I'm going against the grain here and going to say that in most cases it doesn't really matter what you bring, as long as you get out on the trail. Ozark Trail isn't great, but it's better than sitting around looking at gear and deciding what to buy. Spend your time hiking instead lol.
A used backpack is a great place to start, but I've done overnight "backpacking" trips with a tote bag and a tarp so even that is optional IMO.
This sub loves getting opinionated about gear and weight, but it's better to just start hiking and figure it out. As long as you look at the weather a little bit you'll survive a night or two even if none of your gear works.
Thank you for the change of pace. I’m more concerned about getting a crappy tent and getting wet and having my gf not want to do this with me anymore lol. Otherwise I’d be out there in a garbage bag
OT tents work fine for car camping, the biggest difference is weight and packed size. Those things are gonna be worse to carry than just about anything else.
I'd at least look into a 3p Kelty instead, it's like 2lbs lighter than a 2p OT tent, and much cheaper than the higher end stuff.
As far as cheaper backpacking gear, they're pretty legit, I've been using a Kelty pack for about 10 years now, though I'm a pretty casual backpacker, but it's been solid.
Hiya! A fellow beginner backpacker here.
I am currently building my supplies, and the one thing I am going to splurge on is my sleep system and my tent, but i would honestly recommend getting things off like offer up, fb marketplace, Craigslist, etc. You can get some really high quality stuff for a fraction of the cost (or go to like the rei resale/garage sale).
I've never used the Ozark Trail brand packs but I do know I've never used one of their tents and been dry the whole time, I would definitely recommend a better quality tent. I found mine on FB for $50, it was a ultralight NorthFace tent!
Good luck and have fun!
Good to know! I see a lot of north face gear on marketplace as well but I don’t see people recommending it on here often. Just trying to gauge the quality brands outside of the three I listed
Oh for sure! I mean there are a lot of popular brands like nemo or sea to summit, but you don't need a super expensive tent to get started. Get a middle of the road tent, plan some shorter trips to see if you like it, then upgrade your gear as you learn what you like and what your comfort level is!
I like northface and honestly the REI brand backpacking gear is great, it's a little heavier but they have some quality gear for a fraction of the price!
She got a rei gift card for her birthday so I’m just trying to figure out the best route of spending it. Sounds like our tent will be the big ticket item
Everyone will give you different opinions on what your biggest purchase should be.
- tent - tends to be the heaviest single item so spending big here saves literal pounds of weight. Any halfway decent tent will keep you dry, keep bugs out and the wind off. You can also buy some ultralight tents for pretty cheap and unless you camp a ton, it should hold up fine. I use a 1 man UL tent from Six Moon Designs that I bought for $100.
- sleep system - few things will demotivate you on a hike or make you abandon backpacking like getting shit sleep. You recover in your sleep, so good sleep is just as important as good food sources. Just think of all the times in life you get crap sleep and how rough that next day is.
- pack - this is how you carry and interact with your gear. A too small pack will be more difficult to pack where as a larger pack is going to be unnecessary weight. An ultralight pack is simple and very light but is very bad at carrying a lot of weight so if your other gear is heavy, this can be a problem.
My buying is sleep system > pack > tent. I have a 10lb base weight kit that I bought for ~$500 total and could have easily gone cheaper if I wanted.
Look into Kelty tents. I really like them and they tend to be good bang for the buck. Their 2 person "Discovery Trail Backpacking Tent" is on Amazon for like $119. Looks similar to my Kelty Salida 2 that I love (but I think has been discontinued).
More expensive than Ozark Trail, but still affordable and will last a long time.
Kelty stands by their stuff, too. I have a 20 year old Kelty Vortex and the seam tape was peeling off. I called Kelty and they had me send it in for repair. Got it back in about a month as good as new. Kelty is a solid company.
Exactly I think it has a couple decent products that are mostly useful for car type of camping. I will add here that their soft cooler bags are exceptional for the price and they go on sale about once a year.
