Here's a few thoughts:
I love the ENP and have kayaked and fished the area a few times. Make sure they get a copy of NOAA Chart 111430 (
http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/11430.shtml). They can print the chart out, but it's well worth purchasing a waterproof chart for their journey. Also, download and read the Wilderness Trip Planner from
http://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisi...5corrected.pdf.
Make sure to take plenty of drinking water, as there's no place to obtain water in the 10,000 islands. Raccoons will be the only land based animals to worry about. Make sure to lock and possibly buckle strap any coolers or boxes that contain food, toothpaste, etc., and don't sleep with food in your tent. Depending on the season of the trip, mosquitoes can be bad, especially in the summer months. It will help if you spray your gear and clothing with Permethrin prior to the trip (
https://sawyer.com/products/permethr...ect-repellent/).
Have plenty of dry bags for storage and maybe a small drybox for any sensitive electronics. Depending on where they go, provider, etc., cell phone access may be spotty. I'd suggest a dedicated handheld GPS unit in a waterproof case, with a couple of backup batteries. In addition, an inexpensive wrist worn compass is good to have to give you a general idea of your direction and a pointer east to the mainland.
Make sure to have a tide table and make sure to use the tides in your favor when paddling. The tides can swing 3-4 feet and can be difficult when paddling against the tide, but a godsend when you use the tides to your advantage. If camping on an island, make sure you pull your kayaks or canoes up on the shore above the high waterline and tie off the boats securely to a tree. Also, on many of the islands at low tide, the ground around the island will be a deep muck that will be difficult to walk through, and you'll easily loose a water shoe or two if you try to walk through it, ask me how I know. If they've not camped on sandy beaches before, just be aware that sand will get everywhere and a small mat in front of the tent that you can use to take off your shoes and rinse you feet off comes in handy and help keep the sand out of your tent.
Most of the Chickee's have portable toilets and can be great when you want that dry land feeling. Once again, pay attention to the tides when camping on the Chickee's, if you hit them at low tide, you'll have to climb up around 4 feet and can be difficult to unload your gear above your head while in the boat. Make sure to have plenty of rope to tie off your boat with the swing of the tides.
Speaking of facilities, when camping on an island, make sure you take along a trowel for bathroom duties. Also, any fires you build on the island has to be built below the high water line.
It's easy to get turned around in the 10,000 islands if you venture deep into the islands, as all of the mangroves start to look the same. If you pay close attention to your direction by glancing at your compass often and refer to the chart, you can maintain a pretty good idea of where your at and how to get back to the mainland when needed.
I've always felt safe while paddling the area and have never run into any problems with two legged creatures. A lot of folks visit this area in the winter months so it's not as secluded as is is in the summer. When you check in at the visitor center, they have a board on the wall that shows the number of people camping on the islands or the Chickee's, so you'll have a good idea of how many folks are in the area.
One last thought, always wear a PFD and make sure you have attached a whistle, an knife, and a emergency overboard light to the PFD.
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