Tourit 36 Can Voyager Backpack Cooler Review
Table of Contents
The Tourit Voyager backpack Cooler is one of the best looking options on the market. It’s firm sided construction keeps your food and drink cold for up to 2.5 days while providing additional storage in the form of side pockets and a customizable strap system. A wide, flip-top opening with a fully leakproof zipper, comfortable straps, external storage compartments and a grippy backplate make this a great choice for anyone looking for a portable cooler with multi-day ice life.
Tourit 36 Can
- 3 days of ice life
- Great looking cooler
- Additional exterior storage pockets
- Front strap storage system
- Base strap storage system
- 100% waterproof
- Boxy shape not for everyone
- Loses some form with use
Technical Details
- Capacity22 Qts
- Weight4.6 lbs
- Exterior Dimensions (H x D x W)17.7″ x 10″ x 13.8″
- MaterialsHigh-density Foam Insulation, Waterproof Nylon Shell, RF Welded Seams,
- Warranty1 year
- Returns30 days
- Colors Available1.Navy Blue/Orange
2. Dark Gray/Gray
Full Review
If you are looking for a competitively priced cooler that can hang with the industry leaders when it comes to the core tenants of a backpack cooler – long ice life, comfortable straps & 100% waterproof then this might be the option for you.
Tourit is a cooler company that has recently emerged with a heavy presence on Amazon. They specialize in producing insulated day backpacks but have recently begun manufacturing soft-sided, tote and backpack coolers that are designed to rival the ever-present Yeti branded products in quality but at a lower price point.
They have more than managed that feat in terms of looks, the Tourit cooler range is an incredibly good looking set of bags. They all have a smooth, waterproof finish, firm sided boxy layouts and color accents that stand out but also compliment each other very well.
Ice Retention Tests
The primary reason for using a cooler is to keep food and drinks below a certain temperature for as long as possible. The FDA recommends that when refrigerating food you should keep the temperature below 40° F to ensure food safety standards are maintained.
Design, Construction & Durability
The Voyager is a smartly put together cooler that takes many of the positive design aspects of the Yeti Backflip and RTIC backpack cooler while also adding some of its own inventive solutions.
The shape of the cooler follows the pattern of the big name brands – rectangular boxy shape with a flip-top lid that is sealed by a waterproof zipper. Tourit have added two good sized side pockets (that are not present on the RTIC or Yeti), a comfortable, two-fingered zipper handle, detachable shoulder straps and a handy bottle opener attachment on the left strap.
The outer shell is made from a durable, waterproof nylon that feels similar to a river raft. It is fully waterproof and designed to resist punctures and tears.
Comfort While Carrying
The Tourit backpack cooler has an adjustable strap system that is comfortable to carry, even when full. The backplate of the pack is made from a grippy material that stops the cooler moving around during use which I found to be a welcome addition.
The two shoulder straps have a good amount of padding and can actually be removed via the Duraflex buckles that attach at the top and bottom of the bag. I have not seen this mentioned anywhere, even on the Tourit website but it’s an extremely convenient option that allows the bag to be used as a backpack or a shoulder carry cooler. It has a thin chest strap with a clip and also comes with a branded, over the shoulder strap that can be clipped to the top edges of the bag for single shoulder carrying. Unlike similar packs the Voyager does not have regular top level carry straps but this is only a mild inconvenience.
I found that the strap did start to dig into the shoulders a little but this was only when carrying a completely full pack for over 1.5 miles. In general I was very happy with the comfort level despite it not being as well padded and lacking the waist strap of it’s RTIC rival.
The Tourit has a similar look and shape to the RTIC backpack cooler but is slightly less bulky and feels more compact on your back. The RTIC is more comfortable to carry in general but if you are a slightly smaller person I would definitely suggest the Tourit.
Waterproofing
- Wide, flip-top lid is secured by a 100% waterproof zipper that keeps exterior water out and interior liquids/melted ice in.
- The heavy duty nylon shell is laminated to increase its toughness and ability to keep the cooler waterproof/leakproof
- Nylon shell has a smooth, river raft feel to it.
- All seems are RF-welded for complete leakproof protection.
