By Adam Fillius

Well, it’s summer again. It’s a great time to wheeling, camping, and many other outdoor activities. But with the blue sky and sunshine also comes extreme heat, snakes, and many other possible trailside dangers. But, as long as we all remember to take a few precautions we can ensure that we have a happy, injury free summer.

It’s the night before a run; you’re packing up your rig. What items should you take? Well other than the usual required safety items (and we all have those, right…) you need to think about what the current weather conditions are like. First off, bring lots of water! It’s hot out there, and it won’t take long before your body becomes dehydrated. When your body has lost 5% of it’s fluids you’ll show signs of thirst, irritability, nausea, and weakness. At 10% fluid loss you will become dizzy, have headaches, and lose the ability to walk. At 15% fluid loss your vision will dim, your tongue will become swollen, and you will have a numb feeling in you skin. And finally, at more the 15% body fluid loss…you will die. As you can see, by the time you get thirsty you may already be at 5% body fluid loss. You need to drink water even before you think you need it. And let me tell you from experience (I grew up in Arizona ) 10% fluid loss is a terrifying ordeal. Let’s face it, we sit in a hot truck, or jeep all day long and I’d be willing to bet that most (if not all) of us have a cup holder right next to us. Put a bottle of water in it and sip it while you’re waiting for the guy in front of you to tackle an obstacle. At 68°F the average adult requires 2-3 quarts daily so you can imagine what we need when it’s 95°F or more outside.

Let’s also not forget about protecting ourselves against the very thing that is making it so hot…the sun. Personally I think that every one of us should carry sun block in our rigs. I prefer the spray on type, it’s easy to apply and isn’t greasy at all. It only takes a second to avoid painful sunburn. Also, a hat goes a long way toward keeping your face protected…besides it also helps keep the glare out of your eyes while your driving.

Obviously we are going to be doing a lot of camping, and who wouldn’t, what’s more beautiful than the night sky in the wilderness? Not much that I can think of. Concerning camping, I must refer you to an article written last year on the subject. Watch out for snakes. Look before you step over a log in the campsite, take extra caution when moving rocks for a campfire or for stacking, check under your rig when you walk up to it. You never know when you may be unfortunate enough to see a rattle snake. In my first aid kit is a snake bite kit, and with as much camping as we do, I highly recommend the investment. It only cost a couple of bucks, and if we’re lucky it will be money well wasted.

These are only a few things to think about this summer season, I could keep going on and on, but then this would turn into a medical journal, so… Drive safe and have a good time. 

Adam “Safety Dude” Fillius