How To: Backpack the Ozark Trail

Additionally, I tested each wagon (filled with soccer equipment) on grass and bumpy, broken concrete surfaces, paying attention to how the suspension and wheels performed under different conditions. In spring 2021, I tested four additional beach-friendly wagons during several trips from my home in Santa Monica to the beach (10 blocks away) and back. I hauled both of my sons along with beach gear like boogie boards, coolers, chairs, and endless amounts of sand toys. The Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart has the largest wheels and, at 6.7 cubic feet, the largest volume of any wagon we tested. This wagon easily folds and unfolds, and we found that it was simple (at 24.5 pounds) to lift into the car after a long day in the sun. We have a few issues with this wagon—the telescoping handle can feel flimsy, and it costs around $50 more than the standard Mac Sports wagon.

It features a front zippered pocket for your accessories and keys and a large open main compartment for everything else. 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. Make sure to let a friend or family member know what you’re doing and where you’re going. Tell someone how many days you’ll be gone and approximately where you think you’ll stay each night.

Is Walmart’s Ozark Trail brand a true sleeper, putting out products that deserve much more attention among outdoorsmen? With that question being floated, we decided to travel down the path of discovery and start to take a closer look at Ozark Trail and some of their products. We just completed a review of the Ozark Trail Tumbler line, which is not only budget friendly but also well performing. The Oniva Collapsible Adventure Wagon’s major downside was its folding mechanism, similar to that of an umbrella, rather than an accordion, like on the others. It was extremely hard to squeeze inward and still jutted outward if not squeezed into its cover—an impossible ordeal when wrangling two kids in a parking lot.

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. Enjoy views of the Ozark landscape as you gain 500 feet of elevation up 2.5 miles to the top of Stegall Mountain. Camp out at the top overnight, catching a glimpse of a full sky of stars if it’s clear. After Middle Fork, head into the 29-mile Karkaghne section, which mixes sweeping wetland prairies and ridge-lined valley views through the Sutton Bluff Recreation Area.

The other two colors will have different rims and accents, so if you don’t love the orange you have options. The coolers in competition were the Ozark Trail 45QT Rolling Thermocooler, The Pelican 45QW Elite Wheeled Cooler, and the Yeti Tundra Haul. I chose these coolers because ozark trail sleeping bag they were the closest among the brands when it came to internal storage. While this pack won’t work for everyone, it’s a practical size for day trips, light travelers, and kids. If you’re on the trail for several days, toilet paper and a cathole shovel are necessities.

Trail maps are free to print at home or available for purchase at the online store. 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.

We like to go on day hikes around our area and my other backpacks are much bulkier and heavier than this one. We live close to Zion National Park and it gets very hot during the day, so you want to ozark trail sleeping bag make sure to always have water with you. 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.

When my bag got wet from a few rides, it easily and quickly dried because of its thin material, I really liked that. The bag has one large compartment and then a smaller one on the front/side. This hydration compatible backpack has a connection for a water bladder built in to the design. It also includes loops to hang your trekking poles when not in use.

Of all the wagons we tested, the Mac Sports Collapsible Folding Outdoor Utility Wagon best hits the sweet spot of price, versatility, weight, and ease of use. It’s one of the simplest wagons to unfold and use, and it rolls smoothly enough to keep its contents intact over mud, grass, bumps, and curbs. At 22½ pounds, it’s one of the lighter models we tested and a cinch to lift into cars. It’s also one of the lowest-priced wagons we considered, but it performed as well as or better than wagons that cost twice as much. The similar Mac Sports XL is bulkier than the regular Mac Sports, but also has a higher weight limit and more space for all your tools—or toys.

But even though it had nice wheels and construction, this wagon was a headache to fold and unfold. It took two people—and several minutes—to put the L.L.Bean wagon away after use. We had to wrestle the cover onto the bulky rectangle and tug it down to get it on. One of the wheels came loose when one of our testers was carrying about 100 pounds of gear, which is well under the stated weight capacity. After a new round of testing in late 2023, the relatively affordable Baby Trend 2-in-1 Stroller Wagon Plus will replace the Evenflo Pivot Xplore All-Terrain Stroller Wagon as our top stroller wagon pick.