How to stay healthy when you are hiking
Camping Health and Safety Tips
There is nothing more relaxing than a weekend spent in the woods. However, if you are not careful your relaxing weekend could turn into a trip to the emergency room. That is why it is important to be safe when you camp. We have compiled a list of our top 5 tips for camping health and safety, so your camping trip can be as enjoyable and relaxing as possible.
• How to store your food and water – Eating spoiled or dirty food and water can make you very dangerously sick. To avoid this issue make sure you pack your food and water in tight waterproof containers. Wash your hands often because there will be tons of germs on them from hiking. Also, do not forget to separate your raw foods from your cooked foods! You can never be too safe. Make sure when you cook your food, you cook it to the proper temperature. Eating uncooked meats is an easy way to ruin a relaxing weekend!
• Avoid Wild Animals and Keep Your Pets Safe No hiking camping guide would be complete without a warning on this subject. Depending upon where you are camping, there will be different kinds of wildlife around you. Make sure you are aware of what wildlife you could come into contact with. Avoid touching, feeding, or getting near wild animals. They are not pets! They could be dangerous, so it is best to avoid them entirely. Make sure you keep your food stored and out of reach of wild animals, so you do not attract them to your camp.
• Prevent temperature – related illnesses lf you are outside camping, you will be exposed to bigger changes in the temperature than you are at home, so you should prepare properly. Be extra careful about the nights. Bring enough blankets to keep you warm throughout the night, because it can get drastically colder at night than it is in the day. Make sure you bring enough different types of clothing that you can dress appropriately for all temperatures, and do not forget to bring sunscreen!
• Avoid lightning storms – lf you can hear thunder, you are too close to the storm and you should seek shelter immediately. If your shelter is your tent, relocate and find better shelter! Most tents are held up by aluminum poles, which makes them more likely to get struck by lightning! Vehicles are not a bad place to wait out the storm because the rubber tires will make you less likely to get struck by lightning. If you are not near any shelter, avoid the tallest trees as they are the most likely to get struck by lightning. Remember to check the forecast before you go camping to try to avoid this scenario all together!
• Stay Hydrated – This is one of the most overlooked safety tips. If you feel thirsty, that means you are already dehydrated! So make sure you drink water as soon as you feel thirsty so you do not get even more dehydrated. Signs of dehydration include darker urine, headaches, eye aches, and dizziness. Everybody has different needs when it comes to staying hydrated, so make sure you are aware of how much water you will need. You will want to drink water before and during any strenuous activity, so make sure you bring enough for the whole trip!
Camping is a great way to spend your time. But if you are not careful, you can have a really bad time. That is why it is important to properly store your food and water, and make sure you bring enough of both. Dont forget about your safety and keep in mind some tips, for example when you sprain your ankle while hiking.
Always avoid wild animals and lightning storms, and make sure you bring enough different types of clothing that you can dress appropriately for any type of weather. Once you have done all of those things, all that is left to do is enjoy your trip!
