Camping with Kids? Be Safe AND Have Fun.

I have agonized over writing this post. I don't want anyone to think that I am pointing fingers or finding fault. The tragic death of Jerold Williams was nothing more than an unfortunate set of events that any one of us could have found ourselves in given the terrain, foliage, and weather. Please do not judge the parents or others in the party as I can tell you from first hand experience, it could have been anyone of you. Hind sight is 20/20 if not better than that. I hope that fence will hold.
Kid's are kids. They have energy and enthusiasm that will be stimulated beyond all comprehension when they are out in a wide open fenceless terrain with so many wonderful things nature offers to see and experience. Grass is enough to cover the small size of young kids and even clumps of grass spaced apart can conceal large animals as any experienced hunter will attest. You will not be able to "keep an eye" on your child all the time. Should you be diligent in that effort? Of course, but you are only human. You can give your kids instructions and expect that they will heed them all the way up to the time that, they "...forgot you said that." There simply is no 100%, fool proof way to prevent all tragedies. Life just happens sometimes but here are some steps that may prevent a bad situation from getting worse.
Again, You can give your kids instructions and expect that they will heed them all the way up to the time that, they "...forgot you said that." So go over by role playing what they should do if they are separated or feel lost while out. By doing this, the lesson has a better chance of being remembered. As much as I didn't like that silly purple dinosaur, "hug a tree." was good advice. Not perfect but good. Have your kids pretend they are lost and tell them to pick out the tallest tree within 20 steps of where they are and stick to it. The only problem with this is inclement weather that would include lightening. Being near a tall tree although something for searchers to look for, will also more likely bring lightening than shorter trees. A lot to discuss on this subject but take the time to cover possible scenarios. Practice in the parks in town before heading out to the woods. Arm your child with a whistle. Teach them that 3 blasts from the whistle, horn, guns etc. is the international sign of a person in distress and if heard should bring help. This might be a good time to tell them the Aesop's Fable of, "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." There are actually 2 morals here. The first is to the kids about lying and the second is to parents that sometimes kids will be kids so don't ignore the call no matter how many "false alarms" are sounded.
Just in case my fence building efforts need a little more foundation, no outdoorsman ever wants to admit he's been lost and I am no exception so I will simply say that I have been "confused" for a day and a night and it was no fun even as an adult. It is especially unnerving when you have not packed in what you will need to make yourself comfortable. What's even more embarrassing is that I was raised in the outdoors and knew better. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it but be reasonable with age and ability appropriateness. Fanny packs may not be in style in town but they are a great asset in the vastness of Arizona's terrain. This is the modern day version of the mountain man's "possibles pouch." The mountain man carried everything he could "possibly need" in this pouch. Today, a well equipped fanny pack should include a whistle, small flashlight, water, water proof windbreaker, emergency blanket, gloves and depending on the age and level of responsibility, a means or two to make a fire, multi tool and/or knife and cordage. (See attached picture for a non-exhaustive sample of what a teenager or larger child may be able to handle) Teach your kids before you go out what the purpose(s) of each item is.
Of course there should be good debate and reason to establish what other items you may want to put in their "possibles pouch" but remember the weight, age and ability factors and be reasonable.
Not wanting to embarrass anyone I am leaving out the names of the parties involved but...We were out in the wide outdoors in a very wooded area driving the roads and seeing the sights when one of the ladies needed to, "answer nature's call." it was a little embarrassing as she was gone longer than one would have suspected and we were all just getting to know each other and what if things just weren't..."going" well? All these things were going through my mind as the clock continued to click. I finally swallowed hard and asked the husband if it seemed like a normal thing regarding the time it was taking. The concern in his face told me that answer before he spoke and I hit the horn as soon as he said no. A few minutes later and another honk or two and I said, we need to saddle up and go look for her when she appeared. She was very thankful for the horn as she had gotten turned around and was headed in a completely wrong direction. Again, she was raised outdoors but it can happen to anyone. So go prepared even on the "short walk or on nature's call.
Camouflage is cool for hunters but not for youngsters camping. Bright contrasting to the foliage clothing should be worn. Some camouflage is OK for coolness sake but at the minimum a red, orange, fluorescent green etc neckerchief aka bandana has multiple uses besides visibility. Make them wear it.
Show your child landmarks that surround your camp and remind them of these often. Teach them to look for landmarks as their contribution to the camp safety. They will be proud to be a part of the program.
If your child is lost, the sooner you call, the greater the chance the experts will have in finding your child. All the search and rescue folks I have met tell me the same thing. The call comes in and they go out. Their hope is that the child will be located before they ever get to the area. They want to be told "Thanks for coming but it's all good." so don't be afraid or ashamed to make the call sooner than later. The statistics show that the sooner the call comes in the greater chance for a great outcome.
Please understand the information contained here is limited and does not mean 100% success in all situations. Life sometimes just ain't fair. With that in mind, I will not tolerate any negative comments in this thread regarding any situations you have heard about. If you have additional positive suggestions, please feel free to post them and of course feel free to share this post as you see fit and appropriate but do not make changes.
Camping can be a fun, rewarding and a great all around experience. Enjoy the outdoors but respect your limitations and the fact that nature is an experience that can be good and bad so be prepared.
Love you all and wish nothing but the best for you. Have fun and be safe.
Copyright © 2015 Hercel Spears