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Florida Hikes!

Your guide to Florida's outdoors, by Sandra Friend, Florida's hiking expert, and her co-author John Keatley, covering the Florida Trail and other trails throughout Florida.

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Travel gear reviews

Testing and reviews of gear for travel. We travel a LOT - by car, by foot, by plane, by Volkswagen camper. Here's what we've received or purchased for testing and tried out during our travels.

Blender Bottle GoStak

December 15, 2013 by John Keatley Leave a Comment

Blender Bottle GoStak

Having received a Blender Bottle GoStak to test some months ago, we’ve been trying to figure out uses for it while backpacking. As hard as we tried, we just couldn’t find a use for them in our very weight-conscious backpacks. It’s just hard to beat a lightweight inexpensive zip closure plastic bag. However, not all […]

Filed Under: Biking gear, Camping gear, Gear, Our gear, Travel gear Tagged With: reviews

Dorcy 41-2093 Headlamp

February 1, 2013 by John Keatley Leave a Comment

Dorcy 41-2093 Headlamp

After months of using my Dorcy headlamp as just an everyday flashlight, the opportunity finally came to give it a real test.  I headed off on the Florida Trail with the Dorcy 41-2093 as my do-everything light. Winter is the best time to hike in Florida.  Cooler, and often with less bugs.  But with winter […]

Filed Under: Backpacking gear, Camping gear, Electronic gear, Gear, Our gear, Travel gear Tagged With: Essentials, Lights, reviews

Outdoor Products 20L Amphibian Weather Defense™ Backpack

July 12, 2015 by John Keatley Leave a Comment

Outdoor Products 20L Amphibian Weather Defense™ Backpack

Keeping water out also means a pack can keep water in. That’s the delightful dual purpose we discovered while testing the Outdoor Products 20L Amphibian Weather Defense™ Backpack in the Florida Keys

Filed Under: Blog, Gear, Hiking gear, Paddling gear, Travel gear Tagged With: Packs, reviews

Outdoor Products Canyon Weather Defense™ Backpack

July 11, 2015 by John Keatley Leave a Comment

Outdoor Products Canyon Weather Defense™ Backpack

Testing an Outdoor Products Canyon Weather Defense™ Backpack in foul weather conditions while hiking, we find it stands up to the test of keeping your gear dry.

Filed Under: Blog, Gear, Hiking gear, Our gear, Travel gear Tagged With: Packs, reviews

Tilley Hats

Tilley Hats

When we met, both of us owned Tilley hats and wore them for most of our outdoor activities. Sandy’s had the same one for years; I’ve gone through several. Here’s why.

Gear Reviews

All gear reviews | Our gear

GEAR REVIEWS BY CATEGORY
Backpacking . Biking. Books, apps, websites. Camera. Camping. Clothing. Electronics. Hiking . Paddling. Trail food. Travel. Essentials.

GEAR REVIEWS BY PRODUCTS
Camp stoves. Headlamps, flashlights & lanterns. Hiking boots. Hydration. Insect repellent. Packs. Sun protection. Sleeping bags. Tools. Water filters.

Contact us to review gear

Hiking Guidebooks for Florida

Five Star Trails Gainesville & Ocala 5 Star Trails Orlando 50 Hikes in Central Florida Exploring Florida's Botanical Wonders Hiker's Guide to the Sunshine State 50 Hikes in South Florida

Our Florida Apps

FLORIDA TRAIL GUIDE. Offline maps and logistical details for hiking our favorite trail, Florida's own National Scenic Trail.

FIELD TRIP. Florida Hikes! is now part of Google's location-aware app with audio to discover what's around you.

Outfitters in Florida

  • Andy Thornal Company – WINTER HAVEN
  • Bicycle Outfitters, SEMINOLE
  • Bill Jackson's Shop for Adventure, PINELLAS PARK
  • Blackwater Canoe Rental – MILTON
  • Environeers, SARASOTA
  • Flint Creek Outfitters, OCALA
  • Go2 Outfitters, LUTZ
  • Old Florida Outfitters, WATERCOLOR
  • REI Jacksonville, JACKSONVILLE
  • REI Winter Park, WINTER PARK
  • Trail & Ski, TALLAHASSEE
  • Trailwalker Gear, BRADENTON
  • Travel Country Outdoors, ALTAMONTE SPRINGS
  • Weatherford's PENSACOLA

Get Outdoors!

GET OUTDOORS. GO CAMPING. GO CYCLING GO HIKING. GO PADDLING. GO EXPLORE GREAT EATS. GREAT STAYS.

FLORIDA TRAIL. NATURE TRAILS. DAY HIKING . LOOP HIKES. BACKPACKING. ACCESSIBLE. WITH DOGS. WITH KIDS. BEACH WALKS. SWAMP WALKS. WILDFLOWERS. BOTANICAL. GEOLOGIC. HISTORIC. SCENIC.

STATE PARKS. STATE FORESTS. NATIONAL PARKS. NATIONAL FORESTS. NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES. COUNTY PARKS. NATURAL LANDS. CITY PARKS. WATER MANAGEMENT AREAS. WILDLIFE & ENVIRONMENTAL AREAS. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS.

Updates on Florida’s outdoors

Find your way

NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola . Apalachicola National Forest . Apalachicola River . Blackwater River State Forest . Blountstown . Crawfordville. Crestview . DeFuniak Springs . Destin . Fort Walton Beach . Ebro . Freeport . Gulf Islands National Seashore . Madison . Marianna . Milton . Navarre . Niceville . Panama City Beach . Pensacola . Ponce De Leon . Port St. Joe . Sopchoppy . St. Marks . St. Marks NWR . Tallahassee

NORTH FLORIDA
Amelia Island . Cedar Key . Chiefland . Fernandina Beach . Flagler Beach . Gainesville .High Springs . Jacksonville . Lake City . Live Oak . Mayo . Micanopy . Osceola National Forest . Palatka . Perry . Salt Springs . St. Augustine . Steinhatchee . Suwannee River Wilderness Trail . Trenton . White Springs

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka . Belleview . Brandon . Brooksville . Bushnell . Canaveral National Seashore . Christmas . Clearwater Beach . Clermont . Cocoa Beach . Cross Florida Greenway . Crystal River . Dade City . Daytona Beach . Deland . Deltona . Dunnellon . Frostproof . Geneva . Inverness . Kissimmee . Lakeland . Lake Wales . Leesburg . Melbourne . Merritt Island NWR . Mount Dora . New Port Richey . New Smyrna Beach . Ocala . Ocala National Forest .Orlando . Ormond Beach . Oviedo . Sanford . Silver Springs . St. Cloud . St. Petersburg . Tampa . Tarpon Springs . Titusville . Walt Disney World . Withlacoochee State Forest . Withlacoochee State Trail . Yeehaw Junction

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Bradenton . Charlotte Harbor . Ding Darling NWR . Englewood . Estero . Fort Myers . Naples . Pine Island . Punta Gorda . Sanibel Island . Sarasota . Venice

SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia . Big Cypress . Big Cypress National Preserve . Clewiston . Everglades City . Everglades National Park . Fisheating Creek . Lake Okeechobee . Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail . Lake Placid . Moore Haven . Okeechobee . Sebring

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Biscayne Bay . Biscayne National Park . Boca Raton . Coral Gables . Everglades National Park . Florida Keys . Fort Lauderdale . Fort Pierce . Hobe Sound . Homestead . Jupiter . Key Biscayne . Miami . Ocean to Lake . Palm Beach . Port St. Lucie . Sebastian . Stuart . Vero Beach . West Palm Beach

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