Exploring Missouri’s scenic Ozark backcountry is one of the best reasons to head out on the trail. The Ozark Trail Association marks and improves the trail and ensures campsites are well maintained. The Ozark Trail offers many things to see and experience for seasoned and first-time hikers. 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.
Also a good choice for youngsters who are new to hiking, or who need a rugged pack for toting school items. 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.
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.
Be aware, this is a daypack, intended for lighter loads and shorter distances. It isn’t built to be on your back 8 hours a day, and it won’t support 25 pounds. Used for its intended purpose, this is one of the best hiking/backpacking deals I’ve ever come across. I bought this pack recently on a whim while shopping Walmart. I needed a day pack and didn’t really have lots of time to search at REI for the various styles provided having only gone to one store. This daypack ended up being the cheapest after a quick perusal.
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.
Have backup plans in case of gear and equipment failures. “Park services all but abandoned trail maintenance because of COVID. Ticks were unavoidable given the amount of growth encroaching on the trail,” she said.
The problem is there are a lot more water sources than indicated on the map, so…you end up carrying more water than needed. Water sources indicated on the OTA maps are mostly reliable. “I hiked the trail in 9.5 days, so my average miles per day was 23-plus. Thru-hiking is defined as hiking the contiguous 230-mile backbone of the Ozark Trail in one trip. A thru-hike can begin at the Onondaga State Park and proceed southward to the Eleven Point Western trailhead, or move in the opposite direction from south to north.
The 38-degree air temperature actually felt good, perhaps more so since I knew the sun was about to warm up my 16-mile trek to Klepzig Mill. I am a 6-foot tall male, weighing 185 lbs and it fits just as well as other day packs I’ve tried. For the second overnight hike in which I used ozark trail canopy the pack, I left the hammock at home and stuffed an REI Stratus insulated pad and lightweight bivy inside. I was a little concerned with how the straps would distribute weight. Prior to taking it out on the trail, I did give it two coats of silicone spray so that it would shed water.