Stay Safe Under the Sun and Moon: Outdoor Adventure Safety Guide
Do you have an accident-prone family? Or are you the group that needs to prepare for any situation? Either way, it never hurts to bring the necessary gear to ensure you're prepared if someone falls, breaks a bone, or decides that petting a mountain lion is smart. Unfortunately, we don't provide bubble wrap suits to ensure everyone is accident-proof, but we have some tips that might come in handy during your camping trips this summer.
What to bring?
A First Aid Kit: The good news is that Near Zero has a new waterproof first aid kit that includes 55 items that our founder Scott Jensen custom-made from his lifelong experience outdoors.
Other supplies:
Preparing for your adventure
Before we head out on our adventure, we check the weather report. We suggest doing more than just looking at your phone's weather app and instead researching to see if flash floods are in the area you're going to be camping and other weather incidents that may ruin your trip.
Check the fire restrictions to gauge what cooking you can do, whether with a grill or over a small fire.
Read the instructions on your propane or mini stove, learn how it works, and NEVER leave it alone while it's running at your campsite.
Make sure your vehicle is well prepared. You'll want to ensure your car is dependable before taking it to the mountains or the desert. When your trip is over or in case of an emergency, you'll want your car ready and working so you can get home and back to civilization.
Check your camping gear. Ensure your tent is free of tares and your shoes and pack are ready to go.
When you get to your destination
Get there early! You'll want sunlight to set up camp so you're not missing anything or making mistakes in the dark. The light will also help you get everything settled before meal times.
If your destination doesn't have a fire pit or a preexisting fire ring, create a safe one by building it in an open area, digging down a bit, lining it with rocks, and building it away from trees and your tents. Please don't be the one that starts a large forest fire. And don't cook or use a flame in your tent that has danger written all over it! And NEVER leave a fire unattended. Extinguish that thing with water thoroughly before you go.
Set up your tent in a safe area. Ensure your tents are at least ten feet upwind from grills and two feet from trees and shrubbery.
Check for hazards! These hazards could include ant hills, weak trees or branches that can break in the wind, poison ivy, hornet nests, or garbage someone may have left behind, like glass or other sharp objects.
Don't leave items at your campsite that may attract wildlife. Food, garbage, and anything that has a trace of a food's scent can attract bears, raccoons, and other wildlife. Use a bear-resistant cooler to store your food and keep it away from your campsite. Or, if you're close to your car, put your food and garbage in there.
Don't feed the animals. Deep down, we all want to be that Disney princess who is friends with all the woodland creatures, but keeping those animals at a distance will provide an extra layer of safety. Most animals feed at night, so keep a flashlight handy. A whistle, a flashlight, and bear spray can scare off animals.
If it's brown, dig it down! If facilities are unavailable, dispose of human waste properly by burying it 6 to 8" deep and 200 feet from water, campsites, and trails. If packing out your toilet paper is impossible, bury it deeply in the hole.
During your adventures, we want you to focus on the things that matter most, and taking these extra steps before and during your trips will add to that peace of mind. Please don't end up on your local evening news having done something reckless. We'd rather have you step away from the troubles of this world and have a great conversation with your loved ones.
Be safe, have fun, and be wise!
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