By Brian "Safety Dude" Pawlak

As four-wheelers we do a lot of camping, which can be a lot of fun if done safely. Let's review some basics that may be taken for granted when you camp as often as we do. Don’t use any gasoline or propane lighting, or cooking or heating devices inside your camper or tent, unless there is adequate ventilation. Anything with a flame will consume oxygen. Don’t allow any flammable objects like bedding or curtains near the flame, as they will catch on fire. It is impractical to use flame type devices in small tents. Those who have seen my family of 4 sleep in an 80" dome tent, know that I have plenty of experience in this area. Never store fuel containers inside your tent or vehicle. It’s better left outside in case it leaks. You might consider keeping dangerous items like matches and knives concealed where they are less tempting to those that should not be messing with them, (maybe your kids, or maybe your brother-in-law). If you keep your water containers full at home too, (emergency preparedness!), be sure to put a few drops of bleach to prevent any unwanted growth. Empty and refill them before each camping trip to have fresh water on the trip, this keeps them changed out often for those unforeseen emergencies. Depending on how long you are camping and how accessible ice is, take care not to eat any spoiled food. An electric cooler can keep ice longer than an ice chest. I have used dry ice with block ice between it and my food. This keeps the food from freezing, and the ice doesn’t begin to melt for about 2 days. As always, be careful when driving into camp. Watch for adults, kids, and pets that may step from behind campers, etc. This is especially true at night when visibility is diminished. As with most safety issues, it’s pretty much common sense thinking. So keep these things in mind for an enjoyable and safe camping experience while four-wheeling.