Before you leave home be sure to let a friend or family member know where you’re going and what you’ll be doing. Indicate how many days you will be gone and approximately where you plan to stay each night. A backpacking stove is a convenient way to boil water for dehydrated meals and instant coffee without adding a lot of weight to your pack. 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. Outdoor activities such as hiking and biking, and also for school. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. The Ozark Trail cooler is made from polyethylene, which is the most common kind of plastic in use today. As far as color options go, you can purchase this in one of two colors, Greystone which is the one featured in this article and a lighter grey. 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. True, I wasn’t able to remove the rain fly to watch the stars or let the wind ventilate my tent, but I was able to enjoy the day hikes without any sort of worry. In essence, I had committed to the permanent rainfly option by default and there was a certain contentedness that came with that. The removable top lid can zip off and function as a smaller, more manageable daypack. There are side water bottle pockets on the right and left, and its compatibility lets it serve as a great hydration backpack. This pack fits me fine and is very comfortable for lightweight loads. It's light enough that I don't mind putting it in my backpack and it takes up almost no space at all. You may encounter some natural hazards when hiking through the wilderness, but it shouldn’t deter you from enjoying the outdoors. The Ozark Trail Association maintains a number of maps to help you traverse each section of the trail. If you are using your phone for navigation, pack a paper copy of a map in case you lose signal or find yourself without battery. Ozark Trail is proving to be a really solid competitor for outdoor products. This cooler has a number of features that you would find on more expensive coolers and a few that you won’t find. Our sister site Alloutdoor.com recently reviewed a hiking backpack sold by Ozark Trail that had an overall stellar performance and it triggered a question among our staff. Is Walmart’s Ozark Trail brand a true sleeper, putting out products that deserve much more attention among outdoorsmen? 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. Not the best choice for long trips or hikers who need to carry a large amount of gear. While this pack won't work for everyone, it's a practical size for day trips, light travelers, and kids. While this is made of a lightweight water resistant material, it does not have a built in rain flap. While this pack may not be big enough to carry all the gear you need for longer treks, it offers many of the features you would want at a good price. This roomy and practical backpack works well for a multi-day hike.