Get the metal lunch box or a rotomolded cooler

The only lunch boxes worth bringing to a construction site are a classic steel box or a small rotomolded cooler — cheap plastic and soft-sided bags won’t survive the first real drop.

The steel box is the construction worker classic. Stanley still makes one that’s basically a mini toolbox, and it runs about $30. Drop it off a scaffold, kick it across the slab, use it as a step — it’ll dent, but it’ll keep working. The catch: no insulation. In July it’s an oven. Pack an ice pack or plan for shelf-stable food.

If you need food to actually stay cold, get a small rotomolded cooler instead — the Pelican 20, a Yet