Accidents happen even on the most well-planned camping trips. You need to not only plan to avoid accidents, but you also need to plan on how to handle them if and when they arise while camping. The important thing is to remember to remain calm. The worst thing you can do is panic.

You need to keep a clear head and just let your first-aid training kick in. If you don’t have any first aid training then you should attend some classes before going camping. If you are not calm then you may not treat the correct problem and this could just make it worse.

Three common ailments that befall campers are dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. To most people, these all seem like similar ailments, and they are, but they each need to be treated differently. Confusing which treatment to go with will not only halt healing but could also do damage. The first and most common problem while camping is dehydration. The best thing to do is just to keep yourself well-hydrated with water.

You may drink nothing but soda and coffee at home, but if you try that while camping you will quickly find yourself in a hospital room for dehydration. There are several indications of dehydration besides the obvious thirst. Excessive sweating, rapid breathing, clammy skin, and loss of skin elasticity are all signs of dehydration.

Children may also have sunken eyes when dehydrated. If someone gets dehydrated while you’re camping then you want to have them rest in the shade and drink plenty of cool water. You’ll also want them to remove any unnecessary clothing. Heat exhaustion is another common problem while camping. This is caused by not only too much heat but can also be caused by too much humidity. A person with heat exhaustion will have pale, clammy skin, rapid breathing, excessive sweating, thirst, nausea, headache, and exhaustion.

Again you’ll want the person to take a break from camping and completely rest with their feet elevated. Cool water and a shady place are a must.

You’ll even want to sponge the person with water. The third common camping ailment is heat stroke. Heat stroke is caused by your body not regulating body temperature correctly, causing your body to overheat. Symptoms are flushed, dry skin, a lack of sweat, rapid and weak pulse, irrational behavior, staggering, headache, and vomiting.

If not caught early and treated this can also lead to a collapse, a seizure, a coma, and even death. If someone gets heat exhaustion while camping you need to get help immediately and get an ambulance. Have them rest in the shade with their head raised. Use ice or cool water to cool them down and if they are conscious have them drink. These three ailments are common while camping and should be watched for and treated immediately.

Camping first aid knowledge is essential when camping. Remember that water always helps, so have plenty of it with you at all times. If something does happen on your camping trip stay calm and remember what you’ve learned. If he’s red raise his head, if he’s pale raise his tale, is a good rhyme to help you remember what to do if something happens while you’re camping. Keep cool and hydrated and you should be able to avoid complications like these on your camping trip.