Camping Safety 101 and Survival Guide

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One of the first thing any camper should be concerned with is how he or she is going to stay safe while experiencing the outdoors. While it is impossible to predict everything that can go wrong while camping, taking preventive measures and being prepared for the most common camping injuries is one of the best ways to stay safe and enjoy the outdoors for many years ahead.

The first rule of thumb in camping safety is to always use common sense. Many injuries can be prevented when caution and good sense is exercised. Staying alert and taking care to only participate in activities that are within your personal abilities not only will provide a safe camping excursion for you, but will also keep your fellow campers safer, too.

Camping Safety and Animals

There is nothing that a camper should respect more than a wild animal and its space. For the most part, wild animals are afraid of humans. However, they can be drawn to the things that humans bring into the forest with them, and conflict can occur. Most of the potential dangers in wilderness encounters with animals can prevented with a little forethought and planning.

Animals are drawn to almost all foods that campers bring along on their trip. Salty or sweet, animals like raccoons and bears love to find a way into your stash, demolishing everything and anything in their way. One of the easiest ways to prevent animals from breaking into your food stash is to store everything in animal-proof containers. Camping and outdoor stores sell a variety of sizes and shapes for every camper’s needs.

Even when using an animal proof container, most parks have rules about how food must be stored. Some parks will provide food lockers to further prevent animals getting into your food, while others will insist that campers store their food in their vehicles. Sometimes, neither of these is an option and campers should be prepared to tie their food storage container between the limbs of two trees. Doing so requires a little extra effort in setting up camp, but saves campers the hassle of going without food or cleaning up a disastrous mess.

Under no circumstances should a camper ever try to confront a wild animal when food is involved. While some situations may call for loud noises or distractions, getting into the personal space of animal is a recipe for disaster. There isn’t any food item worth confronting an unpredictable creature from the wild.

Camping with Insects, Ticks, and other Small Pests

While large threats like bears and wolves are easy to think about, many campers make the mistake of forgetting about nature’s small pests and the problems they pose. Insects, such as flies and mosquitos can cause irritating bites, while ticks, and bees can cause more serious first aid concerns.

Avoiding injury or illness with insects is often as simple as preventing problems in the first place. A high-quality insect repellent will help keep mosquitos away, while light colored clothing will aid in repelling most species of flies. Ticks are parasitic and feed mostly on animals, but can pose long-term health threats to humans. Wearing long pants and an insect repellent with a high DEET content will help, but regular checks of the entire body, including the scalp and hair, are necessary to make sure ticks are not hitchhiking a ride throughout your camping trip.

Packing a Camping First Aid Kit

While camping, first aid kits are only as good as the contents within them and the camper’s ability to understand how to use all of the materials they contain. It’s important that the first aid kit be checked before each camping trip, and any missing pieces be replaced before heading out into the wild. You can buy a first aid kit already outfitted for most campers’ needs, or you can create your own by filling your own container.

In either event, a good camping first aid kit should have most of the following items, depending on the type of camping trip you are taking:

- Bandages in a variety of shapes and sizes
- Gauze pads and first aid adhesive tape
- Alcohol pads
- Latex or nitrile gloves
- Instant ice pack
- Sunscreen and topical cooling spray
- Safety pins
- Tweezers
- Antiseptic cream
- Throat lozenges
- Antacid tablets
- Pain relief medication, including acetominophin and ibuprofen
- Antidiarrheal medication
- Antacid tablets
- Water purification tablets
- Anti-itching cream
- Moleskin
- Small first aid scissors
- First aid manual
- Bee sting kit
- Antihistamine tablets, such as Benedryl
- Any regular medication needed throughout the trip

While the contents of the list may seem like overkill, when you are miles away from the nearest doctor’s office or hospital, it is always better to have carried a little extra weight than to be left wishing you had.

Other Camping Safety Tips

Planning plays an important part in preventing major problems while camping. Campers should never camp or hike alone, or at the very least should coordinate a check-in schedule with a friend. GPS technology has made it possible for campers to keep records of where they hike, adding an additional element of safety.

Detailed maps, a compass, and a planned route make it less likely for campers to get lost while enjoying their trip. Look up the phone number and address of the nearest hospital facility before leaving for the trip. In case of emergency, this can save precious time when trying to locate proper medical care.

Thoroughly extinguish your campfire before moving on to your next camping activity. Use care when lighting and tending the fire, always using leather gloves or a large fire poking stick to hand hot campfire rings and coals. And while it goes without saying, a burning campfire should never be left unattended.

Resource by AnnaBelle

Annalise Kaylor is a freelance writer, editor, and consultant specializing in search engine optimized content for the web. As a writer, her work has appeared across the United States in print ads for Whirlpool, Maytag, Home Depot, and Lowe's, among others. As a consultant, she has worked primarily in the education sector, helping universities increase their web visibility and construct and implement social media strategy. Annalise is an avid reader, knitter, organic gardener and baker, as well as the author of the popular baking blog, Knead To Be Loaved. Annalise enjoys fly fishing, camping, and hiking.

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