Comfortable shoes to hike in that dry relatively quickly, think light weight hiking shoes with good insole. Buy them now and wear them daily before your trip to break them in.

Moleskin or cushion tape, foot powder, duct tape and vaseline. Maybe one of those anti chafe sticks.

Hiking gaiters to keep crap out of your shoes

Good socks and a few pairs of them

Some sort of lightweight pants that breathe and a lightweight long sleeve shirt, maybe a pair of ranger panties (running shorts) for the evening so you don't sleep in your dirty clothes. Compression shorts, or lined running shorts for hiking, avoid cotton.

Headlamp and extra batteries for said headlamp and a back up light of some kind.

Water shoes if you have the room for hanging out around camp will help air your feet out and be easy to put on

Pre make a hanging line for your pack so when you stop you don't have to set it down in the water or mud. I use an old helicopter retention lanyard, worked on deployment to keep my assault pack from becoming a missile inside the trucks and worked to hang it more places than I can remember. Attach it to the top of the pack.

Go to the gas station and buy two Smart Water brand bottles of water in your desired size with flip caps. They are durable and will last, you can refill them as you need.

I would invest in a metal mug with the folding handles to drink coffee out of, eat out of, boil water for dehydrated meals, etc. A metal spork is a good pairing for that mug.

MSR pocket rocket butane stove and a can of fuel will last that short trip and be ok. Get the right size mug and you can nest this inside with the canister of fuel, a lighter or ferro rod to start it.

You said you have a filter/purifier you can drink from? I would go spend the money and buy a small filter like the Trail Shot from MSR or the Sawyer Squeeze. Very small and light weight. You can ensure you don't get sick by using those and a Chlorine Dioxide tab to refill your bottles.

Get dry sacks and use them. You may find more uses for them post trip to store things in your vehicle for emergencies or something. Cheaper alternative would be a selection of duty gallon zip locks. You can reinforce the bags by duct taping the outside, such as for your wallet and phone or any thing else you want to keep dry.

A off brand or store brand (REI) internal frame pack would probably work for this short duration trip. If you are not sure of what size to use if you have an REI around go there and they will size you up.

Take a quart size baggie and make yourself a first aid/survival kit. There are plenty of videos on You tube about survival/first aid kits, but I would tailor it starting with maintaining your core body temp, signaling and making water safe to drink and go from there on contents dependent on you actual location. For the medical side OTC meds I would take some anti diarrhea pills, some aspirin and Benadryl.

A multi tool or some type of multi purpose knife and a small pocket sharpener and EMS shears. If you don't have to use a knife don't, cut it with shears. Mitigates you from accidentally cutting yourself, someone else or your gear.

A pair of mechanics gloves if you don't need cold weather gloves.

As far as shelter and sleeping system go as light and as least bulky as you can. Look at the low temp range of the bags. If you are anticipating wet ground and the temp isn't crazy cold just use a hammock as long as you have trees to tie to. If on the ground a Z fold mat works.

Peppermint Dr. Bronner’s soap for cleaning your rear. I would plan on spraying or scrubbing your butt with water after shitting in the woods. You could carry and extra water bottle cap for this and a small bottle of soap. Dr. Bronner’s is concentrated. Carry toilet paper if you want.

First post nailed it pretty well.

I'm assuming that you're either doing the Big Cypress or Tate's Hell stretches of the Florida Trail?  The Florida Trail Association has great map sets for each section.

Cool weather - be sure to bring a fleece beanie or other hat to keep your head warm at night.

Hang your food in a bag to keep critters out of it at night.

Walking in water - dry your feet and change socks as often as possible.  Wet socks get hung on your pack and dry as you walk.

Have two methods of boiling water in case your MSR Pocket Rocket craps out on you.

Have plenty of available credit on your card when you go to REI. Spend the $ to become a member - you get cash back credits for every purchase.

In to find out more about the amazing "small heating dohickie that he says will boil water in seconds", unless he means 240 - 360 seconds.

Trekking poles   “” a must !”
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I have a lot more but this is the most important.

Jetboils rule.

