In association with Hikercentral.com
and Goingoutside.com
In association with Hikercentral.com
and Goingoutside.com
Great paddling information is always good to have, you can never have too much of it, here you'll find some of that.
Bring all these things or stay home.
| COOKING POT | You should carry a small metal container for boiling water even if you're not planning to use it (in case of an emergency). | |
| CAMPSTOVE | The packweight of a
camp stove is the sum of two weights; the weight of the stove and the
weight of the fuel. In this category light weight wood powered stoves
leave all conventional stoves in the dust. They are a little bit slower to
cook on and generate some smoke but they are much lighter. The Stratus
Trailstove has the lowest packweight of any stove in the world, it weighs 15.3 oz (433 grams), and that stays the same no matter how long a trip you go on since you don't bring any fuel at all. | |
| TARP | A tarp has so many uses, it won't save your life on every trip but it will make things easier on every trip. | |
| FIRE TOOL | It almost goes without saying that you need to bring the means to make fire. If you're going to be where there are no other people you'd better make sure that you can start a fire. Just use a cheap lighter normally but always bring a magnesium block just in case of trouble. | |
| WATER | Water is much more important than food in an emergency, you can go for weeks without food but without water you could be dead in a couple of days. | |
| STEEL WIRE | Steel wire is an excellent substitute for screws, bolts, or any other type of fastener. | |
| FIRST AID KIT | Get a decent little first aid kit and complement it with anything you might think is missing. |
How to make a quick snow shelter
Find a flat sheltered spot for your shelter. Don't go too close to trees or
big rocks since blowing snow tends to accumulate around them.
Dig a hole in
the snow, about a foot longer than your body and about 3 feet wide, use the snow
from the dig to build walls around the hole. Try to get one of the short sides
downwind.
Keep digging until the hole is 3 ft from floor to upper edge. Keep
in mind that the smaller your shelter is the warmer it will be.
Leave a
1.5x1.5 ft opening in the downwind upper short edge with a connecting corridor,
this will be your door.
If you plan to use a stove in the shelter you must
also make a vent opening in the side opposite to the door. This opening should
be about 6x6 inches.
If possible, try to make a block of hard snow
1.5x1.5x0.5 ft to use as a door block, place this block inside the hole when
you're done.
Cover half of the floor on the opposite side of the
opening with soft branches to provide extra insulation from the cold snow
beneath. This will be your sleeping area, you will later cover the branches with
your sleeping pad. If you don't have a sleeping pad with you, make a thicker
layer of branches. If it is snowing while you are building your shelter, you can
do this step later, after the roof has been put up so you won't get snow on your
branches.
Place a number of tree branches over the hole. Keep in
mind that these branches may have to carry some heavy snow loads. You can use
skis and ski poles for this purpose as well but keep in mind that you won't be
able to use them again without ruining the shelter.
Cover the hole
with your tarp. Attach edges and corners as well as possible with stakes made
from tree branches or string to a nearby tree. Don't rely on weights such as
rocks or big chunks of wood, they will start sliding. You want to make sure that
there's no way that the tarp will start sagging or slip down through the
openings in the ceiling.
Cover the tarp with a layer of snow for insulation.
If there is powder snow available try to get a coverage of at least 3 inches. If
there is no powder use wet snow or hard snow to make blocks 1.5" thick to form a
sheet on top of the tarp, try to rest the blocks on the support poles and not on
the tarp. If it is snowing heavily you can let nature take care of this step.
Move in to the shelter. Put your sleeping pad on the
branches and sleep with your head away from the door. You can block the door
opening to keep warm but you must have at least two small air vents on opposite
sides of the shelter to ensure an adequate air supply.
SOME THINGS
TO KEEP IN MIND
When you're using a stove in the shelter you must open both
the door opening and the vent opening. Make sure that the vent opening is kept
clear from falling snow on the outside, poke around with a stick periodically if
needed.
If you need to urinate during the
night, don't go outside in the cold. Just go on the floor inside the shelter.
The urine will seep down through the snow, there will be a stained crater left
but you can just cover that with some snow.
Jacksonville, FL
The 46,000 acre Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve was established to protect one of the last unspoiled coastal wetlands on the Atlantic Coast and to preserve historic and prehistoric sites within the area. The estuarine ecosystem includes salt marsh, coastal dunes, hardwood hammock, as well as salt, fresh, and brackish waters, all rich in native vegetation and animal life.
