KDHE Home - News 1999 - News Release

Kansas
Department of Health & Environment
Bill Graves, Governor
Clyde D. Graeber, Secretary

June 30, 1999

Contact: Jan Stegelman, 785-296-1223

Safe Campers Make Happy Campers

Camping is a wonderful way to bring a family together. The great outdoors, fresh air and a campfire can bring years of happy memories. In the coming days and months, many families will pull out the tent, load up the car and head off for a vacation in the wilderness. But it is also important to remember to bring along important safety tips to prevent a camping trip from turning into a disaster.

"Camping and hiking can be wonderful ways for children to experience the outdoors firsthand and spend quality family time together," said Jan Stegelman, coordinator of the Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition. "But adults need to be especially cautious about the many hazards that come with the wonders of nature."

Planning your trip thoroughly and following basic outdoor safety tips will help ensure your family's safe outdoor adventure. The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition offers the following guidelines to enjoy a safe, fun camping retreat:

• Bring first aid supplies and emergency telephone numbers and keep them accessible at all times.
• Know ahead of time where the nearest phone or ranger station is located in case of an emergency.
• Dress children in several layers of clothing. Children can become cold or warm more quickly than adults.
• Pack essentials, such as flashlights, extra food, warm clothing, and rain gear to prepare for unexpected weather.
• Before camping, check the area's weather forecast.
• Inform others of where you are camping and when you expect to return.

Make sure your family prepares for a hiking trip by following these tips:

• Never allow children to hike alone. Teach children to always hike with an adult.
• Map out your hiking trail ahead of time. Be sure any trail you choose is well marked and do not stray from it. Bring a compass.
• Make sure children are physically capable of the hike in terms of distance, pace, and difficulty.
• Bring water on your hike. Make sure to bring plenty of drinking water. Hiking, like most exercise, can cause dehydration.
• Wear proper hiking boots and clothing that covers as much exposed skin as possible to protect from scrapes, bites and plant poisonings.
• Inform others of where you are hiking and when you expect to return.

A young child can drown in as little as one inch of water in a manner of seconds. Older children often overestimate their abilities in unfamiliar waters. If your camping trip leads your family to water, the Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition recommends that you:

• Always supervise children in or near water.
• Teach children to swim with a buddy, never alone.
• Teach children water safety habits. Children should not run, push others under water, jump on others, dive or jump into shallow water.
• Never let a child go in the water before testing the temperature. If the water is too cold, it may affect the child's breathing or cause cramps.
• Be aware of the nature of the water. An open body of water that looks virtually motionless may have a strong undercurrent.
• Do not allow children to wade into water without protective footwear. There might be broken pieces of glass or sharp objects.
• Do not let your child dive into water unless an adult is present and knows that the depth of the water is greater than nine feet.
• Make sure your child wears a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device (PFD) when on a boat, near open bodies of water or when participating in water sports. Air-filled "swimming aids" are not considered safety devices and are not substitutes for PFDs.
• Know infant and child cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
• Never allow children to swim during lightning storms or other bad weather.

Whether trying to stay warm or taking time out to eat, do not put safety on the back burner. Remember these safety tips:

• Always supervise children near a campfire or portable stove. Teach them to stay away from campfires and stoves, even when not in use.
• When making a campfire pit, be sure it is large enough to keep a fire from spreading. Avoid building fires on windy days.
• Always check the fire danger levels posted at the entrance of wilderness parks and camping areas.
• Keep a bucket of water and a shovel beside the fire at all times.
• Never burn charcoal, or use portable camping heaters, lanterns, or stoves inside of tents, campers or vehicles. Carbon monoxide is an odorless and tasteless gas which can cause flu-like symptoms and even death. Each year, approximately 30 people of all ages are killed from carbon monoxide poisoning due to the use of portable camping heaters, lanterns, or stoves used inside of tents, campers, and vehicles.

Children need to know that not all of nature is harmless. When out in the wild, the Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition suggests you do the following to help keep your children safe from potential poison hazards:

• Teach children to stay away from all plants and wild berries unless you are certain they are safe. It is often difficult to know what is or is not potentially poisonous. The safest recommendation is to stay away from plants that are unknown to you. You can also seek advice from your local poison control center or physician.
• Teach children to stay clear of poison ivy and poison oak which can irritate the skin.
• Keep first aid supplies accessible at all times, even on short hikes.

Many people underestimate the power of a bug bite or sting. In some cases they can be poisonous, cause serious allergic reactions, carry disease, and in extreme cases, cause death. In addition to insects, your family should be very cautious of animals in the woods. The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition offers the following suggestions:

• Apply insect repellent to a child's clothing or exposed skin. Some repellents are too strong for small children, so consult medical personnel for recommended repellents. Always have an adult apply the insect repellent and always follow the product's instructions.
• Avoid using scented products such as perfumes and shampoos which attract insects.
• Be sure to shake out all clothing and footwear before putting them on.
• Teach children not to disturb or provoke any animals they might encounter. Although an animal may look friendly, sudden actions could frighten the animal and provoke an attack.
• Never leave a child alone with an animal even if you believe the animal is harmless.
• Teach children to watch out for snakes and never to touch or disturb them.

A child's skin is thinner and more sensitive than an adult's and needs ample protection from damaging sun rays. Be sure to:

• Apply sunscreen (SPF 15 or greater) 15 to 30 minutes before going out into the sun so it can penetrate, and apply it frequently throughout the day. Also remember that harmful UV rays can still reach earth through cloudy skies.
• Dress your child in light colored fabrics that cover the child's exposed skin such as the head, arms, and legs.
• Be careful in high altitudes where the sun's rays are stronger.
• Follow these simple guidelines and let safety lead the way to your family's outdoor camping adventure.

The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition, Inc. is a nonprofit group of 67 statewide organizations and businesses that have joined to protect Kansas children from unintentional injury -- the leading killer of Kansas kids. Local coalitions and chapters are located in Wichita, Johnson County, Lawrence, Salina, Barber County, Topeka, Ford County, Manhattan, Hutchinson, Pottawatomie County, Clay County, and Osage County. Kansas SAFE KIDS is part of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign.