Ft DeSoto County Park, FL

December 5-7,2010
December in Florida can go either way. Downright cold or nice moderate temperatures. Our luck this time was for windy, near freezing conditions. I guess it was a test for the wind hardiness and and warm up ability of our tent and aluminum camper. We spent 3 nights at Ft. DeSoto and each night it got down into the thirties, with winds blowing 30-40 mph the whole time.
Opening up the camper in those winds did not pose too much of a problem with the two of us. We were in a relatively protected campsite, with shade overhead and tree barriers around. Most of the campsites are situated like this.
I had ordered three heat shield sheets to try to protect from the cold and hot. These only partially covered the roof and walls of the camper. (Ordered a Pop Up Gizmo later on. More about that later.) We both had sleeping bags and quilts, and the foam mattresses on the aluminum frame. (Will have to consider putting a barrier between frame and mattress in future cold trips.) We had installed foam flooring from Sam's Club that we snapped together and cut to fit, so every bit of exposed floor was covered. The little electric heater from Wal Mart was going full blast, and we did manage to get the temperature up to 50s and low 60s inside the camper.
Aside from being cold and windy, it was an enjoyable experience. Ft DeSoto is one of the most beautiful campsites around. A little expensive, $35-40/night. Water and electric provided. Most of the sites are shaded with a good tree and shrub barrier between sites. Check out their website to get a look at each individual site, which you can see when are choosing a site to book. It's a very popular park, and winter early spring time is very difficult to obtain. Booking is open 6 months ahead of time.

We were in site 15, overlooking the water. Here's a short video of the windy conditions, from the inside of the camper. As you can see, we need to develop a better way to organize the equipment to avoid clutter.
The foam mattresses are ok for sleeping, if you have adequate padding on your pressure points. Otherwise you really need a thicker one than the one provided by the company. We plan to get a foam topper.
Nighttime bathroom trips are a reality for people of a certain age. (as are we). The camper doesn't come with a bathroom or shower (our choice), so I knew we would have to get one. After looking at all sorts of options on the web, including one that hung off the ball of the tow hitch, I settled for one my neighbor suggested. A five gallon drum fitted with a toilet seat made especially for it. Line that with a 10 gallon garbage bag, and some kitty litter at the bottom, and you're good to go. I did not relish tramping 100 yards to the unheated bathroom in 30 degree weather 2x a night, so was glad this option was available.
Ft DeSoto's North Beach has been consistently rated one of the best in the US. Although too cold for swimming, it was great walking on the beach, which is very natural.
The beach gets crowded with locals on summer weekends.


Walking path and lagoon behind our campsite



North Beach, Ft. DeSoto