The 26-mile route follows Blair Creek south as it carves down a valley through oak-hickory-pine forest before merging with the emerald waters of the Current River. Here the 30-mile Current River section picks up, following the river for two miles before veering south toward Stegall Mountain. 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 Yeti has the most streamlined design of the three coolers, staying true to the original Yeti look and feel. The overall product weight of this cooler is 37lbs empty which is inline with the Pelican, but 7lbs heavier than the Ozark Trail cooler. The Tundra Haul features rubber clasps, which I really like, and hard plastic wheels.
Before you know it, they’ll be ready to shoulder a load on an overnight trek. Get started planning your trip by exploring our trail offerings or using our Trip Planner tool. 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 coolers in competition were the Ozark Trail 45QT Rolling Thermocooler, The Pelican 45QW Elite Wheeled Cooler, and the Yeti Tundra Haul. I chose these coolers because they were the closest among the brands when it came to internal storage. In product design, UX gets a lot of attention—and for good reason. Making products that are ozark trail backpack intuitive, efficient, and user-friendly is crucial. But there’s one more thing that can contribute significantly to designing exceptional products and ignoring it means missing out on creating products that are truly iconic. When I first got the bag, I had issues with shoulder straps that pulls the bag up higher/lower on the back.
There’s no way I can justify paying five times more for something that might carry just as well. I plan to pick up another if/when this one wears out. I know some will immediately dismiss my review simply because I bought this pack at WalMart.
If you are using your phone for navigation, pack a paper copy of a map in case you lose signal or find yourself without battery. Trail maps are free to print at home or are available for purchase at the online store. Bring enough water for your trip or a way to purify water to make it safe to drink.
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. 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.
Plan accordingly and carry or cache water in case you are not able to find a source close by. Always treat any water for ozark trail chair drinking and cooking along the trail. Specific water sources are indicated on Ozark Trail online and printed maps.
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). Walmart has up to 50% off select Ozark Backpacks and Daypacks! Grab a hydration compatible backpack for $13.96 or Go Bag for $15.53. Backpacking Light community posts are moderated and here to foster helpful and positive discussions about lightweight backpacking. Please be mindful of our values and boundaries and review our Community Guidelines prior to posting. Not the best choice for long trips or hikers who need to carry a large amount of gear.
Because of her small frame we had her fitted for a woman’s bag at REI and she ended up getting an REI 22-liter clearance bag. I was fitted for a 45-liter bag since I needed to carry camera equipment, extra socks, knee sleeves, and extra supplies my wife didn’t need to deal with. Includes compression straps on the sides to keep your gear stable. This pack has a lot of extra storage pockets for organization of your gear.