5 Best Ozark Trail Backpacks May 2024

The Ozark Trail does not have permit, parking, or registration requirements for its trail sections. 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 ozark trail chair Hollow, the largest fen (peat-forming wetland) in non-glaciated North America. If you’re searching east of the Rockies for stunning scenery, technical terrain, and a long hike option sans the AT crowds, this is your pick. We’ve scouted the best routes, from easy day hikes to epic overnight bike-packing.Find detailed itineraries, directions, and maps right here.

ozark trail backpack

Overall, it could have been roomier, but the weight savings were attractive to me with only one spar instead of two. Furthermore, I didn’t plan on being in the tent other than during the nights, so a roomier but heavier 1-person tent wasn’t desirable. The weather was going to be great and the hammock was where I wanted to be during the restful moments of the day. The next section along Trace Creek is an enjoyable, quiet walk in the woods. Some hikers may choose to continue on Trace Creek to the Taum Sauk section, but OT thru-hikers should head west onto Middle Fork/John Roth Memorial section to complete the longer route.

Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. This roomy and practical backpack works well for a multi-day hike. By default, this unexpectedly ended up being my go-to daily bag for several months. It’s been stuffed to capacity with almost everything I had to carry, including, but not limited to, outerwear, lunch, groceries, laptop, iPad, a Bose speaker, and combinations thereof. I am a 6-foot tall male, weighing 185 lbs and it fits just as well as other day packs I’ve tried.

Haul all your gear to base camp, and then convert the top lid into a functional daypack for shorter excursions. Step up your outdoor adventures with the Ozark Trail Himont 50L Multi-Day Backpack. The one downside with integrated rain flies is the lack of ventilation and temperature control.

Be aware, this is a daypack, intended for lighter loads and shorter distances. It isn’t built to be on your back 8 hours a day, and it won’t support 25 pounds. Used for its intended purpose, this is one of the best hiking/backpacking deals I’ve ever come across. I sweated just a bit but not too much since the walk was short (and I didn’t want to sweat after a shower). I did finish my activities very sweetly and was able to walk and hike without carrying anything in my hands.

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.

Many higher quality tents could cost 3 or 4 times that amount. Usually I share a 2- or 3-person tent when backpacking with others to split up the weight, but as mentioned we each needed to be self-contained so I brought my 1-person tent from Ozark Trail. Here’s another AWESOME thing about the Ozark Trail Atka day pack.

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