FL>Ocala National Forest>Hidden Pond>7/20-23/2013>The No Underquilt Hang

In the course of another thread, it seemed that the idea of a "no-underquilts" hang might be popular here in FL.

I figure Hidden Pond is good and central to the state, is free to camp, offers a place to swim during the heat of the afternoon, has a communal area, and has plenty of spots to hang from.

I just discovered that I have Saturday evenings off...even if I still have to work 9-5 that day, it means that I can get out to Hidden Pond that evening. So, I should be arriving at ~9 PM on 7/20/2013 (assuming I don't get home, shower, and out the door until 6, and that it takes me about an hour to cross the prairie from Pat's Island). I'll be departing Tuesday morning to head back to my job.

Hidden Pond is located in the Juniper Prairie Wilderness Area in Ocala National Forest. It can be accessed via trail head anywhere along the Florida Trail, but the closest two trail heads are at Juniper Springs (approximately five miles south of Hidden Pond, behind a gate, monitored, and requires a $12.72/vehicle/night fee) and Pat's Island (approximately three miles north of Hidden Pond, no gate, but two miles into the back country and doesn't require a fee).

I'll be hiking in from Pat's Island. The parking lot there is approximately two miles down FR 46, just north of the Yearling Trail trailhead and Silver Glen Springs on SR 19. From Pat's Island, go east (right) on the road bed until you see the trail head for the Florida Trail. Turn south (left) and follow the orange blazes for about three miles. Hidden Pond will be a sandy-beached squarish pond on your right hand side, and there will be a well-traveled trail leading off to the right into a pine and oak stand towards the other end of the pond just before you reach the pond.

If you come in from Juniper Prairie, head north (right) at the FT trail head and follow the orange blazes for approximately five miles. Hidden Pond will be on your left-hand side, and the trail leading back to the pines and oaks will be just after the pond rather than before.


A couple of notes about being in the Juniper Prairie Wilderness:

Water can be scarce here, depending on what the weather has been doing for the last couple of months. The only two water sources that I trust in the area are Hidden Pond itself (about three miles from Pat's Island and five miles from Juniper Springs) and Whiskey Creek (located about a mile south of Hidden Pond, so about four miles from Pat's Island and four miles from Juniper Springs).

There is very little overhead cover. I do not recommend walking in from either end in the heat of mid-afternoon unless you take precautions regarding sun exposure and carry at least two liters of water per person (honestly, I prefer three). I've done it several times, both in the morning and the afternoon--once just after a thunderstorm came through and raised the humidity to 100%. I've been dehydrated across there before, and I don't recommend it as a pastime. The cooler, morning hours are best, followed closely by during the dark hours--but make sure you have a good headlamp with fresh batteries if trying this; the orange blazes on the trees are not reflective.

Bugs get bad in Florida during the summer, and Juniper Prairie is no exception. Expect to need to Permethrin your gear and coat your legs in bug spray to avoid chiggers and ticks and definitely bring your bug net! Mosquitoes through here range from not-so-bad (if it's been dry) to fairly terrible (if it's been wet). Banana spiders abound, so be prepared to take a web to the face at some point if you're not careful about carrying and using a knockdown device.

Note that, despite the name of the hang, I don't recommend that you bring nothing for under insulation. You shouldn't need anything, but--depending on weather--that could change in an instant. Bring what you think necessary for your comfort in the expected weather for the weekend!


I don't have any specific plans for this weekend aside from just showing up, but a day trip or two to the springs might be nice if folks want. If not, well, there's always something to do out in the woods!

Hope to see everyone there!

I'll try to make it Sat/Sun.

I shall keep an eye on this.

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Originally Posted by JaxHiker

I'll try to make it Sat/Sun.

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Originally Posted by Sparkfly88

I shall keep an eye on this.

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Great! Hope to see you both there!

I've only been to that area twice... So it would be an adventure. Lol.

Count me in!

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Originally Posted by Sparkfly88

I've only been to that area twice... So it would be an adventure. Lol.

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If you follow the FT on the way in, it's pretty hard to get lost. If you don't see a blaze for more'n about an hundred or hundred-fifty yards, turn around and head back to the last one. There'll be one about somewheres. Gorgeous area, just hot during the afternoons.

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Originally Posted by lilricky

Count me in!

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Great! I'll see you there!

Did you guys invite Andrea to this shindig?

