I'm finally getting around to an update on our 7-day fly/camp trip to Fort Wilderness in February. Thanks to Southwest's two-free-checked-bags-per-passenger allowance, two of us were able to fly from Philadelphia with two Brompton folding bikes, a tent, a screen room, a week's worth of camping gear and our clothes, all for one $50 baggage fee each way. What a deal.
Not having a vehicle meant relying on the Magical Express. The Fort's bell staff drove us to our site, and the tents and gear showed up a few hours later... delivered right to the site. At the end of the week it was just as easy. We made arrangements the night before with the bell staff, and the next morning they showed up with the van right on time. We loaded all of our luggage into the van for the ride to The Outpost, where we got our boarding passes and checked all of our luggage through to Philadelphia. It couldn't have been easier.
I had worked on our gear list, refining it and making sure nothing would be forgotten. As it turned out, we used everything we took, and took everything we needed. We took clothes for 4 days and did a laundry run midway. I shipped a USPS flat-rate box full of camping food in advance. That, along with a few additional supplies from the trading post, kept us well fed through 6 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 3 dinners. The remaining meals we enjoyed at several of the resorts.
This was hardly our first camping trip, but I was a bit apprehensive beforehand... over how we'd get everything to the airport (we don't own a car, and I wasn't sure it would all fit in one taxi. But it did), how we'd get our stuff from the reception desk to the campsite (the bell staff happily delivered us and our gear), and what we'd do if it rained on the day we were leaving. Not because we'd get wet, but because it's mighty hard to pack a sopping wet tent. Fortunately, we lucked out weather-wise for the entire week.
So, if anyone is considering camping at Fort Wilderness, you don't want to (or can't) drive and you have the option of using Southwest, I say 'go for it'.
Photo of our site:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hf9fSnMIdhBL4MgQDvh43A?feat=directlink
Not having a vehicle meant relying on the Magical Express. The Fort's bell staff drove us to our site, and the tents and gear showed up a few hours later... delivered right to the site. At the end of the week it was just as easy. We made arrangements the night before with the bell staff, and the next morning they showed up with the van right on time. We loaded all of our luggage into the van for the ride to The Outpost, where we got our boarding passes and checked all of our luggage through to Philadelphia. It couldn't have been easier.
I had worked on our gear list, refining it and making sure nothing would be forgotten. As it turned out, we used everything we took, and took everything we needed. We took clothes for 4 days and did a laundry run midway. I shipped a USPS flat-rate box full of camping food in advance. That, along with a few additional supplies from the trading post, kept us well fed through 6 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 3 dinners. The remaining meals we enjoyed at several of the resorts.
This was hardly our first camping trip, but I was a bit apprehensive beforehand... over how we'd get everything to the airport (we don't own a car, and I wasn't sure it would all fit in one taxi. But it did), how we'd get our stuff from the reception desk to the campsite (the bell staff happily delivered us and our gear), and what we'd do if it rained on the day we were leaving. Not because we'd get wet, but because it's mighty hard to pack a sopping wet tent. Fortunately, we lucked out weather-wise for the entire week.
So, if anyone is considering camping at Fort Wilderness, you don't want to (or can't) drive and you have the option of using Southwest, I say 'go for it'.
Photo of our site:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hf9fSnMIdhBL4MgQDvh43A?feat=directlink