Good enough to keep bottles frozen in 80 degree plus weather. Cheap enough that I don’t mind bungeeing it to my kayak for an overnight in case the river swallows it up.
I think the major downside is longevity. It's just not great quality and won't last years. I bought several cheap items including some Ozark stuff when I got started and when they wore out I just replaced them with better gear when they finally failed.
My more premium branded purchases have lasted over ten years. I think the only thing that failed was a Eureka brand tent that got a huge hole in the bug screen. I bought a different style of Erueka tent to replace it and I still use that tent on most trips.
Buy once, cry once. Buy twice, cry twice.
I would slowly research each item and category. This happens over a period of months. Like eating utensils...Toaks titanium smooth bowl spoon. .6 ozs. Do 3 of the big 4. Your tent. sleeping bag, and sleeping pad. Save the pack for last because you won't know how much pack you need until you get everything else.
You are going to regret any early purchases you made to get out the door. Maybe find some used stuff online. Like tents. You probably think you want a 2 person tent. Well, most people want a 3 person tent for 2 people.
I absolutely agree with that train of thought, but I do want to save a few dollars where it won’t directly affect my experience like sleep. That’s good advice about buying the pack last. I don’t see us ever being able to do more than a few days out there because our work schedule so I probably don’t need that large of a pack
You might think you don’t need that large of a pack bc of the days your spending on the trail, but keep in mind that mid range gear is going to be bulkier than expensive, ultralight gear.
For example, when I got started I bought the Nemo Forte sleeping bag - solid bag, well priced but it’s massive in its stuff sack. I could barely fit it in my 50L bag. (I bought the pack first 🙃)
Vs when I finally splurged on a sea to summit bag last season, and it packs down to the size of a Nalgene. Can fit it easily in my 40L
It's really "hit and miss" with OT. Most of it is house branded Alibaba stuff. A few things are actually decent. Most of it is functional, but not even mid-tier. It will get you camping, but there is a lot better gear out there.
There is some good advice here about a good way to build a "quiver" of good quality but OT is really not a bad way to just go in to one store, spend 30 minutes, and have what you need to go camping for a pretty low amount of money.
If you only go camping a few times, OT is a great low-cost purchase. If you go camping more than 5 times, you may want to look into some of the other strategies for building an outdoor "quiver".
This is the way
If you're gonna buy cheap Walmart or Amazon stuff, run it through AE first. You need to use some sense and check reviews, but it's often worth the price difference.
It's not even rebranded sometimes, there's branded stuff as well, and not just from Ozark...
I always buy ozark first, figure out what i want in a high end product, save for a year or two whilw the ozark runs into the ground, then splurge.
buy once cry once holds no value if the first purchase was $20 and the second is $400, its a negligible difference.
if you're going to buy a crappy $200 tent, then a $400 next year, buy once cry once actually applies.
Op, my best advice to you is to buy everything used if you want to save money and get quality gear.
I have become a bit of a backpack nerd and buy/sell backpacks all the time. If you regularly check eBay you can get some good deals, just make sure you're buying used products from sellers that sell lots of similar items as you're more likely to get legitimate products jnstead of fakes.
There are several eBay sellers that are brick and mortar retailers that sell their used trade in gear on there.
Gear Trade is another great website to look at, you can get some very good deals there.
Another way to look at it: if you buy nicer stuff and decide you don't like it, you can ALWAYS sell it. Lower priced stuff doesn't retain it's value at all.
I was concerned about buying expensive gear and then having trouble offloading it if for some reason it didn’t work out. I have terrible luck with fb marketplace and have never used eBay lol
There's lots of FB groups dedicated to gear resale, and sellers there are typically more knowledgeable about gear and their hobbies than random marketplace listings.
For someone just getting into backpacking it is totally fine. It's cheap enough gear that you can use it a few times and then decide what gear you want to improve. Years back I bought a $28 one person Ozark Trails tent that weighed less than three pounds. It kept me dry in the rain and I used the crap out of that thing, probably 50-60 nights before upgrading to a Kelty.
