Enjoy views of the Ozark landscape as you gain 500 feet of elevation up 2.5 miles to the top of Stegall Mountain. Camp out at the top overnight, catching a glimpse of a full sky of stars if it’s clear. So there you have it, when looking at just the ability to keep ice cold over a period of 6 days the Pelican has just slightly won, but we are talking about decimal points. I have to say that I am very impressed with the performance of the Ozark Trail 45Q cooler. This cooler is not only smaller in its overall size but also a fraction of the price of the competition. Like the Ozark Trail 45 Qt Rolling Thermocooler, the Pelican 45QW Elite Wheeled Cooler includes a lid with inch notches and also includes centimeters for those outside of the United States. Find the best backpack for your next outdoor adventure using our independent reviews and ratings. 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. The constant color feature among the two are the orange rimmed wheels which I don’t love but, it is not a deal breaker. In the colder seasons insulating layers are a must, and a good rain shell for you and rain fly for your tent are necessary year-round. 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. Overall, its a great backup to have when traveling, and very inexpensive. Which size you need really comes down to what all you plan to have in your pack. Some days this bag was heavier than I would have chosen it to be. The only thing I might add is a liner for wet days, like a small plastic trash bag. I can't imagine loading this up with a lot of bulky, heavy items. And I do day hikes in Sequoia National Park and on the coast. The Hilmont also includes trekking pole attachment points, plus there's a rain fly that's stashed away in the bottom zip compartment. The padded waist belt has zippered mesh pockets, and the entire back panel and the bulk of the shoulder straps are made of padded mesh to keep you cool and comfortable. Size is perfect for day trips, smaller individuals, and teens. Great for hiking in warm weather, thanks to the breathable construction, mesh straps, and hydration bladder hook up. For most cases, the backpack that comes with me for hikes and longer trips is the Gregory Baltoro 65L. Yeti has clearly set themselves apart as the biggest player in the cooler space. It's sized to fit every airline's carry-on size requirements. My son and daughter each took one of these on a trip through Europe and they carried it on every plane, train, and bus they rode without any problems. It's also small enough that it wasn't inconvenient for them to have it with them everyday. Aside from the main pack bag, there is a small zippered compartment on the front, that, depending on how much you have stuffed inside, is pretty tight. I managed to fit my headlamp, lighter, map, compass, and some tp in the pocket. Fit and finish were pretty good — no loose seams or stitching. 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. Because it's basically a single compartment stuff bag, I did have to make sure the items inside were distributed properly. I have used the hydration compartment for items like my iPad. The land manager for each parcel held by these constituents is responsible for the trail within its holdings. A great way to ask questions of like-minded outdoor enthusiasts is to check out the Ozark Trail Section Hikers and Backpackers  (OTSHAB) Facebook page. There are side water bottle pockets on the right and left, and its compatibility lets it serve as a great hydration backpack. Just about every other daypack I've had falls apart under the weight of my books (med school). I also like the fact that for my outdoor activities, it's designed to hold a hydration bladder. 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. We just completed a review of the Ozark Trail Tumbler line, which is not only budget friendly but also well performing. Ultimately, the good design for this product was that it was sized right for what I needed, both in dimensions and weight. Not too small, but not too large (and thus wasteful) – a Goldilocks design. After all, I had to be sensitive to weight as we were required to carry our own water for 10 miles as there were no options for filtering during that stretch.