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.
Just about every other daypack I’ve had falls apart under the weight of my books (med school). I also like the fact that for my outdoor activities, it’s designed to hold a hydration bladder. It even has a rain cover built in, which is great when I’m riding my bicycle across town on a rainy day. The Hilmont also includes trekking pole attachment points, plus there’s a rain fly that’s stashed away in the bottom zip compartment. The padded waist belt has zippered mesh pockets, and the entire back panel and the bulk of the shoulder straps are made of padded mesh to keep you cool and comfortable.
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.
We had great weather – not too hot and not too cold – but it did rain for about 5 minutes. My friend chose to not put up his rain fly betting on the perfect weather to continue while enjoying the stars at night. During those five minutes of rain, he was a little more stressed as the risk of a wet sleeping bag had not been completely mitigated and he rushed back to the campground. I, on the other hand, could have stayed out longer. True, I wasn’t able to remove the rain fly to watch the stars or let the wind ventilate my tent, but I was able to enjoy the day hikes without any sort of worry. In essence, I had committed to the permanent rainfly option by default and there was a certain contentedness that came with that.
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. ozark trail backpack 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.
I started the test first thing when I got to the office and was waiting for ozark trail sleeping bag hours on end. By the time I left the office about eight hours later, the ice still wasn’t entirely melted and the water levels in both tumblers seemed to be at the same level. You might have to wait closer to an hour for your hot drink to actually be drinkable (around 135°F). The water in the Yeti tumbler did cool down slightly slower than the Ozark Trail one, but not enough to cause a significant difference in experience between the two.
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.