Jul 11, 2026 5 min read

Hydro Flask Carryout Backpack 22 L review

A comfortable, structured backpack cooler that nails day trips, as long as you know what all-day cold really means.

I have been carrying the Carryout Backpack 22 L around for the last month, to the beach, to the park, and out to a few trailhead days, and it has become one of my favorite packs for day adventures with the family.

It is a soft, structured backpack cooler from Hydro Flask's redesigned Carryout line, and the Oat colorway is the understated one: a warm, sandy neutral that reads more like a nice daypack than a beer hauler.

The Hydro Flask Carryout Backpack 22 L sits at the top of the new range at $149.95, so it is firmly in premium territory. After a good amount of real use, here is my honest take on what it does well and where it falls short.

This review is about the backpack specifically. If you want the full picture on the rest of the line, including the totes and soft coolers, I covered all of it in my Hydro Flask Carryout Cooler Collection launch story.

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Key specifications

Price: $149.95 at Hydro Flask
Volume: 22 L
Can capacity: 30 standard 12 oz cans (without ice)
Weight: 3.34 lb (49.40 oz), empty
Outside dimensions: 12.20 x 9.60 x 18.50 in (L x W x H)
Inside dimensions: 10.60 x 6.70 x 15.40 in (L x W x H)
Main fabric: 100% recycled polyester with a durable coating, bluesign APPROVED
Closure: hinged clamshell lid
Straps: FlexClip removable and adjustable strap system
Liner: welded, leakproof, BPA-free, food safe, wipe clean
Cold retention: all-day cold when used with an ice pack (per Hydro Flask)
Warranty: limited lifetime
Color reviewed: Oat

Features I love

The carry stays comfortable, even when loaded

This is the part that surprised me most.

The compression-molded body and shaped back panel keep the weight sitting against your back rather than swinging off your shoulders, so a full cooler feels far more planted than the numbers suggest.

The sweet spot for me is a moderate load, think a few cans plus extra layers, some towels, and a change of clothes, and an ice pack, rather than stuffing it to the absolute brim.

At a sensible fill it carries like a normal daypack, which makes the walk in from the car genuinely easy.

It is comfortable enough that I have happily hiked it a short way to a picnic spot. If you are planning on going further, I would still treat this as a cooler first and a backpack second.

The FlexClip straps are more useful than they sound

The FlexClip system lets you adjust or fully remove the straps depending on how you are carrying the cooler that day.

On paper that sounds like marketing, in practice it is one of the details that gets most use.

The removable top strap is surprisingly handy too (excuse the pun); grab it like a duffel handle to shift the cooler a few feet across a campsite or beach, then switch back to the shoulder straps when you actually need your hands free. Being able to strip the harness back to something simpler, or build it up for a proper carry, makes one cooler work for very different days.

The clamshell lid and leakproof liner make it easier to live with

The hinged clamshell top opens wide and stays open, so loading is quick and you can see everything inside instead of digging blind.

The lid stays put when open and the structured body stands up on its own while you pack it.

The welded interior liner has stayed leakproof in my use, and it wipes clean in seconds. No soggy seams, no lingering smell after a day of melted ice and snacks. For something that lives in the back of a car between trips, that easy cleanup matters more than it sounds.

The bottom of the pack is very durable too which is important as you're going to be puttin it down a lot of load and unload.

What could be improved

Cold retention is a day-trip story (at most!), not a weekend one. Hydro Flask rates it for all-day cold with an ice pack, and that somewhat matches what I see: with a frozen ice pack, drinks stay genuinely cold through a full day out.

Without ice, however, it will only stay cool for a few hours or so; I made that mistake the first time I took it to the beach...

It is not meant to hold ice for two or three days like a hard cooler, so go in expecting a day cooler and you will be happy. It also leans on that ice pack. Loose ice melts and pools faster, so a solid pack is the move.

Storage outside the main compartment is minimal, with just one stretch pocket.

There is no roomy, organized dry pocket for a phone, keys, and sunscreen, so small items tend to end up loose in the main cavity or in your pockets. At this price, a proper zippered exterior stash would be a welcome addition.

And it is fairly expensive at $149.95, which is a lot for a day cooler. You are paying for the carry comfort, the recycled bluesign materials, and the lifetime warranty, which is fair if you will use it often, but harder to justify if it only comes out a few times a year.

My verdict

The Carryout Backpack 22 L is the most comfortable soft cooler I have carried, and that comfort is the whole point. It carries well, loads easily, cleans up fast, and the removable top strap quietly earns its keep.

The Oat color is the one I would pick again: low-key, warm, and easy to live with.

It suits beach days, park afternoons, tailgates, and camping trips where you want your hands free and your drinks cold for most of the day.

Skip it if you need true multi-day ice retention, or if you want lots of organized pockets. For everyone else, it is an easy, honest recommendation because it solves a few practical problems and looks stylish doing so.

Shop at Hydro Flask

You can check current pricing and colors via the link above.

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