Soft coolers win for day hikes.

Yes, they’re worth it. For a day hike, a soft-sided cooler is lighter, easier to pack, and more comfortable to carry than a hard one.

Hard coolers are great for long car camping trips or hot beach days where you need ice to last 24+ hours. But for a few hours on the trail, a soft cooler with a decent liner and a frozen bottle of water will keep lunch cold just fine. You’re not going to be out long enough to worry about melting.

The big advantage is weight and packability. A soft cooler straps to your backpack, slings over your shoulder, or just gets shoved in. A hard cooler is bulky, heavy, and awkward to carry any real distance. Unless you’re hiking in direct sun for six hours and need raw meat to stay frozen, go soft.

I’d skip the ultralight foil bags that barely insulate, though. Get one with at least 0.5 inches of foam. They cost around $30–50 and work.