Tent camping at The Fort - Flying in from the Great White North

[WalkingintheFog]

Flying in to tent camp at The Fort is more common than many people would think!

Your constraints are really just your checked baggage allowance & what you willing/able to pick up locally, and, of course the amount of $$$/effort you are willing to spend on various items (having a rentAcar is not 100% needed, but I choose to always have one in a tenting situation!)

There will be many who suggest that for just a bit more $$$ you could stay offsite or at a Value resort with a real bed & private bathroom & so much less fussing….. but I think for the most part, they don’t “get” camping… especially not “camping at The Fort”

For myself, as I get older, I want to be outdoors more… definitely not a hotel building, and not quite interested in being in a trailer … I camp when I can at home & delight in “rigging things up”. But, our weather tends to be on the rainy windy chilly side, so there’s a limited window for tenting!
I’m a 60+ female moderately active and moderately agile, with more than just a few OCD traits! lol, not to mention stubborn & independent!

I flew down from Canada with 2 checked bags, a carryon & a day knapsack to spend the first 3 weeks of November in a tent at The Fort (less 3 days at the end of week 1 when I moved to the Kissimmee KOA for 3 nights to try out a Rustic Cabin, just because I wanted to).

My time was awesome, & I really could have stayed longer!

So, stay tuned as I do a run down of the basic list of what I flew down with, what I bought, wished I had, and could have done without, and how it all played out!

 

[bama_ed]

 

[WalkingintheFog]

Searching thru the Disboards over the years, there’s been lots of great suggestions for campers.

The reality for “Have tent, will fly” is you have to pick & choose what to bring, what/if to buy locally due to the limitations of checked baggage (cost, weight, schlepping it about). For me, it was $80cad one way(~$60 usd) for 2 checked bags, 50 lbs or less…more than that & the cost would easily more than double!

Like most, my basic camping list is:

Tent/groundsheet/pegs/hammer​

Mattress/pillow/bedding​

Chair​

Cooking source/dishes/cutlery/utensils/food storage​

Lighting, Fly repellents. FirstAid​

Washing up supplies for meals and for self​

Various camping doodads…so many various camping doodads!!,​

Groceries​

…..and of course, the clothes, footwear, electronics, toiletries that a 2-3 wk Disney vacation requires…​

And, because it’s Florida in November AND a serviced site at The Fort, and because I don’t reaaalllly rough it, MY updated basic list includes:

RentACar,​

Extension cords,​

Electric cook surfaces,​

Mini fridge-not-an-ice-consuming-cooler,​

Plug in light/fans/space heater, hairdryer​

Various plastic bins for organizing​

Clothesline/pins. Area lighting​

 

[WalkingintheFog]

Right off the bat, here’s a few of the main shortcomings of what I brought or didn’t bring:
A hammock…

Do yourself a favour: if you expect to have any remotely nice days and down time in the day or evening, bring hammock(sj! You’ll be exhausted from the parks & the hammock would be perfect….. mind the flies tho’​

If you don’t have one, buy one! But remember you get what you pay for.​

(I couldn’t bring myself to buy what I could find, given I have such a great hammock with a zippered bug screen, that I left home at the last moment (grrrrr!) … it’s already put aside for my next visit.​

Tent that you can stand up & move around in…

My 7’x9’ tent served me well, it really really did… but I grew weary of not being able to stand up to get dressed & of the limited space (I would have benefited from enough space to add a yoga mat in addition to my suitcase, wee side table & night bucket.. I would truly have done morning stretches!)​

… I kept the tent, but I’m thinking next trip, I will see what other tent options I have that are higher & larger without being overkill!​

​

Also, right off the bat, here are some things I brought or bought that really worked well that were FOOD RELATED
… you can see how most of these choices saved money, created less waste, took up less space, and allowed me to eat better than if I needed to depend on takeouts or restaurants..(the first, saving money, was a bonus, the last three were my aim)
Brought: Sm electric skillet & sm air fryer both bought on last trip on sale, and worked so well that trip, they were my appliances of choice this time.

