| Camping provides a great temporary escape
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| | clean drinking water when at all
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| from the stresses and dangers of suburban
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| | possible. Stir the ashes and use more
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| and urban life. However, the camping
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| | water until the remains are cool enough
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| experience is fraught with its own set of
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| | to the fingers.
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| dangers. The wise camper must take these
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| | WILD ANIMALS
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| into account and prepare in advance how
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| | Most people do not encounter wild animals
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| to make safety in the woods a high
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| | when camping in the woods, certainly not
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| priority and counter the inherent risks.
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| | up close and personal. But that does not
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| In part 1 of this two-part series, we
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| | mean they are not living in the habitat
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| looked at safety related to food
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| | and posing a quiet danger to humans. It
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| preparation, preparing clean drinking
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| | can definitely be entertaining to spot
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| water, and how to minimize the risk of
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| | them from a distance, not to mention
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| illness from ticks.
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| | serving up great snapshot opportunities
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| In this second and final part, we will
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| | with a raccoon, deer, or even a bear.
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| now turn our safety focus to properly
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| | However, in such a situation, distance
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| handling camp fires, avoidance of wild
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| | between you and the animal is one of your
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| animals, and giving caution due
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| | best friends.
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| consideration while walking through any
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| | Never (ever) attempt to feed an animal
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| wooded areas.
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| | you encounter. It is not your pet dog or
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| CAMP FIRES
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| | cat and may attack! That is an
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| For many people, the thought of sitting,
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| | instinctive response. Even if you make no
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| talking, or singing around a camp fire
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| | gestures that seem threatening, the
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| lies at the heart of the outdoor
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| | animal may interpret it that way.
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| experience. No fire, no fun. However, a
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| | If a wild animal approaches you, back
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| fire handled improperly can lead to
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| | away slowly and do nothing to invite its
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| inadvertent disaster. So safety is of the
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| | approach.
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| essence.
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| | Minimize your risk of an animal
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| When starting, enjoying, and later
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| | encounters in the first place by wrapping
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| putting out a fire, use common sense.
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| | all food securely and putting it away
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| For example, if you are camping when the
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| | when you have finished eating. Then throw
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| weather has been dry for a lengthy period
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| | away food-related trash in camp provided
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| of time, it would be safer to skip the
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| | trash receptacles.
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| camp fire altogether. This issue itself
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| | PERILOUS ACTIVITIES
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| may actually influence your decision on
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| | There is nothing quite like a long, quiet
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| selecting a time to camp.
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| | walk in the woods. Remain on paths that
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| Additionally, only build fires in camp
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| | have been designed for walks. Use common
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| ground provided areas, such as fire
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| | sense.
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| rings. Otherwise, clear out a small area
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| | * Refrain from hanging on tree branches.
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| in your camping site, and place rocks
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| | Old, dying, or thin wood can easily snap
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| around a circle to set the parameters for
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| | off.
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| your fire. Within the circle, dig a hole
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| | * Avoid walking close to or leaning over
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| several inches deep for the wood you will
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| | steep cliffs, whether they are primarily
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| burn.
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| | rock or brush. It would be easy to slip
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| If you have not brought your own wood on
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| | or lose your balance. A subsequent fall
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| the trip, gather wood that is already
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| | could be disastrous.
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| dead and lying nearby. Make sure that any
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| | * Do not attempt to conquer gravity in
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| leaves close to the fire pit are raked
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| | the opposite direction either. That is,
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| several yards away and that there are no
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| | refrain from climbing steeply angled
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| paper products lying on the ground. Throw
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| | rocks. You are on a camping trip, not a
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| those in the trash.
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| | mountain climbing expedition.
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| Once the fire is started, let it build
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| | * In the winter, never walk on frozen
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| slowly with smaller twigs and dead
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| | water. Regardless of surface appearance,
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| branches, only placing larger pieces of
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| | there is no method to assess how thin and
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| wood on the pile as the flame grows. Make
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| | weight-bearing capable the ice may be.
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| sure small children remain several feet
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| | As you can see, the camping experience is
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| away from the flame, as the heat can
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| | not a danger-free zone. The great
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| become intense while it grows. And they
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| | outdoors certainly provides compelling
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| certainly should not be close enough that
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| | motivation to seek quiet time with
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| they could slip or trip and fall in.
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| | nature. But this activity cannot be done
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| And finally, never leave a camp fire
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| | with reckless abandon. In fact, making
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| unattended. When leaving the area (say
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| | safety in the woods a habit actually
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| for a walk) or going to sleep for the
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| | assists with maximizing the many
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| night, extinguish the flames. Use a lot
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| | positives of the camping experience.
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| of water to douse the flames, saving your
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