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 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. I, on the other hand, could have stayed out longer. 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.
She enjoyed many “zero days,” visiting local attractions with her brother, who followed her in a support vehicle. My trail running shoes were still wet from multiple stream crossings the day before, but I knew my Merino wool socks would warm my feet in little time. The 38-degree air temperature actually felt good, perhaps more so since I knew the sun was about to warm up my 16-mile trek to Klepzig Mill.
However, it took a pretty good beating and has held up. I bought this pack recently on a whim while shopping Walmart. I needed a day pack and didn’t really have lots of time to search at REI for the various styles provided having only gone to one store.
Please be aware that we make an effort to keep this information current. However, businesses and business conditions change, thus the information contained here is subject to change without the knowledge of the Ozark Trail Association. 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. Although I saw many diggings from feral hogs, I was fortunate to have never come across any.
“I hiked the trail in 9.5 days, so my average miles per day was 23-plus. A great pack for day hikes, hunting and weekend camping. Wetlands give way to ridgelines at the start of the Blair Creek section. The 26-mile route follows Blair Creek south as it carves down a valley through oak-hickory-pine forest before merging with the emerald waters of the Current River.
Overall, it could have been roomier, but the weight savings were attractive to me with only one spar instead of two. Furthermore, I didn’t plan on being in the tent other than during the nights, so a roomier but heavier 1-person tent wasn’t desirable. The weather was going to be great and the hammock was where I wanted to be during the restful moments of the day. The Ozark Trail 1-Person Backpacking Tent is on the cheaper end of the spectrum.
Trail maps are free to print at home or are available for purchase at the online store. If you’re on a multi-day hike, toilet paper and a cathole shovel are necessities. When you have to answer nature’s call, make sure to stay ozark trail canopy at least 200 yards away from a water source and bury any solid waste at least 6 inches deep. Further south, you can find Klepzig Mill, a historic building constructed nearly 100 years ago along the banks of Rocky Creek.
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). I also liked how my head wasn’t directly beside the door, which often occurs for an end-door tent.
Plan accordingly and carry or cache water in case you are not able to find a source close by. Always treat any water for drinking and cooking along the trail. Specific water sources are indicated on Ozark Trail online and printed maps. His base equipment consisted of a Zpacks Arc Haul backpack, a Zpacks Duplex tent, and a Zpacks 20F quilt with a Therm-a-rest Neoair Xlite sleeping pad. “[The Ozark Trail] is more raw than other trails I’ve thru-hiked.
By default, this unexpectedly ended up being my go-to daily bag for several months. It’s been stuffed to capacity with almost everything I had to carry, including, but not limited to, ozark trail chair outerwear, lunch, groceries, laptop, iPad, a Bose speaker, and combinations thereof. I am a 6-foot tall male, weighing 185 lbs and it fits just as well as other day packs I’ve tried.