(I also brought stashed inside the airfryer a silicone pan & a few sm tin pie plates)… I was prepared to re-home the skillet & AF at end of trip as I had my $$worth! Airfryer was used not only to cook meat & pizza, but also to reheat leftovers from prev meal… also made brownies.​

Brought: sm camp stove w/ multi adapter & 1-litre pot & single slice flat toaster

(could have used skillet for pot needs & airfryer for toaster, but I like these… I bought canister fuel at the store…. FYI, a very wee bit of butter on the threads will help it screw on if it seems impossible!​

Brought: An assortment of 5oz refillable baby food pouches (dear Amazon)

with Pancake Syrup - Canadian Becel - Mustard - Baileys (just a nip) - Pnut Butter —— all legit to bring from Canada to USA, unlike most cheese/meat/milk).​

Brought: small assortment of ziplock single portions

of pancake mix, cereal, pizza crust mix. Mini salt/pepper grinder. Assorted spice from my camp supplies —— Bringing these limited quantities varied & spiced up my diet (cereal 2x, pancakes 2-3x, pizza 2x, etc)..​

Bought: off-site; groceries based on a pre-planned list

of meals I’d be likely to make (eg water, 1l milk, cranberry juice, beer, 6pk eggs, sm.bacon, cheese, small cuts of meat, pasta mix, bagged salad, apples, baby carrots)…. I did eat some meals at the parks, esp EPCOT, but the majority of meals were “home cooked”​

Bought: Mini fridge off FB Marketplace $50…

Be sure to measure the opening in your trunk or car door first! A fridge is a game changer in camping: no soggy salads or bread, no need to replenish ice every few days. I definitely enjoyed more varied meals with no concerns of “hmm, not sure if the bacon/milk/mayo is still ok”​

Bought: $5 styrocooler from big W….

Transported groceries in it & also stowed extra water & beer & shelf stable juice in it.​

And some things purely COMFORT RELATED:
Brought A few lengths cut from a roll of painters’ plastic ‘dropcloth’ = great insurance

Took up very little space, less than a tarp, and when rain was forecast I just slung it over the tent & clamped in 4 places w/ tarp clamps & had no concerns about the ancient fly on my tent even tho it’s served me well​

Brought half pillow from home & a “custom sheet set” = best things ever!

I have a memory foam contour pillow & I just took a carving knife & sliced it in half! My head only takes up half the pillow anyway! And it easily compresses to fit in a big ziplock or narrow bag for travel.​

My custom sheet set is a double IKEA duvet cover taken apart & resewn so that 1/2 is the top flat & the other half sewn as a tube to slip over the 2 inflated airpads: There’s 3 ties at the top, so I can easily inflate/deflate the pads & they don’t slip around….. a couple button holes at the foot to match a couple buttons sewn to the foot of the flat and it’s a bed like home (but don’t praise me… this was my sister’s solution to slipping sponges & wandering sheets in her trailer). I slip a folded micro fleece sheet inside atop the airpads as well as extra warmth/comfort.​

Bought $14 air mattress

My sleep system of 2 airpads (bottom fully inflated & top lightly inflated) was great for sleeping in SUV, but in the tent here, I just felt too close to the ground… The big W sold twin size velvet flocked air mattesses for $14, so I picked one up… it worked great in that it got me another 6” higher AND there was no chance that my sheets would drag on the ground (Although, not concerned, there can always be a poss of water getting in)…. When the temps dropped in the last week, I slipped my lightweight silver foil liner under the mattress …​

Bought: $10 4-pk big foam floor squares & $2 2x2 carpet square:

2 went down next to my bedding.. much easier on knees!, one just outside the tent, but inside the fly so rocks not tracked in, & 2 went under the picnic table so I could leave my shoes off in comfort…. I also re-purposed 2 as a kneelpad when hammering in tent pegs​

Bought $8 lamp, $6 folding stool, $12 IKEA shelf unit

at various shops…. Could have done without, but these gave more comfort & the price was right.​

​

​

Here’s a pic of my “flat toaster”. bought at a surplus shop here on the Rock , And a pic of my tent setup… except for limited space & no standing, it was quite comfy!

More later!

​

 

[WalkingintheFog]

Oh, lol, just ignore the bag of candy next to the toaster!
That was compliments of another family who were leaving…. I gave 2/3 away, but kept some for myself, I’m proud to say I didn’t finish them til the very last morning!

 

[WalkingintheFog]

Ellen’s Energy Adventure
(Dang, I miss that ride… I love GOTG, but I want the old ride as well j

The topic of this post is my energy needs/uses for this 3 week tent trip

POWER!!
Peek at this short thread: “What’s the 411 on power” for my pre-trip conversation re power supply & extension cords with other regulars on this Forum (as mentioned earlier, Dissers on the Camping Forum are an amazing font of knowledge!)

My energy needs:
BROUGHT:
LIGHTING:
- solar powered (inflatable LUCI lamp) & battery powered headlamp
…….These are all I use on standard camping trips.. but they happen in the summer, where it’s dark less than 8 hrs….. next trip, I’ll just bring the headlamp: compact enough that I kept it in purse to use when returning in the dark)
…misc usb charged mini lamps (didn’t use much)..and 3 dollar store thin light strings (these were great strung just under the tent fly, kind of like leaving a low night light on! Turned them on every evening & off every morning of my 3 wks & the batteries are still going strong!)
…1plug-in 3ft clear minilight string (used til I bought the led lamps)
COOKING
….Electric airfryer & skillet
….Fuel powered camp stove w/ toaster
COOLING
….usb charged stroller fan & neck fan (both worth my weight in any currency!)
MISC
….Thermacell backpacker fly repellent (screws into fuel canister),, the flies are especially plentiful after rain & in the evening & they tended to ravage my lower legs…. Once I got the right fuel & used this consistently it was great!
…..iPhone, iPad, iPod & powerpk & other small devices to plug in to recharge. (Sigh, so hard to disconnect one’s self!)
….a selection of AA & AAA batteries


BOUGHT:
LIGHTING
…2 x $8 led table lamps ….because I needed more light here with the shorter hours of dsylight!… led lamps made for sense for camping!
… Christmas lights! Oh holly jolly! This was a planned purchase… about $8 each @ the big W, I bought 2 pks of 10 or 15’ led battery operated exterior led lights: 1 clear set I laid as a path on the ground towards my tent, and the other, a multicoloured set, that I threaded over the front of my chowhouse …. These were programmable & had a default setting of on at dusk/off at dawn! It was so nice never coming back to a dark campsite! Oh! Did you know there are no street lights in the loops? And while I was there, things did settle down early (excluding the yo-yos looping in their golf carts who felt the world needed to hear their music…. Don’t be those yo-yos!)
COOKING:
… just needed to buy fuel canister… note: in November, 1lb cans of propane readily found, even at The Fort’s 2 stores, but not so easily canisters of Iso-Pro or the like.
COOLING
- mini fridge (see 1st post!)
- $15 12” tabletop fan (unplanned purchase, but I was finding it super hot & also noticing a lot of condensation on the fridge …. And I had finally my stroller fan placed at just the perfect angle in my sleeping tent!). EXCELLENT PURCHASE! Left it on in the chowhouse atop the fridge, no more condensation so the fridge was more efficient!
MISC:
…$12 hair dryer … didn’t want to waste suitcase space by bringing my big one!
FREEBIE:
-ice maker (nearby camper was ditching it tho still working! Just fill the reservoir & Yay, ice cubes! Now I’m GlampingintheFog!)

I surely could have streamlined these items a bit, but FortWilderness me is still a work in progress! And I did feel these items served me well without being overkill.

 

[WalkingintheFog]

Your energy needs list may be similar to mine, or very different! Let me know if you see any glaring omissions with respect to POWERED ITEMS!

And, given the length of my trip, I easily justified the various expenditures… if my trip was just 1 week, I would have just sucked it up & not bought much!

 

[bama_ed]

-ice maker (nearby camper was ditching it tho still working! Just fill the reservoir & Yay, ice cubes! Now I’m GlampingintheFog!)

 

[proudmomof4]

And while I was there, things did settle down early (excluding the yo-yos looping in their golf carts who felt the world needed to hear their music…. Don’t be those yo-yos!)

Or the yo-yos who (for some reason beyond my knowledge) feel the need to honk the horn on the golf cart repeatedly as they drive around.

 

[tigger92662]

More later!

