Tips For Staying Safe In Your Recreational Vehicle While Exploring The Great Outdoors
The first step is always having your recreational vehicle inspected by a mechanic before beginning a vacation. On your own, you can check tire pressure, change oil and check batters, fire extinguishers, etc. But there is so much more to being safe when heading into the wilderness or backcountry in your recreational vehicle.
Those who are traveling to National Parks or Forests might encounter wild animals. It’s important to respect these animals. This is their home. We are only visitors. Keeping animals wild has been a tough task for Park Service officials, as everyone wants a wildlife encounter. Some people try to feed wild animals while others leave food out unaware of how keen bear’s sense of smell can be.
By familiar with food, it’s not always a case of someone leaving food out for wildlife, or attempting to feed them by hand. Sometimes the problem is a lot subtler than that. Sometimes people don’t properly store their food at campsites and bears, squirrels, mice and more might get into it. Once they realize that campsites mean food, they can become aggressive animals, teaching their offspring how to ‘hunt’ at campgrounds. This almost always leads to bears being put down. Be sure to use bear lockers or bear canisters when camping in the wild. It protects the animals and protects you. If you are in grizzly territory, ask rangers the safest place to camp.
Animals generally hunt and encounter humans during the dawn or dusk. Running might make you appear as prey to a mountain lion or grizzly bear. Remember, they have very keen ‘chase instincts.’ Mountain lion attacks generally happen when humans encroach on their hunting habitat, or years where deer are scare and it’s hard for them to find food.
Fortunately, cougar attacks don’t happen often, but they do happen. If you or your family is out during the dawn or dusk, don’t run around. Keep a steady pace if hiking. If you have children, keep them close to you. Mountain lions are less likely to attack a group of people. If you have a dog or other pet, keep it on a leash. Don’t give the mountain lion a reason to come close. If one does approach, scream, yell, and make a lot of noise. Wave your hands over your head and if you can, throw rocks or other things to help deter it.
Bring lots of layers of clothing. Whether you are camping in California or Wyoming, weather patterns can change drastically. Getting caught in a rain or hailstorm can bring on hypothermia fairly quickly. Be sure you have raingear to stay dry and warmer layers such as a fleece in case temperatures drop rapidly. In the mountains of Colorado, Montana and Wyoming, it’s not uncommon to have snows into July and starting again late August or September. Be prepared.
In the olden days, people traveled with a map and a compass. Why? Because they are reliable when GPS units fail. Whether it’s on your car or a handheld, GPS’ are not always going to work. If you get caught out in the backcountry and the GPS unit fails and you don’t know where you are - that’s trouble. Keep an eye out for interesting rock formations or trees as you go so you can make your way back if you need to. Always have a map and compass and know how to use them. These can save your life.
No matter where you choose to spend your Recreational vehicle vacation, stay safe. Know the terrain, know what animals are potential threats - bears, mountain lions, mice, and snakes and do your best to prevent an encounter. Be sure to have lots of layers, water and matches in case you do get lost. Let someone know where you plan on being and have fun. It’s wild out there!
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