I agree with the other reviewer though, I would not go over about pounds with this pack. My shoulders did not chafe nor rub or irritate while walking and I did not get any bruising on my hips. I only walked about a mile away on a dirt trail to the showers but it was not a flat surface and the equiptment on my back was stable. Fast and easy to adjust and all buckles and webbing are in good quality. Get FREE shipping to your home on orders over $35 or FREE in-store pickup.
At the same time, my head wasn’t zero or six feet from the door, but about two or three feet at all times. The only thing I might add is a liner for wet days, like a small plastic trash bag. I can’t imagine loading this up with a lot of bulky, heavy items. Before purchasing this pack I used a more traditionally styled, and heavier, backpack for daily walks.
The pack size and weight is good for all my day hiking to any shower. I’m not sure if it is durable enough to hold any of my camera equipment. This pack will make great for a day at the beach with an extra change of clothes, flip flops, keys, tanning oil, towel and a iPod or stuff your lightweight sleeping bag and a jacket. This hydration compatible backpack has a connection for a water bladder built in to the design.
It’s been stuffed to capacity with almost everything I had to carry, including, but not limited to, outerwear, lunch, groceries, laptop, iPad, a Bose speaker, and combinations thereof. I am a 6-foot tall male, weighing 185 lbs and it fits just as well ozark trail sleeping bag as other day packs I’ve tried. Walmart had a small section of packs and for the most part I was satisfied.
All in all, it’s a pretty solid ice chest and a major upgrade from some of the stryofoam and even Rubbermaid coolers of yore. We start our hike north, not knowing if it’s 12.5 or 25 miles. By the end of the first section the AllTrails maps say we’ve done half the allotted miles but we see that we’d reached our destination.
I hear the thunderstorm raging outside and I wonder, are we really going to hike in this? We do not have to pack up a wet tent, and we can come home to a warm dry place and another shower if we wanted. It’s an ideal situation to keep hiking despite the rain. I go back to sleep, amidst the claps of thunder and the flashes of lightening. 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.
Now it is time to rest, for we rejoin the group tomorrow to hike together and relish in the fruits of their labor. This is a wild moment as Washerrr and I turn towards each other with huge smiles, nodding to each other in solidarity. We both know that we will do whatever it takes to hike EVERY INCH of this trail that we can hike. Our hosts graciously let us shovel some food in our mouths before people start to gather around us.
Other items that you may want to keep at the foot of the sleeping area are also hard to access or reach if your head is near the door. For these styles, it seems most people want their head at the door side and so they have a constraint for which way the tent is set up if the ground is not flat. On the other hand, accessing the tent from the middle, or on the long side, gives one more degree of freedom. Assuming a symmetrical tent, like the Ozark Trail, my head could be placed at either end and both options would feel equally comfortable. In fact, my particular tent spot wasn’t completely flat so I quickly rotated my sleeping bag so that my feet weren’t above my head all night.
Used for its intended purpose, this is one of the best hiking/backpacking deals I’ve ever come across. We recently took a camping trip to the mountains and I needed a lightweight pack to hold my toiletries (soap, shampoo/conditioner), fresh clothing change and my crocs/hiking boots and my towel. This daypack came in handy just for what I intended. The next section along Trace Creek is an enjoyable, quiet walk in the woods. Some hikers may choose to continue on Trace Creek to the Taum Sauk section, but OT thru-hikers should head west onto Middle Fork/John Roth Memorial section to complete the longer route. This hilly 26-mile segment gains over 2,600 feet of elevation over a contoured landscape crossing brooks, streams, and wetlands, as well as small savannahs of oak and hickory hardwoods.
In modern society there is so much going on, so much clamber and senseless noise, it becomes hard to think. When I am on trail, all the gibberish fades away and I get to see clearly for what feels like the first time, every time. No more floundering around to keep up appearances or feeling this little incessant motor inside of me telling me I must keep producing or moving to be worth any amount of anything. I wish everyone could have this type of experience, of oneness with self and with universe.