I priced other internal frame daypacks before my trip and this was by far the cheapest. I took this pack on a 5-day mountain bike ride from Pittsburgh, Pa., to Washington, D.C., and it performed very well. The coolers remained in the same location for the duration of the 6 day test, only being opened to snap daily progress pictures. 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.
Includes Trekking pole attachment ozark trail canopy points, compression straps and a sleeping bag compartment. I carried this daypack back n forth on a trail to the shower while camping. The bag stayed in place on my back using the sternum strap.
The Ozark Trail cooler is made from polyethylene, which is the most common kind of plastic in use today. As far as color options go, you can purchase this in one of two colors, Greystone which is the one featured in this article and a lighter grey. The constant color feature among the two are the orange rimmed wheels which I don’t love but, it is not a deal breaker. The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Controller is an icon of the 1980’s and a symbol of the video gaming industry.
Keeping the load under 15 pounds seems to be the key. I really wanted to use it for our fall two-nighter on the AT, but was unable to fit my bivy with a 20 degree Kelty Cosmic down bag inside. I contemplated stepping down to the 45 degree bag, but thankfully, did not. 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.
I recently attended a seminar that explained the major difference of carrying lighter gear while outdoors. Here’s another AWESOME thing about the Ozark Trail Atka day pack. It’s sized to fit every airline’s carry-on size requirements.
Similar to the Ozark Trail cooler, the Pelican features orange wheel rims and also has orange clasp accents. You can get this cooler in three colors, Tan which is featured here, as well as graphite and white. The other two colors will have different rims and accents, so if you don’t love the orange you have options. 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. 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.
In essence, I had committed to the permanent rainfly option by default and there was a certain contentedness that came with that. The first good design feature is the placement of the door on the side, and more specifically on the long side of the tent. I’ve tried tents with the door on one end and it is cumbersome. For the end-door variants, one has to toss their sleeping bag down the tent when getting ready for bed. 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.
Temperatures can swing from chilly mornings to sweltering afternoons. Consider bringing several sets of clothing so you have options for hiking and spending time at camp. Wear layers to be comfortable in any weather, and pack rain gear to stay dry. The Ozark Trail backpack 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.
Every so often a brand will fly under the radar producing products that are not only a great value but also great quality as well. Overall, it could have been roomier, but the ozark trail backpack weight savings were attractive to me with only one spar instead of two. Furthermore, I didn’t plan on being in the tent other than during the nights, so a roomier but heavier 1-person tent wasn’t desirable. The weather was going to be great and the hammock was where I wanted to be during the restful moments of the day. Some 1-person tents will have two major spars or spines that cross for the main support structure.