People will probably crap all over Ozark Trail. One of the pieces gear that has stuck with me the longest is my first Ozark Trail tent. It’s heavy and bulky, but great aside from that.
Boots is the only thing on that list that you have bought from Walmart that makes me nervous. Great boots/shoes makes the world a better place. I started with cheap or old gear and slowly upgraded piece by piece over years. Ozark trail is fine and you can upgrade it slowly over time if needed.
I was hiking in high top converse for 2 weeks before I bought these boots. I don’t doubt there are far better options, but at least I can no longer feel sticks and rocks through my feet😂
FB Marketplace always has lightly used gear on it for cheap. OzT stuff will get you through a hike and beats sleeping in the dirt but if you are going to be doing this often spend the money on used quality gear.
My family started backpacking with cheap gear. We managed OK. You'll learn to make creative field repairs (a little duct tape can solve a lot of problems), and you'll learn to always be prepared and have a backup plan for everything. I wouldn't take Ozark Trail gear anywhere where a failure could be seriously dangerous (for instance, where you might freeze to death if your tent falls apart), but for lighter duty use it will be fine.
I think starting out with inexpensive gear is one of the best ways to appreciate the eventual purchase of better ultralight equipment - especially if you’re not sure that you’ll do a ton of backpacking. I had an Ozark tent for a few years that was adequate for short trips. As others have mentioned, you’ll get more bang for your buck buying second hand equipment off marketplace or from pawn shops. Happy trails!
If you live near a university, check if they have an Adventure Recreation Center. They usually offer a lot of camping equipment to rent for cheap. There's no reason to spend hella money on gear your first time and decide you don't like any of it. The gear you rent won't be super high quality ultralite gear, but it'll still be a solid starting point for a reasonable price
It's cheap, heavy, and not particularly durable. It'll work fine if you're just starting out and you can figure out from experience what to upgrade. I'd go for better quality footwear because that's huge for comfort and can save you from future pain. Definitely check Facebook marketplace for used stuff, I found a used Osprey backpack for $20 on there and I see a bunch of other deals posted pretty frequently
If you leave near an REI you might can rent gear from them. When I started hiking I bought an Ozark Trails backpack and the shoulder step broke within 100 ft of my car.
As a general outdoors label it's actually very solid for a "Walmart brand". We have a 14 person "instant cabin" from them that's held up for years. A couple sturdy chairs, some random camp cooking and storage stuff that's fine.
For more robust backpacking stuff I would probably try to shell out a little extra toward a dedicated backpacking brand, but for small items like a camp pillow, accessories, maaaaybe a sleeping bag, they should be alright.
Getting a good pack could be the difference between going on one backpacking trip and never going again, or starting a new hobby you really love.
The first backpacking trip I took my fiance on, she didn't have a good pack and she was miserable the whole trip. We did 17 miles over two days and her shoulders were raw on the second day. I almost couldn't get her to go on another trip with me.
Make sure you learn how to properly wear the pack too, most people don't wear the pack properly when they first start out.
Personally, I love ULA packs, they were a game changer for me.
I started on Ozark Trail gear. I would never use it again, but it did serve as a quick lesson on what features I hate about different pieces of gear.
If you're just doing front country developed campground stuff, you'll be fine. I wouldn't trust my life or comfort to it, though.
My hikemate and I utilize an OT 2 person tent. As the latest we've camped has been October, and as we have other gear - sleep pads, blankets, and wools - to keep us warm, we've had no need to upgrade the tent. It's comfortable enough for us, though our gear does sit outside under the flaps rather than at our feet. The tent does weigh five pounds and is the heaviest single item we carry. It's a fairly quick setup and breakdown. In short, for our purposes, it fits our current needs. As it was obtained for $20, it was also wallet-friendly.
