No one expects an accident to happen while they are camping outdoors, but things can go wrong, and you can’t always prepare for everything that will happen to you.
You never know when you will injure your leg because you stepped on a slippery rock. It’s hard to predict the kind of illnesses you can contract due to exposure to the elements or a bug bite.
You need to be prepared, and here are a few ways you can do that while you are planning your outdoors excursion:
Let Someone Know Where you are going
Tell a friend or family member where you will be camping and when you expect to come back. You can even let them know what trails or areas you plan to hike on and explore.
If you are going to visit a lake or river while camping, let them know about that as well. This makes it easier for rescue crews to find you if something goes wrong and you don’t contact your friend by the time you told them you would.
Bring a First Aid Kit
One of the best ways to prepare for unexpected problems is to have a first aid kit in your backpack or camper. You may never need it, but you should have it available just in case.
It’s always better to be safe and have more than you need than to not be prepared in case of an emergency. Make sure the kit is well stocked and has fresh supplies.
Bring Plenty of Clothes
It’s difficult to tell how cold the weather will get when you are out camping, especially at night time. You want to have an extra thick coat, some socks and closed-toed shoes to handle any extreme weather.
You can always take off excess clothes that you are wearing, but you can’t put on clothes that too did not bring with you. It’s always safest to have some extra warm clothes on hand.
Have Shelter for the Night
Whenever night is approaching, be sure you have shelter picked out. Some people like to really rough it when they go camping or hiking, but you don’t want to find yourself outdoors at night without some sort of shelter to sleep in. You can bring a tent to make a simple shelter from what you find outdoors.
Take a Compass and know how to use it
You may have maps on your phone, but you can’t always trust the phone to work properly or have a charge.
If you take a compass with you, you can always find your direction. Just make sure you know how to use it and keep track of what direction you head whenever you leave your campsite.