| Camping out in the woods can be one of
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| | at the camp site. The other three require
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| the most gratifying experiences available
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| | preparation prior to heading out to the
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| for those who stress over the hustle and
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| | camp site.
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| bustle of daily life in or near a city.
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| | * Boil the water - Heat suspect water to
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| The dangers of contemporary lifestyles
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| | a boil, and let it continue to do so for
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| and environments can themselves drive
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| | several minutes. After cooling off, it
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| people to the slow pace of the woods.
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| | should be consumable.
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| Crime, careless drivers, pollution,
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| | * Iodine liquid or tablets - Instructions
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| identify theft. Who needs it!
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| | that come with the iodine will explain
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| While seeking a safe haven from the
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| | how many drops to use for a specific
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| pitfalls of "civilization", the camper
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| | amount of water, and for what time
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| must also bear in mind that the great
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| | period.
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| outdoors is fraught with its own set of
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| | * Filtering - Most microorganisms can be
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| dangers. Let's consider a few and how you
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| | filtered out depending upon the materials
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| can counter the risks.
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| | used in the filter and the filtering
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| In part 1 of this two-part series, we'll
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| | design of the unit. When purchased, be
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| look at food safety, ensuring you have
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| | sure the instructions clearly state what
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| clean water to drink, and avoiding ticks.
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| | will and will not be filtered out.
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| FOOD SAFETY
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| | * Purification - Purifying will remove or
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| Bacteria can invade many types of food,
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| | kill all dangerous water-born bacteria.
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| especially those high in protein and
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| | Using this method, the water should be
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| moisture, such as milk, milk products,
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| | run through the purifier at least a
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| eggs, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish,
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| | couple of times to ensure drinking
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| cream pies, custards and potato salad.
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| | safety.
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| After preparation, these foods must be
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| | AVOIDING TICKS
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| kept either hot (above 140 degrees
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| | Ticks look innocuous on the surface. But
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| Fahrenheit) or cold (below 45 degrees
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| | tiny as they are, they still have the
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| Fahrenheit). Between the two temperature
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| | potency to make a person very ill with
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| ranges lurks the danger.
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| | Lyme Disease. They can dig their way into
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| A camper who does not have the means of
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| | a person's skin very easily without
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| sustaining food that can easily spoil
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| | notice when he rests up against a tree or
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| outside of those thermometer readings
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| | walks in brush. Once on the skin, ticks
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| should not bring them on the trip at all.
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| | will burrow their way in and are not
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| It would be much safer to bring canned
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| | easily removed.
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| food and garden goodies.
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| | Before you head into the woods, you will
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| Exposed food should be prepared prior to
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| | need to minimize opportunities that these
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| the trip and protected in plastic prior
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| | blood suckers have to find their way to
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| to icing them since ice can trap harmful
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| | your skin through an opening in your
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| bacteria. For example, though ice pulled
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| | clothing. Tuck in whatever clothing you
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| from a frozen stream in winter can help
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| | can: shirt into pants, pant legs into
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| to keep food cold, it should never be
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| | socks, shirt sleeve over top of gloves
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| permitted to touch the food itself.
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| | (if the weather is cool enough for
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| And whether eating meals from a picnic
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| | gloves).
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| table or sitting on the ground, always
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| | Additionally, spray on your clothing a
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| cover the eating area with something
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| | good insect repellent that has a high
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| clean, like a plastic table cloth.
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| | percentage of. The repellent can be
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| Any food that you suspect may be spoiled
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| | located at any sporting goods store and
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| should be disposed of rather than eaten.
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| | most general retail outlets.
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| The risk is just too high.
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| | Upon return to your camp site or turning
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| CLEAN DRINKING WATER
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| | into your tent for the night, check your
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| When you are thirsty, there is nothing
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| | body visually and with your hands looking
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| like a cold, clear glass of water to
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| | for any small bumps that may be
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| satisfy. At home, our tap water is
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| | indicative of a tick that has landed on
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| normally relatively safe, though many
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| | or embedded itself into your skin. Have
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| people opt to filter it through one means
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| | someone else look carefully through your
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| or another to improve the odds of safe
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| | hair (running their fingers through it)
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| drinking.
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| | and scan anywhere else that you cannot
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| Aside from water that is purified for us,
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| | easily see, such as your back.
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| however, it has been estimated that the
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| | If you find that a tick has dug itself
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| vast majority of surface water in the US
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| | into your skin, immediately (but very
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| fails to meet government standards for
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| | carefully) remove it with tweezers. Grab
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| intake safety.
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| | it as close to its legs as possible,
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| When you are camping without your own
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| | making sure to extract its entire body.
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| water (or a sufficient supply) and are
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| | If you are unable to do so, it would be
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| not at a camp ground that has purified
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| | better to leave the camp site for a time
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| running water available, you will need to
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| | to visit a doctor than to risk infection.
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| take additional measures to protect
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| | In part 2 of this brief series, we will
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| yourself from water contaminated by
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| | continue our consideration of camping
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| bacteria and viruses.
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| | safety tips, focusing specifically on
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| There are fundamentally four options for
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| | camp fires, wild animals, and dangerous
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| accomplishing this. The first you can do
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| | activities in the woods.
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