Parkland Ambulance has some safety advice as camping season gets into high gear. (Submitted photo/Parks Canada)

By Rob Mahon

Camping Safety

Know where you are: Parkland Ambulance with advice ahead of camping season

Jun 24, 2022 | 2:00 PM

Last week, Parkland Ambulance responded to a call of a woman who had injured herself with an axe while chopping wood.

That’s one of several injuries that become more common when people get out and enjoy the summer months by camping.

Parkland Ambulance is reminding people to take certain safety precautions before they head out to provincial campgrounds or other spots to soak in the summer. It’s a common pastime in the Prince Albert area, but one that needs to be done safely.

“We’ve all been cooped up with a long, snowy winter and we want to be outdoors,” said Lyle Karasiuk, director of public affairs with Parkland Ambulance. “But we need to make sure that as we head outdoors, it is important for us to take a few extra minutes.”

The first thing Karasiuk wants people to keep in mind is to know where they are. If you end up needing emergency services while camping, knowing your exact location could be absolutely vital.

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“Make sure you know where you are and you know how to give accurate directions to the person you’re talking to at the other end of the phone when you’re calling for help,” Karasiuk said. “That’s so important.”

Another thing Karasiuk wanted people to be aware of was that, while carrying a first-aid kit on a hike may add weight to your pack, it’s crucial to keep one nearby.

“First-aid kits don’t have to be big and bulky,” said Karasiuk. “Obviously, if you have a camper trailer or the cottage or something where you can store a much larger container, great. But many people are packing because of space, and if you’re on a canoe, what you carry in you need to carry out. The biggest thing is something to control bleeding, some gauze, maybe a commercial tourniquet.”

Slips, trips, falls, or something falling on top of you are all risks in the wild, so Karasiuk encouraged people to have something to deal with broken bones.

“A commercial, compact splint,” Karasiuk said. “And your regular first-aid kit with tweezers, band-aids, some ointment. Don’t forget things like some sunscreen, some bug spray, and if you are in the backwoods or remote, some bear spray in case you meet one of those creatures as well.”

Karasiuk added when it comes to axe injuries, injuries to the foot are the most common because people miss the wood or the axe glances off and the momentum takes it downward.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP