Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides
Unbiased reviews of backpacking gear that we’ve either purchased ourselves or had sent to us for testing in Florida’s unique outdoor conditions.
John’s first backpack is now a museum piece. Sandy went through a parade of packs before settling on an Zpacks Arc Blast. Here’s what we carry and why.
For a couple of backpackers that want to share a sleeping bag, the Big Agnes Cabin Creek turns out to be an economical but bulky solution.
If it’s tick season, or if it’s going to be wet and muddy, we break out our Dirty Girl Gaiters. Here’s why we don’t leave home with this piece of gear.
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 …
After trying an array of camp stoves over the years, from Whisperlite to Zip and Esbit, I found the Jetboil. Now I feel comfortable cooking in the woods again.
A fan of lightweight backpacking tents (not tarps) since they first became available, my favorites are those produced by Lightheart Gear. We have two. Here’s why
Before we left for the AT, I gave John a few pieces of gear to test for us, which were sent along for my inspection by the manufacturer. Here’s one that we used while backpacking in Florida but it didn’t make the cut for our AT hike – we stuck with headlamps instead. For our …
Can freeze-dried backpacker food make a decent meal on the trail? We try out a Mountain House gluten-free bacon & eggs for lunch on the Florida Trail to find out.
A made-in-Florida product that we first saw on the Appalachian Trail two years ago, the Sawyer Mini is a lightweight filtration option we highly recommend after our trials.
In these tough economic times, the squeeze is on for outdoor retailers, especially the small independent folks who’ve been your reliable local source for gear when you need it fast. Over the years, I’ve visited many Florida retailers, and it’s my experience that small local shops beat the big chains every time when it comes …
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.
For backpacking gear, REI can’t be beat, and so we’re thrilled to welcome their first Florida store to Jacksonville, attending a pre-Grand Opening special event on Feb 28.
