More Camping Safety Tips: Campfires And Wildlife

Respecting nature should be a top priority anytime you relax or play in the great outdoors. Camping safety and protecting yourself from common outdoor hazards should be just as important. Each year, thousands of accidents occur in the outdoors as a result of camper and backpacker carelessness. Protect yourself with these camping safety tips.

Campfire Safety

Campfire negligence is a leading cause of forest fires and also causes many camping injuries and deaths. Only build your campfires in designated areas. Most campgrounds provide fire rings or pits for campfires or you can use a Coleman fireplace to safely contain your campfire. Keep the area surrounding your campfire free of trash and other debris that could ignite and set your tent, chairs, and other gear a safe distance from the flame.

Many campgrounds and state parks provide wood for campfires for a small price, but supplies are often low during peak seasons. Bring your own dry firewood to avoid taking wood from the natural area. If you do gather firewood at your campsite, only take pieces already on the ground. Never cut trees or branches within the campground or park and find your wood away from your campsite.

Begin your fire with a small stack of twigs. Aromatic cedar and pine and other soft woods burn quickly and make excellent fire starters. Use a match to light the dry sticks and add larger pieces of dry hardwood as the campfire strengthens. Burn any garbage or waste that will burn to reduce the amount of waste you carry out and to limit your use of firewood. Before leaving your campsite, completely extinguish your campfire using water. Stir the ashes and pour more water on the embers. Make sure the ashes are cool to the touch before leaving the campsite and remove any debris that didn’t burn.

Always keep water close by whenever you have a campfire. Breezes and wind can cause embers to spread quickly. Keep the campfire at a reasonable level and never leave it unattended. Put your campfire out before going to sleep each evening.

Wildlife Safety

The wild animals you may encounter in the great outdoors can be beautiful and amazing to watch, but can also be quite harmful and even deadly if you’re not careful. Anytime you see a wild animal, observe the animal from a safe distance. Never try to feed a wild animal and avoid sudden movements or closing in on the animal. Report any strange wildlife behavior to the park ranger to warn of possible rabies.

To reduce the risk of bears or other animals in your campsite, never leave food and drinks out in the open. Cover all your food and keep the containers inside your car or suspended from a tree out of animal reach. Garbage should be burned, immediately disposed of, or suspended in the air as well. To prevent bears, hang your bags at least 12 feet high and 4 feet away from the trunk of the tree. Avoid storing food inside your tent and take out any snacks before bedtime.

Have The Best Camping Trip Ever With These Amazing Camping Tips

While we all know that camping is fun, great and so on, we also know that it entails careful planning to make it a memorable and fun experience. But the thing is, you don’t need to be a seasoned camper to enjoy camping. You don’t have to be a camper for 10 years or more to experience what an amazing camping trip is.

With these useful tips, you will know the secrets to having a wonderful camping trip.

Smart Packing

• Create a checklist and bring only the real essential things. Bringing a dozen suitcases filled with what you think are important will not only slow you down but might ruin your camping trip.
• Ration out supplies like medication, fuel, lotion, shampoo and the like in smaller containers filled with the amount that you’ll need for the duration of the camping. Add only a little extra for emergency.

Picking a Campsite

• Pick a spot with a clean and safe water source. Bringing too many bottles of water will slow you down and not having enough to drink will dehydrate you.
• Choose a shady spot. But don’t pitch your tent directly under the trees because it is dangerous in case of sudden thunderstorms.

Keeping Unwanted Guests Away

• Spray ammonia on garbage to remove the smell of leftover food and to keep animals away.
• After washing, use baking soda on your hands and clothes to remove the smell of food so bears and other wild creature will not go near you.
• Draw lines around your tent floor with chalk. This will keep ants and cockroaches away.
• To protect yourself from mosquitoes and ticks, wear insect repellent lotion and tuck in your clothing like your shirt into your pants, pants into socks and so on.

Convenient Cooking Techniques

• Prepare and measure ingredients at home before you leave for the camping trip so that you need not bring your measuring spoons and cups. Place the pre-measured ingredient in small containers and be sure to label them so you don’t mistakenly put salt in your coffee.
• Half-cook food at home to save cooking time and fuel at the campsite.
• Always cover pots and pans while cooking so that food are cooked at a much faster time.
• Make your matches waterproof by dipping them in nail polish or melted paraffin.

Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

• Try being naked when you sleep in your sleeping bag. The heat of your body will be reflected back to you.
• Don’t forget to bring a catalytic heater like the Coleman BlackCat™ Perfectemp™ Catalytic Heater that will provide you with safe and flameless warmth for a comfortable sleep.

Hiking Tips

• Don’t forget to bring the hiking essentials: snacks, water, watch, whistle, cell phone, compass, flashlight and knife in case of emergency.
• Opt for light running shoes and nylon socks if hiking boots cause blisters on your feet.
• Put a wet towel on top of your head if it’s hot. This will help keep you cool despite the scorching heat of the sun.

These tips will prepare you for your camping trip. And your camping trip will surely teach you more tips that you can add to these ones.

Camping Holiday Tips For The Beginnner

With forethought and a little imagination your camping trip can be very enjoyable and a bit of an adventure. Before I go off on holiday I always have a practice in my garden and make sure I can remember how to put my tent up. When my tent is erected this also gives me the chance to check that all the pieces are there and in good working order and I can also make sure my tent is waterproof. If I have bought a new tent then this will give me the chance to familiarise myself with it before I venture out. Just think how embarrassed I would feel if I arrived at my beautiful destination and didn’t know how to assemble my holiday accommodation!

When I have chosen my destination and found my camping site I think facilities, do I want to have them readily available or do I want to ‘rough it’. If I were a happy hiker and carrying my tent and equipment in a rucksack then depending on where I stopped for the night I may have to forgo some of life’s little creature comforts. I would also be limited to how much I can physically carry so I would have to remember to take this into account when packing.

If I were travelling by car or van then obviously I can take more equipment and can travel further afield. There are many organised camping sites available world-wide. They vary from basic sites with water and toilet facilities to ones that also include a swimming pool, shops, restaurants and entertainment. Costs will vary immensely so I always weigh up my options before I decide. Do I want peace and quiet and open spaces, basic facilities or a more sociable and busy holiday full of entertainment, the choice is mine.

I really do think it is a good idea to make a list before I embark on any trip. For camping you really do need to remember the basics. A drinking vessel, water, plate, cutlery, pot for cooking and heating water in, a torch and of course a warm sleeping bag are a definite must as is the one thing most people forget – a can opener! On a personal level, I always think it is also a good idea to take along my own toilet roll. A camping bed or blow up bed are also a must so that I can hopefully have a good nights sleep off the lumpy ground. I also take warm clothes even if I am travelling in the summer as night time can be decidedly chilly in a tent.

Normally when camping I cater for myself so I obviously will need some sort of cooker. I could by a small gas or petrol stove and can choose between single ringed stoves or larger double ringed cookers. It may take skill and ingenuity to cook a three course meal on them but they will do the job of heating or cooking my basic food. Opting for nostalgia and lighting a fire is always a last resort as my surroundings might be dry and a spark could easily set dry undergrowth alight. Apart from the safety aspect fuel would have to be collected for the fire, not easy if there are no old branches or pieces of wood in the near vicinity.

Careful thought goes into what food to take. If I only have one cooking ring then there is no point in taking food which needs to be oven cooked! Unless I can buy fresh food daily then tinned food is ideal as I won’t have a fridge to keep perishable food in.

Most importantly remember to do as I do and leave my camping site as I would wish to find it, clean and tidy, I remove all my rubbish and leave it looking as if I was never there.

Camping Accomodation Tips

You may not think about this, but camping requires a lot of common sense. You will need to use basic education that you have acquired through out your years of school so that you can avoid doing anything that is basically dumb. You will find that there are a lot of dangers that lurk in the woods and you will find that the most commonly found dangers include the climbing aspect and lightening.

Did you know that there are over a hundred people who die in a year because they were struck by lightening? You will want to make sure that you use your common sense when it comes to being outside in an electrical storm. You will also find that the lighting will occur mostly in the clouds, but there are going to be a few strikes every now and then. If you happen to be the tallest thing around like standing on top of an open mountain site, you will find that your odds of getting hit by lightening are very high. This is because of all the salt water that is in an human body will attract the lightening and forms a conductor. You will find that when you are wet, your odds are even worse. You will want to think about the safety by taking cover. Even though your odds of being struck (even at higher risks) are very low, you will need to still take precautions because it is not something that you can predict.

Being struck can end up seriously hurting a person and could end up killing them, depending on the voltage. You will want to consider that this odds or not something that you will want to mess with. As for the second major danger, you will want to consider that you need to have common sense in the safety matters of hiking.

