He chose March for his hike because there are fewer ticks and daylight hours start getting longer. “The AT, PCT, and CDT have a higher profile, but not many people can take three to five months out of their lives to do a thru-hike. Be prepared to adjust plans based on the conditions you encounter. Have backup plans in case of gear and equipment failures. Get FREE shipping to your home on orders over $35 or FREE in-store pickup. You may want to check out some of the other recent Walmart deals.
So, I reached out on the private Facebook group “Ozark Trail Section Hikers and Backpackers” and eventually talked to seven other successful OT thru-hikers. Here are their (and my own) stories and advice for conquering this rugged, beautiful, rewarding excursion. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks.
The Ozark Trail Association maintains a number of maps to help you traverse each section of the trail. If you are using your phone for navigation, bring a paper copy of a map in case you lose signal or find yourself without battery. Trail maps are free to print at home or available for purchase at the online store. Bring ozark trail canopy enough water for your trip or a way to purify water to make it safe to drink. Many of the creeks and streams look crystal clear, but it’s still smart to make sure any impurities are removed with pumps or tablets before drinking. Although I saw many diggings from feral hogs, I was fortunate to have never come across any.
Filtering or chemically treating water is overwhelmingly recommended. I used a Katadyn BeFree 1-liter filter and only needed to clean it once in my 16 days. Berchek continued, “Water is easy to find on the OT, even in the drier seasons. The problem is there are a lot more water sources than indicated on the map, so…you end up carrying more water than needed.
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. “Park services all but abandoned trail maintenance because of COVID. 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 water intake, and the summer storms were fierce.
This was day nine of my 16-day thru-hike of the Ozark Trail (OT). We’ve got a good, value-centric option for any level of camper, from novice to experienced. It’s the Ozark Trail Himont 75L Multi-Day Backpack, and there are very few things not to love about it.
“They were important backup when I needed to rely on AllTrails more frequently, when taking pictures, and when I wanted to compose a blog post in the evening. Not the best choice for long trips or hikers who need to carry a large amount of gear. Temperatures can swing from chilly mornings to sweltering afternoons. Pack rain gear to stay warm and dry, and consider bringing one set of clothes to change into at camp as well as one or two sets of clothes for hiking. The OT is a great “starters thru-hike” in both length and technicality.
To help us better protect your account security, please check the CAPTCHA box below. Get your questions about the Ozark Trail 10L Backpacking Daypack answered from our team and the Pro Community right here on the page. Plus, join discussions with other members about gear, guides, and more. Get your questions about the Ozark Trail 35L Convertible Backpack Duffel answered from our team and the Pro Community right here on the page. Choose this pack if you prefer a smaller yet spacious design, as it has useful features and the durability of larger options. If you need a large pack, or are heading on a days-long adventure, this pack won’t work for you.
What’s more, the OT offers many things to see and experience for both seasoned and first-time backpackers. The Ozark Trail (OT) is one of America’s premier distance hiking trails. Mostly divided into linked sections, the trail winds through 390 miles of rolling hills, stone bluffs and cool streams in central and southern Missouri. I’ll forever cherish the memories made and accomplishments achieved ozark trail backpack — and my own cherishing quickly turned to wondering about other OT thru-hikers’ experiences. 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.
Similar to many of the other thru-hikers, I downloaded the OTA’s excellent GPS maps, but I loaded them into the Gaia GPS app on my iPhone. I used this mostly to make sure I was on the trail when blazes were hard to find, and I logged my campsites and where I filtered water. My Suunto Baro 9 GPS watch has a battery that would last a whole day, and I brought the Anker PowerCore power bank that weighs a whooping 20 ounces. I needed to charge my headlamp, watch, and iPhone, which I used often for GPS, photos, video, and journal entries. “Every unfavorable turn of weather brought some reward,” said Berchek of his fall hike.