So you think you can camp?
In April, cameras caught a Yellowstone visitor petting a bison. In May, news spread that tourists put a baby bison in the trunk of their car. In June, a selfie-taking woman got so close to an elk that it charged. While Marco Johnson, the field staffing director of the National Outdoor Leadership School, wishes the advice would go without saying, it apparently bears repeating: “Leave the animals alone,” he says. But not all tips for first-time campers are so obvious. Here’s what Johnson and other wilderness experts say out you as a novice — and, more importantly, put your health and safety at risk:
1. You’re spontaneous.
Tent? Check. Friends? Check. Wanderlust? Check. What else could you need for a last-minute backcountry getaway? Lots. “We see people travel into the wilderness in a haphazard fashion without even considering … how they’re going to be safe,” says Gregory Davenport, dean of North Greenville University’s Graduate School of Health Science in Greer, South Carolina, and author of “Wilderness Survival.” “My key concept to preventing mistakes,” he says, “revolves around prior, proper preparation.”
2. You don’t know the Grand Canyon from Grand Teton.
“Camping” can mean sun or snow, ticks or Zika-carrying mosquitos, poison ivy or water hemlock. In other words: Not all campgrounds are created equal. “Think about what that environment looks like because that could make or break you in every single way,” says Tracey Gaslin, executive director of the Association of Camp Nurses, which supports the practice of camp nursing. She recommends learning about your destination’s “flora,” or plant life, and “fauna,” or animal life, before you depart by looking at the state’s website. The campground’s land-management agency can also usually provide packing tips and key information about the area’s rules and regulations, fees, climate, vegetation and animal life, Johnson adds.
3. You camp before you glamp.
Here’s a recipe for failure: Take a person whose idea of “the great outdoors” is a patio in the city and put him in the Rocky Mountains with a backpack and tent. Leave for a week and watch disaster ensue. “Increase your camping voracity gradually,” Gaslin suggests, even if that means starting in your own backyard and progressing to a local park. (Kids will love any break from the ordinary, she adds.) Lacking experience not only puts your health and safety at risk, but also your likelihood of enjoying your time — “which,” Gaslin says, “is hopefully the goal.”
4. You bring the binoculars.
Before camping trips, Johnson, a senior instructor for NOLS expedition and wilderness medicine courses, asks students to separate their gear into things they need, things they don’t and things they might. “Beginners classically bring too much because people don’t want to have too little food and they don’t want to be too cold,” he says. The truth? “There’s very few things you have to have.” Deodorant, that second headlamp and even extra packaging should all get the boot, he says. Unless you’re a birdwatcher, ditch those binoculars too, Davenport adds, and opt for non-cotton layers over one bulky coat. “There’s a direct correlation,” Johnson says, “between the enjoyment of your trip and the amount of weight you’re carrying or pushing.”
5. You neglect the compass.
So about those “very few things” you really do need? A compass and a map — and the brains to know how to use them — are too often forgotten, says Davenport, who taught survival tactics as a member of the U.S. Air Force until 1991. Don’t count on a GPS, which is unreliable and easily damaged, or fall victim to myths that moss grows on the north side of trees, the sun rises in the east and downstream leads to civilization. “That’s bull,” Davenport says. Moss grows where it’s moist, the sun only rises in the east if you’re at a specific latitude and downstream leads, well, downstream. Believing otherwise, Davenport adds, “is killing people.”
6. You forget the meds — and the common sense.
Band-Aids of all shapes, sizes and colors? Unnecessary. Medications including ibuprofen, Benadryl and hydrocortisone cream? Good ideas. “Each one of these are over-the-counter medications and can be used for a variety of potential issues,” such as headaches, muscle strains, bug bites and skin rashes, Gaslin says. If you take any medications regularly, don’t forget to pack them — as well as a personal health information card with your health history and prescription drug list, she adds. Johnson’s advice: Bring a good first-aid kit, but open it before the trip. “There’s no sense in opening it up and going, ‘What is this stuff?’ or ‘How do I used it?’ he says.
7. You hydrate all wrong.
When you’re in “the real world,” you should be drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day, Gaslin says. When you’re in the backcountry, you may need close to 100 ounces, depending on the heat and your activity level. “Never ration your water,” Davenport says. “Drink what you have and find more.” That means identifying sources ahead of time and packing tools like iodine tablets or filters if necessary. And for goodness sake, don’t drink urine, which is a diuretic, or alcohol, which will cause you to lose body heat — and your wits. “If you make back bad choices in a wilderness setting,” Davenport says, “it has far-reaching consequences.”
8. You think you’re fit.
Even the triathletes of the world can find themselves wrecked by backpacking, kayaking or canoeing — all of which are “very specific athletic endeavors,” Johnson says. “Even if you’re in the best of shape, once you put on a 40- or 50-pound backpack, you’re going to be sore.” People also often underestimate the effect of altitude, which can even the playing field between a couch potato in Denver and a marathoner at sea level. To acclimate, start easy, and make sure you’re getting enough rest, healthy foods and, again, water. “If you’re not hydrating along the way,” Johnson says, “you’re not going to be a happy camper.”
9. You trust your kitchen skills.
Grill masters, be warned: Your backyard skills don’t always translate to the open flame, where ingredients and tools are far more limited. “It sounds really romantic and sexy to say, ‘I’m going to cook in the backcountry’ — until you burn it,” Johnson says. “Then … you’re like, ‘I wish I could order takeout!'” Honing your outdoor culinary skills isn’t just about taste. “It’s just as important to eat wisely from a nutritional aspect in the backcountry as in the front country,” Johnson says. “In some ways, it’s more important because it’s providing all the energy [for your adventures.]” He recommends turning to books like his organization’s “Cookery” or “Backcountry Nutrition” for guidance.
10. Your emergency plan is calling 911.
You’ve got your cellphone, so what’s the worst that can happen? Well, death. “A lot of place you go, you can’t dial 911 and, even if you could, they won’t come, or won’t come quickly,” says Johnson, who recommends taking a wilderness first-aid course before camping. Davenport suggests carrying a whistle and signaling mirror — devices responsible for the most rescues, he says. And Gaslin urges campers to learn about local emergency resources before departing. There may be a community hospital nearby, for instance, but it may not have an emergency department. “You can have the best, most relaxing trip,” she says, “if you are prepared.”
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10 Classic Health and Safety Risks Among First-Time Campers originally appeared on usnews.com