Reason #127 why I don't hike in Florida during summer. However, I must admit that 100 mph hurricane winds do clear out the mosquitoes momentarily :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by MAD777

Did you guys invite Andrea to this shindig?

Reason #127 why I don't hike in Florida during summer. However, I must admit that 100 mph hurricane winds do clear out the mosquitoes momentarily :rolleyes:

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Heh. You forget the first (supposedly-)group hang I went to... :laugh:

I'll admit, being out there in hurricane-force winds is a little more'n I'd bargain for. On the other hand, considering the 20-40 mph winds we're forecast to get here in Gainesville tonight, I might just be doing some weather testing of my set-up in the front yard...

Tornados within miles of me today in sarasota... Been a nervous wreck

Tornado in Palm Beach County this morning.
Keep a sharp eye on the weather forecasts!

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Originally Posted by Sparkfly88

Tornados within miles of me today in sarasota... Been a nervous wreck

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Originally Posted by MAD777

Tornado in Palm Beach County this morning.
Keep a sharp eye on the weather forecasts!

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Stay safe out there. No tornadoes here yet, and--hopefully--the storm will have calmed down a bit by the time I get out of work tonight.

We will try to make it out for the hang. The wife wants to hike out friday night and set up in the dark. We will see how that shakes out. My son will be joining us for our first group hang.

Lookie what I found


http://www.arcgis.com/explorer/?open...04954.02173643

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Originally Posted by Life Scout

We will try to make it out for the hang. The wife wants to hike out friday night and set up in the dark. We will see how that shakes out. My son will be joining us for our first group hang.

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Great! I hope to see you there...I won't be in until fairly late Saturday night, but still hope to see you!

Don't know how familiar you are with that area of trail, but I fully expect what's normally a ~45 minute walk for me in fairly familiar terrain to take an hour or so due to having to find blazes in the dark. So, if you're not really familiar with that section, make sure to take your time and keep your eyes open after dark.

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Originally Posted by Sparkfly88

Lookie what I found


http://www.arcgis.com/explorer/?open...04954.02173643

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Cool! I didn't know the FT info was up on the web again. I'd seen the beta version on the FTA website a ways back, but they took it down. Looks like it's back up!

ArcGIS even has an android app.

Download it and type in Florida national trail then find the official layer.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/06/07/ute9egen.jpg

Putting this on my calendar. You had me at "...a place to swim..!"

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Originally Posted by Duffy

Putting this on my calendar. You had me at "...a place to swim..!"

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That's great! Will MightyMouse be joining you on this one? Either way, hope to see you there!

Not sure about MightyMouse, but I would bet she won't be able to resist the wonderful company and stimulating conversations....:shades:

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Originally Posted by Duffy

Not sure about MightyMouse, but I would bet she won't be able to resist the wonderful company and stimulating conversations....:shades:

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Either way, looking forward to seeing you!

I love you guys...will see how much heat I think I can bear, when the time comes. :rolleyes:

kc -- fulltime hammocker, thanks to Olddog, Samsara, and Duffy!

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Originally Posted by MightyMouse

I love you guys...will see how much heat I think I can bear, when the time comes. :rolleyes:

kc -- fulltime hammocker, thanks to Olddog, Samsara, and Duffy!

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Fair 'nough. It's certainly likely to be hot! I'll see what I can procure for cool drinks and foods and such that might last the evening...no promises 'till I get closer, though...

I know I have tried to come to a lot of these events. I have finally got a work schedule that should allow this and I am not to far from there. I need to get out there with you guys and enjoy the woods. Hope to get to go. I have it marked on my calendar and starting to plan for it now.

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Originally Posted by dieseldeathstar

I know I have tried to come to a lot of these events. I have finally got a work schedule that should allow this and I am not to far from there. I need to get out there with you guys and enjoy the woods. Hope to get to go. I have it marked on my calendar and starting to plan for it now.

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I hope to see you there! Trust me, I understand a screwy work schedule.

Got it on the calendar. Hopefully I will make this one. Sounds like fun!

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Originally Posted by BearBurrito

Got it on the calendar. Hopefully I will make this one. Sounds like fun!

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Hope to see you there!


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I may or may not (it'll likely be up in the air right up until that Saturday) have a coworker and his significant other coming. They'll likely be in my old t**t (shudder) unless one of them decides to invest in an hammock--I've got one spare, not two. But, with any kind of luck, there'll be a pair of first-time backpackers there, and I know that this is the perfect group of people to introduce them to. Here's hoping!

Let me know if I need to bring a spare Blackbird for one of them to use!

