Before refrigerators made their appearance in the world, people used to do some crazy things to keep their food fresh and cold. You know you’re worried about spoilage when you dig a 10-foot hole to store eggs. That’s just a little out of hand… well, until you don’t keep them cold enough and chickens hatch, I guess. People also went a little crazy with salting their food. The Italians, never a bunch to shy away from redundancy, used to salt saltwater fish to cure it. It’s still done today, but must people check out the freezer section in the store and pick up some Gordon’s.

We’re just evolved past the point of ancient methods. Nobody wants to kill tradition, but who wants to be inconvenienced if you don’t have to? After filling that hole up in your back yard, throw away that brown paper sack and make room for insulated lunch bags.

Insulated lunch bags are what we have today in place of the fossils that never kept hot foods hot or cold foods cold. People accepted lukewarm as a natural way of life, but not anymore. Today’s bags are literally miniature coolers, creating a sealed barrier between the lunch bag’s content and the outside air. These lunch bags work exceptionally well for children in school, on a field trip, at summer camp, or adults who take their lunch to work, visit the beach, go hiking, and countless other activities that require some sustenance brought along.

But just like those MP3 players and HD TV sets, there are many, many sizes, shapes, colors and brands of insulated lunch bags on the market. How will you know which to select? Here are a few tips to be used before purchasing your next bag. Basically, it’s stating the obvious, but nevertheless, it’s something worth mentioning.

1: Decide what you need it for. Of course, you’ll end up using the bag for more than you planned, but you should always ask yourself a few simple questions, like, “how much can I hold in here,” or, “how long will it keep my food cold.” Questions like these will ensure that you don’t purchase a lame lunch tote.

2: Keep things simple. Yeah, those flashy bags on the market, with their bells and whistles, really call out to you. “How cool,” you think. And before you know it, you’ve just spent a whole lot more than you needed to. Picking up a basic insulated bag will do the trick.

3: Go strong or go home. Whether it’s for your kid or for you, insulated lunch bags should be able to stand up to the everyday wear and tear of life. Check and make sure that your bag is made of durable material. If the bag is Styrofoam wrapped up in thin cotton, it’s not going to do the trick. These types of bags are appealing because they usually “look” like the rest but are less expensive.

4: Your mama told you: you better shop around. Once you have that tote you want, compare prices for it on various sites, through sales papers, etc. Find the best price out there. Also, check out what other people are saying about the bag. If it has any flaws, people will not be shy about dishing the dirt.