9 Things that Can Make You Sick While Camping

Getting sick is really frustrating, and when you are away from home, it increases the frustration level as the situation is downright miserable at a campsite. Moreover, when your camping is all about the multiday hike, then you cannot afford to be sick because it could be dangerous for you.

Also, the weather may even take a wrong turn leaving you stranded on the road; so, it’s always better to be prepared for the worst circumstances. Here are some common ways you can get sick, avoiding these would help you with a safe and secure camping trip this time:

Un-boiled water from the lakes or rivers

You may find the river or lake water pristine and fresh, but it can be very unsafe for drinking. It may contain chemicals, pollutants, microbes, bacteria, diseases, and viruses that can survive in water for long enough. Ingesting such water, you are calling great trouble for yourself.

You stand a high chance of catching intestinal infection diarrhoea, which could be fatal if left untreated. Make sure you drink boiled water, and unless you are in a life and death situation where there is no way to purify it, you shouldn’t drink it. We recommend you carry drinking water before you head for camping, and when you have all the resources, then why take such risk?

Rodents

You will encounter lots of rodents and their droppings on the way to your campsite. It is best to protect your food from these rodents dropping because it may spoil your food, and it would be challenging to figure out later on as urine is invisible. In case you eat such an infected food, you may catch some deadly diseases that include anthrax, botulism, rabies, raccoon roundworm, giardia, hantavirus, Lyme disease, and plague.

Propane heaters in tents

If you use propane heaters in your caravan, then beware you may get suffocated due to the release of carbon monoxide. And, you may even burn your entire tent if it catches fire by mistake. We recommend looking for heaters with automatic carbon monoxide detectors as it shuts off the system to discover a low level of oxygen.

Rotten food

It is easy to get your food spoiled while camping, especially during summers. Eating such rotten food may cause indigestion, and you can catch several digestive diseases. We know you would never appreciate such a situation, and you may get extremely sick and catch food poisoning if you consume such food.
It is always best to cook your food thoroughly and never leave raw food on unprotected surfaces. Also, carry disinfectant wipes to clean off the surfaces. Use pasteurized dairy products and make sure you wash all the vegetables before cooking.

Too much exposure to the sun

Being on a camping trip, you are likely to get some heat under the season and who doesn’t enjoys it. But, the problem arises when you overdo it. You should avoid getting too much exposure to the sun; otherwise, you may get sunburns or heat rash.

It blocks the sweat glands and prevents the moisture from reaching the skin surface, which can result in mild itchiness, blisters, or deep red bumps when left untreated. Apart from this, if you continue getting exposure to the sun, you can catch a heatstroke, which could be potentially fatal. Make sure you wear cool and comfortable clothing during summers and also keep your sleeping area cool.

Wild plants

You may come across several wild plants during your camping, but its best to keep yourself protected, you may hurt yourself. They can prick you, and most of the illness comes from mistaking berries and other plants as edible when they aren’t, which could be extremely poisonous. Also, you must gather some knowledge about such wild plants and fruits, which may harm you.

Insect bites

When you are on camping, you may get several diseases like dengue fever, West Nile virus, Lyme disease, or other complications due to insect bites, whether it is a bug or a mosquito. Fortunately, there are many ways you can avoid such a situation:

• Keep camping gear and tents away from the grass
• Wear light-coloured clothing.
• Use an insect repellant while camping.
• Avoid overheating and sweating
• Use a mosquito coil around camp.
• Burn sage in the campfire

You can also attach mesh screens from Xtend Outdoors to your awning windows to protect yourself from mosquitoes.

Not maintaining proper hygiene

Sometimes we don’t pay much attention to hygiene, which may land us in big trouble later. It is important to do laundry when you return from camping, as you may notice some bugs on your clothing. Also, it would help if you washed your hands before cooking and eating food because you may not know how many viruses you have touched on your way to camping.

Otherwise, you may catch infections such as intestinal upset and diarrhoea and get eye infections.

Excessive consumption of Alcohol

You may enjoy sipping alcohol while camping or when spending time with your friends in the woods, as nothing is satisfying than that. Getting overly drunk may catch accidents where you may accidentally burn trees around you on just a spark. If you go drunk for river rafting, you may get drowned. So, it’s best to consume alcohol in a limit so you can handle yourself while camping.
These were some of the reasons you may hurt yourself or catch diseases while camping. Now that you know everything that can hurt you, it’s best to be prepared.

We hope you enjoyed reading the blog. For more caravan related stuff, stay tuned with us!