Okeefenokee trip question

“A few months ago NG Adventure mag did a think on an Okeefenokee trip. What would be the best time to go there? My guess is Jan or Feb. Any advice?”

“I would tend to think the mosquitoes would suck you dry any other time of year.”

“March or April at the latest if the heat bothers you. I've done Suwannee and St. Marys float trips all through the summer and was fine. It gets a little sticky at night and I think a hammock would be a good idea.

I have a very detailed guidebook on the Okee and I'll probably be doing a float there this April.

The chickees don't fit may people on them and they do have toilets at each one last I heard but I still need to check that. It would also be a good idea to bring a chemical toilet.”

“Skeeters are usually not an issue on the water it's in camp that they get harsh.”

“HPM, what is your favorite time of year for that area?”

“PS, this would be a float trip.”

“For the Okee? I can't say. I've only been to the edge of the Okee and have canoed areas and rivers near it.

May is a bit warm for me at night. I'd say March April so you can swim.”

“swim with the gators? I'm not sure I'm man enough to do that.”

“IMO, the musquitos are much worse in the Northern Rockies than in the "swomp" during the summer.

Weather preferences vary widely. Some like it hot, some not. I'm lean... bring on the heat!

If you're lucky, you'd get daily p.m. thunderboomers during summer. Ahhhh... relief.

My Idaho bro, his boys, and I were camped at S.F. Foster SP several summers ago. It rained like the dickens one night - soaking the contents of the tent. I slept like a baby in my wet sleeping bag...

Jan/Feb can be a crap shoot. Temps sometimes dip into the teens, or it could be a balmy 70ish. At least with July you know what to expect, and can plan accordingly...”

“Thanks for all the info. The mag article really got me curious. I've never taken a canoe trip, and that sounds like a fun first trip. I wouldn't dare attempt such a first trip if I hadn't planned so many b'packing trips. I have yet to have anyone lose and appendage or die on my backpacking trips, so we should be in good shape.”

“Hey, Dayhiker,

Thanks for bringing this one up. I've been considering the Oak for a while, too. Looks like a blast to me. With the AT close at hand, I'm gonna have to wait 'til fall at the earliest. The wilderness conoe trail in Everglades is also on my list. I think I might take a few tame river trips first, though. LOL.”

“I was actually thinking of next year. 2004 is already full until the late fall for me. This one is practically in your new backyard.”

“After talking with some Floridians we met this past August on the Wonderland, I can't get stop dreaming of an Everglades paddle trip. However, the price on a good kayak sucks! How feasible is a canoe for a 5 day trip? I would also like to take on Lake Superior around Isle Royale.”

“I've done several week long floats in canoes. They work fine for me. You can typicly pack more stuff in a canoe. (real food!)”

“The National Geographic Adventure article gave rental info for the area. I don't own a kayak or a canoe and don't intend to buy one. I'll try to find that rental info again.”

“The park itself has canoe rentals. I seems to remember that the cheapest I saw canoes for was $15 a day for multiday trips.”

“That's not too bad. I'm thinking that a good trip for me might be to leave on a Thursday afternoon and get down there around midnight on Thur. Get up and float Fri, Sat, and half of Sunday and then head home. I'd probably be home by 8 pm or so. I get the advantage of timezones on the way back and have to fight them heading east.”

“you also get different sides of the Swamp depending on what side you go in on...i used to live in Ware county and my parents still own some land that butts up to the swamp...it can be a tricky place...make sure you bring some pretty good directional senses...DEET probablywont even help in the summer...so be ready for that...”

“Silly me. I forgot that swimming is not allowed in the Okee.”