Cooler Throw Down: Does Ozark Trail Stack up with Yeti and Pelican?

Some hydration reservoirs even come complete with tube magnets to attach to your pack. A quick look at our comparison table above reveals a wide range of pack weight from a scant 6 ounces to over 3 pounds (keep in mind, this does not include water weight). On the heavy end is the fully featured Osprey Manta 34, which comes with an almost ridiculous amount of pockets and external attachment points, along with a suspension system that rivals a backpacking pack. At the other end of the spectrum, packs like the Ultimate Direction Mountain Vest 6.0, CamelBak Hydrobak Light, and REI Co-op Flash 15 are minimalist designs with much less in the way of structure and capacity.

ozark trail backpack

I avoid freeze dried meals because of their saltiness, expense, and packaging. I prefer using powdered soup mixes, instant potatoes, and Knorr side dishes as a base with my own dehydrated vegetables and meat added. I purchase dried chicken from Mountain House and add it to most meals. ozark trail canopy Results are best if I place the chicken and vegetables in water when I first arrive at camp to increase their hydrating time. While the Ozark Trail doesn’t run directly through any towns, hikers may access options for resupply and services along the way, including the locales below.

I’m not sure if it is durable enough to hold any of my camera equipment. This pack will make great for a day at the beach with an extra change of clothes, flip flops, keys, tanning oil, towel and a iPod or stuff your lightweight sleeping bag and a jacket. I sweated just a bit but not too much since the walk was short (and I didn’t want to sweat after a shower).

While this is made of a lightweight water resistant material, it does not have a built in rain flap. 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. This roomy and practical backpack works well for a multi-day hike.

Hike in one day, camp at the resort, and then float back the next day. I’m honestly a bit overweight and was taking my 14 year old son so I wanted to slow the pace just a bit. Let me start by explaining what a pack and paddle trip is for anyone unfamiliar with the term. Pack and paddle comes from combining overnight backpacking with some form of paddle powered water travel, typically.

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 ozark trail canopy breaker. The highest point you hit is only 1772 ft on Taum Sauk Mountain so this isn’t going to give you the elevation gains you see on some of the larger trail systems but don’t let that fool you. I avoid Nalgene bottles because they’re heavy and bulky.

My only knock on it would be the lack of a small water bottle pocket. 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. I’ll be totally honest, I was not expecting this cooler to be as nice as it was.

I recently attended a seminar that explained the major difference of carrying lighter gear while outdoors. 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. So there you have it, when looking at just the ability to keep ice cold over a period of 6 days the Pelican has just slightly won, but we are talking about decimal points.