The Ninja FrostVault Go is a cooler you wear on your back, and I was blown away by its chilling powers

(Image credit: Future)

Want to go for a summer picnic? You have a decision to make. Do you want to a. stay close to home or your car, b. lug a hard cooler into the wilderness with you, or c. eat lukewarm sandwiches and chug down a room-temp Cola?

Alternatively, there's a secret fourth option: d. strap on a Ninja FrostVault Go and stride out into the wilderness with a selection of delicious, chilled food and drink safely protected on your back, like some kind of mythical picnic turtle.

The Ninja FrostVault Go aims to be your on-the-go picnic companion. I've been trying one out on various excursions in the recent UK heatwave, and I was blown away by its chilling powers. In fact, I left mine in a car for several hours in 35C temperatures (that's 95F for US readers – and warm enough to make the average Brit melt to a puddle immediately) – and my premixed margaritas were miraculously still cold when I came to take them out. If there's a tougher test of a cooler's insulation system, I'd like to hear it.

Writer wearing Ninja FrostVault Go while walking through an orchard — (Image credit: Future)

This cooler is split into two parts. The lower one is your 'Dry Zone', designed for all your various snacks. There's an ice pack strapped in on either side to keep the temperatures down in there, and it can apparently keep food at "fridge temperature (under 4.5 °C)" for "hours". A hatch at the front provides easy access to your snacks.

The upper compartment opens at the top and is designed to be packed with ice and drinks. Ninja claims the ice will stay frozen for up to 24 hours. That's thanks to thick insulation covering the entire perimeter (it's at least as chunky as the insulation in my far pricier Yeti Hopper Flip soft cooler – and based on my tests so far, just as effective).

The fact that the lid nestles into the top of the FrostVault Go means that even if it's not zipped up, it'll still keep the insides chill, although you will want to close those watertight zips before heading off anywhere.

A word of warning: if you opt for the larger size (23 liters), be aware that it is big. And if you fill it with the maximum capacity of 36 cans (or 24 cans plus ice), it's going to be heavy too. The straps and back panel are comfortably padded, and there's a chest strap to help redistribute the weight, but it's still quite the workout to lug it around.

On the plus side, it's tall enough and sturdy enough to double as a seat, so at least you have somewhere to perch while you take a break from your exertions. Picnickers of a weaker disposition should consider packing lighter contents (popcorn? Helium balloons?) or opting for the size down, which at 17 liters with a 24-can capacity, is still large enough to be useful.

The larger Ninja FrostVault Go 23-liter (36-Can) is $249.99 / £229.99. If you'd prefer the smaller, 17-liter (24 can) version, it comes with a list price of $199.99 / £199.99. Both are also available directly from Ninja or via Amazon in the US and UK.

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