The Ozark Trail: A Guide to Hiking Missouri’s Mountains

The Tundra Haul features rubber clasps, which I really like, and hard plastic wheels. Yeti has clearly set themselves apart as the biggest player in the cooler space. Since they launched, they have carved out an incredible market share delivering products across the board from coolers to dog bowls. In the following paragraphs I share just a few design features that, in my opinion, make this a well-designed product. The Ozark Trail 1-Person Backpacking Tent is on the cheaper end of the spectrum.

I have to say that I am very impressed with the performance of the Ozark Trail 45Q cooler. This cooler is not only smaller in its overall size but also a fraction of the price of the competition. Pelican is a newer entry in to the world of rotomolded coolers and have taken their own spin on design and function.

The constant color feature among the two are the orange rimmed wheels which I don’t love but, it is not a deal breaker. 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. However, some sources may run dry during extended periods of drought.

ozark trail backpack

I backpack in the backcountry of the Sierra Nevada. And I do day hikes in Sequoia National Park and on the coast. I know some will immediately dismiss my review simply because I bought this pack at WalMart.

The bottom line is that hiking is great for families, and the more you get young kids on the trail, the better. 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. I bought this pack recently on a whim while shopping Walmart. I needed a day pack and didn’t really have lots of time to search at REI for the various styles provided having only gone to one store. This daypack ended up being the cheapest after a quick perusal.

Sometimes it’s a single trail or we combine multiple trails at a state park. During these longer hikes I found it useful to have a large hiking bag and not just a school backpack. Generally, you get what you pay for when you purchase cheap hiking gear. But I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the Ozark Trail 45 Liter Backpacking Backpack.

I did some quick adjustments and gave the bag a try. It was heavier than the premium brands but still light enough for our needs. Once I got home my wife helped me fit the bag to my size and shape. We loaded the bag up with everything we might need for a 10-to-12-hour day out on the trails. ozark trail backpack The stitching wasn’t as good as the premium brand but, it was still a well-built bag that should last if I didn’t over stuff it. (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.

My suggestion is to get a smaller bag for shorter trips so can save on weight. Every pound does add up and if you cut the weight down by 5+ lbs. 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.

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.

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 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. ozark trail backpack 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.