Not the best choice for long trips or hikers who need to carry a large amount of gear. While this pack won’t work for everyone, it’s a practical size for day trips, light travelers, and kids. While this is made of a lightweight water resistant material, it does not have a built in rain flap. While this pack may not be big enough to carry all the gear you need for longer treks, it offers many of the features you would want at a good price. 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.
This hilly 26-mile segment gains over 2,600 feet of elevation over a contoured landscape crossing brooks, streams, and wetlands, as well as small savannahs of oak and hickory hardwoods. Camp at Highway DD trailhead near the section’s start or Harper Spring around the 15 mile-mark. Of course it has no side water holsters, or lid pocket, or hipbelt strap, but I think that all contributes to its low weight.
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. Choose this pack if you prefer a smaller yet spacious design, as it has useful features and the durability of larger options.
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. In essence, I had committed to the permanent rainfly option by default and there was a certain contentedness that came with that. The first good design feature is the placement of the door on the side, and more specifically on the long side of the tent. I’ve tried tents with the door on one end and it is cumbersome. For the end-door variants, one has to toss their sleeping bag down the tent when getting ready for bed. Other items that you may want to keep at the foot of the sleeping area are also hard to access or reach if your head is near the door.
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.
I’m also an Appalachian Trail Maintainer & Trail Crew Member – it’s not uncommon to see sledge hammers, picks, buckets, bow saws, etc. strapped to this pack while hiking to and from trail work details. I’ve had this pack for 2 years and I’ve beaten the living daylights out ozark trail backpack of it and it still performs just as well as the day I bought it. The set-up was understandably a few steps shorter, which is always nice when setting up in the dark. More than once in the dark I’ve attached a rain fly upside down and we had to restart that particular step.
However, businesses and business conditions change, thus the information contained here is subject to change without the knowledge of the Ozark Trail Association. If you need a large pack, or are heading on a days-long adventure, this pack won’t work for you. This roomy and practical backpack works well for a multi-day hike. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. The Ozark Trail Association maintains a number of maps to help you traverse each section of the trail.
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). The Ozark Trail 1-Person Backpacking Tent is on the cheaper end of the spectrum. A variety of websites have it currently priced for less than $50. Many higher quality tents could cost 3 or 4 times that amount. Which size you need really comes down to what all you plan to have in your pack.
Thru-hiking is defined as hiking the contiguous 230-mile backbone of the Ozark Trail in one trip. A thru-hike can begin at the Onondaga State Park and proceed southward to the Eleven Point Western trailhead, or move in the opposite direction from south to north. The Ozark Trail Association Trip Planner contains information on a thru-hike, including directions to Onondaga State Park and Eleven Point Western trailheads. A great pack for day hikes, hunting and weekend camping. The next section along Trace Creek is an enjoyable, quiet walk in the woods. Some hikers may choose to continue on Trace Creek to the Taum Sauk section, but OT thru-hikers should head west onto Middle Fork/John Roth Memorial section to complete the longer route.
For the water bottles I just use Platypus .5 liter and 1 liter flat style bottles, which you can fit in the main body of the pack on top of your other gear. I’ve carried ozark trail chair it in bad weather, including rain and snow. Some days this bag was heavier than I would have chosen it to be. However, it took a pretty good beating and has held up.