How to Plan Your First Kayak Trip – Lessons from the Everglades

Jennifer Pharr Davis is a record-breaking thru hiker, entrepreneur, mother, public speaker and published author. Needless to say, she knows a thing or two about pushing through new and uncomfortable experiences. Or so she thought! Read on to find out what she and her family experienced on a recent kayaking trip in the Everglades and tips for how they will plan their next kayak trip to Everglades NP differently.

/////

My family and I went on a three day / two night paddle in Everglades National Park last year. I wish I could say it was life changing. In a way, I guess it was. In that my husband may never convince me to go on another paddle for the rest of my life. I’m kidding. I think.

We learned a lot. A lot that can be applied to future trips and a lot worth sharing with other paddle newbies like ourselves. So in an effort to let our pain and suffering not go to waste, I will share a thing or two with you here.


But first, some context. We are adventurers. We have spent a LOT of time in national parks. Our kids are young (9 and 5) but I would say they’re tougher than most. My husband grew up taking weeklong river trips with his family as a teen. And we get on the water a half dozen times or so every summer.

We did our homework. We talked to a friend who convinced us this would be a good idea. He’s someone we trust. Well, used to trust. I’m kidding. I think. But he had done these trips for years with his sons. They’re big into fishing and they come down from New Hampshire every January. We came down from North Carolina in April. There were big differences between his experience and ours. Here are a few of them.

Foto thumbnail Blog Otè
Hiker, Oratè, otè
Jennifer Pharr Davis

Jennifer Pharr Davis se yon avanti entènasyonalman rekonèt, oratè, otè, ak antreprenè ki te monte plis pase 14,000 kilomèt nan santye sou sis kontinan diferan.

Nan 2011 li te mete tan an jeneral pi rapid li te ye sou Trail apalachian an pa fini 2,185 kilomèt pye nan 46 jou (yon mwayèn de 47 kilomèt nan yon jounen). Epi li pa ralanti depi.

Jennifer te sakade 700 kilomèt ansent, te mache atravè North Carolina pandan ke li te pran tibebe li ki fèk fèt la, epi li te monte nan tout 50 eta yo ak pitit fi li ki gen dezan.

Li se yon manm nan Konsèy Prezidan an nan espò, Kapasite ak Nitrisyon, te chin an tap nan fim nan 2020 IMAX nan Amerik la, epi li te sèvi sou tablo a nan Konsèvasyon Anglè a.

Jennifer se vrèman yon fòs lanati. Men, sa ki eksite pi plis li se entwodwi moun nan opòtinite yo ki chanje lavi ki nati bay.

Medya Mansyone

Sawyer’s spray offers an impressive 12 hours of protection against mosquitoes and ticks, and a little less (eight hours) against flies, gnats, and chiggers.

Korin Miller
Health, Lifestyle and Commerce Writer

Medya Mansyone

Sawyer’s Permethrin spray has also worked as promised.

Mark Melotik
Freelance Writer

Medya Mansyone

Sawyer, for example, checks to ensure that no pore size exceeds 0.01 microns, stating that “the filters are then checked four more times at crucial points of assembly for filter integrity before they make their way onto the shelf.”

Dan Hu
Ekriven