Sometimes it’s a road trip. Sometimes it’s a day at the lake.

Sometimes you just need to carry ice cream home from the store without it melting. For all these reasons (and another that will surprise you), there’s a perfect transport bag: YETI’s Hopper M30 Soft Cooler.

It’s built with thick but lightweight foam sides, an easy-clean fabric exterior and an extra-wide-mouth top that won’t collapse when you’re loading it. The M30 keeps your ice-cold stuff icy, even during scorching summer days.

We filled one with cubed ice and a case of beer, then left the cooler outside during one of those weekslong 100-degree streaks we suffered through last month. The ice slowly melted into slush over the next 48 hours, but it didn’t disappear until deep into the third day.

That’s plenty long for a leakproof cooler you can sling over your shoulder. A magnetic closure keeps the Hopper tightly sealed, but it is easily opened with just one hand.

Pack the M30 with drinks and ice, then toss it in the car and head somewhere fun. Or load it with cold foods for the grill, like burgers and cheese. Then do the reverse when you’re finished cooking. That’s how I discovered one of the Hopper’s best uses: It keeps hot things hot, making it the perfect place to rest a brisket pulled right off the smoker.

We’re sending a Hopper to Grandma; if she’s bringing the Thanksgiving turkey, at least we can make sure it arrives hot.