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

Shoulder straps are lightweight mesh-lined with very little padding. 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.

The front and hip straps make it very comfortable and takes alot of the pressure of your shoulders and back. Some 1-person tents will have two major spars or spines that cross for the main support structure. In the Ozark Trail tent, it has only one spar traveling down the center lengthwise with a single rib to open up the area in the middle. The four or six tent pegs hold the structure down but are crucial for the tent to stand by itself. The Ozark does need those pegs in the ground to be self-standing so setting up on rocks would be infeasible (at least without applying some clever tenting skills). Thru-hiking is defined as hiking the contiguous 230-mile backbone of the Ozark Trail in one trip.

Choose this pack if you prefer a smaller yet spacious design, as it has useful features and the durability of larger options. On the small side, so it won’t work ozark trail backpack for hikers who need a spacious pack. Because it’s basically a single compartment stuff bag, I did have to make sure the items inside were distributed properly.

ozark trail backpack

I have used the hydration compartment for items like my iPad. 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.

However, businesses and business conditions change, thus the information contained here is subject to change without the knowledge of the Ozark Trail Association. However, some sources may run dry during extended periods of drought. Plan accordingly and carry or cache water in case you are not able to find a source close by. Always treat any water for drinking and cooking along the trail.

Trail section pages include maps, directions, and downloadable GPS (.gpx) and Google Earth (.kml) data. We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that’s designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections. I think you could strap things to the outside, as it has a daisy chain and two loops at the bottom.

I, on the other hand, could have stayed out longer. 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. The first good design feature is the placement of the door on the side, and more specifically on the long side of the tent. I’ve tried tents with the door on one end and it is cumbersome. For the end-door variants, one has to toss their sleeping bag down the tent when getting ready for bed.

I know some will immediately dismiss my review simply because I bought this pack at WalMart. I’ve been attempting to drop weight for the past several years, mostly because my knees can’t handle it. My shelters have gotten lighter as have my sleeping system — next in line for a diet was my carry system. Funds, however, were non existent and my CFO (i.e. my wife) wouldn’t increase my discretionary fund. In the following paragraphs I share just a few design features that, in my opinion, make this a well-designed product.