In association with Hikercentral.com
and Goingoutside.com
In association with Hikercentral.com
and Goingoutside.com
Please read everything on my site, it may save your life one day.
Your canoe should contain the following items.
| FIRE STARTER | There are new fire making gadgets coming out all the time, I'm still using a plastic lighter, hasn't failed me yet. I do carry a small magnesium block just in case. | |
| WATER FILTER | To filter water to make it drinkable, available in most outdoors stores. It's more of a convenience to have a water filter than a necessity since you can boil water with your Trailstove and pot. | |
| STRING | String weighs almost nothing and you always need it when you're out in the woods. Make sure you always have some in your canoe. | |
| STOVE | A lot of paddlers are switching the wood burning Trailstove after years of frustration with gas stoves. I to made the switch not long ago and so far I'm very happy with my Trailstove. | |
| LAMP | Obviously you need some type of lamp when you go paddling overnight since it's overnight and it's dark at night. Bring a candle too in case modern technology fails you. | |
| FOOD | Bring food that you like to eat but don't bring any cans or heavy things like that. Rice is a perfect thing to bring for carbohydrates since it weighs very little before it's cooked. |
HOW TO MAKE AN IGLOO
PICK A SPOT
You should build your igloo on a level surface
where the snow is at least 3 feet deep. There should be enough hard snow for
your igloo, if the surface snow is powdery there's probably hard packed snow a
bit deeper. Large bumps on the surface of the snow it usually means that there
is a large object below the snow such as a boulder or a large stomp, they can
get in the way so it's better to pick as flat a spot as possible. Don't make
your igloo bigger than it needs to be. Mark out in the snow where you plan to
have the wall of your igloo.
CUT BLOCKS
Cut out blocks from the area which will be the inside of the
igloo. The lower blocks should be about 1 foot thick, 3 feet long and 1.5 feet
high, the higher blocks should be about 6 inches thick, 2 feet long, and 1 foot
high. If you size the blocks as I have said above you will need approximately
the following number of blocks:
Sleeping 1 person, 6 feet inner diameter: 30 blocks
Sleeping 2 people, 7
feet inner diameter: 40 blocks
Sleeping 3-4 people, 9 feet inner diameter: 60
blocks
Don't worry if you think you'll have trouble fitting, once the igloo is
finished you can carve out a bit of space for your feet from the inner
wall.
The hole resulting from your cutting will be the floor in the igloo so
you want a sleeping area for each person as high up as possible, a general
purpose area that should be a bit lower to allow for mobility, and a deep
entrance hole that extends outside of the igloo. The entrance hole should be as
narrow as possible while still allowing you to get in and out without too much
discomfort. The deep entrance hole will absorb the cold air and release it to
the outside while the warm air will rise and stay trapped inside the dome.
BUILD A SPIRAL CIRCLE
Place your largest and widest blocks in a circle
around the hole where you have been cutting out your blocks, the blocks should
be tilted in towards the center. Start with the block that goes on top of the
entrance hole, the whole entrance hole must be traversed by one single block
with plenty of support on both sides. Cut the blocks so they form a spiral, make
sure that the block covering the entrance hole is the largest block.
BUILD WALL
Add blocks to the wall until you only have a small opening in
the roof. Before you get to the point that it's hard to get in and out of the
dome move any blocks not yet used to the inside of the dome so you can put them
all up in one sweep from the inside.
TOP PIECE
When all the blocks are in place cut the final top piece to the
right size. If you can wiggle it out from the inside and lower it down into
position that's great, but if your hole is very circular this won't be possible,
you'll have to put the block on top of the dome from the outside and then lower
it down from the inside.
FINISHING
Fill any cracks with
snow.
Make a little doorway over the entrance to keep snow out.
You have
to make at least one air hole in the roof to ensure proper ventilation. Without
good ventilation you could run out of oxygen, very dangerous.
Smoothen the
inside of the dome to prevent water dripping.
Your igloo is now ready
to be lived in, check your air hole periodically to make sure it's not blocked.
If you've done everything right you will be quite comfortable.
Gulf Breeze, FL
Gulf Islands NS consists of eleven separate units stretching along 150 miles from West Ship Island in Mississippi to the eastern tip of Santa Rosa Island in Florida. There are sparkling blue waters, magnificent snowy-white beaches, fertile coastal marshes, and dense maritime forests. Also in the seashore are prehistoric shell mounds and fortifications dating from the 1820s up to the 1940s. Nature, history, and recreational opportunities abound in this national treasure.
