i have to travel at least two hours and bring frozen food. can anyone recommend a good insulated cooler?

also, will ice packs keep the food frozen or is there something else?

You needn't worry. Just get any good quality name brand cooler, big enough for what you have to take plus room for ice. Pack the frozen food with a lot of ice, and it will still be rock hard after 3-4-5 hours.

It's not your cooler, but how you pack it.
-Make sure everything you put in it before you go is already cold.
-Put the most important foods on the bottom (heat rises and the bottom will stay cold the longest)
-Make sure to put the cold pack on the very top (again, with the heat rising, cold falling physics thing).
-Do not open it for any reason on the way, and make sure that lid stays on as tight as possible.
-If you use regular ice, make sure as it melts the water does not come into contact with what you're keeping cold (nothing brings something to 32degrees faster than water, and you want your frozen stuff to stay BELOW that as long as possible).
-Don't use Dry Ice, as it melts it will kill you because you'll be in a car with limited ventilation.

It will buy you plenty of time.