I've made hot chocolate at 14,271ft before with one. You'll be fine in Florida.

Trekking poles, good shoes and socks.

Water purification.

You don't need much else, you can live off the pythons there.

Do you have experience with a hammock? I know it's South Florida but, most people will be cold below 70 degrees in a hammock and will want an underquilt to stay warm. An underquilt introduces further complexity to a hammock setup to sleep comfortably. If you're new to this, I would go with a tent/air mattress.

You're going to over pack. Everyone that's new does it. Before you pack everything up lay it all out and take a hard look. Try to eliminate a few things.

Buy your own water filter. Sawyer Squeeze or Katydyn BeFree. Both of these will work on a Smartwater bottle also but, they do come with a water bag.

When you get to camp, take off your shoes and socks and dry your feet.

Whatever you purchase for the trip, use it before the trip. Familiarize yourself with how it works. Set up your tent. Filter some water. Use your camp stove. Blow up your air mattress, etc.

Do not forget a first aid kit. A chafe stick needs to be in it.

When you get back, lay all your gear out again and get rid of everything you didn't use for your next trip. Assess what didn't work and what worked well.

There’s good advice so far.

You don’t need a fancy, expensive stove. The one from Walmart will do fine for what it sounds like you want to do.

Dry bags add weight. For a one time trip, you could probably use ziplocks and trash bags.

New packs are expensive. You can probably find a used quality brand pack for a lot less. Osprey, Gregory, and Deuter are popular brands without getting too Gucci.

For a 6 day trip, you probably need a 65-70 Liter.

Wool socks are pretty much a must. Plus, they don’t get stinky.

Try to plan your meals. Hiking can burn a lot of extra calories.you don’t want to bonk, but excess food adds excess weight.

Take some liquid IV, or other electrolyte powder. A few days in the field can get you out of whack. You don’t want to start cramping.

Consider comfort vs weight with your sleeping arrangements. Tents, ground pads, sleeping bags can get heavy. It costs $$$$ to go ultra light. But going “good enough” isn’t too bad.

For tents, look for a free standing, two person backpacking tent. Really depends on your budget but, if I weren't sure how often I would be going I'd lean toward the Kelty Late Start 2. It's $110 on Amazon:

Kelty Late Start 2(Amazon Link)

Don't be drawn in to a 1 person tent. In the tent world, a 2 person tent is really 1 person, a 3 person tent is really a 2 person, etc. You're not a small human. Get a 2 person tent for just you and your gear.

In most places it’s probably a wash on tent vs hammock but in the Florida swamp, I have never once in many trips regretted the hammock. I HAVE seen some hard decisions made by people in tents.

And take some crocs or other lightweight shoes that won’t absorb water to wear around camp to let your socks and feet dry out.

I usually bring the cheap flops for camp if I'm backpacking just to save a little weight but, any comfortable slip on like Crocs will work. The main goal is to give your feet a rest and time to dry.

Please post what gear you decide upon and how the trip goes.

Ill second this. After a long day of hiking getting your boots off and giving your feet a break is always great for me. I like crocs because they slip off an on easy when getting in and out of a tent.

A lot of good info here already, ill just echo a couple things already mentioned that I'd be lost with out.

A few pairs of good wool socks.

A little bit of leukotape in case of blisters.

Something like a MSR Pocket Rocket is a lightweight and relatively cheap easy way to quickly boil water for dehydrated meals.

A sawyer squeeze to filter water is also cheap lightweight piece to carry with.

Something like Body Glide or Gold Bond to help in case of chafing.

Some disposable washcloths/wipes are nice to freshen up after a couple days of hiking. I carry some Dude Wipes face and body wipes for this.

A lot of good advice here but I'm going to double down on this one because beginners often blow it off

You don't need fancy poles but you definitely want poles. I just have some cheap Kelty brand poles I think I paid like $20 for, they've been beat to shit out west and are still in working order.

Another thing is socks, get the good shit don't fuck around with your feet. Especially if your feet aren't conditioned for that kind of activity. I'd highly recommend the Wrightsock double layer socks, pricey but worth every penny when everyone else is dealing with blisters and moleskins because they skimped and you're not.

https://www.wrightsock.com/  

OP you sound completely unprepared and ill equipped.