CONTACTS
Email - terry_colby-ghiatis@nps.gov
Fax- 850-932-9654
Write to
1801 Gulf Breeze Parkway
Gulf Breeze, FL
32561-5000
- or -
3500 Park Road
Ocean Springs, MS 39564-9709
Phone
Visitor Information - 850-934-2600
Visitor
Information - 228-875-9057
TRAVEL BASICS
Operating Hours,
Seasons
The park is open year-round, although operating hours vary
seasonally and from unit to unit.
FEES/PERMITS
Entrance Fee
COMMERCIAL
MOTOR COACHES (26+ PASSENGERS)
$100 for Day
COMMERCIAL
SEDANS (1-6 PASSENGER CAPACITY)
$25 +3 person for Day
COMMERCIAL VANS AND MINI-BUSES (7-25 PASSENGERS)
$40 for
Day
INDIVIDUAL, HIKER, BICYCLER,ETC.
$3 for 7 Days
$20 for Annual
Entrance fees are charges at Fort Pickens,
Perdido Key and Santa Rosa Area.
PRIVATE, NON-COMMERCIAL
VEHICLE
$6 for 7 Days
$20 for Annual
Entrance
fees are charges for Fort Pickens, Perdido Key and Santa Rosa Area.
Permits
FAMILY NIGHT OWL PASS- FORT PICKENS
$35
for 12 Months
Special permit for after-hours use at Fort
Pickens. Sold at Campground registration only. An entrance pass is also
required.
INDIVIDUAL NIGHT OWL PASS- FORT PICKENS
$25
for 12 Months
Special permit for after-hours use at Fort
Pickens. Sold at Campground registration only. An entrance pass is also
required.
CAMPING
Davis Bayou
Campground
Open All Year
51 sites, each with hookups for water
and electricity. A bathhouse is centrally located in the campground with
hot showers, telephone and a dump station. The campground uses the
self-registration system. Campsites are on a first come-first served
basis. Campground visits are limited to a maximum of 30 nights per
calendar year per camping party. Electric sites are $16 per night and
non-electric are $14 per night.
For More Information on this
campground please call 228-875-9057
Fort Pickens
Campground
Make Reservations by Phone at 1-800-365-CAMP
Open All
Year
Located on the west end of Santa Rosa Island, south of Pensacola.
Campsites feature paved parking pads, picnic tables, grills, water and
electric hook-ups, and are located in an area which includes grass, pine
and oak trees. The Gulf of Mexico and Pensacola Bay are a short walking
distance from the campground. Electric sites are $20 per night.
Non-electric are $15 per night. Overnight stays are limited to 30 days per
calendar year, with no more than 14 days between March 1 and Labor
Day.
For More Information on this campground please call
850-934-2621
Fort Pickens Group Area
Make Reservations by
Phone at 1-800-365-CAMP
Open All Year
Overnite use of the Fort
Pickens Group Tenting Area is limited to organized groups. There is a
minimum of 10 and a maximum of 40 people allowed. Overnight fees for use
of the group camping area are as follows: Groups of 10 through 25 persons:
$20 Groups of 26 through 40 persons: $30 The Group Area has flush toilets,
unheated showers and no electrical outlets in the bathrooms. Also
available are grills and picnic tables.
For More Information on this
campground please call 850-934-2622
Naval Live Oaks Youth
Group Tent Area
Open All Year
Overnite use of the Naval Live
Oaks Group Tenting Area is limited to organized youth groups comprised
primarily of young people under the age of 18. Youths (17 years of age or
younger) using the area will be supervised by one adult for every 10 youth
in the group. There is a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 40 people allowed.
Overnight fees are as follows: Groups of 10 through 25 persons: $20 Groups
of 26 through 40 persons: $30. The Group area has flush toilets, unheated
showers and no electrical outlets in the bathrooms. Also available are
grills, picnic tables and a fire circle.
For More Information on
this campground please call
850-934-2622
FACILITIES
Visitor
Centers
FORT BARRANCAS VISITOR CENTER
Open All Year
Phone - 850-455-5167
Location - Pensacola Naval Air
Station, Florida
Closures - Closed Christmas Day.
FORT
PICKENS VISITOR CENTER
Open All Year
Phone -
850-934-2635
Location - Pensacola Beach, Florida
Closures
- Closed Christmas Day.
NAVAL LIVE OAKS VISITOR CENTER
Open
All Year 8:00-5:30
Phone - 850-934-2600
Location -
Gulf Breeze, Florida
Closures - Closed Christmas
Day.
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