Health and Safety

Last week we had an unusual heat wave in Ontario. People in the cities suffered and stayed indoors close to their air-conditioners.

But I was lucky to be camping and able to go outside and enjoy the beach.

To use sunscreen or not, this is the question many parents ask. While dermatologists were advising using sunscreen or even sunblock for little children for years, some parents, and many natural health proponents believe that it may be more harmful than helpful.

We all know that water is essential to life. While hiking in the summer heat we can lose a lot of moisture. The drier the air the more moisture we lose, i.e. we will lose more in the desert than in a tropical forest.

Basic safety rules require that we always bring a First Aid Kit with us whenever we go. In fact you should have one right now in your car. The same goes for camping, whether it is just car camping or hiking or canoeing with your kids.

Watch this funny video about insects. It also gives you some advice on how to protect yourself, but before you smear DEET all over your kids read about dangers of bug repellent.

In this educational video  from Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington, we can see how brown bears (yes, I know, it says grizzly) destroy empty camp that smells of food.

Do not make that mistake!

Read my tips on camping in bear country.

If you go camping in a bear country you need to follow some rules to keep out of trouble: 

Some campgrounds offer campsite right on the beach or adjacent to the beach. That means that kids will stay around water all the time and do a lot of swimming. It can be a lot of fun but there are some things to pay extra attention to:

Are you an avid hiker? Hiking with the whole family can be a lot of fun, given that you are well prepared. So besides the usual: water, snacks and bug repellent you may want to consider some hi-tech devices to keep you safe and on track. This could be very important if you are planning a longer hike, canoe trip or wilderness camping with your kids.

Car seats are paramount to our children’s safety in a car while we are driving, yet majority of them are not installed correctly.

Most of commercial bug repellents contain DEET in concentrations from 10 to 30 %.But remember that DEET is a poison (neurotoxin) and there have been cases of toxic encephalopathy: agitation, weakness, disorientation and even seizures and coma in children who used DEET. It is rare, but possible.