Backpack coolers beat wheeled coolers on trails.

Unless you’re rolling it across a paved path to a picnic table, get a backpack cooler.

Wheeled coolers are fine for parking lot picnics or the beach boardwalk. But the second the trail gets rocky, rooty, or uphill, those wheels become dead weight. You can’t pull it over a log. You can’t push it up a steep incline without it tipping. And you definitely don’t want one hand occupied when you need to catch your balance on a steep descent.

A backpack cooler distributes the weight evenly, leaves both hands free, and actually lets you move like a hiker. You can scramble over rocks, duck under branches, and still have cold food at the top. Most good ones hold enough for two people for a day hike, and the better ones won’t leak condensation all over your back.

If you’re hiking more than a mile on anything other than smooth pavement, skip the wheels.

Your shoulders will thank you.