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Originally Posted by lilricky

Let me know if I need to bring a spare Blackbird for one of them to use!

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Thank you! I should have an answer for that by the middle of next week. As of right now, it looks like one of them is going to prefer sleeping on the ground (no accounting for taste...), but I'll certainly let you know for sure as soon as I do!

That's an awfully generous offer, and I truly do appreciate it, lilricky!

You can go ahead and pencil me in for now. I want to see what the actual conditions are out there during the wet season. I am going to regret writing this but, I think it may be fun. :laugh: I can only do the weekend though, Sat. - Sun.

Where in the area of Hidden Pond where you thinking about hanging? Near the pond or somewhere else? There are wonderful hanging locations on the south end of Crooked Sapling Pond.

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Originally Posted by lilricky

Let me know if I need to bring a spare Blackbird for one of them to use!

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I guess you will just throw the BB on top of the 75 quart cooler full of ice and cold drinks that you will be bringing... :lol:

(admit it... you know you want to)

Dave :)

Great, now you got me thinking on how to get a cooler out there.....

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Originally Posted by samsara

I guess you will just throw the BB on top of the 75 quart cooler full of ice and cold drinks that you will be bringing... :lol:

(admit it... you know you want to)

Dave :)

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Originally Posted by Great White

You can go ahead and pencil me in for now. I want to see what the actual conditions are out there during the wet season. I am going to regret writing this but, I think it may be fun. :laugh: I can only do the weekend though, Sat. - Sun.

Where in the area of Hidden Pond where you thinking about hanging? Near the pond or somewhere else? There are wonderful hanging locations on the south end of Crooked Sapling Pond.

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Well, for the first night (Sat.), I'll probably be near the pond. I'm coming in after dark, so going further than I have to is probably contraindicated. However, I might be up for moving camp the second evening (Sun.)...

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Originally Posted by samsara

I guess you will just throw the BB on top of the 75 quart cooler full of ice and cold drinks that you will be bringing... :lol:

(admit it... you know you want to)

Dave :)

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Hrm...*evil stroking of chin*...

We did a little recon hike out there today. Started at pats island trail head. There is enough parking there for nine vehicles if carefully done(in the designated parking lot). With the rain we have been having each evening, The road in was soupy this early in the morning. The trail has grown tight and narrow in some places. Not much tree cover at all. No bugs to speak about. We made it to hidden pond. Water was good. The camp site there has spots for at least a dozen hammocks close together. On the hike out it started to rain. Not a real heavy downpour but steady for 2 miles out. The dirt road turned to mush. Some areas real deep my car would not have made it past. Good thing I was in the truck. We had fun and the rain was needed to cool us off on a really hot hike.

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Originally Posted by Life Scout

We did a little recon hike out there today. Started at pats island trail head. There is enough parking there for nine vehicles if carefully done(in the designated parking lot). With the rain we have been having each evening, The road in was soupy this early in the morning. The trail has grown tight and narrow in some places. Not much tree cover at all. No bugs to speak about. We made it to hidden pond. Water was good. The camp site there has spots for at least a dozen hammocks close together. On the hike out it started to rain. Not a real heavy downpour but steady for 2 miles out. The dirt road turned to mush. Some areas real deep my car would not have made it past. Good thing I was in the truck. We had fun and the rain was needed to cool us off on a really hot hike.

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Thanks for the scout report; the last time I was out there was in October. It sure does get hot across that prairie in the afternoons, and I could definitely see how some of the lower-lying areas on the road into Pat's Island could get a bit soupy.

I hope to see everyone out there!

Pencil me in as well. Maybe Fri-Sun nights.
I hope to be able to switch my Saturday to be there. Since it is payroll week will have to leave Mon morn. If my planning works out, I'll go out Friday afternoon so as not to try-then-fail at the Sat morn hike in before the heat of the day.

Man oh man. I hope to see you all there.
Lilricky, do you think I can get a small cooler in my daypack? :D

I'm a definite maybe. The heat will be pretty brutal but if the pond level is pretty high the swimming is nice (but the bottom is like pudding). I've got to check the schedule to see if I can make that weekend work.

Hmmm...just thought of something...I never learned to swim for fun, and this is at a pond...can I bring floaties? :laugh:


kc -- Fulltime hammocker, thanks to olddog, Samsara, and Duffy!