I predict an awesome adventure and fucked up feet.

It sounds like you're biting off more than you can chew. If you've never carried a backpack before in your life you should aim a little lower for a goal for your first trip. Something like an overnight trip just to try out your gear without subjecting yourself to high miles right out the gate. Also, you don't have any of your gear yet, so you'd literally be learning how to use it while on your trip...not a good idea for beginners.

This is sound advice and OP was going alone I would agree 100%.

With a group I think he will be fine. Sounds like there are some experienced folks going along also.

Croc Swiftwaters.  I swear by them.  I use them for river crossings, as well as lightweight footwear to get to/from rock climbs were every ounce and cubic inch of stuff that eventually goes into the small backpack matters.

After 6+ hours in climbing shoes, the Crocs are going back on my feet and taking me back to camp (the green meadow in the distance, out near the snow fields).  These Crocs are secure enough for the talus fields below.  I can't remember if I put them back on at this moment, or waited until we were completely off the mountain.  Probably the latter, since it looks like I'm about to rack them onto my harness for the walkable part of the descent.

I haven't read the other responses,  but wow,  so you're saying your going to walk maybe 3-5 miles a day in ankle to calf high water?   Thats...  wow,  that sounds like you'll need new feet.    

When in camp,  you MUST get your feet dry.  Bring extra socks,  lots,  wool probably.    I don't know of anything I would want to hike 10 miles a day in that would keep my feet dry in calf high water.  

So you might as well wear something light, comfortable and dries quickly.  Then just keep changing socks.


For the other things,  if you don't have experience with hammocks,  use a tent.  A hammock set up takes some time to get dialed in,  buy new gear, make adjustments at home repeat.  A tent is easier.

I know you said you don't want to spend alot,  well you have two options,  carry too much weight and hate life,  or spend too much.  Up to you.

edit after reading other responses,  I've tried treking poles and never liked them,  alot of peopled do like them,  some only like one.  I've hiked thousands of miles and never missed them

I lot of info in here already.

I second that you should be wearing whatever boots you are going to take. You don't want to break them in on the trail. If you are going to be in and out of the water all day, I suggest something like this:


If you're crossing the water 87 times a day, you can't stop to change your socks every time.

There is a lot of high end equipment out there. I know, I've bought most of it twice. If you are not sure if you will do this again, there is a lot of cheap stuff too. You can buy complete camp sets on Amazon for $20-30. That's knockoff stove, bowl/cup, spork, carrying sack. I bought my boy a cheap set that cas lasted many trips. If it comes with a bunch of bowls, pick one.

I like fresh oatmeal with dryed fruit. I pick up stuff at sprouts. If you get the heavy quart ziplock bags and portion it out, you can dump boiling water straight into the bags. I like it with a big scoop of peanut butter on top.

Have fun and be careful. It's all fun and games until someone breaks an ankle.

Hammock camping has it's advantages but you have to find properly spaced trees that will hold your weight. This can be tricky in AZ. I'm not sure of your terrain. You also will want a good tarp or rain cover. The overall set up of a hammock with cover and insulation takes just as much work as a tent and isn't much lighter. Also, you have to be able to sleep in a hammock. Some folks aren't built for it.

Break it down into kits. Shelter, water, food, clothes, emergency.
If you're under water 50% of the time I might suggest a hammock over a tent, especially if Temps are nice. Be prepared to need an underquilt or a pad if Temps drop lower than 60 at night.
Have a way to purify water and a way to carry it.
Have something to store your food in and something to cook with. I like an ursack to carry my food, a regular dry sack works but you should hang it off the ground. Is there bears nearby?
Clothing is weather dependant, but a high quality rain coat shouldn't be skipped on.
I'd suggest trail runners over boots.

From my Appalachian Trail Hiking Daughter:   Don't carry more than 30 -35 lbs (Closer to 30). Pay attention to socks, shoes, and liners.

