Although a good night’s sleep in your own bed or a plush hotel’s bed is nice, there really aren’t experiences as good as the views while Camping, the night sky from camp, or the splendid surprises of Mother Nature. When planning your next getaway, try camping with this tips from Mark Rogers who is currently camping through Kentucky and Tennessee.

Take it away Mark!

While the majority of people still spend their vacation jetting away to far off destinations where they can experience sun, sea, and sand, an increasing number of us are opting to stay closer to home and experience the nature that surrounds us with a camping trip. This is a great alternative way to spend your free time that can open your eyes up to nature and the world that surrounds us outside of the city. But this type of trip does come hand in hand with risks that you might not experience elsewhere. Here are just a few steps that you can take to stay as safe as possible!

Travel With Someone

Solo travel can be an extremely liberating experience that allows you to learn a whole lot about yourself. But generally speaking, if you are intending to head away on a Camping Trip into the wilderness, you should always travel with someone. Spending time in unsupervised terrain can prove risky and it’s always best to have someone with you in case you experience trouble along the way. If you slip and hurt yourself alone, you won’t necessarily have cell phone signal to contact help and you may not be able to move yourself to seek medical attention. Travelling with someone gives you a better chance of reaching help sooner – they may be able to assist you to a safe space or search for help on your behalf.

Pack a Safety Kit

There are various situations that you may need some survival tools during your camping trip. Whether this is a ferro rod to light a fire (which will provide you with warmth and a means of cooking a nutritious meal) or a torch which will help you to navigate your way in the darkness. Having tools on you will help to improve your experience of staying outdoors and will also improve your overall safety and wellbeing during your trip.

Familiarise Yourself With Fire Safety

As we have previously mentioned, you may need to start a fire in order to stay warm and in order to cook food while you are away. But it is extremely important that you understand camping related fire safety.

• Keep fires and BBQs away from tents. Under no circumstances should a fire of BBQ be lit inside a tent, as this can result in fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Avoid using fuel to start a fire. Fumes can ignite and this can result in burns. Using fuel can also cause a fire to ignite much sooner than expected, again, resulting in burns. The previously mentioned ferro rod is a much better and safer option.

• Clear the space around a fire. This will allow you to step away from it without tripping or falling.

• Keep a bucket of earth, water, or sand near any fire. This can be used to extinguish it if it starts to get out of control.

• Put fires completely out before leaving them unattended. You don’t want to start a forest fire of sorts.

These are just a few different steps that you can take to help yourself stay as safe as possible on your next camping trip!

**Post contributed by Mark Rogers, a U.K. born travel writer who is currently camping throughout Tennessee and Kentucky.**