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. Sandra 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.
John trail-tests the Columbia Omni-Freeze Zero T-shirt after being introduced to the new fabric by a Columbia rep at the grand opening of REI Jacksonville.
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 …
This question keeps popping up: what are the best hiking boots? John explains how, through trial by trail, he figured out what works for him. His advice? Keep trying.
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.
My primary boot for backpacking in Florida is the Keen Targhee II hiking boot. They are waterproof – which means they’re good anywhere but in a deep swamp – and provide excellent ankle support. They look sharp enough for a wedding, too.
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 …
In Florida, you need to worry about your feet getting wet when you hike. Often. My Merrell Moab Ventilator mid hiking boots are my go-to pair for whenever we are headed out on day hikes.
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.
