Make sure you stay observant of ur sorroundings in those open areas because i was out there one night in a simular area having a fire and drinkin a few beers after scouting for deer and noticed I was being spied on by a little drone that was hardley visable(mini drone) All i could see was a little light that looked like a lightening bug then it slowly went away when it noticed i was looking at it. Then i noticed again about 20 mins later and got the F*** out of there quick! Oh yeah and by the way nice set up bud
Yep it was a creepy feelin to say the least. Drones can be 3,000 ft up in the air and there is no way to tell their there so the best way to camp and stay undetected is dig a little hole for the fire and put some kind of canopy over it like 6 or 7ft off the ground so it cant be seen from the sky during the night. Just to be safe because it is truly a crazy world now days.
I can’t remember what video you showed it but what is the cooking disc looking thing you cook on with the single burner Coleman stove? The Tembo Tusk is over $400 but you mentioned a far cheaper alternative that’s not listed in your bio of links. Think you said it was around $20? I’ve searched everywhere and can’t find it.
@@OverlandFlorida Nice! Didn’t know you had a separate video specifically for that. Thank you for the reply. I’m a Polk County native, still live in Lakeland. If you’re ever up for a beer or a hike let me know. Recently found your channel and dig it. 🤙🏻
I'm confused as to how you did this because from my understanding (after calling the ranger station) you are not allowed to camp in or near your car ONF. Any info you know that I don't would help because I really need to get in the middle of no where and find some quiet.
@@OverlandFlorida im just curious. I have a 2001 tundra access cab and I've wanted to go to Ocala. Did you ever worry going solo in case you got stuck? Or is the terrain manageable for a 2wd?
Kevin I would highly suggest from past experience 😉 never crack an egg into your food directly. If you end up with a bad egg you just ruined your whole meal. Crack your eggs in a separate container then dump them in.
@@OverlandFlorida Directly on the beach? The only one by me is Fort DeSoto (impossible to get in for a weekend) and Turtle Beach on Siesta Key (it's for RVs)
@@OverlandFlorida That was always my GO TO place up there. Drove through it a year or so back and saw they had built" Upgrades" to the area. They destroyed my favorite spot there about 20 or so years ago by adding that concrete trailer pad in the area that I used to set up camp. It had the best view of the prairie. I'd spend a week or so up there when I could "Off Season". Do they still have the poles buried along the drive area so you can't park in the camp spots?
@@OverlandFlorida OK. Got it. I used to do that too, out of Hunting Season. But that was 30 years ago. I hope to, one day, have time to be ale to get back out there and enjoy it again , like I used to. Life just keeps getting in the way.
I coudn't help but notice your gun attached to your side. Is that for potential bears or people or both. Your truck looks higher than usual. Is that a new lift.
Great video man! Really enjoyed. We haven’t been up to the forest in a while, now I’m getting the itch. Keep the videos coming, love the solo camping! Cheers!
Kevin where did you get the clamp-on fan from and what brand is it? Great video by the way. For a hard shell take a look at the Ikamper or the Ikamper mini
Cool vid brother!! Def mix in some more solo overnighters. Do that myself fairly often, do some hikes or trail riding. Broke 13K....awesome. Where do we get the Overland Florida long sleeves???
@@OverlandFlorida I hear ya. I've seen some channels put them up for pre-order for a month or so, then print and ship. No financial commitment from them. Just a thought. Thanks
I like the solo trips because that's how I roll. I'm looking at hitting Ocala NF for the first time late this coming winter or early spring when it's cooler, the bugs are fewer, and the forest roads are a lot drier so I can see what I'm getting into with my old Outback.
Hey Kevin, how are you? Is there any way you can give me the coordinates to the camping spot in Hopkins Prairie And other spots, area seems to big to locate. Thanks
Gaia is great all around, however when I go to ONF I use the Avenza Maps app. Be sure to download the ONF map ahead of time as there isn’t much reception in the forest (at least not for AT&T or Sprint).
They just came out with a new invention ... Bug repellent. Lol. Kidding..... But I use the thermacell rechargeable liquid thing and some Off botanical lotion. If I'm not complacent and use it regularly I never get as much as a bite, from anything .
