Hi! My name is Cliff, KD6AUN. I've been asked to write a series of articles on the subject of camping, because this has become a sort of "mainstay" sub-activity to the ways in which our club enjoys Amateur (Ham) Radio. Our organization, The Tech Bench Elmers Amateur Radio Society, enjoys combining camping and radio related activities. Camping, thus, is not just a "Field Day activity", for us!

The focus of these articles will be to:

1) Help neophytes make their first camping experience more successful

2) Share our strategies for keeping the camping experience fun and interesting.

I would like to begin this series of articles by first talking about the General Safety issues surrounding the issue of any and all camping activities. Note: I am not trying to scare anybody away from camping. Just ask yourself, do I buckle up when I am a passenger in a motor vehicle? The point is this ....nobody PLANS to be in motor vehicle accident. If however, an accident occurred, then the act of having buckled up may have reduced injury/or saved one's life. Therefore, being PREPARED and following General Safety considerations should reduce or altogether eliminate the chance of a tragedy.

I. Tell family/friends WHERE you are going camping. If there is a change of plans, such as because of a full campground, make sure you TELL someone! In addition to the WHERE, tell them the WHEN of your return. Again, if there is a change in the WHEN of your return, be sure to TELL someone! In the event.....that you cannot reach a relative, how about informing the local sheriff?

II. ALWAYS Carry EXTRAS: bring an excess of food, water, warm clothing, emergency shel ter (even a vinyl poncho will do), flashlight batteries, fuel ...charcoal, propane, white gas.

III. ALWAYS know IMPORTANT medical information about people in your group. An example might be, allergies to bee stings. This information can be kept on file with the group first aid kit. This information....can be on a piece of paper....in a sealed envelope for privacy reasons.

IV. Don't INVITE TROUBLE: Don t try and handle a rattlesnake. With that I would like to also add.....don t leave your tent open. If you need ventilation......that s OK, but keep the mosquito netting zipped. This way, you won t have surprise in your tent, when your ready to go to sleep. Also, keep your food out of the reach of wild animals. You can do this by placing the food in the trunk of your vehicle or by tying it up in a tree. Dispose of trash properly, that will help keep the critters away as well.

V. ALWAYS have FIREFIGHTING CAPABILITY: This could be a bucket of water, sand, or small fire extinguisher (ABC rated).

In the next article, I will provide a detailed list of the types of equipment one ought to have when they go camping. In the meantime, if your contemplating your first camping trip, go with an experienced camper, maybe even an Elmer. Your first camping venture....will go more smoothly if you have somebody to guide and instruct you.

73 for now! de KD6AUN

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