Cooler Throw Down: Does Ozark Trail Stack up with Yeti and Pelican?

Shoulder straps are lightweight mesh-lined with very little padding. We’ve scouted the best routes, from easy day hikes to epic overnight bike-packing.Find detailed itineraries, ozark trail canopy directions, and maps right here. One of the best parts of backpacking is settling around a campfire and enjoying a hot dinner after a long day of hiking.

The Ozark Trail Association Trip Planner contains information on a thru-hike, including directions to Onondaga State Park and Eleven Point Western trailheads. If you’re searching east of the Rockies for stunning scenery, technical terrain, and a long hike option sans the AT crowds, this is your pick. I tried actually sewing one on, but I don’t have the right size buckle to go with the strap, so might won’t hold tight. I also use a Marmot 20 liter pack which does have a thin hipbelt, but it is more limited space-wise and weighs a couple of ounces more.

ozark trail backpack

Backpacking stoves are a convenient way to boil water for dehydrated meals and instant coffee without adding a lot of weight to your pack. The Pelican also features a different pull handle than the Yeti and Ozark coolers as well. I do think the Pelicans pull handle is the lowest on my list of the three. When it comes to the seal, I was again very impressed by this cooler.

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. This hydration compatible backpack has a connection for a water bladder built in to the design. It also includes loops to hang your trekking poles when not in use. 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.

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. I also placed  a small weather system on the deck rail to help get a sense of how hot surface temperatures are in the area.