Obviously, you don’t need to stand too close to a cliff, and you never know when a gust of wind will knock you down. You don’t want to put your life at risk just for a thrill. You will need to think about how sturdy the mountain side is before you climb it, because you never know about rather or not your stepping area will give away. You will also find that even if you don’t get seriously hurt from a fall, you are now at danger for parasites and infections from the open cuts and scrapes.

7 Top Camping Safety Tips

No doubt about it, camping can be fun. But, if you don’t pay attention to safety, your fun camping outing can turn into the camping trip from Hell. What are some of the most important camping safety tips you should know?

1. Plan Ahead. Do your research. Make sure the campground you’ve chosen is a safe one. Make sure there are no current fire dangers. Check out the weather. Any health alerts in the area, such as dangerous bacteria count in the water, or outbreak of any rodent-carrying viruses?
2. Pack the Emergency Kit. Be prepared for cuts, bee stings and allergic reactions. Bring antihistamines, antiseptic, bug sprays and insect repellents, pain relievers, bandages, sunscreen and if possible, a snake-bite kit.

   An emergency kit should also include the following items: Whistle, flashlight, compass, a small Swiss Army knife, razor blades, tweezers, magnifying glass, sterilized water packets for cleaning wounds, emergency blanket, thermometer, cold pack, and a mirror. A mirror can be helpful when signaling for help. Some people also use a CD. If you can afford them, a pair of night-vision goggles can also be a help in an emergency.

3. Arrive at the Campsite Early. Arriving early, with ample daylight, allows you to examine the entire campsite and set up while there’s still light. Be on the lookout for sharp objects, broken glass, huge ant beds, branches, poison ivy, hazardous terrain and bees.
4. Build your Tent on a Safe Spot. Make sure your tent is flame-resistant and keep it at a safe distance from the campfire. Try to pitch your tent on elevated land so it doesn’t flood in case of rain. In order to keep the bugs out, make sure you close your tent immediately upon entering and leaving.
5. Go Over Safety Issues with Family Members. Make sure family members are aware of poisonous plants in the area. Be sure the children understand that they should never drink from any stream or river, regardless of how clean it may look. Finally, issue each member of your family a whistle for emergency use only.
6. Be Fire Safe. Make sure there are no current fire restrictions before building any fire, and don’t build a fire if there are strong winds. When you do build a fire, keep it in the fire ring, and make sure there are no flammable items near the fire. Do not use heating devices or candles inside the tent.

   Never leave your campfire unattended, and keep the area clear of leaves and twigs. Before going to bed, make sure the campfire is property put out by drowning it with water.

7. Be Aware of Wild Animals. Be sure to familiarize yourself and your family with safety concerning wild animals. Wild animals have acute senses of smell. Make sure you keep your campsite clean and free of food or garbage which might attract them. It is best to store all food, garbage and strong-smelling items (such as soap or toothpaste) in bear-resistant containers or your vehicle. Keep your sleeping bag and tent completely free of food and food odors, and set up your cooking and eating area at least 100 yards from your tent. Do not go to sleep in the same clothing you cooked in, as even the cooking smells can attract bears and other wild animals.

   While it may seem like attention to safety takes the fun out of camping, in reality it helps ensure that your camping vacation is a fun time for the whole family. And, isn’t having fun the point of camping?

Camping the Grounds of Paris

How to choose camping sites:

Paris has a nice selection of camping grounds. Some of the best camping sites around Paris are located at Charente-Maritime, Brittany, Central Cote d’ Azur, Languedoc, Aquitaine, and Vendee.

Camping at Brittany:
Brittany camping grounds have stunning grounds where superb buildings stand out in the background. The campground provides you fun and entertainment, since you will visit the splash zone, while enjoying many activities.

Brittany is a wonderful way to spend your holidays, as you will enjoy the tales of the past. The tales will walk you through spooky moments where you will take a haunting adventure back to the sprites of folklore giants, such as King Arthur and the well-known Merlin. The sorcery memories come alive as you listen to the tales of old.

On the adventure, you will enjoy ivy films along with beautiful views of lighthouses, which spread out over rock-strewn inlets, bays and coves. Throughout the bays are remarkable villages where friendly Parisians live. This cultural environment will allow you to enjoy music that takes you back to the legends and myths of the land, as the drums, harps, flutes, and bagpipes sound in your ears.

