Thru-hiking is defined as hiking the contiguous 230-mile backbone of the Ozark Trail in one trip. 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. I’ve carried it in bad weather, including rain and snow.
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. Having a separate rain fly for a 2- or 3- person tent makes sense because multiple people can split up the weight a little easier on longer hikes.
If things don’t go as planned, you still might have great memories of your time in the wilderness, but with the addition of new learning ozark trail chair to apply on your next trip. Its storage and treatment can add even more weight. I avoid Nalgene bottles because they’re heavy and bulky.
One of the first things to note about it’s design is that it has a larger drainage hole and a tethered drain cap, which is a nice feature. I have lost a couple of drain caps in my day which makes the cooler unusable until a replacement arrives. Cooler’s have become somewhat of a status symbol in the outdoors and many equate the bigger brands with better quality. A higher price tag should mean a higher quality product, right?
Today I immediately loaded it up and went out for a few hours. For water and OJ I use Vapur anti bottles which aren’t bulky at all. My glucose meter and keys went in the small outside pocket. I did instantly notice the difference of carrying a lighter bag. I also don’t really prefer single compartment stuff bags, but, this works for what I need.
There are no compression straps or other means of securing anything to the outside of the pack, aside from the “daisy chain” on the front. My only knock on it would be the lack of a small water bottle pocket. For the second overnight hike in which I used the pack, I left the hammock at home and stuffed an REI Stratus insulated pad and lightweight bivy inside. Aside from the main pack bag, there is a small zippered compartment on the front, that, depending on how much you have stuffed inside, is pretty tight.
For this hike, we’ll continue north on the Blair Creek, Karkaghen, and Middle Fork John Roth sections. Why would you undertake a deep study of engineering design, or the design process, when you could go about design on your own and learn from your own experience? There is value to be gained from studying design, and I want to add my own take on why studying design is an important complement to hands-on experience. Lastly, I haven’t yet had a chance to test its waterproofing in a huge down-pouring of rain, but it did hold up in some strong winds surprisingly well. Future users may want to seal or waterproof the seams a little better.
With a 1-person tent, that doesn’t really make as much sense. After all, I was carrying the whole thing and so it might as well be connected. Essentially, the rain fly for the Ozark Trail was integrated into the tent directly. With access to the Ozark Trail available year-round, hikers will need to prepare differently for each season. Ozark springs see a lot of rain and varied temperatures; Ozark summers tend to be hot, muggy, and wet; Ozark winters can drop below freezing. Wet weather is common to the Ozark climate, especially in late spring through summer, and fosters a breeding ground for bugs, mosquitos, and ticks.
Even on the best of trips, I usually learn of things I should have done differently, often related to travel distance, packing, or food. The set-up was understandably a few steps shorter, which is always nice when setting up in the dark. More than once in the dark I’ve attached a rain fly upside down and we had to restart that particular step. This tent was close to foolproof when it came to the rain fly because it was already connected.
The overall product weight of this cooler is 37lbs empty which is inline with the Pelican, but 7lbs heavier than the Ozark Trail cooler. 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 ozark trail backpack have carved out an incredible market share delivering products across the board from coolers to dog bowls. This cooler, when compared to the Pelican 45Q Elite and Yeti Tundra, has the smallest profile while still providing 45Q internal storage. It features rubber latches which I am a huge fan of for boating applications.