{"id":2458,"date":"2009-11-12T13:17:45","date_gmt":"2009-11-12T18:17:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moshannonfalls.com\/?p=2458"},"modified":"2009-11-12T15:03:01","modified_gmt":"2009-11-12T20:03:01","slug":"camping-safety-burn-risk-and-first-aid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moshannonfalls.com\/camping-safety-burn-risk-and-first-aid\/","title":{"rendered":"Camping Safety – Burn Risk and First Aid"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"campfire\"We all know there is a certain amount of risk involved when we play in the outdoors and for the most part I feel confident\u00a0that most\u00a0of\u00a0the people I enter the woods with are aware of the dangers and risks. Some of the common risks we prepare ourselves for are insect bites, sunburn, cuts, illness, and even encounters with wildlife such as rattlesnakes and bear.<\/p>\n

We are prepared for many of these\u00a0risks because they are common\u00a0risks that we have actually encountered over years, but what about the dangers we don’t expect like burn related injuries. Two camping situations where burn is a real threat are\u00a0around the campfire<\/strong> and when camp cooking<\/strong>. \u00a0Below are a few suggestions on how to reduce the burn threat while camping.<\/p>\n

Campfire – A great campfire is often the highlight of the camping trip and without it evenings at the campsite tend to be a bit dull. But fire can be devastating and it only takes a moment of carelessness to turn a camping trip into a disaster.<\/strong> \u00a0<\/p>\n

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  1. Campfires can get out of control quickly so keep it contained and keep it small. A good bed of coals are\u00a0safest for cooking and a fire surrounded with rocks is best for throwing heat but also helps to keep the fire contained to a safe burn area.<\/li>\n
  2. Build your campfire on level ground away from human traffic areas, clear of rocks, stumps, overhanging limbs, dry grass and leaves. Never use liquid stove fuel as a fire starter because often there ends up a burn victim. Always keep a supply of water nearby in case of fire spread.<\/li>\n
  3. Keep your campfire free\u00a0of foreign objects and materials such as glass and unopened cans. Glass and other objects can result in a violent explosion; I’ve seen it happen and you wouldn’t want something that severe to happen while the entire group is gathered around the fire.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Camp Cooking – Like a great campfire, camp cooking is often the highlight of the camping trip but there are serious dangers present when cooking on open fires and with camping stoves.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    1. \u00a0I don’t have to explain the dangers of boiling water and cooking with hot oil but when cooking outdoors we don’t always have the right cooking utensils or\u00a0the appropriate\u00a0environment and are taking on higher\u00a0risk.\n
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      1. When handling hot pots and pans be sure to use the right utensils\u00a0to reduce the risk of spills\u00a0and burns.<\/li>\n
      2. Establish a cooking zone free from obstacles like branches, stumps, coolers,\u00a0tent rope\u00a0and children. \u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
      3. For added protection wear a full layer of clothing and leather boots rather than shorts, open sandals or Crocs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
      4. Liquid fuel camp stoves are capable of putting out a very hot flame\u00a0that when working properly is a very safe and efficient\u00a0cooking apparatus. But I’ve seen camp stove malfunctions that nearly ended in disaster if not for some quick thinking by the cook. Always keep camp stoves well maintained and know how to use them properly. And always use your stove in\u00a0a perimeter\u00a0away from tents, shelters and other flammables.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        \"firstaidburn2\"Burn Types<\/h2>\n

        The first-degree burn<\/strong> is the most common and least serious burn that results from sunburn or contact with hot cooking utensils, food or water and hot lanterns. \u00a0The first-degree burn usually involves minor pain at the site of the injury and can be treated as a minor burn unless it involves substantial portions of the face and body. The skin at the burn area is usually red, with minor swelling and slight pain, but the outer layer of skin hasn’t been burned through.<\/p>\n

        The second-degree burn<\/strong> is when the first layer of skin has been burned through and the second layer of skin is also burned and can occur when contact with boiling water, hot food or oil, lanterns, flares, flame or fire. Blisters will develop and the skin will develop a severe red appearance. Second-degree burns produce severe pain and swelling.<\/p>\n

        The third-degree burn<\/strong> is the most serious burns that involve all layers of the skin and cause permanent muscle and tissue damage. Areas may be charred black or appear dry and white. For these types of burns seek immediate emergency assistance.<\/p>\n

        Burn Treatment<\/h2>\n

        First-degree burn treatment<\/strong> – \u00a0Hold the burned area under clean cold water or place a clean cold compress on the burn for several minutes. Then lightly dry the area and cover it loosely with a sterile gauze bandage. Do not apply ice, sprays or ointments to the burn; however the exception is that sprays may be used in cases of light sunburn.<\/p>\n

        Second-degree burn treatment<\/strong> – If the second-degree burn is\u00a0small treat it the same as the first-degree burn but if the burned area is larger than a few inches in diameter\u00a0or if the burn is present on the face, hands or major portions of the body then treat it as a major burn and get medical emergency assistance.<\/p>\n

        Third-degree burn treatment<\/strong> – Don’t remove burnt clothing but make sure the victim is no longer in contact with smoldering clothing and materials. Don’t apply cold water cold water because doing so could cause shock. Cover the area of the burn with a cool, moist, sterile bandage or clean moist towels and elevate the burn area if possible. Seek immediate emergency assistance.<\/p>\n

        A good first aid kit is a\u00a0sensible thing to have when playing in the outdoors but it’s often one of the most overlooked items on the gear list. Learn more about\u00a0first aid kits<\/a>.<\/p>\n

        Moshannon Falls: Camping Safety – Burn Risk and First Aid<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        We all know there is a certain amount of risk involved when we play in the outdoors and for the most part I feel confident\u00a0that most\u00a0of\u00a0the people I enter the woods with are aware of the dangers and risks. Some … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/moshannonfalls.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/moshannonfalls.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/moshannonfalls.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moshannonfalls.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moshannonfalls.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2458"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/moshannonfalls.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2471,"href":"https:\/\/moshannonfalls.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458\/revisions\/2471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/moshannonfalls.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moshannonfalls.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moshannonfalls.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}