Taking a camping trip to Languedoc:
If you enjoy nature, spread your wings and fly since you will walk through luscious green/purplish pathways that lead up to ancient structures. This area is highly guarded by the French residence, and to see it you would know why. The beaches are filled with white, pearly sand those channels beyond the luscious fruits of town. Scented fields of lavender lilacs take you beyond the wild Marsh Island horses painted white. As you camp on these grounds, you will enjoy the tastes of hardy ripe grapes.

Past the broad-based cities near this lavishing park are labyrinths of walkways that take you to some of Paris’s hottest antique shops. You have a selection of other shops as well.

Tossing your tent in Aquitaine:
Taking a camping trip to Aquitaine will put you on Paris’s finest sandy beaches around. This sunny beach has a shred here and there of vineyards that stretch along the mountains of Pyrénées. The beach has a wide array of land that stretches over to Spain. Aquitaine is the capital of Bordeaux, which land area surrounds glaciers, ponds, lakes and stretches to the Atlantic Ocean. Grapes are the most valued fruits on this land that vines around forests.

Vendée Camping:
If you want comfort, relaxation and adventure combined then Vendée Camping is your choice. This beautiful sandy beach area provides you with golf courses, museums, wildlife, monuments, and more. You can enjoy surfing followed by a visit to one of the lovely arenas around Paris. If you enjoy sea diving, then Vendée is the place to camp. Vendée lies central west of France. The areas surround the Atlantic Bay and stretches onto the southern-east parts of the département of France.

Vendée at one time served as a battleground, yet today the lovely area is a peaceful water galore haven. Mont Mecure is Vendée highest point stretching up to 935 feet and over 285 miles. Around Vendée areas many tourists, industries, agriculture, and processed foods make up the environment. The camping at Vendée however is one of the most popular adventures.

Along the cultural grounds of Vendée are hundreds of miles of sandy beaches that stretch to dune edges around mild climates, pinewood, and so on. On the south region of the beach is Paris’s nude region. The nude beaches are at Pointe d’ Arcay south of the lovely La Faute sur Mer.

Beach Camping Parks

Beaches offer joy to every one irrespective of color, creed, or social status. Ever since man learned the art of expressing joy, ocean and beaches have been his theme, whether the medium is a poem, painting, photograph, song or video. The beauty of a sunrise or sun set at the beach is beyond description.

Beach camping is one of the least expensive ways of enjoying weekends or other holidays. One can experience long boardwalks and beach fun like volleyball, swimming, fishing, sailing, wind surfing, jet skiing, water skiing, boating and much more.

As in any activity, beach campers need to take essential camping equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, drinking water, food, cooler, camp stoves, utensils, can opener, appropriate clothes, charcoal chimney, cleaning items, first aid kit, binoculars, bug spray, camera, candles, cell phone, compass, flashlight, GPS, kites, pen and paper and water filters.

Beach camping requires additional equipment such as sunburn lotion, folding aluminum furniture, beach chairs and tables, shade tents, beach wear, beach bags, and beach umbrellas.

With kids there is always a probability for accidents, particularly on beaches. Though all beach camp sites have coast guard services available, it is important for the camper to carry a first aid kit. Whether it is a ready-made unit or put together for the occasion, the kit should include these items: personal medication, bandages, medical tape, sterile gauze, elastic wrap, antibiotics, antiseptic cream, burn ointment, hydrogen peroxide, scissors, tweezers, eye wash and sanitary napkins.

With proper planning and adequate equipment, beach camping can be a captivating human experience!

Florida Camping

Florida camping can be expensive. My wifa Ana and I paid $23 to camp in our conversion van one night. Of course, it was at a beautiful state park on the beach, and in the morning we saw a dolphin swimming near shore.

Florida camping can be inexpensive too. While at the beach, we heard we could camp for free at the isolated campgrounds which dotted the Apalachicola National Forest. Naturally, our frugality sent us into alligator country.

We camped two nights in the dark woods, next to the dark waters of a slow river. There was was an old guy who seemed to be living there, and a young couple with their two-year-old daughter. Lester was from England, Kari from Texas, and Indya was born in Guatamala. They met in India, of course.

No crowds, and the price was right. March nights can be chilly here, so the six of us circled the fire at night, trading stories, and sometimes sneaking down to the water to look for the eyes of alligators. Unfortunately, we saw nothing, but we did hear splashes in the night.

