A soft-sided insulated container assembly includes a collapsible cooler body made of insulated panels. The body is to be carried by lifting apparatus that includes asymmetrically arranged fittings. Those fittings may be an inboard shoulder strap or a handle located on an outboard portion of a face of the container body, and may be at a height for engagement by the hand of the user. The assembly may have a liner to contain liquids and an easy access lid. The insulated container may be collapsed, and secured. 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 includes a grip or handle located on the lower portion of the front side of the container to pull up on the bottom of the container when used by a person.