Lastly, I haven’t yet had a chance to test its waterproofing in a huge down-pouring of rain, but it did hold up in some strong winds surprisingly well. Future users may want to seal or waterproof the seams a little better. Visit our Trail Directory for an overview of the sections. Trail section pages include maps, directions, and downloadable GPS (.gpx) and Google Earth (.kml) data. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. My shoulders did not chafe nor rub or irritate while walking and I did not get any bruising on my hips.
I capped the grand adventure ride with 3 days of regular city commuting; the Explorer made for a relatively nimble ride about town. The drivetrain made sense on milder dirt, gravel, and paved roads. Instead, the limited range of the gearing helped offset the shifting stiffness by making smaller jumps between gears. My exact rack choice might not have been the cheapest. But going back to basics, I rigged them up with the oldest and most abused trunk bags and panniers I own.
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 ozark trail chair 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.
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 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.