• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Florida Hikes logo

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

  • Trails
  • Maps
  • Guidebooks
  • Search
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
Backpack on trail

How To Prepare For A Backpacking Trip

What does a hiker need to spend a week, or a month, or three months on the trail? Here are trail-tested suggestions for backpacking in Florida for trips of a week or more

How-To in Florida      ( Articles )      

What does a hiker need to spend a week, or a month, or three months on the trail?

We’ve provided a checklist of basics for Florida backpacking on this website, but we’ll reiterate and expand on that list here, thinking about trips of a week or more:

  • backpack and backpack rain cover
  • tent (or bivy, or hammock – I don’t recommend tarps due to the insects and humidity here)
  • sleeping bag and sleeping pad
  • water filter and water bottles / bladder
  • camp stove and fuel, firestarter (matches or lighter)
  • food for the trip (or until resupply) in a bag you can hang at night
  • cook pot, eating utensil
  • cord for bear bagging food
  • Swiss army knife with knife, scissors, file, tweezers
  • headlamp or other light source, with spare battery
  • rain gear (poncho OR jacket and rain pants)
  • hat, bandana, spare dry t-shirt, underwear, and socks
  • duct tape for emergency repairs
  • biodegradable soap and shampoo
  • alcohol-based hand cleaner
  • toilet paper or wipes
  • toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss
  • sunglasses, bug spray, sunscreen
  • a first-aid kit personalized for your needs
  • maps / guides plus compass or GPS (again, spare batteries)

Now, for Sandra’s commentary on the list from personal experience.

I add a contractor’s garbage bag (or garbage compactor bag) to the inside of my backpack as a rainproof inner lining, cut down to fit.

I use trekking poles not just for my knees, but they are the poles for my tent as well.

Sandra and her gear at Southern Terminus
Sandra and her gear at the Southern Terminus

Stuff sacks add weight, but compartmentalizing your gear makes it easier to find things without rummaging through everything.

I like zip-top plastic bags as mini stuff sacks. Keeping clothing and food dry is essential!

A stove is optional if you’d rather “eat cold” – but it gets cold here in winter, so you’ll appreciate warm drinks and food.

Some people prefer chemical water treatment. In Florida, agricultural runoff is common along the Florida Trail so a filter is a safer choice.

I prefer to err on the side of extra socks, since they get wet often here.

I like a light fleece layer as a wind barrier between my t-shirt and rain jacket.

If you expect cold weather and you sleep cold, consider lightweight thermal underwear. The top will also double as an extra layer on very cold days.

Ladies, use an extra bandana as a “pee rag” to be environmentally friendly, rinse it out daily.

I prefer to create my own first-aid kit in a zip-top bag, customizing components to what I’d use at home.

Essentials include ibruprofen (“Vitamin I”), multivitamins, Benadryl, antibiotic cream, several sizes of bandages, some alcohol wipes and gauze.

Carrying a camera is optional, but why miss out on sharing the scenery? Find one that takes AA batteries and you can tuck in a pants pocket.

I used a Canon Powershot A1100IS on the AT and was pleased with the images I captured.

If you have a cell phone and need to charge it, don’t forget the power cord for when you find a power outlet at a resupply stop!

Don’t forget to lighten your wallet to just the essentials before you leave. Some hikers carry a “Ziploc wallet” to lighten the load even more.

Have some suggestions of your own? Leave them in the comments below.  I hope this was helpful!

Category: Articles, Backpacking, Central Florida, How To, North Florida, Northwest Florida, South Florida, Southeast Florida, Southwest FloridaTag: Florida State Forests, Florida Trail

Reader Interactions

Have an update? Contact us.

Primary Sidebar

Our Newest Books

The Florida Trail Guide

The Florida Trail GuideOur definitive guidebook to planning backpacking trips on the Florida National Scenic Trail, now in its fourth edition. Full data charts and maps. B&W, 356 pages. $19.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail Hikes 2nd edition coverFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock
A visual journey the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.
Order Now

Florida Trail Apps

Farout GuidesFarout Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the
Florida National Scenic Trail (1,500 miles), the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (108 miles), and the ECT Florida Connector (92 miles).

Recent Articles

Flooded canoe launch

Parks and Trails Closed Due to Hurricane Ian

Our roundup of closures on federal, state, and county lands across Florida in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

Colorful mural behind bicycle

Riding the East Coast Greenway to Stuart

Scouting a piece of the East Coast Greenway on the Treasure Coast, John’s on-the-ground wayfinding stopped him short of his intended goal.

Footer

FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. Crestview. DeFuniak Springs. Destin. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Fort Walton Beach. Freeport. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Navarre Beach . Niceville. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Tallahassee. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka

NORTH FLORIDA
Alachua. Amelia Island. Baldwin. Branford. Bunnell. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Crescent City. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Gainesville. Green Cove Springs. High Springs. Jacksonville. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler.Lake City. Live Oak. Mayo. Macclenny. Micanopy. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Perry. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Welaka. White Springs. Williston

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

MULTI-REGION
Big Cypress Swamp. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka. Belleview. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Christmas. Chuluota. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Frostproof. Geneva. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Lakeland. Largo. Leesburg. Longwood. Melbourne. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Orlando. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Palm Bay. Ridge Manor. Sanford. Silver Springs. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. St. Petersburg. Tampa. Tarpon Springs. Titusville . Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction

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

SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Clewiston. Everglades City. Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. LaBelle. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Pahokee. Port Mayaca. Sebring. South Bay

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Big Pine Key. Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coral Gables. Davie. Delray Beach. Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Islamorada. Jensen Beach. Jupiter. Juno Beach. Key Biscayne. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Miami. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Overseas Heritage Trail. Palm Beach. Port St. Lucie. Redland. Sebastian. Stuart. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach

  • Trails
  • Parks
  • Beaches
  • Gardens
  • Springs
  • Ecotours
  • Attractions
©2006-2023, Sandra Friend & John Keatley | Disclosure | Site Index | Work with Us | Advertise with Us
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy | Florida Hikes PO Box 93 Mims FL 32754| Contact