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. Because it’s basically a single compartment stuff bag, I did have to make sure the items ozark trail backpack inside were distributed properly. Walmart had a small section of packs and for the most part I was satisfied. I decided to get this one for a light hike I was going to be doing while camping. For the second overnight hike in which I used the pack, I left the hammock at home and stuffed an REI Stratus insulated pad and lightweight bivy inside.
I might actually pick up another for my son to use. I also use a Marmot 20 liter pack which does have a thin hipbelt, but it is more limited ozark trail backpack space-wise and weighs a couple of ounces more. By default, this unexpectedly ended up being my go-to daily bag for several months.
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.
I did finish my activities very sweetly and was able to walk and hike without carrying anything in my hands. 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. This pack has no extraneous features, save for the small front zip pocket and an internal hydration sleeve. There are no compression straps or other means of securing anything to the outside of the pack, aside from the “daisy chain” on the front.
I’m on the Application Trail right now for the last 30 days and am 100% happy so far. Within those first 2 days, I found the brakes, drivetrain, and tires tapped out on steep ascents and descents that were 50% gravel and 50% golf-to-baseball-sized rocks. This terrain was well beyond the limits of these components.