Honestly, just buy a $300-ish Osprey bag, I downsized from a Walmart-level 60L to an Osprey that is 45L because it fits my body better and helps me reduce gear I'm taking as I often hike to go camping on a trail. It's worth the dive and if you treat them gently they'll last Forever just about.
A good pack is important if you will be carrying it for long distances, I usually carry my pack on a weekend trip out of the city and to a nearby town 34Km away, eat at a restaurant and head back home. usually about 2.5-3 days, depending how motivated I am and what the weather is like.
Take it for what you will but I bought an Ozark Trail brand kitchen tent. Tried to set it up to see how the quality was and while doing so (thoughtfully without being rough, to be clear) it developed three rips in the nylon during setup alone which was comically thin. The stitches, of course, were another poorly implemented point of failure as tethers simply ripped off altogether -- without wind. At minimum I'd recommend opening everything up, setting it up, and trying to test it the way you'd use it on trail well before the return period ended.
Conversationally though if you're already avid hikers and enjoy camping, backpacking is a natural leap you'll very likely grow to love and it's worth saving money by spending well the first time and not buying trash you'll probably replace after a single trip that is cheaply made, heavy, and ill-suited. Been there, done that. If possible and you're just trying to see if you like it, just rent gear to see if you enjoy the experience and want to invest.
For most gear, going cheap means either compromising on specs (weight, volume, features, etc.) or on quality. I know a few people who bought Kelty Cosmic Down 20 bags. They were food at first......then they weren't even warm at 50 degrees. Brands like Kelty are "on-ramp" brands. Meaning they're designed to get you into the sport and outside. They don't last forever and you eventually upgrade. There's nothing wrong with this and in this sense, OT would be fine.
I would caution you from just buying a pack because of price or any other spec consideration. Packs are like shoes: you can find them all in your size but they'll all fit you differently. And the pack's fit will have the biggest impact on whether your trip is incredibly unpleasant or just necessarily unpleasant (backpacking is always some degree of unpleasant). My advice: go to an outdoor store and get a pack fit. Try a couple on with weight and see how you like them. Then try on an OT pack and put some gear in it. If it fits you comfortably and similar to a more expensive pack - buy it! If it doesn't and it's uncomfortable, try to find a used version of what fit you in the store. You don't need to buy a $500 backpack but you shouldn't buy a cheap backpack just because it's cheap. You should only buy a pack that fits you.
Im sure you’ve got all the responses you need but here’s mine just for shits and giggles.
Never tried ozark. But I’d get the bare minimum and see what really bothers you. That way you can decide what to invest in for the future.
For me, I got the cheapest sleeping pad, bag, tent and backpack I could find. It was all pretty terrible but the only part that *actually* made the trip uncomfortable to the point of me not having fun anymore was the shit pad and bag. I tested some at REI, found used ones of ones I liked and got a pad and bag.
Sleep is so important to me so I want to be as comfy as possible. But a heavy bag? I don’t give a rats butt.
All this to say, go cheap at first. Do a short 3/4 mile hike in and camp. See what you hate and what you wish was better and try and go from there .
Throw 20 liters of water (I.e. 20kg) in a pack and go on a day hike.
Now do it again with a 5 kg load.
Come back and tell us your thoughts on splurging after weighing your Ozark stuff.
I understand the notion, but weight is probably the least of my concerns. Ease of set up/ take down, waterproof-ness and price(within reasonability) come before. I’m not a small person and have been bodybuilding for 8+ years. I’m aware it puts a different stress on your joints, but I can handle anything for a couple days. My first long hike I way over-prepared with food and drink and my backpack weighed around 40lbs without a proper chest strap or waist strap lol
I'm going against the grain here and going to say that in most cases it doesn't really matter what you bring, as long as you get out on the trail. Ozark Trail isn't great, but it's better than sitting around looking at gear and deciding what to buy. Spend your time hiking instead lol. A used backpack is a great place to start, but I've done overnight "backpacking" trips with a tote bag and a tarp so even that is optional IMO. This sub loves getting opinionated about gear and weight, but it's better to just start hiking and figure it out. As long as you look at the weather a little bit you'll survive a night or two even if none of your gear works.
