Prior to taking it out on the trail, I did give it two coats of silicone spray so that it would shed water. Packing-wise, I chose to line it with a garbage disposal liner. I’ve had this pack for 2 years and I’ve beaten the living daylights out of it and it still performs just as well as the day I bought it. I don’t make it a habit of buying my gear from Walmart, but this was a excellent purchase. I use this pack on a daily basis to carry my office clothes while I ride my bike to work and to carry light loads while out Geocaching. I priced other internal frame daypacks before my trip and this was by far the cheapest.
Material is durable and will stand up to heavy duty use. This hydration compatible backpack has a connection for a water bladder built in to the design. It also includes loops to ozark trail canopy hang your trekking poles when not in use. We like that this pack has a lot of pockets including a zipper that allows you to access the middle of the pack without opening the top.
Walmart had a small section of packs and for the most part I was satisfied. I decided to get this one for a light hike I was going to be doing while camping. The Ozark Trail Association maintains a number of maps to help you traverse each ozark trail chair 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.
Wear layers to be comfortable in any weather, and pack rain gear to stay dry. Breathable mesh shoulder straps and a sternum support strap make for all-day comfort while the two side water bottle pockets encourage ample hydration. The 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. On shore, hikers, backpackers, equestrians and bicyclists can wind through open woodlands, sunny glades, small springs and streams to blufftop views of the Lake of the Ozarks.
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.
They might be able to assist in arranging a shuttle. We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that’s designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections. Choose this pack if you prefer a smaller yet spacious design, as it has useful features and the durability of larger options.
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. Backpacking Light helps hikers and other backcountry enthusiasts overcome their barriers to living a life outside in Wild Places. However, some sources may run dry during extended periods of drought. Plan accordingly and carry or cache water in case you are not able to find a source close by.
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. 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.