He chose March for his hike because there are fewer ticks and daylight hours start getting longer. “[The Ozark Trail] is more raw than other trails I’ve thru-hiked. There are few bridges over creek crossings and hardly any developed campsites,” Letner said.
Fear downloaded trail maps from AllTrails onto her cell phone. “These were a lifesaver at times when the physical trail was impossible to make out. I also brought two portable battery banks, and I’m grateful I did,” she said. “They were important backup when I needed to rely on AllTrails more frequently, when taking pictures, and when I wanted to compose a blog post in the evening.
My glucose meter and keys went in the small outside pocket. I did instantly notice the difference of carrying a lighter bag. I also don’t really prefer single compartment stuff bags, but, this works for what I need. I sweated just a bit but not too much since the walk was short (and I didn’t want to sweat after a shower).
On the small side, so it won’t work for hikers who need a spacious pack. Water sources like rivers and streams may only be available seasonally. Ozark Trail maps are a great resource to help identify places where you can access water. Bring enough water for your trip or a way to purify water to make it safe to drink. Many of the creeks and streams look crystal clear, but it’s still smart to make sure any impurities are removed with pumps or tablets before drinking. Why would you undertake a deep study of engineering design, or the design process, when you could go about design on your own and learn from your own experience?
I’ll forever cherish the memories made and accomplishments achieved — and my own cherishing quickly turned to wondering about other OT thru-hikers’ experiences. Of course it has no side water holsters, or lid pocket, or hipbelt strap, but I think that all contributes to its low weight. For the water bottles I just use Platypus .5 liter and 1 liter flat style bottles, which you can fit in the main body of the pack on top of your other gear. Today I immediately loaded it up and went out for a few hours. For water and OJ I use Vapur anti bottles which aren’t bulky at all.
The entire trail is open for hiking while much of it is accessible to cycling and horseback riding. 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. “The AT, PCT, and CDT have a higher profile, but not many people can take three to five months out of their lives to do a thru-hike. Be prepared to adjust plans based on the conditions you encounter.
Essentially, the rain fly for the Ozark Trail was integrated into the tent directly. The pack size and weight is good for all my day hiking to any shower. I’m not sure if ozark trail chairs it is durable enough to hold any of my camera equipment. It was one of those planned events in 2020 that was delayed for years, from what else, but the Covid-19 pandemic.
Beussink suggests going with a buddy for all or part of the trip. “For me, having company is more enjoyable than hiking alone. Those times I had a fire and company added much the enjoyment of an evening in the woods,” he said. His base equipment consisted of a Zpacks Arc Haul backpack, a Zpacks Duplex tent, and a Zpacks 20F quilt with a Therm-a-rest Neoair Xlite sleeping pad. My trail running shoes were still wet from multiple stream crossings the day before, but I knew my Merino wool socks would warm my feet in little time.
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.