My only knock on it would be the lack of a small water bottle pocket. All told, I’ve had the pack on my back for about 50 miles. Keeping the load under 15 pounds seems to be the key. I really wanted to use it for our fall two-nighter on the AT, but was unable to fit my bivy with a 20 degree Kelty Cosmic down bag inside.
Before heading out on your next hike or other outdoor adventure, make sure to grab the Ozark Trail 14 Liter Hydration Hiking Backpack. This 14L pack is designed for maximum versatility so you can focus on the great outdoors. It features two main compartments for maximum storage and organization, as well as a shove pocket with a clean, gusseted design for carrying extra items.
It even has a rain cover built in, which is great when I’m riding my bicycle across town on a rainy day. Determining when and where water will be available is part of route planning. Monitoring rain in the area you’re going to hike and contacting locals can help you determine if smaller creeks might act as water sources. Last fall when hiking dry sections of the Ouachita Trail, we planted water caches for insurance, but this involved driving to pick up empty jugs after the trip. With the added height of an inflatable pillow and sleeping pad my head height was indeed close to the curvature of the tent ceiling but there was still enough room.
Specific water sources are indicated on Ozark Trail online and printed maps. A great way to ask questions of like-minded outdoor enthusiasts is to check out the Ozark Trail Section Hikers and Backpackers (OTSHAB) Facebook page. You’ll find numerous advocates eager to answer your questions and aid you in planning your thru-hike. They might be able to assist in arranging a shuttle.
When you do have to answer the call of the wild, make sure to stay at least 100 yards away from a water source and bury any solid waste at least 6 inches deep. Trailspace’s community of gear reviewers has field-tested and rated the top daypacks. I’ve had this pack for 2 years and I’ve beaten the living daylights out of it and it still performs just ozark trail backpack as well as the day I bought it. I don’t make it a habit of buying my gear from Walmart, but this was a excellent purchase. I use this pack on a daily basis to carry my office clothes while I ride my bike to work and to carry light loads while out Geocaching. I priced other internal frame daypacks before my trip and this was by far the cheapest.
I used only Aquamira water treatment drops for the duration of the trip. Day 3 (Monday, December 31) I woke to mild temperatures and constant rain. Backpacking Light helps hikers and other backcountry enthusiasts overcome their barriers to living a life outside in Wild Places. Lastly, I haven’t yet had a chance to test its waterproofing in a huge down-pouring of rain, but it did hold up in some strong winds surprisingly well.
Also a good choice for youngsters who are new to hiking, or who need a rugged pack for toting school items. The one downside with integrated rain flies is the lack of ventilation and temperature control. We had great weather – not too hot and not too cold – but it did rain for about 5 minutes. My friend chose to not put up his rain fly betting on the perfect weather to continue ozark trail canopy while enjoying the stars at night. During those five minutes of rain, he was a little more stressed as the risk of a wet sleeping bag had not been completely mitigated and he rushed back to the campground. True, I wasn’t able to remove the rain fly to watch the stars or let the wind ventilate my tent, but I was able to enjoy the day hikes without any sort of worry.
We began working our way from south to north with the Eleven Point, Between the Rivers, and Current River sections. For this hike, we’ll continue north on the Blair Creek, Karkaghen, and Middle Fork ozark trail chair John Roth sections. I include links to some items mentioned, but am not endorsing products or sources. I prefer to use my local outfitters, suppliers, and bookstores for most backpacking purchases.