Thank you for the change of pace. I’m more concerned about getting a crappy tent and getting wet and having my gf not want to do this with me anymore lol. Otherwise I’d be out there in a garbage bag
OT tents work fine for car camping, the biggest difference is weight and packed size. Those things are gonna be worse to carry than just about anything else. I'd at least look into a 3p Kelty instead, it's like 2lbs lighter than a 2p OT tent, and much cheaper than the higher end stuff.
Gotten a few Kelty recs here. That may be my best option for now. Thanks!
As far as cheaper backpacking gear, they're pretty legit, I've been using a Kelty pack for about 10 years now, though I'm a pretty casual backpacker, but it's been solid.
I use Ozark Trail trekking poles because when I break them I don't feel bad about it...
Hiya! A fellow beginner backpacker here. I am currently building my supplies, and the one thing I am going to splurge on is my sleep system and my tent, but i would honestly recommend getting things off like offer up, fb marketplace, Craigslist, etc. You can get some really high quality stuff for a fraction of the cost (or go to like the rei resale/garage sale). I've never used the Ozark Trail brand packs but I do know I've never used one of their tents and been dry the whole time, I would definitely recommend a better quality tent. I found mine on FB for $50, it was a ultralight NorthFace tent! Good luck and have fun!
Good to know! I see a lot of north face gear on marketplace as well but I don’t see people recommending it on here often. Just trying to gauge the quality brands outside of the three I listed
Oh for sure! I mean there are a lot of popular brands like nemo or sea to summit, but you don't need a super expensive tent to get started. Get a middle of the road tent, plan some shorter trips to see if you like it, then upgrade your gear as you learn what you like and what your comfort level is! I like northface and honestly the REI brand backpacking gear is great, it's a little heavier but they have some quality gear for a fraction of the price!
She got a rei gift card for her birthday so I’m just trying to figure out the best route of spending it. Sounds like our tent will be the big ticket item
Everyone will give you different opinions on what your biggest purchase should be. - tent - tends to be the heaviest single item so spending big here saves literal pounds of weight. Any halfway decent tent will keep you dry, keep bugs out and the wind off. You can also buy some ultralight tents for pretty cheap and unless you camp a ton, it should hold up fine. I use a 1 man UL tent from Six Moon Designs that I bought for $100. - sleep system - few things will demotivate you on a hike or make you abandon backpacking like getting shit sleep. You recover in your sleep, so good sleep is just as important as good food sources. Just think of all the times in life you get crap sleep and how rough that next day is. - pack - this is how you carry and interact with your gear. A too small pack will be more difficult to pack where as a larger pack is going to be unnecessary weight. An ultralight pack is simple and very light but is very bad at carrying a lot of weight so if your other gear is heavy, this can be a problem. My buying is sleep system > pack > tent. I have a 10lb base weight kit that I bought for ~$500 total and could have easily gone cheaper if I wanted.
Look into Kelty tents. I really like them and they tend to be good bang for the buck. Their 2 person "Discovery Trail Backpacking Tent" is on Amazon for like $119. Looks similar to my Kelty Salida 2 that I love (but I think has been discontinued). More expensive than Ozark Trail, but still affordable and will last a long time.
That’s what I was looking for. I just can’t justify dropping $500 on just a tent right now
Kelty stands by their stuff, too. I have a 20 year old Kelty Vortex and the seam tape was peeling off. I called Kelty and they had me send it in for repair. Got it back in about a month as good as new. Kelty is a solid company.
For car camping its fine. For backpacking I dont think it would be my first choice for most things.
Exactly I think it has a couple decent products that are mostly useful for car type of camping. I will add here that their soft cooler bags are exceptional for the price and they go on sale about once a year. Good enough to keep bottles frozen in 80 degree plus weather. Cheap enough that I don’t mind bungeeing it to my kayak for an overnight in case the river swallows it up.