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Originally Posted by MightyMouse

Hmmm...just thought of something...I never learned to swim for fun, and this is at a pond...can I bring floaties? :laugh:


kc -- Fulltime hammocker, thanks to olddog, Samsara, and Duffy!

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Heck...the last time we were out there, folks brought in whole floating loungers and a full cooler. I wouldn't want to backpack that in, but if you want to (or can convince Duffy), well...

On the other hand, the close end of the pond is fairly shallow (I can stand up in it as far out as I'd feel comfortable walking on the bottom; it turns from sandy to mucky pretty fast). You shouldn't have a problem thereabouts.

That's a relief, Rider, thank you for the quick response!

It just happened to occur to me when I was unpacking the little bag Kaylee and I had a the pool. They don't allow floaties but they do have USCG vests, so she can jump in and kick to the edge, get out, repeat for 35 minutes.

When I sat down to read any updates, it struck me...they don't weigh much! :lol:

But if I can sit in "the shallow end," I'm good to go. Look forward to seeing you, as it looks like my mind has decided it's going... :eek: Packs should be lighter this time, right? RIGHT???


kc -- Fulltime hammocker, thanks to olddog, Samsara, and Duffy!

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Originally Posted by MightyMouse

That's a relief, Rider, thank you for the quick response!

It just happened to occur to me when I was unpacking the little bag Kaylee and I had a the pool. They don't allow floaties but they do have USCG vests, so she can jump in and kick to the edge, get out, repeat for 35 minutes.

When I sat down to read any updates, it struck me...they don't weigh much! :lol:

But if I can sit in "the shallow end," I'm good to go. Look forward to seeing you, as it looks like my mind has decided it's going... :eek: Packs should be lighter this time, right? RIGHT???


kc -- Fulltime hammocker, thanks to olddog, Samsara, and Duffy!

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Not a problem. And, yeah, packs should be lighter this time. By at least a pound...I seem to recall Duffy saying those JC Penny underquilts were about a pound a pop...

Just checking in on what ya'll are planning and it almost sounds like fun. Still don't know that I would make it even if I weren't in Maine. Have fun and be ready to regale us that don't attendee at a future hang.

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Originally Posted by olddog

Just checking in on what ya'll are planning and it almost sounds like fun. Still don't know that I would make it even if I weren't in Maine. Have fun and be ready to regale us that don't attendee at a future hang.

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I'll be sure to detail the number of tick bites for you...:D

Go ahead and pencil me in as well for Fri-Sat nights (and maybe Sun. night as well). Would anybody like to carpool from the Lakeland/Winter Haven area?

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Originally Posted by Tuck

Go ahead and pencil me in as well for Fri-Sat nights (and maybe Sun. night as well). Would anybody like to carpool from the Lakeland/Winter Haven area?

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Great! I look forward to seeing you when I get in late on Saturday!

Does anyone have a recommendation for a battery-operated fan I can hang on the ridge-line in my hammock? Duffy always has the fan on in the bedroom, and I'm not sure I'll sleep at all if the air isn't moving...

Thank you for any help you can give...and for not laughing...much...:blush:

kc -- Fulltime hammocker, thanks to Olddog, Samsara, and Duffy!

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Originally Posted by MightyMouse

Does anyone have a recommendation for a battery-operated fan I can hang on the ridge-line in my hammock? Duffy always has the fan on in the bedroom, and I'm not sure I'll sleep at all if the air isn't moving...

Thank you for any help you can give...and for not laughing...much...:blush:

kc -- Fulltime hammocker, thanks to Olddog, Samsara, and Duffy!

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Unfortunately, I can't recommend anything personally; my philosophy usually boils down to "tire myself out during the day and then sleep like the dead" on my solo trips. On group trips, there's usually something to do to cool off.

However, this is a subject that's been discussed before. Maybe something in that thread could help?

Hope it helps!

well it's been decided I can't go, I'm taking a trip with a friend of mine to his hometown in Ohio, this is the only chance we can do it right now because he's on leave from the Army.

it's too bad I have to miss this

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Originally Posted by Sparkfly88

well it's been decided I can't go, I'm taking a trip with a friend of mine to his hometown in Ohio, this is the only chance we can do it right now because he's on leave from the Army.

it's too bad I have to miss this

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'S okay. Good friends come first. Enjoy your trip somewhere cooler!

Sorry to hear you won't be there Sparkfly. But have fun on your trip!

As usual, Rider - I can always count on you for the info I need! Thanks!


kc -- Fulltime hammocker, thanks to Olddog, Samsara, and Duffy!