For those who are interested in the exact location where you were primitive camping, it is along FR 25 (as shown on the ONF MVUM) on the west side of Hopkins Prairie. One thing that people should be aware of is that primitive camping is not allowed in this area, and specifically where you were camping, or in fact anywhere in the vicinity of Hopkins Prairie, from mid November to mid January, per ONF camping regulations listed in the Ocala WMA brochure, which can be downloaded from FWC’s website and is updated annually on a July 1 to June 30 update cycle. The exact dates vary slightly each year. For this current year’s cycle, primitive camping is not permitted in the Hopkins Prairie WMA Management Unit from November 14, 2020 to January 10, 2021. During that time period (from 11/14/20 to 1/10/21), camping is only permitted in the official designated Hopkins Prairie Campground over on the east side of Hopkins Prairie (accessed via the FR 50-11.1 spur, off of FR 50) and has a fee of $15 per site per night. During the remainder of the year when primitive camping is permitted in the vicinity of Hopkins Prairie - from mid January to mid November (like when you were there) - the camping regs are that sleeping either inside or on top of your vehicle (in a RTT), or in a trailer, is not allowed. It is only permitted to sleep in a tent on the ground or in a hammock between trees. I’m not sure how strictly these camping regulations are enforced by ONF Forest Service Rangers and/or FWC Officers, maybe not so much and perhaps are kind of loose and spotty, only occasionally, haphazardly enforced. But people should at least be aware of the camping regs, so as not to get an unpleasant surprise in the middle of the night if they are enforced.
Just to add: the reason you can only camp at designated campsites thru fall and some of winter is it's hunting season/general gun season. This is a shared resource area, everybody gets to play around, even the hunters. Go ahead, sleep there anyways, just make sure and put on some antler ball caps :D
@@alkydah6741 Thanks for adding that. Yeah, that’s where I had read it - in FWC’s Ocala WMA hunting regulations brochure; as a new gun owner I’m interested in getting into that sport and am doing my research, learning, getting up to speed. Good thing that here in Florida the various different sporting interests seem to be able (relatively speaking) to play nicely together in sharing the public land resources, at least better than Colorado, for example, where the environmentalists have been waging a 30+ year legal battle, and are succeeding to some extent, in permanently shutting down long-established, officially recognized mountain Jeep trails to off-road use, reserving them exclusively for the use of hikers. I’ve always been mostly a hiker (but have always respected the principle of multi-use shared-resource), just now starting to get into off-roading, and soon hunting. Got to be able to share the public land resources, play nicely together and respect each other. It’s all good - hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping, hunting, fishing, off-roading, bird watching. Let a thousand flowers bloom.
@@charleswhalen7332 dual sport motorcyclist here, and I adhere strictly to all the rules and regs i.e.: stay on named trails only. We can all play nicely together.
Hey Kevin, i was wondering where you usually go for camping in Ocala. I went to Juniper Prairie Wilderness Camping access, i would love to go further into the woods then that. It's @projectranger3.0 on Instagram.
Comment if you guy's and gal's want to see more solo trips.
Overland Florida Keep them coming! I’m getting back into it and will join you on the trail!!
Yea I like the solo trips a good deal. Nice job
Thank you.
Really prepared with that G strapped at 3....👍👍👍👍👍
Damn right
Great video.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Make sure you stay observant of ur sorroundings in those open areas because i was out there one night in a simular area having a fire and drinkin a few beers after scouting for deer and noticed I was being spied on by a little drone that was hardley visable(mini drone) All i could see was a little light that looked like a lightening bug then it slowly went away when it noticed i was looking at it. Then i noticed again about 20 mins later and got the F*** out of there quick!
Oh yeah and by the way nice set up bud
Thanks!
That's crazy about the drone.
Yep it was a creepy feelin to say the least. Drones can be 3,000 ft up in the air and there is no way to tell their there so the best way to camp and stay undetected is dig a little hole for the fire and put some kind of canopy over it like 6 or 7ft off the ground so it cant be seen from the sky during the night. Just to be safe because it is truly a crazy world now days.
My man you have a fucking dope rig.
Thank you!
Any suggestions as to what "roads" are best in the ONF for non-four wheel drive trucks/cars?
Almost all the main roads are 2wd friendly. Everything in this video was 2wd.
Can you dispersed camp just about anywhere (aside from hunting season)
Yes, go to the website. There are rules about camping near roads and water.
@@OverlandFlorida awesome thanks!
Hi..i like your lifestyle..but i have a question..any problems with wild life?? Florida panthers?? Black bears??
You don't have to worry about panthers. Most people will go their whole life without ever seeing one. You do have to worry about bears in Ocala.
@@OverlandFlorida many thanks.
Great location, nice rig and setup, you lucky bastard.
