My favorite way to keep kids happy on hikes is to invite their friends. It’s amazing how much complaining happens on a hike with only one family. But if you add another family with at least one kid in roughly the same age range, like magic the hike seems to get shorter and the climbs easier for everyone involved. When I first got the bag, I had issues with shoulder straps that pulls the bag up higher/lower on the back. But now it’s settled and almost never moves on me.
Like most camping canopies, this one comes with six stakes and a carrying bag for easy transport and storage. Three different heights give you lots of variety for weather protection. The easy pinch-free push button system can be quickly lowered if the wind picks up. The tent is water resistant and offers 50+ UPF protection with 64 square feet of shade. Steel, aluminum, or fiberglass are used to make the heavy-duty frame of canopy tents. Canopy materials for covers are made from a variety of sources—mostly polyethylene or polyester that offer UV protection and water resistance.
Most parents and grandparents dream about sharing their passions with their kids. But what happens when your passion includes schlepping 30 pounds or more of gear through the tick-infested woods and sleeping on the ground for days on end? The only issues I have with the bag is that the stitching isn’t as good as you might find on the more expensive bags and its weight. The more expensive will use higher quality materials that are generally stronger and lighter weight.
Sometimes it’s a single trail or we combine multiple trails at a state park. During these longer hikes I found it useful to have a large hiking bag and not just a school backpack. Generally, you get what you pay for when you purchase cheap hiking gear. But I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the ozark trail canopy Ozark Trail 45 Liter Backpacking Backpack. It’s hard to guess which kids will take to hiking like a fish to water and which ones will beg off. My kids were toddlers the first time we went backpacking on a short, level trail where I carried everything and I knew they could do the hike with no problem.
Aside from the main pack bag, there is a small zippered compartment on the front, that, depending on how much you have stuffed inside, is pretty tight. I managed to fit my headlamp, lighter, ozark trail chair map, compass, and some tp in the pocket. Fit and finish were pretty good — no loose seams or stitching. Stitches appeared evenly spaced and of uniform distance from the fabric edges.