Camping Safety
Tips and Techniques

Summer is finally here! The days are longer and the air is warmer, so we’re eager to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Whether hiking, fishing, picnicking or just sitting outside, we all enjoy outdoor activities in one form or another.

Camping is another way to enjoy the outdoors. Activities abound at a campground, from boating to swimming, from hiking to sunning. Camping offers something for everyone.

Veteran campers know the importance of being prepared for anything from in-clement weather and biting insects to proper food preparation and first-aid procedures. For the novice camper, however, knowing what to pack can be a bit overwhelming. Here are some safety guidelines, tips and techniques, courtesy of "The Camper’s and Backpacker’s Bible" (Main Street Books), by Tom Huggler, to help get you in gear for a safe and enjoyable camping experience.

r Pack lightly. Choose utensils that have dual usage. A slotted spoon, for example, can serve as a colander; a foldable cup doubles as a soup ladle.

r A lightweight red bandanna serves many purposes. Use it as protection from the sun, a sieve for straining water, a temporary tourniquet or first-aid wrap or a signal for help. If bugs are a problem, spray the bandanna with insect repellent and wear it around your neck.

r If hiking, thoroughly break in boots before hitting the trail. Nothing is worse than blistered feet when you have miles to go.

r Cut down on attacks from mosquitoes and other insects by wrapping rubber bands around pant and shirt cuffs.

r A plastic ground cloth keeps the bottom of a tent floor clean and protects it from rough ground and water. Cut the ground cloth just big enough to fit inside the tent floor. If you extend it beyond, it will collect water.

r Pack a map, notepad and pencil (you’ll never run out of ink with a pencil) in a zippered plastic bag.

r Bring string. Pin it to a small tent leak in the ceiling and run the string to the floor, away from the head of beds or sleeping bags. Water will run down the string.

r A small piece of medium-grade sandpaper can be used for smoothing the joints of a tent pole for a better connection, roughing up fabric for a repair patch or striking a match.

Though the days are warm in the summer, don’t be fooled. Summer nights at a campground can be chilly, so you always should be prepared. Keeping warm while temperatures drop is simple. According to the Coalition for Portable Propane Product Safety, a safely constructed campfire is one of the best outdoor heat sources. And a good meal — especially one rich in protein, carbohydrates and fats — will get your inner furnace going. Portable propane heaters are a good additional heat source to take the chill out of a summer night (in addition to a campfire) if you are around a picnic area or under a tent fly, reports the Coalition. Propane stoves can also be used to heat foods and beverages.

But as you enjoy a cool summer evening, make sure to read manufacturer’s packaging and operating instructions for safe and proper use of propane products. Never use outside-only propane products inside a cabin, tent, truck, camper, RV or other enclosed area. These products burn and consume oxygen for combustion and give off carbon monoxide. No matter how cold it may be, don’t be tempted to take an outdoor only propane product into an enclosed area. Campers run the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if these products are used inside, especially overnight while sleeping.

There are certain heaters approved for indoor use as a temporary heat source. These heaters feature an oxygen depletion sensor to shut off the heater if oxygen levels drop below a safe point.

For a free brochure about portable propane safety, contact the Coalition for Portable Propane Product Safety at PO Box 45002, Cleveland, OH 44145, call (888) 226-7487; or visit www.propaneproducts.org.