Going camping is one of the most fun and rewarding experiences you can have. It’s a great, healthy activity that does wonders for you and for your family. It’s also lots of fun, and it’s even made more fund by the fact that you’re doing it in Australia. Australia’s beautiful outdoors must be seen to be believed. Anything, from hiking, camping, visiting a beach of twenty, lots of outdoorsy fun can be found here.
However, in order to fully appreciate and enjoy your camping trip, you need to stay safe and sound. For this reason, we have written this little article which points out the main safety tips that will make your Australian camping trip perfect.
Do your homework
The first thing you should do before even getting some essential camping gear, is doing some research. Namely, you need to understand where you are going. The things you pack, the way you prepare, it all completely depends on your destination, the weather, the time of year… Are you going to camp in a desert, or are you gonna be surrounded by trees? Is your trip starting around early spring, late winter, the middle of the summer…?
Fire safety is important
Please take fire seriously, especially if you’re camping in Australia. The intense heat along with a loose ember here and an iffy bit of flame there can spell disaster. So, always stick to fire safety. Always be familiar with the direction the wind is blowing. Then, keep flammable items, like chairs and tents, as far away from the fire as possible. Always keep a bucket filled with water or dirt near you, and be ready to douse the flames at all times.
Bring a first aid kit
There is nothing controversial about this one – bring a first aid kit. You never know what can happen at a camping trip, whether you’re going with your family, your friends, or running solo.
The Sun can creep up on you
The Australian Sun is a cruel and dangerous mistress, and it can cause damage more serious than just a bad sunburn (which in and of itself can mess up your camping trip anyway). Namely, if exposed too much, you can get sunburns that are at a level of a regular second-degree burn. Furthermore, you can dehydrate, or even suffer from heatstroke if you’re not careful.
Think about how you store food
It’s strange how people really care and think about the manner in which they store their food at home, only to carry it haphazardly with them when they are in the wild. And if you want to have your trip be a success, you can’t leave people be hungry, now can you? And of course, the last thing you need is food poisoning on a five-day camping trip. So, try to keep everything refrigerated that can’t really be stored differently. Also, wash all that food before you go on a trip so that you don’t have to waste water at the campsite.
The trip matters
Now this one won’t matter much if you live very close to the campsite. However, if you’re gonna spend several hours in a car, on a drive, you might as well prepare. You want your camping trip to get off on a good note, so try to keep things relaxed in the car. Now, we don’t really expect you or your family members are going to get into an argument that leads to somebody contacting professional family lawyers in Sydney, or wherever your camping site is closest too, and starting a legal dispute after a trip. However, if you’d like to minimize the chance of such a serious turn of events, we advise it’s better if you keep the stress at a minimum, plan your itinerary, make frequent stops, and bring some supplies you can reach in the car.
Plants should always be taken seriously
Unless you are a serious wildlife expert or botanist, with years of experience, do not eat any of the berries or mushrooms in the wild. You never know how toxic they can or can’t be, and you never know how safe they actually are. The consequences can be very severe if you take such things lightly.
Be serious with your water
No matter what the local hippy told you, that stream is most likely not good to drink from. Sure, it would probably be safe to drink after you get used to it. However, getting used to it means getting a stomach bug for a week after four or five drinking sessions.
What we advise is that you always boil the water you’re about to drink (unless you of course brought some from home). Getting some water purification tablets is a good idea as well.
Wild animals are not your pets
Sure, that bear cub looks really cute. However, what isn’t cute is the 500 pounds of muscle, fangs, and claw barrelling at you at physics-defying speeds (better known as the cub’s mum). Messing with any small mammal in the wild will most likely get its parent coming at you at full speed since they are never far away from their young.
On a lighter note, don’t feed the animals either. You will mess up the ecosystem, and probably mess up their stomachs, depending on the animal and what you gave to said animal.
Conclusion
And there you have it folks, a couple of safety tips that will make your camping trip go smoothly. So, take all of the above into account, but don’t forget the most important point – have fun!
