Just be prepared to face changing weather conditions out in the wilderness. Water sources like rivers and streams may only be available seasonally. OT maps are a great resource to help identify places where you can access water.
I have used the hydration compartment for items like my iPad. My shoulders did not chafe nor rub or irritate while walking and I did not get any bruising ozark trail chair on my hips. I only walked about a mile away on a dirt trail to the showers but it was not a flat surface and the equiptment on my back was stable.
However, it took a pretty good beating and has held up. Today I immediately loaded it up and went out for a few hours. For water and OJ I use Vapur anti bottles which aren’t bulky at all.
It’s sized to fit every airline’s carry-on size requirements. My son and daughter each took one of these on a trip through Europe and they carried it on every plane, train, and bus they rode without any problems. It’s also small enough that it wasn’t inconvenient for them to have it with them everyday. Fit and finish were pretty good — no loose seams or stitching. Stitches appeared evenly spaced and of uniform distance from the fabric edges. There is a lack of reinforcement on the pack’s taffeta bottom, though.
The front and hip straps make it very comfortable and takes alot of the pressure of your shoulders and back. Some 1-person tents will have two major spars or spines that cross for the main support structure. In the Ozark Trail tent, it has only one spar traveling down the center lengthwise with a single rib to open up the area in the middle. The four or six tent pegs hold the structure down but are crucial for the tent to stand by itself. The Ozark does need those pegs in the ground to be self-standing so setting up on rocks would be infeasible (at least without applying some clever tenting skills). Thru-hiking is defined as hiking the contiguous 230-mile backbone of the Ozark Trail in one trip.
Physically check in by filling out a backpacking card at dedicated trailheads. Also, learn the seven principles of “Leave No Trace” to keep the backcountry beautiful. One of the best parts of backpacking is settling around a campfire and enjoying a hot dinner after a long day of hiking. You may find it helpful to make a list of meals for each day you are out on the trail to ensure that you are not over- or under-packing for your trip.