101 CDOS Week 13: Camping Safety

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EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Ah, the great outdoors, fresh air, the beauty of nature and finally some peace and quiet. Here are some tips for camping safety to ensure your trip stays peaceful. 

· Weather can be unpredictable. Check the weather forecast for the area.

· Take enough food, clothing, and equipment to keep you comfortable in case of emergency.

· Tell someone where you will be, and when you plan to be home, in case someone needs to find you.

· Plan to return to camp well before dark. Remember that daylight hours are shorter in the fall.

· Be alert to approaching storms, dress properly, and seek appropriate shelter.

· Dress properly. Check the weather and terrain.

· Be aware of your surroundings at all times.

· Avoid wildlife. Remember in Alaska you are not the top of the food chain.

· If you are a beginning camper, use a camping check list or speak with experienced campers.

· Instruct family members especially children that if they get separated or lost to stay put.

· Check your first aid kits before each trip. Replace any missing items, like bandaids, and check expiration dates on medicines and ointments.

· West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne virus. Mosquitoes transmit the virus after becoming infected by feeding on the blood of birds which carry the virus. Ensure everybody in the group has on some sort of repellant to keep mosquitoes away.