Backpacking skills are survival skills. Use your knowledge and gear to make personal preparations for hurricane season power loss and evacuations in Florida.
Health & Safety
Articles on health and safety in Florida’s outdoors
Florida’s Venomous Snakes
Florida has six species of venomous snakes. Here is what they look like, and how to identify them outdoors.
Florida’s Toxic Trees
Southeast Florida is home to two poisonous trees, the poisonwood and the manchineel. Learn how to recognize them so you don’t get too close, and find out how truly dangerous they are.
Hiking Safely With Your Dog
While hiking with your dog can be very satisfying, Florida hiking has its own special perils for your best buddy. Here’s a heads-up on what to look for and where it’s best to take a hike.
Bear season in Florida
As Florida black bears become active in late winter and spring, the chances of a bear encounter go up significantly if you leave food unsecured outdoors – whether in your campsite or at home.
Safety during deer hunting season
Fall is a fabulous time for hiking in Florida, but you need to be aware that you may be sharing the trails with hunters, too. Here’s how to find out where, and where you can go where hunting is not permitted.
Do Not Feed the Bears
Bear bagging is the art of hanging your food properly out of reach of bears. If you’re a Florida backpacker and haven’t learned how, here’s a short course. Securing your food from bears is required in the Ocala, Osceola, and Apalachicola National Forests.
The Trouble with Ticks
Let’s face it: Florida is a breeding ground for ticks, and summer is prime time for these nasties. Here’s what you can do to minimize tick bites and how to handle if you do get bitten.
Finding Your Way
Basic wayfinding – understanding where the sun is, looking at landscape, picking out landmarks as you hike – comes as second nature to some people. It’s an important skill that all hikers should cultivate.
Chikungunya fever a growing problem
A mosquito-borne disease, Chikungunya fever was first identified in 1952 in Tanzania. In recent years it has spread prolifically throughout the Caribbean. It has no known cure, and it is now present in Florida.
Things That Bite: Spiders
Florida has four species of venomous spiders, including the red widow spider, which is only found in our state.
Things That Bite: Ticks and Chiggers
Since they crawl on your skin and attach themselves to you to feed, ticks and chiggers are especially creepy. Unlike mosquitoes, you can’t just swat them away. Here’s the difference between them.
