Have you considered your camping safety?

Camping safety can be one of those "overlooked" aspects of camping, especially when you're new to the game. In general camping is very safe but indeed there are certain things you need to be aware of when making your first forays into the wilderness. New campers may not always think of the hazards that may be associated with camping and so I've built the pages in this section to deal with not only the concerns I have when I'm camping, but also the things that people are looking for when searching the internet for information.

Naturally camping often involves walking or hiking, maybe paddling and these activities can occur in a variety of conditions. A camping safety plan will help you to be prepared for most of the situations you may come up against when you're out in the woods. It's not impossible for things like weather conditions to change rapidly and really the best cure for that is prevention. There are times when even walking a forest trail may make you so thirsty you can't stand it. You need to realize before you even get started that you'll be needing something to drink along the way. Being dehydrated in the summer heat is a sure way to lead to heat stress if you're not careful so a little forethought can go a long way to preventing such occurences.

It's also a wise choice to bring a first aid kit along in the event you cut yourself or burn yourself. If you’re miles from anywhere in the bush and damp heat then you could be asking for problems with infection due to sweating and dirt and your general surroundings.

Another point to consider when thinking about camping safety is the type of animals that inhabit the wildlife you will be venturing into. I'm not saying this to scare you, I'm only trying to make you aware that there are animals out there and sometimes (on very rare occasions) they can be a problem.

Some of the common animals that are in the areas that I camp are moose, deer, racoons, and bears. Most animals do not wish to have human contact but sometimes we end up surprising each other!

Bears are a concern for me. I'm very cautious about bears every time I camp. I've learned over the years that I need to worry less when I'm in the back country than I do when I'm in the mainstream family campground.

In the back country bears are not at all used to human contact and will shy away most times without you even knowing they've been nearby. At a family campground on the other hand, bears can be a nusiance. They associate the waste generated by the people in the campground as a food source and come back repeatedly. I have been awakened by screaming campers before when they've left their coolers full of food as an easy target for some midnight bear.

The lesson here? Don't leave your food where an animal can easily get it and above all don't leave it in your tent! As far as I'm concerned you're just asking for problems if you do.

Elsewhere on this site I talk about the dehydrated food that I like to take when camping in the back country. Bears (and other nuisance animals) are a big reason why. Dehydrated food has a much weaker smell and is less likely to draw the attention of most animals (based on my experiences). Bears have a very keen sense of smell though and are said to even be able to "smell when a pine needle falls to the ground", so be aware of that when packing your food for a back country trip.

The same advice applies for your tent in the back country. That is, don't keep your food there! The same thing applies to things like deodorant, soap, toothpaste, granola bars or other packaged foods. Don't think that just because you can't smell it the animals can't. They can. Most likely the smells will attract pesky animals like racoons that are not a real threat but there is always the possibility of a more dangerous animal coming along, so plan accordingly. Be sure you have a plan for your camping safety.

Life threatening animal mishaps are very, very rare in camping but they do occur from time to time. Your best camping safety plan would be to make sure you're aware of your the animals in your surroundings before you go so there are no suprises later.

On our caming safety tips page you'll be able to learn how to properly pack your food for the night when camping.

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