Thank you sir!
I might head up there this weekend. Can you just pull off any trail camp amd have a fire?
It's motified to flow through a hose. So I just run the hose through one of the open windows.
It's hunting season. No primitive camping allowed.
Fantastic views. Seems like a very relaxing place for a quick getaway.
It's very relaxing, easily my most favorite part of the forest.
I can’t remember what video you showed it but what is the cooking disc looking thing you cook on with the single burner Coleman stove? The Tembo Tusk is over $400 but you mentioned a far cheaper alternative that’s not listed in your bio of links. Think you said it was around $20? I’ve searched everywhere and can’t find it.
ruclips.net/video/mHJfTHdzCpc/видео.html
@@OverlandFlorida Nice! Didn’t know you had a separate video specifically for that. Thank you for the reply. I’m a Polk County native, still live in Lakeland. If you’re ever up for a beer or a hike let me know. Recently found your channel and dig it. 🤙🏻
@@BradM766 born and raised on the south side. I'm off 14 days a month. I'll let you know next time I'm out and about.
@@OverlandFlorida Sounds like you might be 10-8? If you know what that is then you know. I’m former 10-8 myself.
@@BradM766 I worked for Grady for 12.5 years. Now I'm with another agency.
Awesome overlanding
Thank you.
I'm confused as to how you did this because from my understanding (after calling the ranger station) you are not allowed to camp in or near your car ONF. Any info you know that I don't would help because I really need to get in the middle of no where and find some quiet.
Sometimes it's better to ask for forgiveness.
Ahh okay! Thank you 💜
So how do you handle mosquitoes?
They don't bother me a whole lot. But bug spray if I'm desperate. Other wise a Smokey fire.
Is this Hopkins Prairie?
Yes.
@@OverlandFlorida is this the campground or somewhere else. I like to stay here. I have stayed at the campground one night.
@@flsnowman82 this is not the campground. This is on the edge of the prarie.
👍👍👍👍👍
Was your 4wd working on your truck at this time?
Nope.
@@OverlandFlorida im just curious. I have a 2001 tundra access cab and I've wanted to go to Ocala. Did you ever worry going solo in case you got stuck? Or is the terrain manageable for a 2wd?
I'm sure you always do but always take a gun when going out there most people are friendly but you never know
I'm pretty sure I'm wearing a gun in this video.
In Ocala National Forest, is it possible to camp anywhere, or only in designated camping areas?
Durning certain times of the year, you can disperse camp. ⛺️
Fantastic video!
Thank you!
Very beautiful park only passed though never camp there but I heard the bass fishing is good
What park are you talking about?
Overland Florida sorry Ocala national forest lol
I'm not sure about the bass fishing. Hardee Lakes Park is awesome for bass fishing.
Overland Florida yes sir I’m have to take you up on that just got a motor for the boat so I can’t wait to go again
Amazing trip. Would love to join in sometime and learn the tricks. Thanks for the adventure. God bless
Thank you for watching!
Nice Yes do some more Solo Camping Trips but show more of the camping part . I know it was raining so that ok
Kevin I would highly suggest from past experience 😉 never crack an egg into your food directly. If you end up with a bad egg you just ruined your whole meal. Crack your eggs in a separate container then dump them in.
I never thought of that. Thanks for the tip!
Hopefully next year I'm getting a alu cab canopy camper
I'm thinking it's going to be a game changer
Thats a great set up!
DUUDE your videos are the best i look forward to watching them and very much look forward to camping back home in Florida
Thanks for the comment and for watching.
I just started watching your videos. Very entertaining, subscribed. I especially like the ones in the Ocala National Forest.
Thank you, we have fun making them.
Where can you beach camp on then gulf coast?
There's a couple private campgrounds.
@@OverlandFlorida Directly on the beach?
The only one by me is Fort DeSoto (impossible to get in for a weekend) and Turtle Beach on Siesta Key (it's for RVs)
@@srok62 you'll have to stay tuned for a future episode. There's other places. You have to look a little harder.
We love your videos solo or otherwise! Please show more! Good tip on the hammock!
Thanks for the feed back!
Do you have a video on your power setup? Like how you power the fridge?
I will have to make a new one.
Curious on what size awning you have?
6.5ft x 8ft.
I think solo could be an interesting angle .
Me too. Hopefully it wasn't too boring.
Overland Florida nope that’s my idea of a great weekend . Great mental therapy
Really beautiful place. Loved hearing the woodpeckers in the background. Liked the small Dutch oven perfect size for one or two people!
It is a beautiful place.
Some of my most relaxing trips are the solo ones!
In which area did you set up camp? Hopkins Prairie maybe? Appreciate the video!
You are correct! Thanks for watching!
Were you at Hopkins?
Yes.
@@OverlandFlorida That was always my GO TO place up there. Drove through it a year or so back and saw they had built" Upgrades" to the area. They destroyed my favorite spot there about 20 or so years ago by adding that concrete trailer pad in the area that I used to set up camp. It had the best view of the prairie. I'd spend a week or so up there when I could "Off Season". Do they still have the poles buried along the drive area so you can't park in the camp spots?
@@johnmcdougald1238 we are talking about 2 separate areas. This is dispersed camping. Not a campground.
@@OverlandFlorida OK. Got it. I used to do that too, out of Hunting Season. But that was 30 years ago. I hope to, one day, have time to be ale to get back out there and enjoy it again , like I used to. Life just keeps getting in the way.
Very nice solo experience! Regards from Costa Rica. 🖒😀
Thank you!!
Great video stay safe out there !
You too!
I coudn't help but notice your gun attached to your side. Is that for potential bears or people or both. Your truck looks higher than usual. Is that a new lift.
Same tires and lift. We typically carry firearms when we camp for hogs and bears. Visit Floridacarry.org for more information.
Looked like a good time. Its nice to get out alone sometimes. Thanks for the video. Enjoyed watching
Thanks for watching!
Where was the beach camping at?
You'll have tonstay tuned lol
Love your work 👌
Great video man! Really enjoyed. We haven’t been up to the forest in a while, now I’m getting the itch. Keep the videos coming, love the solo camping! Cheers!
Thanks! There will be more to come!
The forest?
Kevin where did you get the clamp-on fan from and what brand is it?
Great video by the way.
For a hard shell take a look at the Ikamper or the Ikamper mini
I'll have to look for a brand on the fan next time I use it. I actually bought an iKamper last week.
@@OverlandFlorida mini or regular 4 person?
@@thomaswojan5637 4 person.
@@thomaswojan5637 I checked the fan. There is no sticker or brand on it.
@@OverlandFlorida thanks Kevin enjoy your weekend!
I would just love to be out there and read a good book.
It's very relaxing.
Cool vid brother!! Def mix in some more solo overnighters. Do that myself fairly often, do some hikes or trail riding. Broke 13K....awesome. Where do we get the Overland Florida long sleeves???
Thanks for the feed back. I have to earn enough revenue before I can place an order for shirts.
@@OverlandFlorida I hear ya. I've seen some channels put them up for pre-order for a month or so, then print and ship. No financial commitment from them. Just a thought. Thanks
I like the solo trips because that's how I roll. I'm looking at hitting Ocala NF for the first time late this coming winter or early spring when it's cooler, the bugs are fewer, and the forest roads are a lot drier so I can see what I'm getting into with my old Outback.
An outback would be perfect out there.
I love that light!! Does it draw many bugs? Thanks for the video!!
It does sometimes.
You need to get you a @mountain_hatch!!!
Above my pay grade lol
Hey Kevin, how are you? Is there any way you can give me the coordinates to the camping spot in Hopkins Prairie And other spots, area seems to big to locate. Thanks
It's not a big area. There's only 1 forest road that goes around the prarie.
I ride ATV’s out there a lot. Where are you camping exactly in a round about way?
Hopkins.
Overland Florida that’s what I thought. I’ve camped out there a few times back when I wore a younger mans shoes.
Do you save your routes at all? Looks like a great place to camp.
I do not save them. But that was Hopkins Prarie.
Florida weather is hot, even during this time of the year. How do you keep cool?
With a fan or generator and air conditioning.
Great camping spot! A little WD-40 could be your friend though... lol
Haha. Wasn't that cringe worthy? Lol
Any Panhandle trips planned?
Not really. Pretty far out of the way.
Dutch oven liner 👌🏽 I’m going to have to look into those now haha cast irons r such a pain to clean
They sure are a pain in the butt to clean.
BRASIL 🇧🇷
👏👏👏👏👏
Brother, the Blue Line is heavy. I really enjoy solo trips to decompress and recharge. Be Safe.
Thanks. You too!
Best take away from Ronny Dahl is to pack your eggs in a repurposed water bottle!
