Safety tips for camping over Memorial Day weekend

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Are you taking advantage of the warm weather and camping over the Memorial Day weekend? Here are some safety tips to keep in mind.

The U.S. Forest Service advises campers to take the following steps to ensure they have a safe trip over the holiday weekend.

Before leaving for the trip:

Before heading on your trip, ensure you pack a first aid kit that contains antiseptics for cuts and scrapes, as well as tweezers, bug spray, a snake bite kit, pain relievers and sunscreen.

In addition to your first aid kit, emergency supplies should be packed, including a map of the area, a compass, flashlight, knife, waterproof fire shelter, whistle, warm clothing, preserved food, water and possibly bear spray.

Campers should also make sure they check the weather ahead of time and shortly before they leave, and prepare accordingly, including appropriate clothing and outerwear, shelter, shoes and sleeping materials.

Aside from supplies, campers should plan to arrive early to their campsite with enough daylight to set up camp.

When you arrive:

Upon arrival at your campsite, check for hazards like glass, branches, ant beds, poison ivy, bees or hazardous terrain.

Look for a level site with enough room for your gear, especially one near trees that can help block gusts of wind.

Build your fires in a safe area that is a distance away from your tent. Always make sure your fire is attended, and when putting the fire out, down it with water and ensure that all embers, coals and sticks are wet to make sure they don’t reignite.

If you’re in a remote area, it may be a good idea to store food overnight in a hanging bear box.

Before leaving your campsite:

Ensure your campfire has been properly extinguished.

Dispose of all of your trash properly out of respect for future campers and to ward off bears and other wildlife from frequenting the campsite. Burning trash is never recommended.

Leave rocks and plants as you found them and avoid transporting non-native species.

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