I was shopping for an upcoming trip, nothing crazy just car camping. But wanted some collapsible bowls and found some at Walmart 2 for around $6 and a collapsible sink for like $11.
What are some other Ozark Trail items I should be on the look out for that are tried and tested?
This may be a stupid question, but what is a stainless cup that fits nalgene bottles?
I assume a camp/coffee cup that a nalgene bottle fits inside so it packs nicer
Thanks.
Ah, makes sense. Thanks!
Thank you for this! I just tested and found my Nalgene fits into my camp mug
OT version of GSI Glacier. Exactly what it sounds like, a cup that fits Nalgene bottles.
Why does one need/want this? What purpose does it serve? Im honestly asking.
I appreciate your willingness to ask questions. The responses are very helpful. Thanks!
I am just happy when I ask a question and don’t get downvoted 🫣
It’s a cup that allows you to heat the water in your Nalgene on your stove or fire. Vs the weight (and time/fuel of heating all the water at once) of a stainless Nalgene. Takes up no more room than the bottle. It’s also a measuring cup for camp cooking.
Ozark Trail equipment is pretty solid all around. If I’m not sure I want something, I’ll buy the OT version at Walmart and use it until it breaks and then buy the higher end version. Or if I don’t like the item after all, I can toss it in the donate bin.
Ah, the Harbor Freight method of tool selection.
This made me laugh so hard. Thanks for that. This was my dad till I showed him he wasn't saving any money and was just causing repeating frustrations. Even their batteries are 💩
That's perfect cause we only use our gear sporadically. Smert!
I have a lot of OT gear, but the one I use EVERY day is my insulated tumbler. I can put an iced drink in it in the morning and still have ice in at at supper. Hands down the best one I've ever had. It was CHEAP too.
Same! I bought the hydroflask straw lid for it.
Another suggestion along the same line- metal coozies- they fit on a can or a bottle and keep drinks icy cold FOREVER
The rotomolded coolers are made at an old yeti factory. I used to avoid the OT things, but they have stepped up their game a lot.
Personally I own two pop up shelters, a stove table and a few chairs. All are good quality. The rest of my stuff is Coleman.
I have a good amount of their gear it is a good price for car camping gear.
Instant tent
Popup shelter
Cast iron pan
Rotomolded cooler
Chairs
Cookware and dinnerware
The 3 pack of stuff sacks have worked well for me.
Can't recommend them enough. I've been using mine regularly for 13 years and they're still going strong. Not as water resistant as they were when new, but no rips or other damage. They were quite popular on the Appalachian Trail when I hiked the Georgia section in 2011. It seemed like 50% of the hikers had the same 3 pack of stuff sacks from Walmart
Their coffee percolator works well enough. I've even used it to boil noodles in a pinch. I'll add another vote for the cup that nests under a nalgene - it also works with the Ozark plastic bottle. HOWEVER, note that unlike a Nalgene, it is not rated for hot liquid.
Ozark Trail Cast Iron, to me, is a really interesting value proposition.
It's about half the cost of the equivalent Lodge gear, or less. And it's like 90% as good. The default factory seasoning isn't anywhere near as good, the finish isn't as good, it is more likely to have casting issues. (Validate that it is good before you check out.) But... if you can't / don't want to afford Lodge prices, it's about the only brand cheaper than Lodge that is both worth what they are charging for it and worth the savings over Lodge, IMHO.
I highly recommend getting a Lodge Camping Dutch Oven. You really do want one, if you car camp. It's just something that you will use for literally the rest of your life if you take care of it. The additional cost is worth it.
But... sometimes to pull off the meal, you need like 2-3+ Dutch Ovens, and an Ozark Trail Dutch Oven works fairly well and is like 1/3 the price.
(To be honest: IMHO, Walmart and Bass Pro Shop are the premiere outfitters for redneck truck camping. When you want to drink beer in a forest and don't care how heavy your camping equipment is, but you don't want to spend a fortune, Walmart.)
folding Director-style camp chairs
their Easy Up canopies seem to be popular around here
Their ultralite pillows are awesome for the price
When I was looking into car camping with the kids (wasn't sure if they'd like it), I decided to go 'cheap' and get whatever I currently needed from OT. I've been super happy with everything so far, have an instant tent (one of the big ones, upgraded from a 3 person Coleman), sleeping bags, chairs, cast iron, it's all still going strong. I'm really careful with my gear, but I have two boys with autism who aren't exactly easy on stuff and I would absolutely buy this stuff again if needed to something
Good to know, my son who will be 4 this year is non verbal autistic and likes to throw things.
One of mine does sensory scratching, so stuff generally gets pretty abused that way.. My other son (who is now 18) was a big thrower - both of things and of his body - but has mostly found better ways to deal with his stresses thankfully. I never expected them to love camping as much as they do as it pulls them out of routine, sleep is different, food changes, all the 'important' things for them that they need consistency in have gone out the window once we hit the campground but they LOVE it and I can see a genuine change in them for a few weeks after.
