Extreme heat camping tips

Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest

Camping is a wonderful opportunity for families and friends to get together and enjoy the great outdoors. It is also a good way for anyone on a tight budget to take a vacation, see new places, visit family, or even move to a new place. Camping is easy, as it only requires a tent, some sleeping bags, and a campsite, most of which are inexpensive. The only potential problem with camping is the weather. While we can huddle in our tent or in the car during a rainstorm, and bundle up when the weather turns cold, extreme heat can be the most uncomfortable weather for campers.

If your summer camping trip turns exceptionally warm, take the following precautions to keep you and your family as comfortable as possible, and to avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

1. Keep a large amount of water on hand. Each person should have enough water to sip throughout the day. If you will be in a remote location where you have to obtain water from lakes or streams and then purify it, make sure you take plenty of water bottles along. Purify or filter the water in the evenings or early morning so it will be available and wont have to be sought out in the heat of the day.

2. Wear loose fitting, light colored clothing that covers as much skin as possible. Blue jeans and denim shirts, though rugged, are not good for extreme heat conditions. Wear a wide-brimmed hat that protects your face, head and shoulders from the sun.

3. Stay wet. If there is a water source nearby, like a pool, a lake or a stream for swimming, try to stay in the water as much as possible. This will keep your body temperature down and help to keep you hydrated.

4. Avoid physical activity. If your camping trip includes hiking, try to keep the hiking to a minimum during the hottest part of the day. Physical exercise, like hiking, only makes the body work harder to keep cool. Plan your hiking or activities in the early mornings or late afternoons and evenings.

5. Seek out shade. If you can, always camp under shade-giving trees. If no trees are available, and you have a tent, stay inside the tent, with all the flaps open for ventilation, during extreme heat conditions. It may feel a bit hotter inside the tent, but it is better to be shielded from the sun.

6. Eat light, regular meals. Avoid caffeine, carbonated drinks and alcohol. Stick to fruit and grains, and avoid anything salty, as it will work as a dehydrating agent.

7. Know the signs of heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion can come on suddenly in the healthiest of individuals. Indications of heat exhaustion are heavy sweating, flushed skin, a quickened but weak pulse, and high body temperature. Nausea, vomiting, dizziness and headaches can also accompany heat exhaustion. If a member of your group shows any of these signs, get him to a cooler place immediately, either in water or shade. Give him small sips of water, not too much, as it may induce vomiting. Have him lie down, loosen his clothing, and put cool, wet cloths on his body.

8. If the body temperature goes higher than 104 and sweating stops, the individual may be suffering heat stroke. If this happens, get him emergency medical treatment as soon as possible.

As with all camping situations, camping in extreme heat requires precaution, planning and common sense. Plan ahead, have plenty of water, stay in the shade, and enjoy your camping this summer!