Temperatures can swing from chilly mornings to sweltering afternoons. Consider bringing several sets of clothing so you have options for hiking and spending time at camp. Wear layers to be comfortable in any weather, and pack rain gear to stay dry. Yeti has clearly set themselves apart as the biggest player in the cooler space. Since they launched, they have carved out an incredible market share delivering products across the board from coolers to dog bowls.
Other items that you may want to keep at the foot of the sleeping area are also hard to access or reach if your head is near the door. For these styles, it seems most people want their head at the door side and so they have a constraint for which way the tent is set up if the ground is not flat. On the other hand, accessing the tent from the middle, or on the long side, gives one more degree of freedom. Assuming a symmetrical tent, like the Ozark Trail, my head could be placed at either end and both options would feel equally comfortable.
The Ozark Trail 1-Person Backpacking Tent is on the cheaper end of the spectrum. A variety of websites have it currently priced for less than $50. Many higher quality tents could cost 3 or 4 times that amount. Altra Lone Peak 3.5 trail runners were my shoe of choice, along with Darn Tough Merino Wool Hiker Boot socks. I brought water shoes to navigate streams with but only used them once; way too much trouble to switch at every crossing. I was fine hiking with wet Altras and mailed my water shoes home at Brushy Creek.My food cost me around $300, not counting what I ate on my town day in Van Buren.
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. Find the best backpack for your next outdoor adventure using our independent reviews and ratings. The coolers remained in the same location for the duration of the 6 day test, only being opened to snap daily progress pictures. 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.
Since the trip was three years in the making, the anticipation was doubly intense. We like that this pack has a lot of pockets including a zipper that allows you to access the middle of the pack without opening the top. Includes Trekking pole attachment points, compression straps and a sleeping bag compartment. With access to the Ozark Trail available year-round, ozark trail chairs hikers will need to prepare differently for each season. Ozark springs see a lot of rain and varied temperatures; Ozark summers tend to be hot, muggy, and wet; Ozark winters can drop below freezing. Wet weather is common to the Ozark climate, especially in late spring through summer, and fosters a breeding ground for bugs, mosquitos, and ticks.
The Ozark Trail 45 Qt Rolling Thermocooler also comes with an internal tray, which the other two do not. He averaged 25 miles per day, with his longest clocking in at 32 miles. “The AT, PCT, and CDT have a higher profile, but not many people can take three to five months out of their lives to do a thru-hike. Be prepared to adjust plans based on the conditions you encounter. Have backup plans in case of gear and equipment failures. So, I reached out on the private Facebook group “Ozark Trail Section Hikers and Backpackers” and eventually talked to seven other successful OT thru-hikers.
Enjoy views of the Ozark landscape as you gain 500 feet of elevation up 2.5 miles to the top of Stegall Mountain. Camp out at the top overnight, catching a glimpse of a full sky of stars if it’s clear. 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. This hilly 26-mile segment gains over 2,600 feet of elevation over a contoured landscape crossing brooks, streams, and wetlands, as well as small savannahs of oak and hickory hardwoods.
It’s light enough that I don’t mind putting it in my backpack and it takes up almost no space at all. For day hikes this is just as good as (and lighter than) my Osprey Daylite that retails for almost four times more. I carried this daypack back n forth on a trail to the shower while camping. The bag stayed in place on my back using the sternum strap. At 35 liters, this pack is perfect for day trips or for hikers who don’t need to carry a lot of gear on the trails. Also a good choice for youngsters who are new to hiking, or who need a rugged pack for toting school items.
Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. 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. Along the way you’ll cross paths with fewer people than you can count on two hands—just keep an eye out for mountain bikers and horseback riders who frequent the multi-use sections of ozark trail chairs the trail. 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. You may encounter some natural hazards when hiking through the wilderness, but it shouldn’t deter you from enjoying the outdoors.
Exploring Missouri’s scenic backcountry is one of the best reasons to head out on the Ozark Trail. The area offers many things to see and experience, including 1.5 billion-year-old mountains, pristine rivers and some of largest freshwater springs in the United States. Trailspace’s community of gear reviewers has field-tested and rated the top daypacks. I’ve had this pack for 2 years and I’ve beaten the living daylights out of it and it still performs just as well as the day I bought it.