From my experience running sporting goods at Walmart:
the tumblers are great, but the new lids with magnetic closures lose the slider constantly
the gazebos are great for the money. You can buy replacement tops for 10x10s for 1/2 the price of a new one.
the mid priced OT ($20-50) backpacks are great for what they cost. The cheap ones are terrible.
any cast iron skillet is prone to having the handle break off. Maybe one in 10 come out of the box broken. Griddles and Dutch ovens are good values though.
the dry bags, stuff sacks, and waterproof cases are a good buy.
a lot of the miscellaneous gear is rebranded Coughlin’s. Same stuff, different package.
Anything stainless is good to great.
The rotomold coolers are great, and near Yeti quality.
The $20 and up chairs are great. Academy Sports has chairs in the under $20 range that are basically the same and usually cheaper during peak camping season.
insulated yeti-like tumblers.
I bought their version of the Stanley tumbler and love it. It's also a third of the price and keeps ice for about two days
I have one of their soft welded coolers and it’s on par with coolers 3-4 times the price.
Their luggable loo version and disposable potty bags with bio gel. OT rotomolded cooler though lifetime is less expensive.
I have an OT instant tent, cot, sleeping bags and folding camp chairs from 20 years ago. The new chairs aren't as good and I've been through half a dozen.
I've got their $10 camp chair and it is somehow still usable after hundreds of hours of use. It's beat to shit but it works.
Some of their knockoff Helinox chairs are actually not bad. They also have really good rotomolded coolers that almost as good as Orca and Yeti for way less money (they only sell the coolers online).
They have a 47L ~2 lb pack that's only $30-$40. I haven't used one yet, but I have been considering it and it has great reviews.
Have used a variety of items but especially recommend the poly blend sleeping bag liner and the blue foam ground pads. Space blankets obviously but they're the same everywhere. Also not from the camping section, but when my Tyvek ground cloth finally wore out on the AT last year, I cut down a shower curtain liner from Wally's and it finished the trail with me. I've heard people say good things about fishing shirts from there as hiking shirts but they don't make them small enough for me. You might also find foam for a sit pad in the gardening section.
Those bowls looks great, and I may get them myself, but I actually scored 4 collapsible dog bowls from Dollar Tree back when it was still $1 and they have worked great so far. I have some of their plate/collapsible cup/plastic ware kits, a 1 person backpacking tent, stainless coffee cups, chairs, several bigger 3 and 4 person tents, not really sure what all I have but I'm disabled and can't afford big brand stuff, so I have a lot.
A foldable table with shelves.
I hike more than I camp and so can attest that their trekking poles are pretty good. Probably won't hold up as long as my fancy $100 pair, but for the same money I can buy several pair.
I have an ozark trail tent and it has rained in two different campouts. No problems. One of our friends bought one and a pole snapped his first time. They replaced the whole tent for him.
I have a few items that get a lot of use.
A very heavy duty holding camp chair with high back. It's a beast but super comfortable. I car camp so space or weight aren't issues for me.
A foldable wagon/cart. I haven't used this yet but my point for buying it is if I do some dispersed camping and I have to park a good distance from my site, I can use this to haul my heavier items from my car to the site. It's got a back tailgate that folds down to haul longer items. Some side pockets that are probably useless. Good, heavy duty wheels but I don't believe they have wheel locks.
A Coleman knockoff propane stove burner and grill combo. It's got a single burner on the left and the right it has a grill area. Before I bought this, I was bringing a Coleman single stove burner and a Coleman road trip grill. That grill is bulky and heavy and sort of a pain to deal with.
Then I have some other odds and ends from Ozark Trail like plastic cutlery, plastic plates, cups etc.
The only issues I’ve had are related to their tent zippers.
I considered those bowls when I was looking at the much more expensive Sea to Summit version. I did not purchase the OT bowls after seeing them in-person. They are way too flimsy. The Sea to Summit bowls have a nylon bottom and rim, which is crucial to its structure and (imo) usefulness.
I didn't buy the Sea to Summit ones, either, as I can't justify the price. I did pick up the GSI version for about $15, but that is still a lot for one bowl.
There are some nice products by Ozark Trail, but I don't think those bowls are it. I do have the collapsible sink and bucket, those are nice.
Oh Lord... Buy the $0.50 plastic plates and bowls that are in the home section at Walmart. Or buy paper and burn them. They had some dinner bowls last time I looked that I almost gave up my stainless plates for...Honestly, I'm not sure what's worse, soapy water in the woods or just burning your plates and bowls. Just don't leave trash for other people to find.
I would spend extra and grab some cheap, stainless tableware, knife/fork/spoon. That way you're not burning plastic.
Whatever you do, just leave it better than you found it
I bought a 100pk of bamboo chopstick pairs for $1 at Ollie's. Wooden spoons and a pocket knife gets me the rest of the way. Avoiding plastic isn't really even much more expensive if you do shopping offline.
Clearance holiday paper plates work just like regular ones too lol. Happy new year! I had St patricks day paper cups in Sept too.
Stainless cup that fits Nalgene bottles. Tent pegs. Cooler totes. Griddle plate. 1 gal stainless water jug.
All of these are equivalent in durability to alternatives about 3x the price.