Features
The Tourit Voyager has an airtight zipper that is completely leakproof with a two-finger ring pull handle. The zipper can be a little tough to use to begin with but lubricant is included in the box and it eases up pretty quickly. The cooler performed extremely well in our leak testing, there was no leakage, even when turned completely upside down.
The Voyager has a segmented front facing strap system and a slightly larger pair of straps on the base. The size of each strap can be adjusted to accommodate a variety of accessories and makes it even easier to keep your hands free while on the way to the beach or out hiking.
Many of the premium soft sided coolers on the market lack one thing, dry storage. The Tourit has 2 external dry storage pockets that have the same waterproof zipper as the main compartment. The pockets are 8.5″ tall by 6″ wide so they provide an adequate space for your valuables. The pockets are only 2″ deep though so there is a limit to what they can hold.
This cooler can be fully converted from a backpack to a single shoulder bag by removing a few Duraflex buckle clips. While I use the pack primarily as a backpack I keep the single shoulder strap attached as it is easier to move short distances.
True Can Capacity
How many cans will it hold? A key deciding factor when choosing a cooler. Manufacturers make claims that can sometimes be confusing, does the number include ice, is that using special cool packs? We test our coolers to give you can totals for different can sizes and varying levels of ice included. So how many drinks can the Tourit Voyager hold? Their website states 36 cans, so let’s put that to the test.
12oz Cans
16oz Cans
12oz Skinny Cans (Truly, White Claw etc)
Value For Money
At the time of writing this review the Tourit retails for $189.99 on their own website and on Amazon. When compared to the most well known brands in the industry this is in the mid-tier price range. The Voyager performs closer to a top-tier backpack cooler which makes it great value for money in comparison.
The only issue that stops this bag scoring full points in this category is the fact that the better-known RTIC backpack cooler can regularly be purchased for $40 less than the Tourit and scores just as well in all other categories. See my full comparison below.
Real World Performance
The Tourit Backpack Cooler is an ultra-functional option that performs equally as well as bags that cost close to $300.
- The flip-top opening is the smartest design for both ease of use and creating even layer of insulation all around the bag.
- The grippy backplate and shoulder straps limit any unwanted movement during carrying (even when fully loaded).
- The two outer side pockets offer a surprising amount of additional dry storage, which many other backpack coolers lack.
- I found the 2.5 day ice life (when using 10lbs of ice) to be far more than I ever needed, even during a full weekend of camping with regular opening and closing.
Tourit Voyager vs RTIC Backpack Cooler
Both Tourit and RTIC are brands that attempt to offer customers Yeti quality products at a lower price point so it makes sense to compare these two very similar coolers. The bags are similarly priced and offer many of the same qualities that are usually only found in more expensive coolers. Another option in this price range is the Hydro Flask 20L Backpack Cooler.
Below is a list of the differences between the RTIC and the Tourit coolers:
RTIC Backpack Cooler
- Larger capacity
- More padding on backplate and shoulder straps
- Side carry handles
- Top carry handles
- Padded waist strap
- 3 days ice retention
- Double stitching on all key areas may last better over time
Read our full RTIC Backpack Cooler review.
Tourit Voyager
- External side pockets
- Front strap system is better than the RTIC elastic setup
- Detachable single shoulder strap
- Better looking bag
- 2.5 days ice retention
Get the RTIC if ....
You want ultimate capacity, a more comfortable shoulder strap system and slightly longer ice life - go for the RTIC.
Get the Tourit if ....
You want a better looking bag that is slightly more compact, has external storage pockets and is more adjustable - go for the Tourit.
Performance Over Time
Initial Usage
- Some slight loss of shape on the edge after first use
- Slightly sticky zipper but included lubricant works quickly
- Thick insulation
- 2.5 days of ice life
After 2 Weeks
- Zipper fully settled in
- Some wrinkles formed in side pockets
Bottom Line
I wasn’t sure what to expect with the Tourit Voyager, it was slightly more expensive than the RTIC backpack cooler but still far cheaper the more expensive bags like the Yeti and Otterbox. This ended up being the cooler I get most compliments on, it is a great looking bag, it walks the line perfectly between maximizing capacity while keeping a compact form factor. Along with it’s looks you get great ice retention at 2.5 days, not industry leading but more than enough for most use cases.
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