Bear Necessities

[Born 2 Fish]

We'll be camping at the Fort soon and I was wondering 3 things,,
can anyone tell me what the "Bear Necessities" of the Fort are ?
where can I get the "Bear Necessities" ?
and is Florida hot in the summer ?

thanks,

 

[becky1960]

Florida is hotter than you can Bear...Take lots of bottled water, we usually take about 6 cases ( 2 adults, 2 teens ) for 8-10days...

 

[Jedana]

1. water water water
2. a store
3. um, not really. bring snowshoes.

/sarcasm off

You really need lots of water. Not sodas or juices. Though I have found (for me personally) if I am able to sip a coke or pepsi during the day (I can make a 20oz bottle last 10 hours), I feel better--something with the sugar/caffeine I think.

Foods that won't spoil in the heat

Avoid dark clothing. Make sure to sunscreen your legs/feet. wear a hat--you can get a "boonie" hat, and soak it to help keep you cool.

It gets very hot and muggy. Wednesday in Jacksonville (2 hours north of Orlando) it was 96 with a heat index of 106--we were melting at the day camp. It's only going to get worse until late September.

 

[FLDisneyFan]

I tent-camped at the Fort last week, and am determined not to take as much stuff next time. I was on the Quick Service Dining Plan, and solo, so I really didn't need all of the breakfast foods that I brought, nor the pans to cook it in, nor the charcoal / lighter fluid to cook it with, nor the plates and stuff to eat it from! I did use milk, a spoon and individual cereals for breakfast - and it was perfect.

I did take my 5-cup coffee maker since I'm not a Nescafe fan and the closest place to get coffee in the morning would have been about 1/4 of a mile away at the Meadow Trading post. Other than coffee, I relied upon my "refillable mug" that I got with the QSDP for drinks.

Even though I brought insect repellant and citronel candles, I never used them. There was never a problem with mosquitos while I was there.

I strung up a cord from two trees to air/dry out t-shirts, shorts and towels. I brought a chaise lounge chair to put my sleeping bag on at night, but after the first hour gave up and just went with the bag and a camping mat on the floor of the tent.

I did put a tarp under the tent. When I took down the tent and pulled up the tarp, a colony of ants was found scurrying for a new home. Also, the shell/sand base for the tent pad is a bit rough, so another layer was very helpful.

Even though there are tall pines, sunscreen is very necessary. It was hot at the fort, but not un-bear-able. (Sorry!) In fact, the early mornings were a bit cool. Mornings were hot and muggy, the afternoons very hot but the evenings were pleasant.

I would take a fan or two! I noticed one camp site with a big box fan for the picnic table area.

Have a great time, and let us know about your trip!

 

[DisCamper]

We bring lots of cases of Wal-mart brand water because they are 20oz bottles not the 16oz most companies. We also bring a thing of powder Gatorade to add to a few of the bottles every day. That really does help rehydrate and cuts back on the need for the taste of soda.

 

[FloridaTeacher]

1. Bottled water & beer....though my husband says not necessarily in that order.
2. Most anywhere, including the Fort -if money is no object.
3. Yes, even to us natives.

Hmmmm...hard to believe you didn't already know?

 

[Greenepona]

I tent-camped at the Fort last week, and am determined not to take as much stuff next time. I was on the Quick Service Dining Plan, and solo, so I really didn't need all of the breakfast foods that I brought, nor the pans to cook it in, nor the charcoal / lighter fluid to cook it with, nor the plates and stuff to eat it from!

We did the same thing last year. Brought Way too much stuff, that we didn't end up using.

This year since we will have a much smaller vehicle (had a Subaru Outback last year, have a Scion XA now).. we really need to slim down.

I would say make a packing list… then review it again and again to make sure you will use all the stuff you have listed.

2 key things that helped me out a lot:

Tarping under the tent is a must both to protect the tent and keep water out.
Broom and Dustpan! That shell mix on the ground gets everywhere.

And common sense things… check all your equipment right before you pack it. We got down there and went to blow up our air mattress and found holes… apparently our cats had a party on it the last time we used it. We had to go to the nearest Wal-Mart to buy a new air mattress… and the one we got was crappy.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[disneychck]

ummmm a tackle box

 

[2goofycampers]

ummmm a tackle box

 

[DVCconvert]

we'll be camping at the fort soon and i was wondering 3 things,,
can anyone tell me what the "bear necessities" of the fort are ?

forget about your worries and your strife


where can i get the "bear necessities" ?

look under the rocks and plants
and take a glance at the fancy ants


and is florida hot in the summer ?

so just try and relax, yeah cool it
fall apart in my backyard
'cause let me tell you something little britches
if you act like that bee acts, uh uh
you're working too hard



thanks,

Hope That Helps!

 

[luckycharm19335]

Water.
Golfcart.
Wine.
I am a woman of simple needs!

 

[DisMomK]

We don't tent camp, but find that most of our time is still spent outdoors under our awning when we aren't busy with other activities. That said, we find our necessities to be gobs of H2O, a fan, and sunscreen & insect repellant. Granted the Ft.'s bugs aren't bad, we are Floridians, and wherever we camp, we are always prepared for the bat sized mosquitos.