| Camping, island style by Scott B. Williams |
Mississippi’s barrier islands offer a unique wilderness camping experience for those who want to get away from
the mainland and try an island lifestyle, if only for a weekend. Can you imagine walking miles of beaches in the
light of a full moon without a road, casino, or house in sight? How about waking up on an empty expanse of white
sand, with nothing but Gulf of Mexico at your front door and miles of forest and marsh to explore in the interior?
These experiences and more can be found on the barrier islands that lie just over the horizon across the
Mississippi Sound.
Camping comfortably on these barrier islands, however, requires some special techniques and equipment to deal
with changing conditions encountered there. Scorching sun, relentless winds, and fierce insect hordes can all
conspire to make these islands seem anything but paradise to those who are not prepared.
These considerations make the tent the most important item on the camper’s checklist. It pays to invest in a good
tent. Cheap dome tents with fiberglass poles do not fare well in heavy rain squalls and the strong winds that
sweep unimpeded across the exposed beaches of the barrier islands. Better tents have lightweight but strong
aluminum poles, and a separate rain fly that attaches over the main tent. I favor the A-frame designs over
domes. These allow you to open the doors at least part way for ventilation on hot but rainy nights.
Good tents also feature finer mesh in the screens of windows and doors. This is an absolute necessity on the
islands, where tiny biting knats called “no-see-ums” can attack in such numbers that the unprepared will be driven
off the island. This happened to me on one of my first trips many years ago in a cheap dome tent with standard
mosquito netting.
In addition to the tent, you will need plenty of good stakes to secure it against high winds in the deep and shifting
sands that make up these island beaches. The best tent stakes for sand are the plastic ones that are T-shaped
in cross-section and at least an inch wide for holding power. Use stakes that are a foot long or more, and drive
them deeply with a mallet or piece of driftwood.
I also like to carry a light tarp in addition to a tent to set up as an awning for cooking in rainy weather or for shade
on a hot day. This will require extra tent stakes, line, and some sort of pole or piece of driftwood for setting up,
but it is well worth carrying.
Island cooking can be done with a fire, but be aware that fires are permitted in the Gulf Islands National Seashore
only in the sand below the high tide line. A better option is a portable campstove. The ones that use disposable
propane bottles are the most efficient and reliable. Cookware should be of stainless steel, and can be scrubbed
clean with beach sand as long as it is not Teflon-coated.
Fresh water is a precious commodity on the barrier islands. Carry as much as you can, and more than you think
you’ll need, for drinking, cooking, and washing; and be sure it is in leak-proof containers so it is not spilled and
wasted.
If you go wilderness camping on Mississippi’s barrier islands, you need to plan to be self-sufficient. Carry
everything you think you’ll need, and take everything you carry back home with you. Many people don’t realize
they can travel light, camp in remote places, and still be comfortable. To me, part of the pleasure in wilderness
travel is feeling at home wherever I may stop for the night. And feeling at home means being sheltered, well-fed,
and comfortable.
I am including here an abbreviated gear checklist for island camping, as well as rules and regulations for camping
in the Gulf Islands National Seashore. More specifics on gear, techniques, and where to go can be found in my
book: Exploring Coastal Mississippi: A Guide to the Marine Waters and Islands, University Press of Mississippi.
In future articles here I plan to discuss sea kayaking equipment and techniques, look at other boat types suitable
for camp cruising, and for those who do not have their own boats, profile various outfitters and charter operators
who can provide transportation to the islands.
Island Camping Checklist: (The Basic Essentials)
Tent with “no-see-um” netting, strong poles
Extra tarp or rainfly
Tent stakes that work in sand, mallet and extra line for tie-downs
Self-inflating sleeping pad or air mattress
Sleeping bag
Campstove and fuel
Stove lighters or matches
Stainless steel cookware (skillet, coffee pot, cook pot, etc.)
Stainless or plastic utensils, cups, bowls, plates
Compact can opener
Trash bags
Biodegradable liquid soap
Cooking and drinking water in leakproof containers
Waterproof flashlight (with spare bulbs, batteries)
Insect repellent
Sunscreen
Rain jacket and pants, or poncho
Hiking boots or shoes
Longsleeve shirt and pants (even in hot weather- for insect protection when needed)
Swimwear
Hat for sun protection
Basic first aid supplies, snakebite kit, Benadryl (for stings)
Toothbrush, toilet paper, etc.
Sunglasses
Camera, binoculars, notebook (optional)
Hammock and good book (optional)
Camping in the Gulf Islands National Seashore
Beach camping is permitted on Petit Bois, Horn, East Ship Island, and the parts of Cat Island that are included in
the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Camping is not permitted anywhere on West Ship Island.
Permits are not required for camping on the islands, but certain areas may be closed by the rangers at various
time to protect nesting birds and other plant and animal species.
Fires are permitted only below the high tide line where waves will carry the debris away. Driftwood is abundant,
so cutting firewood is not permitted.
Glass bottles or containers of any kind are prohibited on all the islands, as are firearms.
