(This is not sarcasm.) When I was a new mom a hike with my baby on my back was a wonderful antidote to the feeling of being overwhelmed by this huge life change. And once he was old enough to walk on his own, his little brother was being carried by me or my husband. There are two basic kinds of carriers you can use to tote those who can’t make it the whole way on their own. These are for babies and the smallest toddlers; check the manufacturer specifications for weight limits. The second kind of carrier is hard-framed backpack that kids can ride in for as long as mom or dad are willing to carry them. 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.
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. Get Backpacking Light news, updates, gear info, skills, and commentary delivered into your inbox 1-2x/week.
I also liked how my head wasn’t directly beside the door, which often occurs for an end-door tent. If something crawled through the zipper door it wouldn’t immediately be inches from my face but instead would have to work its way a few more feet to my head. At the same time, my head wasn’t zero or six feet from the door, but about two or three feet at all times. A great way to ask questions of like-minded outdoor enthusiasts is to check out the Ozark Trail Section Hikers and Backpackers (OTSHAB) Facebook page. You’ll find numerous advocates eager to answer your questions and aid you in planning your thru-hike.
While this pack won’t work for everyone, it’s a practical size for day trips, light travelers, and kids. A great ozark trail chair pack for day hikes, hunting and weekend camping. I’ve carried it in bad weather, including rain and snow.
Sure, you can load a cooler out each morning packed with fresh ice, but it is just so much easier to cut down all that work with a cooler than can keep ice for days on end. It was one of those planned events in 2020 that was delayed for years, from what else, but the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the trip was three years in the making, the anticipation was doubly intense.