My friends usually decline my invitations to go camping during the summer. It's too hot, too buggy, too this, too that, they say. Nonsense, I reply.

Florida has dozens of great beach camping spots, and most are not crowded from June through August. You just have to know where to go, what to bring and how to survive for a few days without, heaven forbid, air-conditioning.

As I tell my kids, people lived in Florida for thousands of years before AC and cable TV. The trick is to get back to basics. Make your own shade, swim if you get too hot, drink plenty of water and pitch your tent where you can feel the sea breeze.

With one of the best state park systems in the country, Florida has dozens of great places to camp within a stone's throw of the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico.

Rest of the list for "The top 10 beach camping spots in Florida" can be found here: