i used to travel on business a fair amount. One of the first things I usually did was go to Walmart or KMart and get a foam cooler and a case of pop. Never liked the $1.50 or $2 cans of pop at the hotels.

It never bothered me to leave the cooler and the left over pop when I left town.

I prefer hard side coolers for my outings.

I like foam coolers next because they are easy and cheap to find at gas station stops for last minute ice/beverages/food and have no expectation of it surviving the trip and bringing.

We have a couple soft sides but they are worthless for long term cooling and forget about using loose ice cubes. The thawed water will leak through the zipper if it sloshes around or tips. Best bet is use frozen water bottles which will thaw and become drinkable or ziplock bags of ice. It works for us for very short trips of just a few bottles or cans.

+1 on the hard sided coolers,they are tougher to transport than the softy's,but they are much more versatile,i.e.- great to sit on-try that with a softy!,make xlnt tables for eating,slicing,assembling,etc.,make good windbreaks & anchor points for tarps,If you keep it sanitary clean,you will have valuable ice water in arid climes(Desert area's) which is Perfect for The Arabian Desert, your own "mobile oasis",you can actually mis-treat a hardsided cooler & it will forgive you,& still provide for your needs!You can use it as a step-ladder to see over the next sand dune or as a podium to practice a speech,afterwards you hop down,crack the lid open for a frosty cold beverage on a normally Hot(120+F) day!A softy will make a decent pillow,or haste flip-flops if your shoes/boots get swallowed in a Haboob,lol! Have a Happy New Year,EVERYBODY! Cheers! Aud Lang syne,pip-pip & all that rot!