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 Ozark Trail Association Trip Planner contains information on a thru-hike, including directions to Onondaga State Park and Eleven Point Western trailheads. Beussink ozark trail chair 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. He chose March for his hike because there are fewer ticks and daylight hours start getting longer.
She enjoyed many “zero days,” visiting local attractions with her brother, who followed her in a support vehicle. My trail running shoes were still wet from multiple stream crossings the day before, but I ozark trail backpack knew my Merino wool socks would warm my feet in little time. 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.
Ozark Trail maps are a great resource to help identify places where you can access water. Bring a dedicated bear canister or hang a bear bag for all food and other aromatic items that might attract a bear’s attention. Immerse yourself in the rugged beauty of the Missouri Ozarks on the Ozark Trail. The 430-mile trail system is comprised of mostly linked trail sections that wind through rolling hills and valleys, past stone bluffs and along sparkling streams.
Some 1-person tents will have two major spars or spines that cross for the main support structure. In the Ozark Trail tent, it has only one spar traveling down the center lengthwise with a single rib to open up the area in the middle. The four or six tent pegs hold the structure down but are crucial for the tent to stand by itself. The Ozark does need those pegs in the ground to be self-standing so setting up on rocks would be infeasible (at least without applying some clever tenting skills). I also liked how my head wasn’t directly beside the door, which often occurs for an end-door tent.
The one downside with integrated rain flies is the lack of ventilation and temperature control. 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. I, on the other hand, could have stayed out longer. 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.
There are few bridges over creek crossings and hardly any developed campsites,” Letner said. The river crossings were thus easier overall, but the trail [was] more covered in leaves, making a sprained ankle more probable,” he said. The set-up was understandably a few steps shorter, which is always nice when setting up in the dark. More than once in the dark I’ve attached a rain fly upside down and we had to restart that particular step. This tent was close to foolproof when it came to the rain fly because it was already connected.
Plan accordingly and carry or cache water in case you are not able to find a source close by. Always treat any water for drinking and cooking along the trail. Specific water sources are indicated on Ozark Trail online and printed maps. 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. “[The Ozark Trail] is more raw than other trails I’ve thru-hiked.
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 ozark trail backpack at all times. Backpacking Light community posts are moderated and here to foster helpful and positive discussions about lightweight backpacking. Please be mindful of our values and boundaries and review our Community Guidelines prior to posting.
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