(CNN) – “Stay close to the heart of nature … and get away, from time to time, and go up a mountain or spend a week in the forest. Wash your spirit.” – Scottish-American native John Muir
Camping, one of the most earthly endeavors, can inspire the most heavenly thoughts. But in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, it also inspires a serious question: is it safe?
John Muir, the Scottish-born American naturalist, campaigned for the preservation of US wildlife, including the Yosemite Valley and Sequoia National Park. He is the founder of The Sierra Club.
Photo 12 / Universal Images Group / Getty Images
The good news is that camping is relatively one of the safest forms of recreation you can enjoy right now.
Still, it is not without risks. But if you know what you’re getting into and follow a few practical camping safety tips, you can enjoy that soul-cleansing getaway without much concern.
What is the risk of camping?
Great news if you love camping in places like Claytor Lake in Virginia – this is a relatively low risk activity.
Courtesy of Debi Weeks Gouge
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest level of risk, the camp reached a relatively low level of 3. That was on par with playing golf or buying groceries in a store following safety protocols.
Outdoors
Sims, who enjoyed camping in her undergraduate and medical days, said one of the most important things in favor of the camp is that you are mainly outdoors.
The Sims compared camping to going to bars, high-risk areas that are generally narrow, crowded, and indoors. That’s a great environment for a virus like Covid-19 to spread, and the quartet rated it 9 on its risk scale.
“A closed area tends to fill up with the virus over time.” Outdoors, on the other hand, the virus can spread much more easily, Sims said.
“Let’s say someone coughs. You’re not going to fill an outer space with the virus.”
Think small
If you share a house, you can share a tent.
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Solo trips and outings with people you live with are the best ways to go.
“Going in bigger groups, that will make your risk a little bit higher,” Sims said. “It won’t be as safe as going with your own family or staying at home. Interaction with other people outside of the people you live with increases the risk.”
Families who share a home should have no additional concerns about sharing space while camping.
“People who share a tent are generally in contact with each other. If a family goes camping, they are already exposed to each other.”
He said that as long as family members are not exposed to other people, staying in a house together instead of sharing a tent or RV shouldn’t make a difference.
“Staying in smaller groups is safer. Stay away from people you don’t know,” said Sims. “If you meet a new group, for example on a hike, stay away from them. Keeping yourself is a bit safer. It’s great to be friendly, but don’t upload and share photos.”
Things to avoid
Watch out! Has anyone else touched that juicy burger before you?
Niklas Rhose / Unsplash
Sims pointed out a few other things that could increase the risk of catching Covid-19:
– Singing around a campfire. “That aerosolizes more viruses. If you’re going to sing around a campfire, it’s a potential risk.” So if you’re having a moment and just need to break into the song, stretch yourself.
– Smoke from the campfire. This can cause a cough and help spread the virus. If you have a fire, don’t crowd around it. In summer, maybe you can do without one.
– Shared food. This can be a problem when you are camping, especially if you are going with a larger group.
“If you make a big pot of stew and everyone goes and takes from the same pot and uses the same utensils and spoon, that’s a risk,” Sims said.
Avoid buffet-style situations, especially in groups outside the family. People can share a “big plate of hamburgers, hot dogs, or ribs. People can pick up food and then put it back.”
We are still learning how Covid-19 spreads, but be aware that cold, dry air can carry other types of viruses further, Sims said.
So if you are thinking of a camping trip, why not do it now when it is summer in the northern hemisphere?
Wait, more authoritative advice!
Marta Jerebets, left, and Arthur Pettit set up their tent at a campground in Joshua Tree National Park in California on May 19, 2020.
Jae C. Hong / AP
There are many other sources with excellent safety tips if you decide to go camping, either in public or private places.
Some of the highlights from their detailed suggestions:
– Don’t be spontaneous; make plans: Make reservations and buy permits, firewood, ice, and other things online or by phone before arriving at camp.
– Supplied with cleaning and personal hygiene agents: Arrive with your own soap, surface disinfectants, hand sanitizer, paper towels, and toilet paper. This is an area where you should not skimp.
— Social distancing: Set up your camp, including sleeping, campfire, and eating areas, to be as far away as possible from nearby camps that house people from different homes.
– Be respectful of the rules: Follow all camp rules and instructions for your own safety and that of others. That could include wearing a face mask in public areas, paying attention to signs of social estrangement, and leaving furniture such as chairs and picnic tables where you found them.
– Avoid contact sports: For example, outdoor basketball courts may be open for throwing hoops, but signs prohibiting contact games must be observed.
— Roads: If a path is marked closed, there is good reason. Do not do it.
– Rafting: Do not raft other boats and gather in lakes.
– Bathrooms: If you have an RV, use your own bathroom instead of the public ones. The fewer people using the commons, the better.
Create your own creative solutions
Debi Gouge and her husband Tim love their pop-up, even during the day.
Courtesy of Debi Weeks Gouge
CNN Travel recently spoke with camp enthusiasts who have devised their own ways to make camping safer.
Debi Gouge, a small business owner and art instructor in Wythe County, Virginia, has a long-standing love of camping.
The pandemic has hit Debi, her husband Tim Gouge and their nine dogs. She has had to be particularly cautious to stay virus-free due to a life-long kidney condition.
She said that her husband came up with a great idea: camping during the day. “We set up our RV in Claytor Lake, which is 20 miles from us, and spent our days camping, walking … cooking, everything works! And then we got home late at night to sleep since we can’t have a pet sitter right now, and the next morning, back to camp. “
Kip Hardy, her husband, Brian, and their two children like to use their home in Decatur, Georgia, as a base to explore the Southeast.
They have turned to private farm camps and formed a “social bubble” with another family as two ways to stay outdoors.
Two more pieces of essential equipment.
Even when camping, a face mask is now essential gear. And don’t forget the hand sanitizer.
Along with the usual gear you’ve always needed for camping, the pandemic has added two more essentials for packing, Sims said.
What else do you need? “Hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer.” Sims said make sure it’s at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol, which is what the CDC recommends.
Also, “bring masks. Even outdoors, you never know if you will have to go to a store. Even if you think you are not going to interact with anyone, bring masks.”
In the end, Sims said to only bring the same precautions that you are already using to the camp.
“It is the same as anywhere else: social distancing, masking, cough etiquette, and hand hygiene. It has no magic.”
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