Emergency Campout Tips

October 23, 2007 at 8:18 pm · Filed under Camping Reports

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California Fires The sky is filled with black smoke and a thick ash. It is difficult to breathe and several communities seem to be completely ablaze. Hundreds of homes have been burned to the foundation and thousands more have been evacuated. With two people dead and more homes expected to require evacuation within the coming days, The Camping Guy brings you some emergency tips and helpful information on Emergency Camping:

Be safe. First and foremost, keep the entire family together for support. Inform your children and keep them informed to lower their stress and panic level. Children who are kept out of the loop often feel more insecure than those who are told about the situation and kept nearby.

Find a safe campsite by logging on to www.parks.ca.gov for a list of campsites and services available in California. You can also visit www.koa.com/where/ca for a list of KOA campsites and their amenities. If campsites have filled up or are unavailable, contact the Red Cross at www.redcrossla.org or call (310) 477-5829 for shelter information. For information on the fires, visit www.fire.ca.gov or tune into the local information station on your radio.

Pack tents, tarps, sleeping bags, blankets, gallons of water, toilet paper, paper towels, aspirin, feminine toiletries, dried food, canned drinks and food, first aid kit, clothing, pet food, lotion, packets of tea and hot chocolate, boots, cameras, zip bags and ties, trash bags, flash lights, lanterns, portable grills and heaters, bathing suits and flip flops (great for public showers) scarves, gloves, lip balm, sun block, toys for kids, notebooks, pens, paper, cards, board games and your cell phone. If you have had to evacuate without any of these amenities, visit your local department store and pick up as many of these items as you can. These are the bare necessities for an emergency camp out.

Remain calm. Refrain from constantly watching and/or listening to the news regarding your situation, keeping yourself in a state of worry. Instead, keep you and your family busy with games and activities, only checking in on the situation once every hour or two. This will help keep your mind alert and your stress level down.

These blazing fires flare up once a year in California, as if they were a reoccurring illness. The Camping Guy and his family would like to express heartfelt sympathy to all of the families affected by this horrible event and urge everyone to camp safely during this dangerous time.

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