The Ozark Trail: A Guide to Hiking Missouri’s Mountains

Includes Trekking pole attachment points, compression straps and a sleeping bag compartment. If you have a friend that enjoys hiking (or if you need a new backpack yourself!), check out these deals on Ozark Trail Hiking Backpacks today – you can grab these as low as $10. Size is perfect for day trips, smaller individuals, and teens. Great for ozark trail backpack hiking in warm weather, thanks to the breathable construction, mesh straps, and hydration bladder hook up.

We had great weather – not too hot and not too cold – but it did rain for about 5 minutes. My friend chose to not put up his rain fly betting on the perfect weather to continue while enjoying the stars at night. During those five minutes of rain, he was a little more stressed as the risk of a wet sleeping bag had not been completely mitigated and he rushed back to the campground. 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.

A short detour off the main trail will take hikers to Rocky Falls, an impressive cascade that flows into a natural pool perfect for swimming. 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. Keep an eye out for a short spur trail between Sutton Bluff campground and Highway TT which leads to Grasshopper Hollow, the largest fen (peat-forming wetland) in non-glaciated North America.

The Pelican also features a different pull handle than the Yeti and Ozark coolers as well. I do think the Pelicans pull handle is the lowest on my list of the three. When it comes to the seal, I was again very impressed by this cooler. Cracking this thing open sounds like you are opening the airlock on a spaceship. You can tell there is a serious seal established when you latch this shut. The Ozark Trail 45 Qt Rolling Thermocooler also comes with an internal tray, which the other two do not.

This cooler is not only smaller in its overall size but also a fraction of the price of the competition. This cooler, when compared to the Pelican 45Q Elite and Yeti Tundra, has the smallest profile while still providing 45Q internal storage. It features rubber latches which I am a huge fan of for boating applications.

I have used the hydration compartment for items like my iPad. I am a 6-foot tall male, weighing 185 lbs and it fits just as well as other day packs I’ve tried. My shoulders did not chafe nor rub or irritate while walking and I did not get any bruising on my hips. I only walked about a mile away on a dirt trail to the showers but it was not a flat surface and the equiptment on my back was stable. Fast and easy to adjust and all buckles and webbing are in good quality. Walmart had a small section of packs and for the most part I was satisfied.

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. Aside from the main pack bag, there is a small zippered compartment on the front, that, depending on how much you have stuffed inside, is pretty tight. I managed to fit my headlamp, lighter, map, compass, and some tp in the pocket.

The route extends from the St. Louis metropolitan area southwest through the Ozarks. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. A perk of hiking lesser-traveled trails are fewer (or non-existent) permits and parking fees.

You won’t wake the neighbors up when you are pulling this down your dock. Rounding out the exterior is a lid that features 4 cup holders and inch notches for measuring your catch of the day. Cooler’s have become somewhat of a status symbol in the outdoors and many equate the bigger brands with better quality. A higher price tag should mean a higher quality product, right?

Camp at Highway DD trailhead near the section’s start or Harper Spring around the 15 mile-mark. We’ve scouted the best routes, from easy day hikes to epic overnight bike-packing.Find detailed itineraries, directions, and maps right here. Like the Ozark Trail 45 Qt Rolling Thermocooler, the Pelican 45QW Elite Wheeled Cooler includes a lid with inch notches and also includes centimeters for those outside of the United States. Similar to the Ozark Trail cooler, the Pelican features orange wheel rims and also has orange clasp accents. You can get this cooler in three colors, Tan which is featured here, as well as graphite and white.