It’s always a good idea to keep safety in mind any time you venture out into the great outdoors. Because of the rising threat of forest and brush fires, caution should be practiced, no matter the circumstance. In some states there are no burn days in effect with strict enforcement during drier seasons and sometimes year round. Upon the last reporting, over 46,000 wildfires were listed across the US, burning more that 59 Million acres in 2021 so far.
Cooking In Camp
Cooking near a tent poses a wide variety of risks. Tents are made of flammable materials. Even when treated with fire-retardant chemicals, they can still catch on fire, as well as sleeping bags, sleeping matts, packs, along with a wide variety of gear. The only safe method for cooking with a camping stove is in a metal or stone camp fire ring, where permitted.
All portable gas stoves, even when assembled properly, emit carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. This includes butane and propane stoves. Since these gases are lighter than air, they will collect in areas of the tent, presenting an unseen health risk. If all tent flaps are open with the rain fly off, it’s still not advisable to cook in your tent. Even when canisters are properly assembled, they present an extreme risk of fire, explosion, and gas leakage, especially if the equipment has an unknown defect.
Battery Operated Hot Plates
Battery operated hot plates are a suitable solution for no burn days and in parks where lighting fires are prohibited. Even though this safer option does not pose a risk for carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide, it still poses a fire risk. A tent is flammable, and likely crowded with gear. Therefore, any sources of high heat should be placed over a fire grate in a designated fire ring.
Campfire Cooking And Campfire Safety
Cooking outside of a fire ring poses a risk of starting forest fires, especially in dryer environments. In some state parks, making an unofficial camp fire ring is permitted. In others, it is not. Sometimes a permit is required to light a fire at all when camping. The forestry department is working hard at educating outdoor enthusiasts on their best practices.
The endorsed method for putting out a fire is with water. Tossing dirt on a fire won’t douse the coals. Never leave hot coals unattended. Extinguish a fire with water and stir up the dirt and ash. Once the coals are cool to the touch, it no longer needs attending.
Preserving The Wild
Another reason to not cook, eat, or store food in your tent is the risk of exposure to hantavirus. Rodents can chew through anything to get to your food and scented items, or even your sleeping bag to steal the stuffing for their own bedding. Cases of hantavirus have been reported across 34 states. 12% of deer mice are infected with the disease and can easily pass it onto humans. Hantavirus disease and its symptoms are worth avoiding at all costs.
You’ll want to bury any organic non-food waste 6 to 8 inches deep in the dirt and 200 feet from your campsite, running water, and trails. Clean your camping cookware by boiling water in it and ingesting it for remaining nutrients and calories. This prevents food waste and the risks associated with scattering food material around your camp. If this is not your preferred method, dump the rinse water in a hole dug at least 6-8 inches deep and bury it. Do not rinse dishes in waterways. Keep your rivers and creeks pristine.
Toilet tissue should be packed out and not buried. Deer mice and chipmunks will dig it out and use it as food or bedding and scatter the shredded tissue debris. Always pack out what you bring in, leaving nothing but your footprints behind. Never burn food, tissue, soiled paper products, or organic matter. Unless incinerated to ash at a temperature your campfire cannot reach, over 1100 degrees Fahrenheit,m. The food is still there to attract wildlife. So don’t burn waste, pack it out.
Camping And Bear Safety
It is not a good idea to cook or eat in your tent, as any scent of food or spills will attract bears to where you are sleeping, putting your belongings and personal safety at risk. Likewise, it is not a good practice to store food or waste in a vehicle after dark. Bears can break into your car with little effort and do significant damage. The last thing you want is to be stranded out in the wild without a working car. Paying to have your car towed from the middle of nowhere won’t be cheap.
How To Store Food When Camping In Bear Country
Unless your food is within reach, store it away from your camp and never leave it unattended. Keep your food in a bear canister or a campground bear locker where provided. Any food wrappers, scented items, or garbage should be packed in your bear resistant canister as well.
The surest bear proof method for your food is to have it secured in a bear canister at least 100 feet from your campsite. In fact, anything that goes on or in your body should be stored. When correctly secured, a bear will fumble with it for a while and tire of the task and move on.
Another, albeit antiquated technique, is to rig a bear hang to protect your food. If this is your preferred method, and a bear canister is too big or cumbersome for you, then make sure to store the food in a bear sack. Bear sacks, bear bags, or bullet proof sacks are made of tear proof material, sometimes kevlar, and lock in odors. How effective they are at trapping in odors depends on the product and proper use.
Effectively hanging food from a tree requires hoisting it 20 feet above ground, and at least 8 feet from the base of any tree. Food hung above ground should also be at least 100 feet from your campsite. Even then, a determined bear could acquire the food, and is less likely to tire of the task. A smaller food competitor, such as a raccoon, badger, or wolverine, will make quicker work of it. Therefore, a bear canister is the more widely accepted method.
Not applying these best practices poses a threat to bears, as forest rangers occasionally are forced to put them down once they grow accustomed to people. The more a bear becomes acclimated to humans, the more likely they’ll compete for your food. Once a bear has laid claim to food, it can become very aggressive. Confronting a bear over food increases your chance of attack by 50%.
If a hungry bear scavenges for food in your campground, or tent, and it has its young in tow, that can be a recipe for disaster. Bears aren’t the only wildlife that can pose a threat. Predatory bobcats, cougars, coyotes, and wolves should also be of concern, although less common. Even when not practical, safety should always come first. They call it ‘roughing it’ for a reason.