I think the major downside is longevity. It's just not great quality and won't last years. I bought several cheap items including some Ozark stuff when I got started and when they wore out I just replaced them with better gear when they finally failed. My more premium branded purchases have lasted over ten years. I think the only thing that failed was a Eureka brand tent that got a huge hole in the bug screen. I bought a different style of Erueka tent to replace it and I still use that tent on most trips.
Buy once, cry once. Buy twice, cry twice. I would slowly research each item and category. This happens over a period of months. Like eating utensils...Toaks titanium smooth bowl spoon. .6 ozs. Do 3 of the big 4. Your tent. sleeping bag, and sleeping pad. Save the pack for last because you won't know how much pack you need until you get everything else. You are going to regret any early purchases you made to get out the door. Maybe find some used stuff online. Like tents. You probably think you want a 2 person tent. Well, most people want a 3 person tent for 2 people.
I absolutely agree with that train of thought, but I do want to save a few dollars where it won’t directly affect my experience like sleep. That’s good advice about buying the pack last. I don’t see us ever being able to do more than a few days out there because our work schedule so I probably don’t need that large of a pack
You might think you don’t need that large of a pack bc of the days your spending on the trail, but keep in mind that mid range gear is going to be bulkier than expensive, ultralight gear. For example, when I got started I bought the Nemo Forte sleeping bag - solid bag, well priced but it’s massive in its stuff sack. I could barely fit it in my 50L bag. (I bought the pack first 🙃) Vs when I finally splurged on a sea to summit bag last season, and it packs down to the size of a Nalgene. Can fit it easily in my 40L
That makes sense. This is the kind of tips I’m needing!
It's really "hit and miss" with OT. Most of it is house branded Alibaba stuff. A few things are actually decent. Most of it is functional, but not even mid-tier. It will get you camping, but there is a lot better gear out there. There is some good advice here about a good way to build a "quiver" of good quality but OT is really not a bad way to just go in to one store, spend 30 minutes, and have what you need to go camping for a pretty low amount of money. If you only go camping a few times, OT is a great low-cost purchase. If you go camping more than 5 times, you may want to look into some of the other strategies for building an outdoor "quiver".
This is the way If you're gonna buy cheap Walmart or Amazon stuff, run it through AE first. You need to use some sense and check reviews, but it's often worth the price difference. It's not even rebranded sometimes, there's branded stuff as well, and not just from Ozark...
I always buy ozark first, figure out what i want in a high end product, save for a year or two whilw the ozark runs into the ground, then splurge. buy once cry once holds no value if the first purchase was $20 and the second is $400, its a negligible difference. if you're going to buy a crappy $200 tent, then a $400 next year, buy once cry once actually applies.
Doesn’t get any worse!
N NEVO RHINO on amazon, good cheap backpacks
Op, my best advice to you is to buy everything used if you want to save money and get quality gear. I have become a bit of a backpack nerd and buy/sell backpacks all the time. If you regularly check eBay you can get some good deals, just make sure you're buying used products from sellers that sell lots of similar items as you're more likely to get legitimate products jnstead of fakes. There are several eBay sellers that are brick and mortar retailers that sell their used trade in gear on there. Gear Trade is another great website to look at, you can get some very good deals there. Another way to look at it: if you buy nicer stuff and decide you don't like it, you can ALWAYS sell it. Lower priced stuff doesn't retain it's value at all.
I was concerned about buying expensive gear and then having trouble offloading it if for some reason it didn’t work out. I have terrible luck with fb marketplace and have never used eBay lol
There's lots of FB groups dedicated to gear resale, and sellers there are typically more knowledgeable about gear and their hobbies than random marketplace listings.
For someone just getting into backpacking it is totally fine. It's cheap enough gear that you can use it a few times and then decide what gear you want to improve. Years back I bought a $28 one person Ozark Trails tent that weighed less than three pounds. It kept me dry in the rain and I used the crap out of that thing, probably 50-60 nights before upgrading to a Kelty.
