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One of the most common fears when camping is animal attack. Although highly unlikely, having peace of mind while camping in nature is a must in order to enjoy the trip.
In this article, we will be going through some tips that will help you learn how to protect your campsite from predators.
Avoid Detection
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Predators have a great sense of smell; therefore, we have to be careful not to leave food outside overnight. Cooking and eating are fine but make sure you place all your trash and eatables in an air-tight bag where animals won’t be able to smell them.
If you are in heavy predator country, it may be a good idea to change the clothes you cooked and ate in to eliminate any chances of getting detected by animals.
How to Protect Your Campsite From Predators: Use the Landscape to Your Advantage
Animals need water just as we do; therefore, if you set up camp right next to a river you may encounter some animals making their way down for a drink. Animals also prefer the easier route so camping in branches or in areas that are harder to get to will reduce the likelihood of animal visits.
Add Natural Barriers
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Natural barriers can be objects such as branches, rocks or leaves. These will not just make it more difficult for the animal to approach, they will also make noise if something steps on them and therefore wake you up.
How to Protect Your Campsite From Predators: Use Electricity
Believe it or not, you can use electric wire to surround your campsite and therefore stop any predators from entering. Obviously, this is extreme and would only be recommended in very remote places in which animal encounters are highly likely. Such kits can be expensive too.
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Tripwire Alarm
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This is a lightweight item that will add peace of mind to your camping setup. Tripwire alarms are cheap to buy and will wake you up if anything approaches! Avoid the one in the picture above though – it’s a bit extreme!
How to Protect Your Campsite From Predators: Fire
Fire has been used as protection against animals for years. If an animal sees a fire, it will most likely try to stay as far away from it as possible. If you are extremely concerned you can move your fire to three different places creating a triangle around your campsite – this increases the likelihood of starting a forest fire though; so, only use this method in extreme situations.
Use Your Dog as Security
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This is a controversial method as there have been cases where dogs have agitated a predator and once the dog gets chased it runs back to the owner; therefore, bringing the predator even closer.
The benefits outweigh the drawbacks though as dogs have a great sense of hearing and smell; therefore, a well-trained dog will let you know if anything is approaching.
How to Protect Your Campsite From Predators: Take Control of Your Own Safety
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You are the one in charge of keeping yourself safe in case of an animal attack. As intelligent species, we have the power to keep ourselves safe with the use of bear sprays, guns (with the proper training, of course), or even rocks. Keep something that will be able to stop the predator in case of an attack and you will feel far more comfortable at night.
Remember that animal attacks are highly unlikely; however, by using some of the tips mentioned above you will be able to sleep better knowing that you are safe from predators.