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 ozark trail chair 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.
I’ll be totally honest, I was not expecting this cooler to be as nice as it was. It’s easy to get caught up in brand perception and often times very difficult to break away from what you think you know about a brand. I used the word “think” intentionally, because what I thought I knew about Ozark Trail was not correct. 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.
With the added height of an inflatable pillow and sleeping pad my head height was indeed close to the curvature of the tent ceiling but there was still enough room. I did have a few inches along the edge for some clothes, a water bottle, and a headlamp, but that could have been made wider with a narrower sleeping pad. The pack size and weight is good for all my day hiking to any shower. I’m not sure if it is durable enough to hold any of my camera equipment.
You can see from the images below that there was consistent ice melt, however two of the three were better performing. When it comes to the seal, I was again very impressed by this cooler. Cracking this thing open sounds like you are opening the airlock on a spaceship. You can tell there is a serious seal established when you latch this shut. The Ozark Trail 45 Qt Rolling Thermocooler also comes with an internal tray, which the other two do not.
All told, I’ve had the pack on my back for about 50 miles. 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. Trailspace’s community of gear reviewers has field-tested and rated the top daypacks. You may encounter some natural hazards when hiking through the wilderness, but it shouldn’t deter you from enjoying the outdoors.
If you’re on a multi-day hike, toilet paper and a cathole shovel are necessities. When you have to answer nature’s call, make sure to stay at least 200 yards away from a water source and bury any solid waste at least 6 inches deep. 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. One of the best parts of hiking is settling around a campfire at the end of the day and enjoying a hot meal. You may find it helpful to make a list of meals for each day you are out on the trail to ensure that you are not over- or under-packing for your trip. The coolers remained in the same location for the duration of the 6 day test, only being opened to snap daily progress pictures.
I tried actually sewing one on, but I don’t have the right size buckle to go with the strap, so might won’t hold tight. I also use a Marmot 20 liter pack which does have a thin hipbelt, but it is more limited space-wise and weighs a couple of ounces more. The only thing I might add is a liner for wet days, like a small plastic trash bag.
Includes Trekking pole attachment points, compression straps and a sleeping bag compartment. Having a separate rain fly for a 2- or 3- person tent makes ozark trail chair sense because multiple people can split up the weight a little easier on longer hikes. With a 1-person tent, that doesn’t really make as much sense.