With that question being floated, we decided to travel down the path of discovery and start to take a closer look at Ozark Trail and some of their products. We just completed a review of the Ozark Trail Tumbler line, which is not only budget friendly but also well performing. The Hilmont also includes trekking pole attachment points, plus there’s a rain fly that’s stashed away in the bottom zip compartment. The padded waist belt has ozark trail backpack zippered mesh pockets, and the entire back panel and the bulk of the shoulder straps are made of padded mesh to keep you cool and comfortable. Size is perfect for day trips, smaller individuals, and teens. Great for hiking in warm weather, thanks to the breathable construction, mesh straps, and hydration bladder hook up.
Packing-wise, I chose to line it with a garbage disposal liner. Kelli is a content writer with a degree in English Education from Penn State University. As a mom and a former middle school English teacher, she has spent the last 25 years looking for good deals for her home and the classroom. While the Ozark Trail doesn’t run directly through any towns, hikers may access options for resupply and services along the way, including the locales below. Please be aware that we make an effort to keep this information current. However, businesses and business conditions change, thus the information contained here is subject to change without the knowledge of the Ozark Trail Association.
Looking for a versatile Backpack perfect for hiking, traveling, commuting or anything else? If so, the Ozark Trail Adult, Unisex, Denton 20 Liter Hiking Backpack in gray is a must-have for life on the go. For storage options, there is a large zippered main compartment, a padded laptop sleeve and front accessory pockets.
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. Fit and finish were pretty good — no loose seams or stitching. Stitches appeared evenly spaced and of uniform distance from the fabric edges. There is a lack of reinforcement on the pack’s taffeta bottom, though. Shoulder straps are lightweight mesh-lined with very little padding.
I have lost a couple of drain caps in my day which makes the cooler unusable until a replacement arrives. My own personal beverage drama every summer has really pushed me to do this review. To me, worrying about the temperature of the drinks I have on my boat is the absolute last thing I want to be thinking about when I am heading out on the water. I also liked how my head wasn’t directly beside the door, which often occurs for an end-door tent.
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.
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.
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. It even has a rain cover built in, which is great when I’m riding my bicycle across town on a rainy day. Having a separate rain fly for a 2- or 3- person tent makes sense because multiple people can split up the weight a little easier on longer hikes.
This cooler is not only smaller in its overall size but also a fraction of the price of the competition. Cooler’s have become somewhat of a status symbol in the outdoors and many equate the bigger brands with better quality. A higher price tag should mean a higher quality product, right? No, that is not always the case and any outdoorsmen, gear junkie, or general abuser of products will tell you the same thing.