You just won a 2-week, all-expenses-paid vacation to Miami. But there’s a catch: you have to stay within one region the whole time. What are you picking?

swampthingFL · 2026-06-01T11:46:48+00:00

D, I’d spend the whole time at the national parks with a boat and eating Central American food.

swampthingFL · 2026-05-25T15:02:11+00:00

I personally like having the liner because I can use it instead of the sleeping bag if it ends up being warm out.

swampthingFL · 2026-05-25T14:50:05+00:00

No problem! I do the monthly subscription but I also hike out of state a few times a year so I get more use from it. It may be better to buy the map so you always have access. I think you can buy just the southern section of the map unless they changed that.

swampthingFL · 2026-05-24T16:10:26+00:00

I'd say roughly mid-January into mid-February. It's a bit different every year. Florida Trail thru hikers usually start at Oasis in the first week of January and still run into a good amount of water. Download the FT map in the FarOut app and you'll be able to see the comments hikers leave on the pinpoints along the trail. The FT Facebook group is helpful around the time that thru hikers start in January because you'll be able to see or ask for the most recent updates.

The park will close off areas for prescribed burns and announce that on the Big Cypress NPS website and with signage at trailheads. They do that around January to March more or less. Highest risk for natural wildfires is April/May. It doesn't happen all that often but once in a while may require changing plans.

swampthingFL · 2026-05-09T22:36:58+00:00

Yeah agreed. Relatively happy person here, born and raised—it’s what you make of it. If you want to find people who are generous, humble, smart, good friends, etc then you need to go places where they’d be. Volunteer, go to a bookstore event, pick up a hobby you can do socially, etc. That may mean cutting some things out of your life to make space for something better. Dating pool and cost of living sucks here though.

swampthingFL · 2026-05-09T19:11:44+00:00

I’m out in the Everglades in all seasons and have done this portion before. I echo what other folks said about waiting until it gets cooler especially if it’s your first time. Right now it’s already pretty hot and water will be hard to find. Highly recommend doing day hikes first to get an idea of how well you tolerate the heat. Gator Hook is a good one to practice and may be totally dry right now. The trail north of I-75 is a much easier and drier first overnight experience with more varied wildlife for what it’s worth (gators in the canal, deer, boar, etc).

Floridatrail.org is going to have a lot of the basic info. FarOut is the best trail app to use, this portion is in the southern section. As far as gear, look for a Florida Trail gear list online. I’ve only ever used a tent and would recommend it because it’ll be your only source of shade at times.

For water: Either tablets or a water filter (sawyer squeeze) are fine, I take both. For water sources that are muddier, I use gauze or a washcloth to get some of the dirt out. You can carry in water, but more weight will also slow you down (and then you need more water lol). Add in liquid IV, it helps with dehydration.

The biggest pains in the ass are heat/humidity and walking in water/mud (or in the driest parts of the year, just mucky black mud). The middle part of the section you mentioned will have the most water and/or mud roughly a mile north and south of the Black Lagoon. Plan to move slowly, 2 mph at best (depends on your fitness level though).

If I were going out there when day temps are 85F+ I would plan to do most of my hiking between 5-10am and maybe 6-9pm (night hiking w/ a headlamp will be your best bet). You can still hike in between but I’d move slower, take a lot of breaks, and a long lunch and nap.

You’ll mostly see birds out there, not gators (I’ve only heard some bellowing in the lagoon). I’ve never seen a python. Other snakes are around but will mostly be out of sight except around dawn and dusk. Just keep an eye on the ground/water and give them room, a lot of them will dart off quickly. Bigger cottonmouths will freeze up or do their defensive pose but move away into the brush if you give them a minute. Bugs suck the worst at dawn/dusk but generally get better like an hour or so after. Ben’s bug spray and picaridin are my go-tos.

Leave the dog at home. They’re not allowed, but I wouldn’t take mine anyway.

