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Staying safe in the wilderness – 6 tips that could save your life

*TheEverglade*

Everyone knows that the great outdoors can be both beautiful and dangerous. Whether you're backpacking through the mountains or camping in the wilderness, only a fool would take on a serious outdoor adventure without having a few ideas about how to survive in different situations.


In this post, we look at 6 ways to give yourself a fighting chance in different outdoor, backpacking, and camping situations – including staying warm, dealing with cuts and bruises, preventing heatstroke, avoiding animal attacks, building a shelter and emergency signalling.


Our #1 tip? Take your safety seriously. Buy a book on it – and always tells a friend where you're going.


1. Staying Warm: Hypothermia can occur when your body temperature drops below normal levels, and it can be fatal if not treated promptly. To stay warm, dress in layers, starting with a moisture-wicking base layer, followed by an insulating layer and a waterproof outer layer. It's also important to protect your head, hands, and feet, as these areas are particularly susceptible to cold.


Another way to stay warm is by building a fire. Always carry rain-proof matches or a lighter, so that you can start a fire using dry twigs, leaves, and branches. If you don't have matches or a lighter, you can try the fire-plow method, which involves rubbing a stick against a piece of wood to create friction, heat and, ultimately, start a fire. It's incredibly difficult, though, especially in damp conditions.


2. Cuts and Bruises: Cuts and bruises are common injuries that can occur while camping or backpacking. To treat one, first clean the wound as best you can. If the wound is deep or bleeding heavily, apply direct pressure to it with a clean cloth or bandage. If the bleeding doesn't stop, elevate the wound above the heart and seek medical attention as soon as possible.


To prevent infection, cover the wound with a sterile bandage or gauze. If the wound becomes red, swollen, or warm, or if you develop a fever, get help.


3. Heatstroke: Heatstroke is a serious condition that occurs when your body overheats. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, headache, and a high body temperature. To prevent heatstroke, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Wear loose, light-colored clothing, protect against sunburn and take frequent breaks in the shade or indoors.


If you suspect that you or someone else has heatstroke, move to a cool place and drink water. Apply cool, damp cloths to the skin, and seek medical attention if symptoms worsen.


4. Animal Attacks: When outdoors, you're in nature's front room. You're in the beasts' domain. To avoid animal attacks, store food and trash in bear-proof containers and keep a safe distance from wild animals. If you encounter one, avoid making sudden movements.


If you're in bear country, carry bear spray and know how to use it. If you find yourself face-to-face with a bear, the advice from the BC Parks website is to stay calm, speak in a low and calm voice, avoid eye contact and slowly back away. Do not run, as it may trigger the bear's chase instinct.


5. Making a Shelter: If you find yourself in a survival situation, a shelter can help to protect you from the elements. One of the easiest shelters to make is a lean-to, which is made by leaning branches or logs against a tree or rock wall, and then covering it with leaves, moss, or other natural materials. Fallen trees with large, exposed roots can be a good place to start, too.


Always try to choose a dry location for your shelter and make sure that it's as insulated as possible in order to retain heat.


6. Emergency Signals: One of the best ways to signal for help is with a mirror. Reflecting sunlight off a mirror can be seen for miles and can alert rescuers to your location. Another option is to use a whistle, which can be heard from a distance. It's a simple, portable device you may one day be glad you packed.


More helpful tips here.




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The authors of Best Tent Blog assume no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this site. The information contained in this site is provided on an "as is" basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness. Every camping decision you make is your own and we accept no liability whatsoever.

Best Tent Blog was created over a beer one night when three friends were talking about what, exactly, they so loved about the great outdoors.

 

Mitch, our founder, put down his drink to explain that his own particular fascination with camping tents stemmed from a trip he'd had when he was just 10 years old on a rough strip of grass not far from his best friend's house. In the middle of town.

 

It was the least glamorous introduction to camping that anyone could imagine – five pre-pubescent guys wedged into a three-person tent with just enough floor space to accommodate them and their (limited) camping gear.

Camping tents were fairly unwieldy back then, and Mitch remembers the hellish struggle of trying to haul the fart-infested sack of canvas back to his friend's house.

Other tents of the lightweight variety were for more serious campers, he quickly realised, upon buying a camping magazine from the local news guy a few days later.

"That magazine introduced me to a world of backpacking tents, car camping tents, tent poles, four season tents and a whole lot more," Mitch says. "The ads at the back were full of exciting-looking products that made me want them for no other reason than they looked cool. I was hooked."


 

Fast forward a few years, and Mitch was camping on a small island with his girlfriend when he noticed that she'd inadvertently hitched a pair of boxer shorts out of his backpack and was swinging them around the tent on a pole like an all-conquering flag-waver.

Then there was the time at a sold-out summer rock festival where he attempted to leap over a friend's two person camping tent and fell face-first over a guy rope, hurtling headlong into the tent body.

 

The fact is, we all have stories like this (OK, not exactly like this). Whether you're a serious backpacker who has hiked the Appalachian trail or an occasional weekend camper – tents will have somehow wormed their way into your affection. And your drinking stories.

 

You'll maybe have discussed the intricacies of interior space with a guy in a camping store; exchanged your views on fair weather camping and multi-room family camping tents; you'll have wondered if you could convert the family Nissan for a weekend of car camping.

 

This is the tent-lover's life. And once you're in – you're in.

 

 

As well as wanting to give people an idea about the best tents for their needs – based on reviews from experts and the most-respected websites, such as outsideonline – we wanted to encapsulate that love of camping that affects so many of us.

 

In our blogs, you'll find information about the:

  • Best camping tents

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And more. Whether you're looking for the best tent blog, the best camping blog, the best outdoors blog or – more likely – a two minute distraction from your day job, we've hopefully got you covered.

We have information about what is the best camping tent in different scenarios, the best budget tent, the best overall camping tent and you'll find blogs about fishing, hiking trails, weather resistance and sleeping bags too.

Whether you have one tent and are looking to acquire more, or you already have a six person tent, a backpacking tent and a brace of dome tents for visitors, we hope you'll find something here that keeps you entertained, informed – and fuels your love of the great outdoors.

Here's to you, here's to us – here's to another night under the stars.

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