Campers should come prepared, with all food, water, fuel, etc. they will need for the duration of their stay. It is not
the job of the park rangers to supply these essentials to the ill-prepared.
the mainland and try an island lifestyle, if only for a weekend. Can you imagine walking miles of beaches in the
light of a full moon without a road, casino, or house in sight? How about waking up on an empty expanse of white
sand, with nothing but Gulf of Mexico at your front door and miles of forest and marsh to explore in the interior?
These experiences and more can be found on the barrier islands that lie just over the horizon across the
Mississippi Sound.
Camping comfortably on these barrier islands, however, requires some special techniques and equipment to deal
with changing conditions encountered there. Scorching sun, relentless winds, and fierce insect hordes can all
conspire to make these islands seem anything but paradise to those who are not prepared.
These considerations make the tent the most important item on the camper’s checklist. It pays to invest in a good
tent. Cheap dome tents with fiberglass poles do not fare well in heavy rain squalls and the strong winds that
sweep unimpeded across the exposed beaches of the barrier islands. Better tents have lightweight but strong
aluminum poles, and a separate rain fly that attaches over the main tent. I favor the A-frame designs over
domes. These allow you to open the doors at least part way for ventilation on hot but rainy nights.
Good tents also feature finer mesh in the screens of windows and doors. This is an absolute necessity on the
islands, where tiny biting knats called “no-see-ums” can attack in such numbers that the unprepared will be driven
off the island. This happened to me on one of my first trips many years ago in a cheap dome tent with standard
mosquito netting.
In addition to the tent, you will need plenty of good stakes to secure it against high winds in the deep and shifting
sands that make up these island beaches. The best tent stakes for sand are the plastic ones that are T-shaped
in cross-section and at least an inch wide for holding power. Use stakes that are a foot long or more, and drive
them deeply with a mallet or piece of driftwood.
I also like to carry a light tarp in addition to a tent to set up as an awning for cooking in rainy weather or for shade
on a hot day. This will require extra tent stakes, line, and some sort of pole or piece of driftwood for setting up,
but it is well worth carrying.
Island cooking can be done with a fire, but be aware that fires are permitted in the Gulf Islands National Seashore
only in the sand below the high tide line. A better option is a portable campstove. The ones that use disposable
propane bottles are the most efficient and reliable. Cookware should be of stainless steel, and can be scrubbed
clean with beach sand as long as it is not Teflon-coated.
Fresh water is a precious commodity on the barrier islands. Carry as much as you can, and more than you think
you’ll need, for drinking, cooking, and washing; and be sure it is in leak-proof containers so it is not spilled and
wasted.
If you go wilderness camping on Mississippi’s barrier islands, you need to plan to be self-sufficient. Carry
everything you think you’ll need, and take everything you carry back home with you. Many people don’t realize
they can travel light, camp in remote places, and still be comfortable. To me, part of the pleasure in wilderness
travel is feeling at home wherever I may stop for the night. And feeling at home means being sheltered, well-fed,
and comfortable.
I am including here an abbreviated gear checklist for island camping, as well as rules and regulations for camping
in the Gulf Islands National Seashore. More specifics on gear, techniques, and where to go can be found in my
book: Exploring Coastal Mississippi: A Guide to the Marine Waters and Islands, University Press of Mississippi.
In future articles here I plan to discuss sea kayaking equipment and techniques, look at other boat types suitable
for camp cruising, and for those who do not have their own boats, profile various outfitters and charter operators
who can provide transportation to the islands.
Island Camping Checklist: (The Basic Essentials)
Tent with “no-see-um” netting, strong poles
Extra tarp or rainfly
Tent stakes that work in sand, mallet and extra line for tie-downs
Self-inflating sleeping pad or air mattress
Sleeping bag
Campstove and fuel
Stove lighters or matches
Stainless steel cookware (skillet, coffee pot, cook pot, etc.)
Stainless or plastic utensils, cups, bowls, plates
Compact can opener
Trash bags
Biodegradable liquid soap
Cooking and drinking water in leakproof containers
Waterproof flashlight (with spare bulbs, batteries)
Insect repellent
Sunscreen
Rain jacket and pants, or poncho
Hiking boots or shoes
Longsleeve shirt and pants (even in hot weather- for insect protection when needed)
Swimwear
Hat for sun protection
Basic first aid supplies, snakebite kit, Benadryl (for stings)
Toothbrush, toilet paper, etc.
Sunglasses
Camera, binoculars, notebook (optional)
Hammock and good book (optional)
Camping in the Gulf Islands National Seashore
Beach camping is permitted on Petit Bois, Horn, East Ship Island, and the parts of Cat Island that are included in
the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Camping is not permitted anywhere on West Ship Island.
Permits are not required for camping on the islands, but certain areas may be closed by the rangers at various
time to protect nesting birds and other plant and animal species.
Fires are permitted only below the high tide line where waves will carry the debris away. Driftwood is abundant,
so cutting firewood is not permitted.
Glass bottles or containers of any kind are prohibited on all the islands, as are firearms.
Campers should come prepared, with all food, water, fuel, etc. they will need for the duration of their stay. It is not
the job of the park rangers to supply these essentials to the ill-prepared.
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Scott's Boat Pages
Home page of Author, Boatbuilder, and
Adventurer Scott B. Williams
Home page of Author, Boatbuilder, and
Adventurer Scott B. Williams