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. Ultimately, the good design for this product was that it was sized right for what I needed, both in dimensions and weight. Not too small, but not too large (and thus wasteful) – a Goldilocks design. After all, I had to be sensitive to weight as we were required to carry our own water for 10 miles as there were no options for filtering during that stretch.
To resolve this issue, I do not fill it completely up with heavy stuff. Honestly, most of my trips it’s a quarter full and the water bladder and extra water bottles are what makes it heavy. After the last few trips and hiking with a near empty bag, I decided to get a 20-liter bag since my gear only fills up about that half my normal bag.
Used for its intended purpose, this is one of the best hiking/backpacking deals I’ve ever come across. This daypack came in handy just for what I intended. The Ozark Trail backpack has a total of 22 liters of capacity with several pockets for your essentials. It has an open top side pocket, a vertical hidden pocket and a large zippered main compartment. It is also designed to hold a 15″ laptop in the padded pocket.
It also includes loops to hang your trekking poles when not in use. On the outside you will find two side pockets and rigging that can be used to tighten the bag, hold extra gear, and an option to hold trekking poles. The pockets work great for holding 32 oz Nalgene bottles or 40 oz insulated water bottles. I suggest have equal weight on both sides or switch the weight around. I normally don’t need it, but it does a good job at tightening up the bag up.
It was pretty easy to make adjustments from the side door access. End-door access would have made it more difficult. I have noticed that when I fill the bag up full or close to full it puts stress on the stitching.
They don’t work well, and they tend to get in the way. So, I end up carrying them when I don’t the poles. With the added height of an inflatable pillow and sleeping pad my head height was indeed close to the curvature of the tent ceiling but there was still enough room. I did have a few inches along the edge for some clothes, a water bottle, and a headlamp, but that could have been made wider with a narrower sleeping pad. Size is perfect for day trips, smaller individuals, and teens.
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). Not the best choice for long trips or hikers who need to carry a large amount of gear. A perk of hiking lesser-traveled trails are fewer (or non-existent) permits and parking fees.
Before purchasing this pack I used a more traditionally styled, and heavier, backpack for daily walks. I recently attended a seminar that explained the major difference ozark trail canopy of carrying lighter gear while outdoors. I sweated just a bit but not too much since the walk was short (and I didn’t want to sweat after a shower).
A thru-hike can begin at the Onondaga State Park and proceed southward to the Eleven Point Western trailhead, or move in the opposite direction from south to north. The Ozark Trail Association Trip Planner contains information on a thru-hike, including directions to Onondaga State Park and Eleven Point Western trailheads. While this pack won’t work for everyone, ozark trail canopy it’s a practical size for day trips, light travelers, and kids. A great pack for day hikes, hunting and weekend camping. The only issues I have with the bag is that the stitching isn’t as good as you might find on the more expensive bags and its weight. The more expensive will use higher quality materials that are generally stronger and lighter weight.