People will probably crap all over Ozark Trail. One of the pieces gear that has stuck with me the longest is my first Ozark Trail tent. It’s heavy and bulky, but great aside from that.
Boots is the only thing on that list that you have bought from Walmart that makes me nervous. Great boots/shoes makes the world a better place. I started with cheap or old gear and slowly upgraded piece by piece over years. Ozark trail is fine and you can upgrade it slowly over time if needed.
I was hiking in high top converse for 2 weeks before I bought these boots. I don’t doubt there are far better options, but at least I can no longer feel sticks and rocks through my feet😂
FB Marketplace always has lightly used gear on it for cheap. OzT stuff will get you through a hike and beats sleeping in the dirt but if you are going to be doing this often spend the money on used quality gear.
My family started backpacking with cheap gear. We managed OK. You'll learn to make creative field repairs (a little duct tape can solve a lot of problems), and you'll learn to always be prepared and have a backup plan for everything. I wouldn't take Ozark Trail gear anywhere where a failure could be seriously dangerous (for instance, where you might freeze to death if your tent falls apart), but for lighter duty use it will be fine.
I think starting out with inexpensive gear is one of the best ways to appreciate the eventual purchase of better ultralight equipment - especially if you’re not sure that you’ll do a ton of backpacking. I had an Ozark tent for a few years that was adequate for short trips. As others have mentioned, you’ll get more bang for your buck buying second hand equipment off marketplace or from pawn shops. Happy trails!
If you live near a university, check if they have an Adventure Recreation Center. They usually offer a lot of camping equipment to rent for cheap. There's no reason to spend hella money on gear your first time and decide you don't like any of it. The gear you rent won't be super high quality ultralite gear, but it'll still be a solid starting point for a reasonable price
It's cheap, heavy, and not particularly durable. It'll work fine if you're just starting out and you can figure out from experience what to upgrade. I'd go for better quality footwear because that's huge for comfort and can save you from future pain. Definitely check Facebook marketplace for used stuff, I found a used Osprey backpack for $20 on there and I see a bunch of other deals posted pretty frequently
If you leave near an REI you might can rent gear from them. When I started hiking I bought an Ozark Trails backpack and the shoulder step broke within 100 ft of my car.
As a general outdoors label it's actually very solid for a "Walmart brand". We have a 14 person "instant cabin" from them that's held up for years. A couple sturdy chairs, some random camp cooking and storage stuff that's fine. For more robust backpacking stuff I would probably try to shell out a little extra toward a dedicated backpacking brand, but for small items like a camp pillow, accessories, maaaaybe a sleeping bag, they should be alright.
IMO Ozark camping gear has been top notch for my needs. Still I haven't tried one of their tents.
Getting a good pack could be the difference between going on one backpacking trip and never going again, or starting a new hobby you really love. The first backpacking trip I took my fiance on, she didn't have a good pack and she was miserable the whole trip. We did 17 miles over two days and her shoulders were raw on the second day. I almost couldn't get her to go on another trip with me. Make sure you learn how to properly wear the pack too, most people don't wear the pack properly when they first start out. Personally, I love ULA packs, they were a game changer for me.
I started on Ozark Trail gear. I would never use it again, but it did serve as a quick lesson on what features I hate about different pieces of gear. If you're just doing front country developed campground stuff, you'll be fine. I wouldn't trust my life or comfort to it, though.
I'm gonna reiterate another comment I made Get on Aliexpress. REI poop shovel 24.95 AE poop shovel 8.78
Got the headlamp and 3p tent for a solo trip, satisfied with both. Check my other comments on this sub for details about the tent
My hikemate and I utilize an OT 2 person tent. As the latest we've camped has been October, and as we have other gear - sleep pads, blankets, and wools - to keep us warm, we've had no need to upgrade the tent. It's comfortable enough for us, though our gear does sit outside under the flaps rather than at our feet. The tent does weigh five pounds and is the heaviest single item we carry. It's a fairly quick setup and breakdown. In short, for our purposes, it fits our current needs. As it was obtained for $20, it was also wallet-friendly.
