might help keep water out, though you will lose some storage space.

As for wear and tear, this cooler stood firm in our tests. While ours didn't sustain any damages during our testing, some report leaks and liner tears. However, the IceMule Jaunt seems to handle the elements quite well overall. For day trips, it shouldn't pose any problems.

Should You Buy the IceMule Jaunt 15?

The IceMule Jaunt 15 is a great option for anyone going on a quick day hike, picnic in the park, or active outdoor adventure on their own. It won't fit food or beverages for all of your friends and family, but if you only want to use it as a sort of lunchbox for yourself—and want to carry that lunchbox for a longer distance—this cooler is a solid pick. If, however, you need a cooler that can fit a lot more items for others, this isn't going to cut it.

What Other Soft Coolers Should You Consider?

If you are hooked on having a backpack-style cooler, we have tested plenty of them. Another backpack-style cooler that we really like is the Yeti Hopper M20. This is a top-quality cooler that will last a long time due to its top-notch durability. It also is the most well-insulated of the soft coolers that we tested, so you can take this on longer trips than you would take the IceMule Jaunt. Another great backpack cooler is the Engel Roll Top BP25 Backpack. It is just as packable, significantly more portable, and substantially more durable. It also doesn't fall too far behind in regards to insulation.