Hiking with Kids

As always, make sure to bring the “Ten Essentials”, extra food and water, sunscreen etc. Our sister site Alloutdoor.com recently reviewed a hiking backpack sold by Ozark Trail that had an overall stellar performance and it triggered a question among our staff. Is Walmart’s Ozark Trail brand a true sleeper, putting out products that deserve much more attention among outdoorsmen? With that question being floated, we decided to travel down the path of discovery and start to take a closer look at Ozark Trail and some of their products. We just completed a review of the Ozark Trail Tumbler line, which is not only budget friendly but also well performing.

It is important to be considerate of hikers and preserve the beauty of the Ozark Trail so it can be enjoyed by future generations. Follow the signs to stay on established paths to reduce your chances of getting lost. Staying on the trail also helps prevent erosion ozark trail chair and damage to fragile plant life. Water sources such as rivers and streams may only be available seasonally. Ozark Trail maps are a great resource to help identify places where you can access water. Browse Ozark Trail’s top-rated backpacks and more.

In a sheer stroke of luck for this test, we are having a very aggressive heatwave in Southeast Michigan with temperatures around the 90’s during the day and staying in the 70’s overnight. I’m using my North facing deck as the staging area which receives direct sunlight at almost all hours of the day. I also placed  a small weather system on the deck rail to help get a sense of how hot surface temperatures are in the area. On one of the hottest days, the remote sensor reported temperatures exceeding 107 Degrees Fahrenheit while the air temp was in the high 80’s. When I first got the bag, I had issues with shoulder straps that pulls the bag up higher/lower on the back. But now it’s settled and almost never moves on me.

ozark trail backpack

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. Exploring Missouri’s scenic backcountry is one of the best reasons to head out on the Ozark Trail. The area ozark trail backpack 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.

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. Try out unlimited access with 7 days of Outside+ for free. You may encounter some natural hazards when hiking through the wilderness, but it shouldn’t deter you from enjoying the outdoors. The Ozark Trail Association maintains a number of maps to help you traverse each section of the trail. 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.

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