But that involves planning ahead lol
I'm commenting purely because I know you must have been incredibly bored and that makes me laugh 🤣
You have no idea. I took so many naps just trying to pass the time lol
Then when it came time to actually go to bed, I was wide awake lol. No internet connection or anything.
@@OverlandFlorida if you would have gone slightly NE you would have had reception lol
@@Jack-gn8qj I don't have Verizon aymore. I have AT&T and they suck around Florida.
👏👏✌
this was a really nice spot you had.. i enjoyed seeing you do this solo
Thanks for the comment.
Hope there’s a trailer walaround coming soon
Coming right up.
I’ve been wanting to take my wife and daughter out there soon, is there a good trail app or map you’d recommend for ONF? Thanks fellow Florida homie!
There are printable maps available online. I don't actually have any maps, i just drive around aimlessly and look for cool spots and wildlife.
Gaia app is nice.
Gaia is great all around, however when I go to ONF I use the Avenza Maps app. Be sure to download the ONF map ahead of time as there isn’t much reception in the forest (at least not for AT&T or Sprint).
@@glennschmidt8877 I never had any luck with that one.
No-see-ums and chiggers eat me alive out there - love the area though.
It was the fire ants that got me.
They just came out with a new invention ... Bug repellent. Lol.
Kidding..... But I use the thermacell rechargeable liquid thing and some Off botanical lotion. If I'm not complacent and use it regularly I never get as much as a bite, from anything .
For those who are interested in the exact location where you were primitive camping, it is along FR 25 (as shown on the ONF MVUM) on the west side of Hopkins Prairie. One thing that people should be aware of is that primitive camping is not allowed in this area, and specifically where you were camping, or in fact anywhere in the vicinity of Hopkins Prairie, from mid November to mid January, per ONF camping regulations listed in the Ocala WMA brochure, which can be downloaded from FWC’s website and is updated annually on a July 1 to June 30 update cycle. The exact dates vary slightly each year. For this current year’s cycle, primitive camping is not permitted in the Hopkins Prairie WMA Management Unit from November 14, 2020 to January 10, 2021. During that time period (from 11/14/20 to 1/10/21), camping is only permitted in the official designated Hopkins Prairie Campground over on the east side of Hopkins Prairie (accessed via the FR 50-11.1 spur, off of FR 50) and has a fee of $15 per site per night.
During the remainder of the year when primitive camping is permitted in the vicinity of Hopkins Prairie - from mid January to mid November (like when you were there) - the camping regs are that sleeping either inside or on top of your vehicle (in a RTT), or in a trailer, is not allowed. It is only permitted to sleep in a tent on the ground or in a hammock between trees.
I’m not sure how strictly these camping regulations are enforced by ONF Forest Service Rangers and/or FWC Officers, maybe not so much and perhaps are kind of loose and spotty, only occasionally, haphazardly enforced. But people should at least be aware of the camping regs, so as not to get an unpleasant surprise in the middle of the night if they are enforced.
Just to add: the reason you can only camp at designated campsites thru fall and some of winter is it's hunting season/general gun season. This is a shared resource area, everybody gets to play around, even the hunters. Go ahead, sleep there anyways, just make sure and put on some antler ball caps :D
@@alkydah6741 Thanks for adding that. Yeah, that’s where I had read it - in FWC’s Ocala WMA hunting regulations brochure; as a new gun owner I’m interested in getting into that sport and am doing my research, learning, getting up to speed. Good thing that here in Florida the various different sporting interests seem to be able (relatively speaking) to play nicely together in sharing the public land resources, at least better than Colorado, for example, where the environmentalists have been waging a 30+ year legal battle, and are succeeding to some extent, in permanently shutting down long-established, officially recognized mountain Jeep trails to off-road use, reserving them exclusively for the use of hikers. I’ve always been mostly a hiker (but have always respected the principle of multi-use shared-resource), just now starting to get into off-roading, and soon hunting. Got to be able to share the public land resources, play nicely together and respect each other. It’s all good - hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping, hunting, fishing, off-roading, bird watching. Let a thousand flowers bloom.
@@charleswhalen7332 dual sport motorcyclist here, and I adhere strictly to all the rules and regs i.e.: stay on named trails only. We can all play nicely together.
Thank you for the information that clarified a lot for me.
Hey Kevin, i was wondering where you usually go for camping in Ocala. I went to Juniper Prairie Wilderness Camping access, i would love to go further into the woods then that. It's @projectranger3.0 on Instagram.
Hey! Welcome. I usually just drive around aimlessly until I find a spot. But I usually go to the prarie.