Protection
The wilderness can be very dangerous, both from animals as well as from natural disasters. Injured animals and animals can attack and seriously injure a person. Inquisitive animals like bears, raccoons, opossums, and skunks can be attracted to campsites by the smell of food. Animal bites can transmit disease; some species of animals, like snakes, and insects, have a poisonous bite or sting. To avoid danger from animals:
If you are bitten by a snake, do not panic. Panicking with increase your heart rate and spread the venom faster. If you can identify the snake as a nonpoisonous or mildly poisonous species, wash the bite and bandage it firmly. If not, or if the bite can be fatal, apply direct pressure to the bite. Localize the venom by bandaging firmly above and below the bite.
If you are stung by a bee or wasp, carefully remove the sting with tweezers. Be careful not to squeeze the poison sac.
If you have a tick, do not pull it away by force. This could cause the tick's jaws to remain in the skin, causing infection. Instead, dab the tick with insect repellent to loosen it, then carefully remove it with tweezers.
Natural disasters can also pose a great danger, especially since they are unpredictable. Possible natural disasters include:
- Make as much noise as possible when walking through the brush
- Avoid females with young (especially bears); they will attack
- If you meet a predator, freeze and back away slowly. Do not run, since this will trigger the predator's instinctive chasing response. If the predator charges, run in a zigzag pattern, or rush at the animal, waving your arms and shouting.
- Use a mosquito net at night to avoid being bitten by insects
- Shake out your clothes before putting them on in case spiders or scorpions have gotten into them
- Keep a fire going at all times to deter animals, but be careful not to let it grow too big
If you are bitten by a snake, do not panic. Panicking with increase your heart rate and spread the venom faster. If you can identify the snake as a nonpoisonous or mildly poisonous species, wash the bite and bandage it firmly. If not, or if the bite can be fatal, apply direct pressure to the bite. Localize the venom by bandaging firmly above and below the bite.
If you are stung by a bee or wasp, carefully remove the sting with tweezers. Be careful not to squeeze the poison sac.
If you have a tick, do not pull it away by force. This could cause the tick's jaws to remain in the skin, causing infection. Instead, dab the tick with insect repellent to loosen it, then carefully remove it with tweezers.
Natural disasters can also pose a great danger, especially since they are unpredictable. Possible natural disasters include:
- Forest fires: do not travel uphill (this will not make the fire slower); follow fleeing animals and look for a water source
- Floods: travel uphill
- Landslides/rockfalls: run away as fast as you can; if escape is not possible, curl into a ball to protect your head
- Earthquakes: get to the top of a hill; stay away from trees and other potential falling hazards if possible