A camping trip can be a lot of fun for both adults and children. However, whether you are first time campers, or experienced ones, you need to be aware of certain safety rules that will help to keep you and your children safe while they enjoy a wonderful camping experience.

Before you start

There are some camping safety steps you can take even before you leave home.

• Make sure someone else knows where you are going and when you plan to return.
  
  
• Check the weather to make sure there are no storms forecast during the time of your trip.
  
  
• Locate the nearest medical facility to your campground. This may seem extreme, but in the unlikely event you need emergency service, you need to know where to go.
  
  
• Have your children memorize the name of the campground and where it is. You can make this into a car game.
  
  
• When you are packing, be sure to include a first aid kit. You can buy one or put one together yourself. At the very least, it should include: antiseptic ointment, fever reducer, Benadryl, band aids, gauze pads and tape, tweezers, moleskin, an elastic bandage and a triangular bandage.
  
  

At the campground

It's at the campground where most of the camping safety tips come into play.  There are things that you can do to ensure that the campsite is as safe as possible for everyone.  There are also camping safety rules that the children need to learn that will help to keep them safe.

• Once you have chosen a campsite, try to agree on some kind of landmark so the children can easily pick out their campsite.  This could be a large rock, a tall tree or even some kind of a flag that you could stick in the ground.
  
  
• Take a walk around the campground so everyone is familiar with where the water faucet is and where the bathrooms are.  Visit the camp store and any playground facilities the campground offers.  Designate an easily accessible place where the kids could go if they get disoriented and can't find their campsite.
  
  
• If you're camping in a tent, like the Coleman Weathermaster  3 room tent,  or any other kind of tent, paint the top of the stakes with fluorescent paint and tie scraps of material or tin foil on the guy wires to prevent tripping over them in the dark.  Make sure everyone has their own flashlight.
  
  
• Stress to your children that they must stay within sight or sound of the campsite, depending on their age.  If your children are a little older, institute the buddy system.  No one goes anywhere alone.  Every child should have a whistle that they keep on them at all times.  If they think they are lost, they should stop where they are and blow the whistle.  A whistle can be heard much farther than a child's voice.  Teach them to wait for someone to find them.
  
  
• Fire safety is on everyone's mind when you talk about camping safety.  Many people do their cooking on portable propane grills like the Coleman Roadtrip Grill.  But a campfire at night is usually irresistible.  Adults and only adults are responsible for building a fire and putting it out.  Establish a fire safety perimeter around the fire ring.  Do not let your children throw sticks or trash into the fire.  It can cause a flare up and sparks can fly.  Always keep water available near the fire pit.  A small shovel is a good idea too, because dirt can put out a fire.  Never leave the fire unattended.  Extinguish it before you go to bed.
  
  
• Make sure you pack up all food and put it in your car, or in a bear bag hung in the trees.  Stress to your children that they should keep no food in their tents.  Also any kind of fragrance such as toothpaste, a candy bar or shampoo needs to be secured.  Wild animals have a highly developed sense of smell and you don't want any critters visiting you in your tent at night.
  
  

On the Trail

Whether you are hiking, swimming, biking or just hanging around, here are some more camping safety suggestions for you.

• Provide plenty of drinkable water so no one gets dehydrated.  Make sure the children drink enough.
  
  
• Liberally apply sunscreen and bug repellant.  Check to make sure the bug spray is appropriate for your children's ages.  Wear a hat and try to cover bare skin.
  
  
• When hiking,  only go as fast as the slowest child and take plenty of rest breaks.  Teach your children to watch for wildlife, but to enjoy them from a distance.  Wild animals are just that--wild!  Be especially careful during springtime, because the mothers will be out and about with their babies.  If climbing on rocks, be aware that snakes may be sunning themselves on that rock where you're about to put your hand.
  
  
• Dress your children in layers, so they can easily adapt to changing temperatures during the day.
  
  
• Point out poisonous plants (Leaves of three; let them be). 
  
  

These camping safety tips will help you and your children to enjoy your camping trip without serious mishaps.  It may seem  like a lot to remember, but it is mainly common sense.  Soon it will become second nature to you.  Happy Camping!

Author Bio:  Stephanie Trementozzi lives in Culpeper, VA, and has  camped with her children and grandchildren for many years.  She is the publisher of www.always-outdoors.com, where she reviews outdoor products such as the Nikon Monarch 8 X 42 ATB binoculars.

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