The front and hip straps make it very comfortable and takes alot of the pressure of your shoulders and back. So there you have it, when looking at just the ability to keep ice cold over a period of 6 days the Pelican has just slightly won, but we are talking about decimal points. 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. Overall the Pelican coolers have sharper edges and a bit more of an industrial feel than the competition.
There’s no way I can justify paying five times more for something that might carry just as well. I plan to ozark trail chair pick up another if/when this one wears out. All told, I’ve had the pack on my back for about 50 miles.
Now he’s 12 and carries almost the same weight as I do and loves to help me plan trips with 10-mile days. This pack fits me fine and is very comfortable for lightweight loads. I use it as a day pack when doing multi-day hikes. It’s light enough that I don’t mind putting it in my backpack and it takes up almost no space at all. And on summit day, I sure am glad I have a daypack!
I managed to fit my headlamp, lighter, map, compass, and some tp in the pocket. Fit and finish were pretty good ozark trail backpack — no loose seams or stitching. Stitches appeared evenly spaced and of uniform distance from the fabric edges.
The other two colors will have different rims and accents, so if you don’t love the orange you have options. 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. Many trip failures can be traced to the planning process or something overlooked in preparation.