The Preserve was inhabited by the native Timucuan people over four thousand years before the arrival of the first Europeans. The area has seen more than four centuries of exploration, colonization, agriculture, and commerce under the flags of France, Spain, England, the Confederacy, and the United States.
The Timucuan Preserve has within its boundaries federal, state, and city park lands, and over 300 private landowners. The National Park Service works through cooperative partnerships with these agencies and private citizens towards a common set of management goals.
CONTACTS
Email - timu_interpretation@nps.gov
Fax- 904-641-3798
Write to
12713 Fort Caroline Road
Jacksonville, FL
32225
Phone
Visitor Information - (904)641-7155
TRAVEL BASICS
Operating Hours,
Seasons
The Preserve is open daily (except December 25) from 9:00
a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Getting There
PLANE - Jacksonville International Airport is
about 20 miles northwest of the park. Visitors must provide their own
transportation (taxi or private automobile)to the park.
CAR - Fort Caroline National Memorial Visitor Center is located near the intersection of Monument Road and Fort Caroline Road, approximately 14 miles east of downtown Jacksonville. For detailed driving directions to the Visitor Center and other sites within the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, please refer to the Timucuan Preserve Visitors Guide.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - There is no public transportation to or within the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve.
Weather & Climate
Summers are warm and humid, with
frequent thunderstorms. Winters are cool, but freezing temperatures are
rare.
Accessibility
Kingsley Plantation, the Fort Caroline National
Memorial Visitor Center, Spanish Pond overlook, and the Ribault Column are
accessible. The trail to the interpretive fort at Fort Caroline, and the
Willie Browne trail at the Theodore Roosevelt area are packed sand, and
may be difficult.
Getting Around
Private automobiles are necessary to travel
between the different sites within the Preserve.
FEES/PERMITS
Entrance
Fee
INDIVIDUAL
Free!
Activity Fee
SCHOOL
GROUPS
Free!
Reservations for school groups are taken in advance
and are scheduled on a first call basis. For more information or to make a
reservation, call (904) 641-7155 or (904) 251-3537.
Special Use
Permits
SPECIAL USE PERMITS
Written requests for special
park uses, including ceremonies of any kind, are required and must be
submitted at least 30 days in advance.
CAMPING
Huguenot Memorial Park
This
campsite, located within the boundaries of the Timucuan Preserve, is
operated by the City of Jacksonville.
For More Information on this
campground please call (904) 251-3335
Little Talbot Island
State Park
This campsite is administered by the State of Florida.
For More Information on this campground please call (904)
251-2320
FACILITIES
Visitor
Centers
KINGSLEY PLANTATION VISITOR CENTER
Open All Year 9:00 am
to 5:00 pm
Phone - (904)251-3537
Location - 11676
Palmeto Avenue Jacksonville FL 32226 Kingsley Plantation is located on
Fort George Island, on the north side of the St. Johns River, near the
Mayport Ferry landing.
Closures - December 25
Special
Programs - As scheduled; contact the Visitor Center.
Exhibits -
The planters home, slave quarters, barn, and kitchen house. The
kitchen house now houses a series of exhibits on the lives of the people
who worked on the plantations in the South. Sea Island Cotton, indigo,
corn, and sugar cane are grown in a a small interpretive garden.
Available Facilities - Accessible restrooms.
TIMUCUAN
ECOLOGICAL AND HISTORIC PRESERVE VISITOR CENTER
Open All Year 9:00 am
to 5:00 pm
Phone - (904)641-7155
Location - 12713 Fort
Caroline Road Jacksonvile FL 32225 (Near the intersection of Monument Road
and Fort Caroline Road)
Closures - December 25
Special
Programs - As scheduled; contact the Visitor Center
Exhibits -
"Where the Waters Meet", a series of exhibits illustrating the ecology
of the marine estuarine environment and the interaction with the
environment by the peoples who have lived there for more than four
thousand years. Artifacts from the Timucuan and early European periods are
included.
Available Facilities - Limited picnicking in
designated areas. Accessible restrooms.
Some content donated by Hikercentral.com and the National Park Service