Prior to taking it out on the trail, I did give it two coats of silicone spray so that it would shed water. Packing-wise, I chose to line it with a garbage disposal liner. A perk of hiking lesser-traveled trails are fewer (or non-existent) permits and parking fees. The Ozark Trail does not have permit, parking, or registration requirements for its trail sections. Wetlands give way to ridgelines at the start of the Blair Creek section. The 26-mile route follows Blair Creek south as it carves down a valley through oak-hickory-pine forest before merging with the emerald waters of the Current River.
Especially at the clearance price you can get now. I am a 6-foot tall male, weighing 185 lbs and it fits just as well as other day packs I’ve tried. I drooled over all the lightweight packs from the major manufacturers for a few years. There’s no way I can justify paying five times more for something that might carry just as well. I plan to pick up another if/when this one wears out. All told, I’ve had the pack on my back for about 50 miles.
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. At the same time, my head wasn’t zero or six feet from the door, but about two or three feet at all times. Walmart has up to 50% off select Ozark Backpacks and Daypacks!
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. It was pretty easy to make adjustments from the side door access. End-door access would have made it more difficult. This pack fits me fine and is very comfortable for lightweight loads.
Camp at Highway DD trailhead near the section’s start or Harper Spring around the 15 mile-mark. Most parents and grandparents dream about sharing their passions with their kids. But what happens when your passion includes schlepping 30 pounds or more of ozark trail canopy gear through the tick-infested woods and sleeping on the ground for days on end? So there you have it, when looking at just the ability to keep ice cold over a period of 6 days the Pelican has just slightly won, but we are talking about decimal points.
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 ozark trail chair 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.