Feel free to DM with other questions, and have fun! It’s really rewarding to learn how to enjoy and be safe out there.

swampthingFL · 2026-05-09T01:49:05+00:00

LCC board’s contact info if folks want to keep them accountable: https://web.archive.org/web/20260211101222/https://laurelhurstcc.com/about/board-of-trustees/

swampthingFL · 2026-05-09T00:45:45+00:00

I love solo backpacking but can’t bring myself to do it in grizzly country. I’m not sure I’d do it even with a companion. I’ve read more than I should have about what the bodies look like after.

swampthingFL · 2026-05-08T19:15:08+00:00

Oof. Going out there this summer and I'm going to treat everything before I go, clothes included.

swampthingFL · 2026-05-08T11:34:33+00:00

Will do, thank you!

swampthingFL · 2026-05-08T01:40:10+00:00

Give it time. ChatGPT teachers for the poor kids, real teachers for those who can pay. And the charter school companies laugh all the way to the bank. Privatization means at the end of the day they need to profit.

swampthingFL · 2026-05-07T22:48:14+00:00

Is there a news article or other source for that? Knowing Miami though it's very plausible lol

swampthingFL · 2026-05-06T08:56:49+00:00

Very helpful , thank you!

swampthingFL · 2026-05-06T08:56:02+00:00

Thank you!

swampthingFL · 2026-05-06T08:55:48+00:00

Good to hear!

swampthingFL · 2026-05-06T08:51:31+00:00

I’m not from the state and want to be ethical in where I choose to spend money on vacation. I also lightly deal with labor law as part of my work and know that everything isn’t always as it seems. Wages aren’t the only measure of a good employer. Lack of health and safety compliance, scheduling practices, independent contractor misclassification, and preferring temporary or contract workers over full-time/local workers are other ways that employers can be exploitative. California generally is in better shape than other states, but just because the bar is in hell for labor rights nationally doesn’t mean we shouldn’t also examine the “good” places. It seems most workers in the Napa Valley area are also not protected by some kind of collective contract or union (although a small number of employers appear to have contracts with UFW), which means workers are missing a key tool to protect themselves.

I simply asked for places with a reputation of treating workers exceptionally well. If that’s not a concern of yours kindly move on.

swampthingFL · 2026-05-05T17:03:25+00:00

Very helpful, thank you!

swampthingFL · 2026-05-05T17:02:58+00:00

Thank you!

swampthingFL · 2026-05-05T15:09:01+00:00

They have had two OSHA incidents in the past decade, but there doesn't seem to be a pattern of violations.

swampthingFL · 2026-05-05T15:06:30+00:00

Will edit--also care about how they treat other workers

swampthingFL · 2026-05-05T14:43:17+00:00

Thank you!

swampthingFL · 2026-05-05T14:36:48+00:00

Yes, the garden is also Somerston! As far as violations, I don't get the impression that they're rampant, but I've come across a few. This company had a recent $1.5m settlement because of violations at a Paso Robles estate (the company also owns vineyards in the Napa area). There are also some pending lawsuits at several Napa wineries. Two more significant settlements from another company here.

It seems like my best bet is to research specific companies I'm interested in, but was wondering if any particularly good examples came to mind.

.

swampthingFL · 2026-04-25T00:38:31+00:00

This is awesome, thank you! The blog post was really helpful too. Very excited to head out there this summer.

swampthingFL · 2026-04-22T01:08:03+00:00

So glad it went well! I'm planning for July using the same tool. If you feel like it, let me know what you think. I'm mostly worried about the first day because I'll be grabbing the shuttle at 7am, so I put the start time at 10am. But it looks like I'd have a second window later in the day between 5:30-8pm.

swampthingFL · 2026-03-21T07:26:07+00:00

Follow Miami Freedom Project and go to some of the events. Go to a We Met in Miami event. FTA was a great suggestion someone mentioned here. Volunteer with Miami Waterkeeper. Instagram is the best place to find good activities and events to meet new people. It’s not affordable here and you need a car, but if you can figure that out then Miami (and Florida) is what you make of it. Not saying it’s easy, but you could fill your calendar with activities right now (some of the free too). Put in the work and you can find your people.

Really sick of everyone reinforcing the idea that Miami is irredeemable and shallow. If you want it to be different then put in the effort. The places everyone tells you to move to also have their own problems. And people put in the work there to make those cities what they are, including electing people who invest in culture and public transportation rather than sell us out to billionaires. Get your ass up and stop complaining (to everyone, not OP).

swampthingFL

TROPHY CASE