Lake Talquin

The old guy told us that camping was also free at Williams Landing, on Lake Talquin, about twenty minutes west of Tallahassee. We moved up there, looking forward to the hot showers. Lester, Kari, and Indya followed the next day in “The Beast,” which was an old RV that had carried them there from Texas.

For eight days, we continued trading stories around the fire each night. We saw all kinds of wildlife. Packs of armadillos walked through camp, and giant grey herons fished offshore from the van. There were racoons, owls, squirrels, ducks, and turtles. Then there was the “monster.”

I was poking around near a corner of the lake, when I heard the splash. We had already seen two small alligators sunning themselves the day before, but this one had to be a giant. I returned with Ana the next morning, and again heard the splash, but it was under the water before we could see it.

Every morning we visited the monster once the sun was high enough for him to come out and soak up the heat. We caught glimpses, enough to know he was at least ten feet long. Lester and Kari made a “Crocodile Hunter” movie of us stalking it. Soon it no longer panicked, but just slowly lowered itself into the water, as if getting ready to hunt us properly.

After that we stopped trying to get so close to it. The five of us went to view alligators safely after that, from the tour boat at Wakulla Springs. I even got the chance to jump off of the big diving platform there. We eventually said our goodbyes and went our separate ways, but we hope it wasn’t our last time in Florida, camping.

Camping Cool Vacations!

For those who never have gone camping, you will find that this is something that you will have to do. There is nothing that you will find that is like the adventures of camping. There are a lot of people who will go on tours and travel an area with an expert camper, but you will also find that camping to someone new is a great way to start thinking about the things that aren’t seen. Once you go on a camping trip, you will be able to think about nature and how to protect and preserve the beautiful sites that you will see while camping.

You may have to some time looking through your gear. There are some things that may crawl inside your sleeping bag, but you will also wan to take some time to look a the gear each time before use so that you can make sure that you are safe. Things like the wind and water can destroy a lot of your equipment so you will want to do regular checks. However, keep in mind that you don’t have to sleep in a tent or in a sleeping bag. You may be able to stay in your car and you may even prepare to be outdoors, but spend your nights in the motel.

There are large SUV vehicles that will allow you to sleep two people in comfortably. You will be able to fold down the seats and you will be able to use your car to give you some protection. You will find that your SUV will help you to save a lot of money that you would have to put into a tank of gas for an RV.

You will also want to take some time and research things like stoves and lamps. You will be able to cook outside and make the trip even better. You will also not want to forget the flashlights for times where you will be going off and venturing away from your car. Depending on some of the options that you have, you may even be able to get internet and cell phone accesses. It’s always good to have a GPS unit with you so that you can avoid getting lost.

5 Places To Go Camping In Montana

Montana is known as one of the best places to camp. The land is full of wide open areas with plenty of wildlife and beautiful areas to explore. There are plenty of camping options to choose from.

Salmon Camp is a state park that allows visitors to camp overnight. This is a great facility for those who enjoy being outdoors but love the comforts of a hot shower as well. There are plenty of marked trails for a day of hiking. There are specified water areas for fishing and swimming, and boating docks.

The most popular camping location in all of Montana is located in Fort Smith, called Bighorn Canyon. This area offers miles of open land to camp on in your tent, RV, or you can rent a beautiful cabin. There is plenty of wildlife to observe as well as some of the biggest fish swimming in the waters there.

If you plan to camp with children consider Jellystone Park in Missoula, home of Yogi the bear himself! There is plenty of area for hiking, fishing, hunting, and exploring. There is also a ghost town with mines only a few minutes away. There are also games, crafts, and activities for children of all ages to enjoy.

Yellowstone Park is a National Park that offers camping, horseback riding, wildlife observation, and beautiful scenery. You can choose to go hiking on the various trails by foot or rent a horse to ride for the day.

Another wonderful National Park to visit in Montana is Gallatin. This National Park is located in the Western Park of Montana. Plenty of large wildlife roam the area here. You will love camping in the open spaces and listen to the different animals throughout your explorations.

Montana is the place to be if you enjoy camping. There are so many different areas to choose from. You can pick one based on location, the terrain, the wildlife, or the camping accommodations. Regardless of where you choose to camp in Montana, I am sure you will have a great time relaxing in the great outdoors.

« Previous Page — Next Page »