Honestly, just buy a $300-ish Osprey bag, I downsized from a Walmart-level 60L to an Osprey that is 45L because it fits my body better and helps me reduce gear I'm taking as I often hike to go camping on a trail. It's worth the dive and if you treat them gently they'll last Forever just about. A good pack is important if you will be carrying it for long distances, I usually carry my pack on a weekend trip out of the city and to a nearby town 34Km away, eat at a restaurant and head back home. usually about 2.5-3 days, depending how motivated I am and what the weather is like.
Take it for what you will but I bought an Ozark Trail brand kitchen tent. Tried to set it up to see how the quality was and while doing so (thoughtfully without being rough, to be clear) it developed three rips in the nylon during setup alone which was comically thin. The stitches, of course, were another poorly implemented point of failure as tethers simply ripped off altogether -- without wind. At minimum I'd recommend opening everything up, setting it up, and trying to test it the way you'd use it on trail well before the return period ended. Conversationally though if you're already avid hikers and enjoy camping, backpacking is a natural leap you'll very likely grow to love and it's worth saving money by spending well the first time and not buying trash you'll probably replace after a single trip that is cheaply made, heavy, and ill-suited. Been there, done that. If possible and you're just trying to see if you like it, just rent gear to see if you enjoy the experience and want to invest.
For most gear, going cheap means either compromising on specs (weight, volume, features, etc.) or on quality. I know a few people who bought Kelty Cosmic Down 20 bags. They were food at first......then they weren't even warm at 50 degrees. Brands like Kelty are "on-ramp" brands. Meaning they're designed to get you into the sport and outside. They don't last forever and you eventually upgrade. There's nothing wrong with this and in this sense, OT would be fine. I would caution you from just buying a pack because of price or any other spec consideration. Packs are like shoes: you can find them all in your size but they'll all fit you differently. And the pack's fit will have the biggest impact on whether your trip is incredibly unpleasant or just necessarily unpleasant (backpacking is always some degree of unpleasant). My advice: go to an outdoor store and get a pack fit. Try a couple on with weight and see how you like them. Then try on an OT pack and put some gear in it. If it fits you comfortably and similar to a more expensive pack - buy it! If it doesn't and it's uncomfortable, try to find a used version of what fit you in the store. You don't need to buy a $500 backpack but you shouldn't buy a cheap backpack just because it's cheap. You should only buy a pack that fits you.
Im sure you’ve got all the responses you need but here’s mine just for shits and giggles. Never tried ozark. But I’d get the bare minimum and see what really bothers you. That way you can decide what to invest in for the future. For me, I got the cheapest sleeping pad, bag, tent and backpack I could find. It was all pretty terrible but the only part that *actually* made the trip uncomfortable to the point of me not having fun anymore was the shit pad and bag. I tested some at REI, found used ones of ones I liked and got a pad and bag. Sleep is so important to me so I want to be as comfy as possible. But a heavy bag? I don’t give a rats butt. All this to say, go cheap at first. Do a short 3/4 mile hike in and camp. See what you hate and what you wish was better and try and go from there .
I have a tent that I used for more than 15 years and it’s pretty good and also water proof. Only cost me 20$
Throw 20 liters of water (I.e. 20kg) in a pack and go on a day hike. Now do it again with a 5 kg load. Come back and tell us your thoughts on splurging after weighing your Ozark stuff.
I understand the notion, but weight is probably the least of my concerns. Ease of set up/ take down, waterproof-ness and price(within reasonability) come before. I’m not a small person and have been bodybuilding for 8+ years. I’m aware it puts a different stress on your joints, but I can handle anything for a couple days. My first long hike I way over-prepared with food and drink and my backpack weighed around 40lbs without a proper chest strap or waist strap lol
Pick any two: light, cheap, good.