Camping Safety Tips
Camping is a safe and fun activity enjoyed by millions every year. Every day to day activity we spend our time on has its ups and downs. Big problems are very unlikely, but some safety awareness can help you deal with the little things that pop up, so you the little irritations that life brings us now and then won't become trip busters. Here are some tips for camping safety.
Weather can be unpredictable. Check the weather forecast for the area.
Take enough food, clothing, and equipment to keep you comfortable in case of emergency.
Tell someone where you will be, and when you plan to be home, in case someone needs to find you.
Plan to return to camp well before dark. Remember that daylight hours are shorter in the fall and winter.
Be alert to approaching storms, dress properly, and seek appropriate shelter.
Dress properly. Check the weather and terrain.
Poisonous snakes, ticks and poisonous plants may be found along trails. Exercise caution.
Avoid tick bites by staying on trails and avoiding grassy, brushy areas. Wear light colored clothing so ticks can be seen. Tuck shirts into pants and pant legs into socks. Do not wear shorts on the trails. If a tick is attached to your skin, grab it with tweezers and remove it. Do not crush the tick's body, as this can force bacteria into your skin. Wash the area thoroughly with soap and water. If you think part of the tick has remained in the skin, or if you think the tick has been attached for longer than 48 hours, seek medical attention. Be alert to a subsequent fever or skin rash. Report these to the doctor.
Always plan where to meet should one of your family members get separated.
Check your first aid kits before each trip. Replace any missing items, like bandaids, and check expiration dates on medicines and ointments.
source:
http://www.familycampinggear.com/generic22.html
Family Camping Tent Tips
Your family camping tent will be your house and home. The tent you choose will probably be the most important piece of gear you buy. A good tent, taken care of properly, will last a lifetime. A good tent will let you sleep soundly at night without needing to worry about rain, wind, bugs or other creatures of the night. Select the best tent you can afford, set it up properly, take care of it, and then just enjoy your trip. Here are some tips to help you get off to a good start.
Set up a new tent at home before your trip. This lets you check its condition, and learn how to set it up without the pressure of darkness or rain at camp.
The seams on all nylon tents must be sealed before using a new tent, and periodically thereafter. Seam sealer is sold in applicator bottles, which you rub along the inside of all waterproof seams.
Avoid setting up camp next to stagnant water, which is home to biting insects.
Don't set up the tent on a sandbar or in a dry wash. The water will probably rise if it rains. Dry washes can flash flood due to a rain storm many miles away.
Don't set up the tent in a low spot or depression. Rainwater will collect under the tent and soak through into your sleeping bag.
During bug season, you might want to take a gazebo. This is essentially a rain tarp with mosquito netting on all sides, to provide shelter from bugs, rain and the sun.
Put a plastic tarp on the ground under the tent. It should match the "footprint" of the tent so that it doesn't gather rainwater. This groundsheet protects the floor of your tent from stones, sticks, and general wear and tear.
You can get special stake-driving mallets, or use a plain old household hammer, to pound tents stakes into the ground.
Don't use your axe for driving stakes. This can damage the axe head, and possible cause it to fly off.
Get the sturdiest aluminum tent stakes possible. Most campgrounds build sites with gravel, and this hard ground will bend or break most lightweight and plastic stakes.
The rainfly is a special tarp that is spread over the top of the tent to make it waterproof. Most tents come with a matching rainfly included. The rainfly should allow the tent windows to remain open for ventilation while protecting the seams from potential leaks.
Use a stake puller to help pull tent stakes out of the ground, or just loop a short rope under the stake's hook and pull on the rope to pull up on the stake.
Keep a whiskbroom in the tent for sweeping out dirt and leaves.
Use an old towel or small piece of carpet as a door mat for wiping off feet before entering the tent.
