For those of you reading this from the safety of your homes while blizzards rage outside your window: Yes, we went camping. In the middle of winter. And those ARE palm trees. Welcome to sunny Florida :)
If you come to Florida or you're a resident, one of the best parts of being here in the winter is that it is similar to spring/summer in many parts of the US. That means now is the time to go camping, hiking and generally any outdoor activity that could be hampered by sweltering sauna summer temperatures and mosquitoes. The island that we journeyed to is a very short boat ride from Parrish Park boat ramp in Titusville, FL. It is named "Dolphin Tale Island" by the locals who have constructed a homemade table with the name painted on the side and left for public use.
The various spoil islands in the intercoastal waterways of Florida are the perfect spot to put up a tent, build a bonfire and enjoy the waves gently lapping at the shore. That is, until the winds pick up and it starts raining! Lucky for us, the rain was light and didn't last long but the wind remained constant throughout our stay. Some of the spoil islands have more trees to block the wind, but the nearest one to us was already occupied and we wanted to have our own private island for the night! If you find yourself in such a situation, an extra tarp can easily be strung between two trees to block those pesty wind gusts.
If you want to enjoy your own island camping adventure, here are a few tips that we have picked up:
1. Bring your own firewood: Many of these islands have been picked over for fallen, dead branches and some have even had drunk idiots hacking into the existing trees. Spend the $20-40 and buy firewood. Camping is just nicer with a fire to provide heat and a means for cooking marshmallows and drying sweatshirts that have fallen into the water.
2. Bring plenty of drinking water: Unless you feel like making a trip back to shore to pick some up, bring a few gallons of water with you and make sure to keep hydrated.
3. Don't overpack!: While you may think you need 2 guitars and enough equipment for 17 various activities, you must remember that a large part of camping is just relaxing and enjoying the great outdoors. Less is more and easier to pack/unload/reload!
4. Plan your meals out: Again, you don't want to make a bunch of trips back to civilization because a few hours into your trip you realize that man cannot survive on hotdogs and beer/soda alone. Your meals can be as simple as you like, but think them through and pack all accompanying condiments and utensils needed. If you plan on fishing and cooking what you catch, bring what you need to do so. We found out the hard way that it is nearly impossible to cook a trout on a wet plank set precariously on a fire. Unless you like charcoal with a sushi center (Ps. Even if you think you don't want them, ALWAYS BRING S'MORES INGREDIENTS. There have been very few bonfire situations where I didn't want this delicious treat, I don't think I'm alone. Plus, you don't have a lot else to do...may as well use your time constructively).
5. A nice cushy mat to place under your sleeping bag is not considered overpacking: If you're a wuss like me and have a hard time sleeping on the ground. Hardcore backpacker types probably aren't going to take my advice on camping anyway, so I think I'm safe with this tip. A large folded beach towel placed under your back/butt is also quite effective if you're in a pinch.
6. Extra underwear/socks/pants/shirts/towels/washcloths are also not considered overpacking: Things get wet. Things get dirty. Things get covered in bird poo, fish guts and sometimes your own blood. Be prepared! Nobody wants to share a tent with a smelly, wet friend. Also, bring enough warm clothes. It can get chilly at night on an island, even if it has been 80 degrees all day. On the flip side of that, bring some shorts and flip flops too!
7. Remember toilet paper!: If you can get easy to bio-degrade stuff, you're a champ! Designate bathroom areas and bury your gifts to mother nature.
8. Prepare yourself to sit on a log or remember a folding chair: I had a log chair last night, I'll bring a chair next time. We all learn hard lessons sometimes.
9. Don't overdo it on the booze: This is key for several reasons; 1. Danger exists in the wilderness, even if you're "glamping"....drunk people are stupid and reckless, it is science. Drunk ideas are all fun and games until someone gets third degree burns or drowns in the intercoastal or hacks off a finger; 2. Being hungover is THE WORST. Being hungover in a camping situation is easily one of the top 10 ways to ruin your life; and 3. You don't want perish of dehydration and if you're only drinking rum (why's the rum gone?) you just might forget that pesky h2o requirement. If you're out in the sun and physically active, this is no bueno and can lead to serious health problems.
10. Enjoy the frickn beauty of nature. How often do you have the time to watch sandpipers do cool bird things or listen to the wind blow through the trees or be terrifyingly aware of the haunting noises outside your tent that either signal a tide change or serial killers traipsing through the forest/shallow water to exact their revenge on the man??? Take time to enjoy all the little nature-y things that you're too busy to notice in your daily life because some DB is always cutting you off in traffic.
Do you have any good camping tips or advice? Leave them in the comments, I can use all the help I can get!
