One day an Ozark Trail Thru Hike hiking missouristateparks ozarktrail Ask MetaFilter

At the same time, my head wasn’t zero or six feet from the door, but about two or three feet at all times. If things go well, you’ll gain lifelong memories of indescribable beauty and the satisfying sense of personal accomplishment. If things don’t go as planned, you still might have great memories of your time in the wilderness, but with the addition of new learning to apply on your next trip. On our first 88-mile section of the Ozark Trail, the third toe on my left foot was a problem that reared its ugly head beginning about day four of eight. This same toe was a problem earlier on the Ouachita Trail, but I tolerated the discomfort on both trips.

Most ultra-light packs do fine with loads of pounds. For me, planning campsites involves guesswork and looking at topographical maps. I cut post-it notes into strips and stick them to the map where I think we might camp. I move them around while planning, sometimes even after changes are made while on the trail.

My kids were toddlers the first time we went backpacking on a short, level trail where I carried everything and I knew they could do the hike with no problem. My four-year-old wanted to know when we could go again but my three-year-old was uninterested in another trip. Now he’s 12 and carries almost the same weight as I do and loves to help me plan trips with 10-mile days. Back in 2020 my wife and I decide on a last-minute backing trip to the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge. Because of this we realized we didn’t have all the gear we needed.

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. This daypack ended up being the cheapest after a quick perusal. For the second overnight hike in which I used the pack, I left the hammock at home and stuffed an REI Stratus insulated pad and lightweight bivy inside. I was a little concerned with how the straps would distribute weight.

I agree with the other reviewer though, I would not go over about pounds with this pack. 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.

ozark trail backpack

Results are best if I place the chicken and vegetables in water when I first arrive at camp to increase their hydrating time. Walmart has up to 50% off select Ozark Backpacks and Daypacks! Grab a hydration compatible backpack for $13.96 or Go Bag for $15.53. When all folded up, it takes up about the same amount of space as two t-shirts.

Tent, hammock or open-air camping — choose your camping style based on experience and comfort level. Be prepared to face changing weather conditions out in the wilderness. The Ozark Trail Association marks and improves the trail and ensures campsites are well maintained.

It has an open top side pocket, a vertical hidden pocket and a large zippered main compartment. It is also designed to hold a 15″ laptop in the padded pocket. I’ll be totally honest, I was not expecting this cooler to be as nice as it was. It’s easy to get caught up in brand perception and often times very difficult to break away from what you think you know about a brand.

The route extends from the St. Louis metropolitan area southwest through the Ozarks. Trailspace’s community of gear reviewers has field-tested and rated the top daypacks. As far as color options go, you can purchase this in one of two colors, Greystone which is the one featured in this article and a lighter grey. The constant color feature among the two are the orange rimmed wheels which I don’t love but, it is not a deal breaker. 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.

The trails have been up hill/downhill near vertical hikes to rock hopping and scrambling over rocky terrains and the bag has always stayed in place. For our trip I decided to carry about 25 litters that included 3 liters of water, camera gear, and other hiking gear we may need on the trail. It was completely full and with it properly fitted to my back it worked great and feels good ozark trail chair on my back. After some research we realized they make backpacks designed for women, men and unisex. Because of her small frame we had her fitted for a woman’s bag at REI and she ended up getting an REI 22-liter clearance bag. I was fitted for a 45-liter bag since I needed to carry camera equipment, extra socks, knee sleeves, and extra supplies my wife didn’t need to deal with.