Beyond the candy, what does the can say about keep in car/squirrels?

 

[elaine amj]

I love this!!

Back in December 2019 I hauled my whole family from Canada to the Fort (by plane) to tent camp at FW. We ended up with 10 large luggage, and almost as many carry-ons between the 5 of us. I did being all the gear we needed (including the hammock and Christmas decorations) and it was great!

That said, DD (now 23) won’t camp at the Fort anymore. She lives tent camping but is too impatiently focused on Disney to set aside the time and energy for the work of camping.

I’d be game to do it again, but it seems a bit out there (and $$) to pitch a solo setup in a tent at the Fort.

I’m thoroughly fascinated with the mini fridge you bought. Did u buy it locally in Orlando? I measured my minifridge at home and studied up whether I could fly with it lol! And then considered buying new from Walmart in Orlando and ditching it after the camping trip.

 

[WalkingintheFog]

Beyond the candy, what does the can say about keep in car/squirrels?

lol. I kinda wondered if anybody would pick that up on that!
That was where I planned to keep my nonperishable food…
And I figured the squirrels could easily open it if I left it in the dining tent.
lol, I felt the fridge contents were relatively safe, as I attached a combination lock on my fridge… Squirrels aren’t that smart to figure out a combination!!!!

Here’s the lock I got from amazon.ca… It gave me a bit of peace of mind that even if some random person felt inclined to check inside my dining tent they weren’t easily making off with my bacon!

Back in 2019 December
…..
I’d be game to do it again, but it seems a bit out there (and $$) to pitch a solo setup in a tent at the Fort.

I’m thoroughly fascinated with the mini fridge you bought. Did u buy it locally in Orlando? I measured my minifridge at home and studied up whether I could fly with it lol! And then considered buying new from Walmart in Orlando and ditching it after the camping trip.

Check out the first post re Fridge (Fridge bought off FB marketplace.) Don’t buy new! Buy used, but make sure it has its shelves & rails, including those on the door!
- For me, fridge size was dictated by the height of trunk opening… I knew that if transported on its side, it would need to be upright for circa 24 hours after before plugging in but I didn’t have that luxury of time! …. I also wanted to be able to move & lift it myself. So, it was the standard 1.6 cubic foot square mini for me!
(Sis and I flew in for ~3 wks Nov 2023, she reaaalllly wanted one with a freezer, the one we got barely fit in the back seat & tilted at that!…we sold it for half our price on our last day).
- I searched Marketplace Kissimmee in general to see what the going rates seemed to be, & then limited the search within the area I was prepared to travel.
- I had brought / picked up Lysol wipes & a litre of white vinegar, and scrubbed that sucker inside and out, back & under.
- and I made it my own! “Black Ice” served me well! And, while it didn’t freeze anything, the half pack of semi-frozen bacon I stowed closest to the inside coils did stay semi-frozen, (my 3 day KOA rustic cabin had a bigger mini fridge w/ a freezer)

 

[WalkingintheFog]

Oh. Notice the Spam in the door?
It was the funniest thing at the supermarket! 6 types of Spam plus regular Spam! And even half tins & single serving pouches!
We only have regular & the Maple flavour! I had to buy a baby tin! (Don’t judge me! I know it’s not real meat!)


And it amazed me in Nov 2023 at the same Kissimmee big W as well! Different varieties even! See:

 

[WalkingintheFog]

lol, and there’s another trip tip for any keen eyes checking out the fridge (which I also do!), esp if camping solo or duo!
Wipe off your dishes ( I spray with vinegar & wipe) & stash in the fridge til your next meal….just like waiting for a full load before running the dishwasher!

 

[team bradfield]

Oh. Notice the Spam in the door?
It was the funniest thing at the supermarket! 6 types of Spam plus regular Spam! And even half tins & single serving pouches!
We only have regular & the Maple flavour! I had to buy a baby tin! (Don’t judge me! I know it’s not real meat!)
View attachment 924836

And it amazed me in Nov 2023 at the same Kissimmee big W as well! Different varieties even! See:
View attachment 924840

who said Spam wasn't real meat? Spam and eggs is one of my favorites, I love the single serve packs, as I'm the only one in family who has good taste!