Re: [Paddlewise] everglades

----- Original Message -----
From: Rev. Bob Carter <revkayak_at_ptialaska.net>
To: paddle wise <
Sent: Friday, November 19, 1999 3:01 AM
Subject: [Paddlewise] everglades



>
> -Keep your water out of reach of the racoons, they have few sources of
fresh
> water and will chew into water bottles.People have had to turn back
because
> the racoons stole their fresh water. We keep our water in our tents at
night
> or inside the kayak hatches.
>
 Good advice by Bob on all points except for water storage in tent:

Do not keep your water in tent even at night.  Some friends last winter had
a racoon tear up their tent at Pavilion Key looking for the water jug they
stored in their tent.  Safest place to store food or water is inside kayak
hatches.  Also, don't go walking far from food that is cooking or you will
come back to a tipped pot from the racoons trying to get at your meal. This
happened to me one night as I momentarily went over to get something out my
kayak and returned to find a racoon tipped over my cook pot to get dinner
before I could.

Bathing: Last winter I tried a product called No Rinse body bath (ordered at
Campmor) and it works by adding 4 capfuls of the product in a quart of
water.  Use a washcloth scrub up and towel off, no residue and you feel
clean and fresh.  This made the water last alot longer with a gallon per
person the perfect formula.  One quart to bathe, one to cook with and two to
drink I wash dishes with salt water.  Bring a collapsible bucket to retrieve
water before tide goes out so you can wash your dishes or you will have to
walk very far in mud to water source at low tide.

One last bit of advice, ask the rangers which are the sites most frequented
by powerboaters and try not to stay on them.  These fishermen will keep you
up all night drinking and partying, unless of course you like that sort of
thing.  Sites such as Watsons, New Turkey Key, Lostmans 5, etc are preferred
by fishermen in powerboats because they have docks.

Have Fun!
Viv

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