contributed by Lenise Rankton        

   Being safety minded, often does not cross your mind when you are in the beautiful outdoors. But safety is very important for keeping those adventures outdoors from becoming adventures to urgent care or the hospital.

   Covering the basics: Where, How, What and Who.
   First, Where are you going? Sounds simple, maybe even silly, but I've seen, known and been part of being lost. Being lost can be an adventure in itself, but not necessarily fun.

   Carrying an atlas or even better, a map of the area, is essential. For the budget conscious, there are a couple of places online to get maps for just your time and a little printing. Most online maps have some standard features. Those features include: search by address, landmark, airport or city name; zoom-able maps, zoom in close for details, zoom out for overview of the area; printer friendly versions of the maps and directions to locations. Some extra features include: Find places nearby, theaters, shopping, hotels, airports, schools; ability to email a map to friend or link to the map in an email or on a website.
   This a short list of online maps:

•   MapQuest is the more widely used online map engine. They set the benchmark for free map engines on the Internet.
  
  
•   MetaCrawler Maps is my preference for online map engines. I like the zoom-able maps, with similar features to MapQuest, but the directions seem to be a little more direct than MapQuest.
  
  
•   Google has a really nifty map engine. It has many basic features and some cool advanced features, like satellite imagery of a location. You can get directions and mileage to various locations.
  
  
•   Yahoo Maps is also good. The colors are easy on the eyes and the maps have minimal labeling, so they are less cluttered.

    If you a have little money to spend, AAA has some good quality maps at modest prices. They have city, state and regional maps, and reference books for campgrounds/resorts, hotels/motels and attractions. They will even give you directions, the shortest or the more scenic route, to your destination. They'll tell you the good places to stop or stay and what to avoid along the way. If you have an AAA membership the maps are free.
   And don't be too proud to stop at the local gas stations or a ma 'n' pa convenience store to ask directions and buy a map.

    If you plan ahead for your trip, you can purchase a GPS (Global Positioning System) and mapping software. You can map out your trip in advance and calculate time between locations at the speed you may be traveling.
   The GPS Kip and I use is a Magellan Meridian Gold with a 64meg SD memory card and the MapSend Topo 3D software. The entire package lists for close to $400, but we purchased the entire package for about $280 online. We can get almost all the mapping information we need on our Magellan GPS.
   We'll have an article detailing the Magellan Gold and how we came to purchase that particular GPS.

    Second, How are you getting there? Car, camper, hiking, flying, ATV, snowmobile, boat…? Again, it seems simple enough, but there are places where some vehicles are allowed and others are not.
   There are places during the Summer that do not allow any type of wheeled vehicles, or for that matter foot traffic. The areas are too fragile and it would take years, decades even centuries for the area to recover. In the late Fall, Winter and early Spring many back roads, especially dirt ones, do not allow any type of wheeled vehicle.
   Traveling in the mountains in some states, you are required to have tire chains. Be sure to check with the local Department of Transportation or travel regulations to know what you need for your vehicle.

   When I worked for a summer at St. Mary's Lodge and Resort, an East entrance to Glacier National Park, I saw many a vehicle get turned away from Going to the Sun Road. The reason, because the vehicles were too long in length. There is a length limit (maximum vehicle length of 21 feet total and a maximum width of 8 feet, including the mirrors) because of the tight switchbacks on Going To The Sun Road. There were many, very unhappy campers.

   In Minnesota, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) is just that, a canoe area, no motorized watercraft allowed. Some of the Twin Cities Metro area lakes do not allow gas-powered watercraft, but do allow electric motors.
   Be sure you know if you can take the vehicle you're traveling in to the places where you want to go. There are no exceptions to vehicle rules and regulations.

   Third, What do I need to bring? Conditions appropriate clothing, a camera, film or batteries, an analog cell phone, small radio…so many things and I always forget something important. There's almost too much to list here on what to bring, so I'll break the List-of-what-to-bring into three groups, clothing, personal items and miscellaneous accessories.

    Conditions appropriate clothing includes under garments, clothes (pants, shirts, skirts, dresses) and outerwear appropriate for the weather conditions in which you will be traveling (jackets, hats, bandanas, scarves, gloves), shoes (hiking, dress, walking, climbing, water).
    Dressing in layers is a good way to go. Have lighter weight clothing for warmer days and a sweater or jacket for cooler evenings. A light windbreaker is handy any time of the year. Remember, even in the summer, it gets cool at higher latitudes and altitudes.

    Check the weather before you go. If you are planning ahead, historical weather data will give you a good idea what the weather will be like where you are going. Weather Underground has nice historical weather data for many locations. Click the above link or access Weather Underground from our home page.
   And don't forget, if you leave the icy cold for some place warm; have clothing to wear when you return to the icy cold.

   Personal items are items you may not necessarily share with someone else. Items such as toiletries, feminine products, medications, vitamins or a spare pair of glasses. This is an important part of the what-to-bring list. If you have prescriptions, you may want to have extra prescriptions along for the trip.

   Miscellaneous accessories are items such as a camera with film or extra memory cards, compass, first aid kit, flashlight and fresh batteries, music to listen to, maybe a book or two to read. Depending on how you are traveling, these lists may vary greatly. If you do forget something, generally you can purchase a replacement along the way.

    And last, Who is going and who will be there? Who is going along on the trip? Are there any special accommodations that need to be made for children, pets, the elderly or handicapped?
   The "Who" also includes who is there when you arrive. What will you do if you are late or early? How will you contact people? Be sure to have a backup plan if your timing goes awry. Many places will not hold reservations, especially if they are busy and popular destinations fill up quickly.
   Plan your gas stops if you are driving. There are still parts of the country where you have to drive a few dozen miles before you encounter an open gas station, even on the interstate.

   Who will be there also includes the furry, feathered or four-legged variety. Find out in advance "who" you might encounter, bears, raccoons, marauding birds and a variety of squirrels may visit. Be sure to store food and other animal attractants in air tight or animal proof containers. Items like scented soaps, deodorants, hair products, shampoo, perfumes, also attract animals; use unscented products while you're out camping, hiking or hunting. If you use clothes dryer sheets, do not use them for your camping or hunting clothes. The smell attracts all sorts of critters.
   Never store any thing you can eat in your tent. You are inviting unwanted guests to stop by and dine, and they tend to treat you tent and other gear, pretty poorly. If you've ever seen pictures of what damage a bear can do to a tree, imagine what will happen to your tent.

   Well, that's a basic rundown of some of the Outdoor Safety tips. Planning ahead is your best resource for being safe; Know where you are going and Know what do. To paraphrase one of my favorite quotes: "You can never have too much knowledge."

Have fun!  Be safe!

Lenise

Experienced Camper & Advanced Hunter

• Three season camping for nearly 20 years.
  
• Knowledgeable on stalking and tracking game.
• Intermediate survival knowledge in Grassland, Desert and Forest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In some situations, Car Camping is fun and quite practical

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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