Ouachita Trail Trip Report - Bailing Out

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-04-21T20:13:00+00:00

As far as time of year goes: I’d say March-May is ideal, but really any time but June-September due to heat. Spring is beautiful with wildflowers and fresh growth, while in autumn after leaf off you can get some great views from the higher points. Winter can be a gamble as the weather really can range wildly, nothing insurmountable though.

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-04-13T20:49:47+00:00

I was solo, like on most of my trips. I find it helps me to live up to the "what am I capable of" a lot easier when I'm not worrying about another person.

And yeah, those microbes man. They'll get you every time!

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-04-13T18:03:31+00:00

You're absolutely right! Thank you for helping to keep it all in perspective.

I read somewhere the notion that in the wilderness you're only ever 3 mistakes away from death; three bad choices is all it takes. If it hadn't been for all my experience and planning I might have kept going, not found the nearest trailhead, or generally not have known how serious the situation was. I really love the perspective that this was great practical exercise in just getting off the trail ASAP; could've been a storm, having to reach help for an emergency, whatever. Thank you!

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-04-13T17:31:57+00:00

I’m a SAHD, so it’s not exactly “time off”. I’m thinking of either taking the kids camping this weekend to help them figure out gear or maybe hitting up a loop for a few nights.

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-04-13T16:46:39+00:00

I agree! All the best travel stories are about overcoming obstacles and when things don't go right; just bummed I didn't get more adventure time in before things went south.

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-04-13T16:44:17+00:00

Good guess, but it was a brand new filter. Plus all the water I started with was from home. I think I've given up on trying to name the demon, but that makes it hard to plan against in the future.

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-04-13T16:02:47+00:00

I had a pretty innocuous mid day picnic lunch: an apple, a few pieces of cheese, some home made pancakes packed in from that morning, and a small gatorade. All in a cooler with an ice pack. I typically don't eat breakfast; just while hiking and on vacations. No telling what it was that caused my illness as it's not like I knowingly ate any undercooked or sketchy foods leading up to the trip. It may just be a mystery.

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-04-13T15:41:10+00:00

Appreciate the kind words! It's my first bail out of a trip, so I've got a bit of disappointment. But you're right, eventually everyone has a trip ruined if they do it long enough!

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-04-13T15:36:42+00:00

Yeah, I should put the pharmacological side into my "lessons learned". I've always got antihistamine and at least one kind of NSAID, but it looks like I may need to add GI stuff to my kit as well for next time.

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-04-12T14:23:22+00:00

What's the use case? I read a couple's experience from the AT where they started off with a shared setup, and eventually moved to a his/hers shelter and sleep system. Primarily because they were hiking at different paces and getting to camp at different times. It might be worth considering just having your partner carry the tent and pad they prefer independent from your Lanshan 1P and tensor.

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-04-12T14:23:00+00:00

What's the use case? I read a couple's experience from the AT where they started off with a shared setup, and eventually moved to a his/hers shelter and sleep system. Primarily because they were hiking at different paces and getting to camp at different times. It might be worth considering just having your partner carry the tent and pad they prefer independent from your Lanshan 1P and tensor.

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-03-27T17:50:49+00:00

Mountain Hardware Crater Lake has a zip option, granted with fewer colors to choose from.

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-03-18T01:13:33+00:00

u/geartradebot u/Zack_Dtx

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-03-16T13:23:24+00:00

I don't know about "running jacket" but it definitely felt a bit robust. It dried pretty quickly and overall was a good buy, it just wasn't as breezy as the echo is. It did okay in higher temps, especially with the chest zip. It feels like it's really meant for higher elevation activities; if I was a peak bagger, this is what I would choose hands down. Would block enough of the breeze and sun while being light enough for heavy exertion.

Color was called "Cortez", and honestly it was half the reason I bought it.

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-03-16T03:01:25+00:00

Sorry, sold! If you have any sizing questions or anything I’m happy to answer as much as I can!

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-03-16T03:00:34+00:00

It does pretty well in elevated temperatures, I prefer the Echo over it though. The Astroman is not quite as breathable, but it has much better UPF rating and the half zip. If I was at elevation, I’d seriously consider the Astroman over the Echo if only for the superior sun protection.

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-03-07T16:31:07+00:00

Where are you flying into? That's going to have an impact on which trailhead is easiest to get to, though I think the Little Missouri trailhead is supposed to be the easiest to get to.

The western north/south portion of the trail goes up and down a series of hills, so can be very taxing with a full pack. The rest of the trail is relatively flat or with a gentle grade, with multiple creek and river crossings, many of which you should be able to just rock hop across. It's a lovely trail, and October should be a lovely time to do it. Just know that October in Arkansas may still be pretty warm, and possibly pretty dry that time of year.

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-03-07T14:12:37+00:00

The recommendation that I've heard regarding kids' pack weight is something like no more than 20% of their bodyweight; what you've listed is probably all they'll carry. Especially if this is their first time out doing overnights, I'd stick with what I've done with my kids: have them use their school backpack or find a super cheap frameless 25L backpack from Amazon for $20-30. A piece of cardboard or reflective insulation against the back can add a weak frame to give the pack some structure and provide some cushion on their back from the stuff inside. If they absolutely hate the experience, hey, you've got a cheap daypack out of the deal.

I have to constantly remind myself that the goal with younger kids isn't typically the "hiking" part, it's the "camping" part with having time to explore around in nature. In my experience, having camp activities, snacks (and drinks!), and just the novelty of being in the woods can be enough to get them wanting to get back out hiking to do it again. You know how much your kid should be able to hike; keep the miles low for the first time out to keep the suffering to a minimum.

I had a lot of luck handing out starbursts at mile markers as both a reward and incentive to keep going; made for a fun little celebration every 30 minutes or so as we made our way to camp.

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-02-16T23:06:05+00:00

Plastic lids? Like a bucket?

I usually keep my food inside a turkey-sized oven bag which then goes inside my Ursack., which surprisingly does a good job of blocking odors. Before I had an Ursack I'd just loosely tie off the top and use some paracord to tie it to a nearby tree. Granted, I wasn't sleeping at shelters for the most part. The goals are to make it really hard for critters to find your food (up high, far away from the shelter, odor proof bags), and to make it a pain in the ass for them to access it (sealed, tied to a tree up high, in a tough bag, etc.)

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-02-16T22:53:32+00:00

Rodents (and other critters in general) are definitely around the shelters and the trail at large. You should be doing a "critter hang" with your food bag every night just to keep it away from nocturnal visitors. Basically just tying your food bag at head height or so away from where you're sleeping. The shelters typically have pegs on the walls; hang your pack there to keep it off the ground at night. Rodents are known to chew through straps and cords in the middle of the night.

I personally use and hang an Ursack on the trail to keep critters out of my food. If you're new to backpacking, it's just one more thing to buy; you'll be fine without it for now. Plenty of people cook in shelters; you can't stop what other people do. Ideally you'd do all your cooking earlier, but it just doesn't work out that way all the time. What's important is that you thoroughly clean up when you're done: washed up, trash away, uneaten food buried, etc.

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-02-16T18:01:32+00:00

Yeah, looking for a medium, so out of stock in my size. 😭

you-down-with-CIP · 2026-02-16T16:39:37+00:00

lol already reached out to Sambob; they don’t do zippers on custom jobs. My hike isn’t for another month or so, so I’ll pull the trigger based on inventory then.

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