“A cold front bringing thunderstorms was preceded by a spectacular cloud show on Stegall Mountain. A sub-freezing night brought beautiful, delicate frost flowers. Water from a ozark trail chairs full day of rain and a nighttime thunderstorm brought life to the small waterfall in Wolf Pen Hollow. “I hiked the trail in 9.5 days, so my average miles per day was 23-plus.
Ticks were unavoidable given the amount of growth encroaching on the trail,” she said. “I was cautioned by members in the OT Facebook group that a July thru-hike would be brutal. “Extreme heat increased ozark trail backpack water intake, and the summer storms were fierce. Lightning struck just 350 feet from me, and the winds destroyed my shelter system…so I had to spend an unexpected $150 for a new Hennesy hammock system.
There are no compression straps or other means of securing anything to the outside of the pack, aside from the “daisy chain” on the front. My only knock on it would be the lack of a small water bottle pocket. I priced other internal frame daypacks before my trip and this was by far the cheapest. I took this pack on a 5-day mountain bike ride from Pittsburgh, Pa., to Washington, D.C., and it performed very well. The Yeti has the most streamlined design of the three coolers, staying true to the original Yeti look and feel.
I needed to charge my headlamp, watch, and iPhone, which I used often for GPS, photos, video, and journal entries. Includes compression straps on the sides to keep your gear stable. This pack has a lot of extra storage pockets for organization of your gear. 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. Here the 30-mile Current River section picks up, following the river for two miles before veering south toward Stegall Mountain.
Not the best choice for long trips or hikers who need to carry a large amount of gear. While this is made of a lightweight water resistant material, it does not have a built in rain flap. However, some sources may run dry during extended periods of drought. Plan accordingly and carry or cache water in case you are not able to find a source close by.
Follow the signs to stay on established paths to reduce your chances of getting lost. Staying on the trail also helps prevent erosion and damage to fragile plant life. The Ozark Trail Association marks and improves the ozark trail backpack trail and ensures campsites are well maintained. We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews.
I have used the hydration compartment for items like my iPad. I saw this pack at Wally World and figured, $19 for a 28-liter pack, I’d give it a shot. If it doesn’t suit my needs, one of my daughters would be able to use it. Order your 2024 Official Missouri Travel Guide and start planning your Missouri adventure today.
A backpack is perhaps the most important part of your hiking setup. Once again, it took me a little bit of time hiking before realizing that, but luckily, I have a few different suggestions after using several packs over the years. And, you don’t have to spend a ton to get something that will work for you. While this pack won’t work for everyone, it’s a practical size for day trips, light travelers, and kids. This roomy and practical backpack works well for a multi-day hike.
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. Usually I share a 2- or 3-person tent when backpacking with others to split up the weight, but as mentioned we each needed to be self-contained so I brought my 1-person tent from Ozark Trail. Drinking water is a serious consideration for any thru-hike. Even at the driest part of the year, there are many water sources on the OT, but it shouldn’t be taken for granted. Filtering or chemically treating water is overwhelmingly recommended.