The Best Backpacks for Work and Play

You won’t wake the neighbors up when you are pulling this down your dock. Rounding out the exterior is a lid that features 4 cup holders and inch notches for measuring your catch of the day. Most parents and grandparents dream about sharing their passions with their kids. But what happens when your passion includes schlepping 30 pounds or more of gear through the tick-infested woods and sleeping on the ground for days on end? Usually I share a 2- or 3-person tent when backpacking with others to split up the weight, but as mentioned we each needed to be self-contained so I brought my 1-person tent from Ozark Trail. While the Ozark Trail doesn’t run directly through any towns, hikers may access options for resupply and services along the way, including the locales below.

ozark trail backpack

The one downside with integrated rain flies is the lack of ventilation and temperature control. We had great weather – not too hot and not too cold – but it did rain for about 5 minutes. My friend chose to not put up his rain fly betting on the perfect weather to continue while enjoying the stars at night. During those five minutes of rain, he was a little more stressed as the risk of a wet sleeping bag had not been completely mitigated and he rushed back to the campground.

A perk of hiking lesser-traveled trails are fewer (or non-existent) permits and parking fees. The Ozark Trail does not have permit, parking, or registration requirements for its trail sections. Wetlands give way to ridgelines at the start of the Blair Creek section.

The entire trail is open to hikers and offers easy and moderate hiking conditions. Much of it is also accessible for mountain biking and horseback riding. Outdoor activities such as hiking and biking, and also for school. The front and hip straps make it very comfortable and takes alot of the pressure of your shoulders and back.

One of the best parts of hiking is settling around a campfire at the end of the day and enjoying a hot meal. You may find it helpful to make a list of meals for each day you are out on the trail to ensure that you are not over- or under-packing for your trip. Immerse yourself in the rugged beauty of the Missouri Ozarks on the Ozark Trail. The 430-mile trail system is comprised of mostly linked trail sections that wind through rolling hills and valleys, past stone bluffs and along sparkling streams. The route extends from the St. Louis metropolitan area southwest through the Ozarks.

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. 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.

I decided to get this one for a light hike I was going to be doing while camping. Follow the signs to stay on established paths to reduce your chances of getting lost. Staying on the trail also helps prevent erosion and damage to fragile plant life. 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. Trail maps are free to print at home or are available for purchase at the online store.

Used for its intended purpose, this is one of the best hiking/backpacking deals I’ve ever come across. Fit and finish were pretty good — no loose seams or stitching. ozark trail backpack Stitches appeared evenly spaced and of uniform distance from the fabric edges. There is a lack of reinforcement on the pack’s taffeta bottom, though.