A soft-sided insulated container assembly includes a collapsible cooler body made of insulated panels. The body is to be carried by an arrangement of lifting apparatus that includes asymmetrically arranged fittings. One lifting fitting may be an inboard shoulder strap. Another fitting may an handle located on an outboard portion of face of the container body, and may be at a height for engagement by the hand of the user. The soft-sided insulated container assembly may have a liner to contain liquids. The soft-sided insulated container assembly may have an easy access lid. The insulated container may be collapsed to a flat position, and secured in place. In one embodiment the asymmetric lifting arrangement includes a shoulder strap attached to the sides of the container in a manner that distributes the load into the sides of the container, and a grip, such as a handle, located on the lower portion of the front side of the container. The grip may be attached to the container so as to pull up on the bottom of the container when used by a person.