Hiking Bag, Light, comfortable and water proof. with additional plastic bag type cover.
Dry bags because its not water proof.
Lightweight Tent
Lightweight Sleeping Bag (Temperature appropriate)
sleeping bag pad
ground sheet (Use a piece of Tyvek house wrap)
Hiking Poles
Lightweight  something to boil water.
Water Purification
Calories
Appropriate water wicking outer wear for the season/area
Recommend the Garmin Emergency Device or Other.  Most offer texting and check-in capability via satellite.  (When my daughter is out, I plot her location every day.)

Beware of REI store brands and REI advice.


She sees crap dropped on the trail all the time from people being overloaded.

The first 20 miles of the Appalachian Trail resembles a flea market from all the expensive crap dropped.

Lots of good advice already posted here.

In addition: OP, what type of emergency "bail out" plan will you guys have? Will you have cell reception? Will there be state roads or forest service roads that will cross your route in a few places? Will someone be picking you all up at the very end, or are you shuttling your group cars before you start the hike?

Hopefully you guys won't have more than aches and pains, but you could be in serious trouble for physical (heart attack?) or environmental reasons (snake bites? spider bites?), and it's expensive and embarrassing to get pulled out by SAR.

It sounds like you have done "car camping" before so that will help, but that distance and your (group) age is going to be a challenge. Please pace yourselves and try not to carry any more than 20-25% of your body weight for everything; including all gear, water, and food.

As others have said, sort things into "functions", and remember that you don't need 2-3x redundancy all by yourself (3 pocket knives per person is silly, 2 x 2-person tents for 4 people is just enough).

Oh, and, this is not a recommended method :

You don't want waterproof hiking shoes

My best suggestion would be to go on YouTube and watch some Jupiterhikes videos.  He has hiked a ton in Florida and has a lot of good info.

He is an ultralight minimalist, but you can adapt his advice to your situation.

I'm sorry that was the right brand but the wrong style that I posted. Keen is the brand you want. Mine are like these.

Attached File


I do a lot of canyon hikes. I don't know what a cypress stump is but we have plenty of rocks and cacti. Keens make great hiking boots with a pair of wool socks but you can go without socks as well. Highly recommend.

OP, can I have some of your guns if you die? This kind of seems like you might die.

Can I send you my number so she can call? I’ll get the $1 bills ready.

After 30 years of backpacking on 3 continents in all types of terrain and weather,  looking at your experience, questions, and attitude.  I have to say....I believe you will have a great time.  Have a blast.

Salomon Speedcross. Good shoes although a bit narrow for my taste. I've had a few pair and the last pair is relegated to grass cutting duty now.

I use the Altra Lone Peaks now. Wider toe box and more comfortable for me. I hear good things about Topo shoes also but, I've never tried them.

For normal trail backpacking the most popular choice is trail runner style shoes like the Salomon's. Lighter, dry faster, more agility, etc. I haven't worn hiking "boots' since the 90's.

If you're going to be walking in that much water I'd start with a couple of pairs of Sealskinz or similiar waterproof socks.
Light weight hiking shoes that will dry quickly.
Jetboil stove and some Mountain House Meals, beef jerky and Clif or Kind bars.
Something to purify water
Hammock with net enclosure if there are going to be trees that you can hang from. That will keep you off the wet ground.
Lightweight sleeping bag
Small Med kit and something for blisters. if your feet get wet and you keep hiking, you will get blisters. I buy KT Tape and cut it into small squares. Put it on as soon as you feel a hotspot and it will stick to wet skin.
Helinox Chair One- It sounds like you're only going to be hiking around 10 miles each day, so weight shouldn't be that be of an issue and that little chair makes a big difference when you're sitting around camp at night.

Looks like a decent start so far. Is that your first aid in the hard plastic container? If so, I'd lose that container and use a Ziplok instead. Much less weight. Also, add a chafing stick/balm.

Don't forget to setup your tent before you go. Get familiar with it.

I spent three weeks in Costa Rica and wore my wading boots. Very comfortable if you are in a wet environment. We hiked to waterfalls and traipsed through the jungle every day