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