What a difference a few months makes… When self-proclaimed “part visionary, part scientist” inventor Ryan Grepper initially tried funding his Coolest Cooler project on Kickstarter last November, it was met with less than optimal enthusiasm. In fact, the previous model was unable to generate even the meager $125,000 goal set before it. Fast forward to Summer 2014, when sports fans, tailgaters, outdoor enthusiasts and water-play addicts are at their most rabid, and the need for a cooler that really “has it all” is suddenly at an all-time high. Grepper saw the shift in activity and jumped on it, taking advantage of the outdoor-themed season to give his new and improved Coolest Cooler a second chance to make its debut. Now, after only a week of crowdfunding, the cooler has raised more than $5 million and has become one of the most funded Kickstarter projects of all time.

The first prototype of Grepper’s Coolest Cooler was built nearly a decade ago using parts from a weed whacker and an old car stereo. He says the idea came simply from his own love for outdoor fun – “My two biggest loves are having fun with family and friends and the outdoors. This product is everything I always wanted in a cooler”. And when he says everything, he means it. Part cooling device, part mobile party, the Coolest features a battery-powered blender, waterproof Bluetooth speaker, USB charger, integrated storage for plates and a knife, a cooler divider that doubles as a cutting board, LED lighting in the lid, and, of course, a built-in bottle opener. Put most accurately on his Kickstarter page - “The Coolest Cooler is 60 quarts of AWESOME”.

With a cooler packing that much heat you really don’t need any additional bells and whistles, so inventor Ryan Grepper initially only intended to make the Coolest available in orange. However, after the monumental success of the cooler’s first week out, he has decided to expand the color options to a total of six choices, all with alcohol-inspired names like “Sangria”, “Blue Curacao” and, of course, a lime-colored hue called “Margarita”.

If you river rats and slaves to summer are already salivating to get your hands on one, you might want to cool your jets for a bit. According to founder Ryan Grepper, currently “there’s only one Coolest in the world. It lives in my garage and has a very full social calendar.” But never you fear, the Coolest is on its way to the rest of the world. Manufacturers plan to start shipping the first wave of orders by February 2015, just in time for you to start planning next summer’s adventures. Because as Grepper says, “The Coolest is about so much more than a cooler. It’s about making memories outdoors with friends and family and I’m excited to share more ways to make that happen.”