Camping Safety Tips in the Northwest

The Pacific Northwest offers endless opportunities for enjoying the great outdoors. As you bike, swim, and hike your way to a fantastic adventure, it's important to remember that even the most innocent-seeming outdoor activities pose hidden dangers. By remembering a few simple safety procedures, you can guarantee a safe and fun experience. First, become aware of potential hazards. Keep abreast of what threats are specific to the area you will be enjoying. Aggressive wildlife, unpredictable weather, and dangerous terrain all pose serious safety threats.

Wildlife
Cougars. If you cross paths with a cougar, make yourself appear larger by standing tall and raising your arms and/or jacket over your head. Do not run or turn your back. Talk calmly and firmly to the cougar to make it think you are a predator, not its prey. If the animal becomes aggressive, shout at it and throw rocks and sticks to make it clear that you are a threat, not food. If you are attacked, fight back with whatever is handy (big sticks work well), and try to stay on your feet.

Bears. Most bear encounters happen in campsites, where bears have learned that humans often leave out food. The best way to avoid a bear encounter is to securely store food in airtight containers away from your tent or camper. If a bear does come into your camp, try to scare it away by making noise. If that doesn't work, slowly leave the area and let the bear have what it came for. Visit the Alaska State Parks website for more excellent tips on how to act if a bear threatens to attack you.

Poisonous snakes. Rattlesnakes are found in hot, dry places throughout the United States. If you are hiking or camping in arid terrain, stay on clearly marked trails and avoid rocks, holes, and other nooks where snakes like to hide. Remember, you will usually be able to hear a rattler before you see it.

Weather
The weather can also pose a serious threat if you are unprepared. The two most common outdoor weather-related problems are hypothermia and dehydration.

Hypothermia is the number one killer in the outdoors. Prevent hypothermia by:
-- Layering wool and synthetic fabrics for warmth and protection from the wind and rain.
-- Wearing a hat, as almost half of body heat is lost through the head.
-- Bringing rain gear and extra layers to change into should you get wet
-- Waterproofing your shoes or boots.

Dehydration can occur in any situation, so it is always important to carry plenty of water and take frequent water breaks.

Supplies
In addition to traditional camping items like tents and pocket knives, essential supplies for a safe outdoor vacation include:
-- backup warm clothing,
-- supplementary food,
-- a compass,
-- a first aid kit,
-- fire starters, like waterproof matches,
-- sunglasses and sunscreen,
-- a flashlight with extra batteries, and
-- a map of the area.

These items will prepare you for common problems hikers, campers and outdoor enthusiasts often face.

The Pacific Northwest can be a lot of fun. It can also be filled with danger if you are not well prepared. Use common sense and good judgment along with these safety tips to ensure safe adventures for you and your loved ones.

~Ben Nystrom, 2009

Want more information on the latest safe camping flashlights? Visit the Coast website to view LED Lenser tactical torches for camping and hunting trips.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_Nystrom

Buenos Aires Safety Tips

Buenos Aires is a fantastic travel destination and is generally considered quite safe. But, like any big city, you need to take certain precautions when visiting to avoid potential problems and enjoy a safe and trouble-free vacation.

Statistically speaking, crime is not out of control in Buenos Aires. This is a city of more than 12 million people so incidents are going to happen. However, the majority of tourists enjoy their vacations without any serious problems.

Now here are some tips on what you can do to stay safe during your vacation in "the Paris of South America".

First, stick to safe neighborhoods. The better neighborhoods include Palermo, Recoleta, Microcentro (downtown), Puerto Madero, San Telmo, and Belgrano, among others. Most of the tourist sites and hotels are located in these neighborhoods. Keep in mind that there are impoverished, crime-ridden neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city, though you will likely have no reason to venture there.

Next, avoid wearing expensive jewelry or watches. Your chance of getting robbed goes up dramatically when you flash expensive items. In that same vein, it's best to keep your camera in your bag or pocket when you aren't using it. The camera identifies you as a tourist and a possible target, and the camera itself is a valuable item that could be tempting to a thief.

If you need to use an ATM, do so during daylight hours in a busy location.

Watch your bags and purses when eating in restaurants, especially on outdoor patios.

A bigger problem than crime might be traffic. Traffic is heavy and drivers don't usually give pedestrians the right of way. Also, be on the look out for uncontrolled intersections (ie. intersections with no stop signs or traffic lights).

Sidewalks in most neighborhoods are in a poor state of repair. It's easy to twist an ankle so watch your step, especially if wearing heels.

You can get tons more Buenos Aires Travel Tips at http://www.batips.com. Make sure you check it out before your trip.

By MARK SANCHEZ

Tips For Your Next Vacation

So it's time to plan that long awaited for vacation. Here are some tips and ideas that you can use for your next vacation. Long Distance Vacation At London How about having a vacation at London? There are many wonderful sights to see in London. There are historical buildings, world class museums and terrific shopping outlets. You can explore the streets and go on a river cruise down the Thames. Nearly all the major streets of London have an interesting past, as shown by the blue plaques which hang outside the houses where famous people lived. You could spend a London vacation just going from one plaque to the next. Wander down Baker Street and see where Sherlock Holmes lived and worked on his murder cases.

Many tourists are attracted to a London vacation because of the British Royal Family. Iconic images of London are everywhere and a London vacation should include seeing the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square and St.Paul's Cathedral. Buckingham Palace is an official residence where you can see the colorful Changing of the Guard and go on guided tours of the Palace. The Tower of London houses the Royal Jewels. The heritage and historical significance of London doesn't stop it from being a cosmopolitan, vibrant city. Fans of designer clothes and jewelry will have a ball. A London vacation offers a cultural mix of classical music concerts, opera, ballet, jazz, and rock music in internationally known venues. Every cuisine is represented here, from Hungarian to Vietnamese. A London vacation is also remembered for red, double decker buses, black taxi cabs, and the distinctive maps of the underground trains. You can expand your knowledge with trips round the various museums on a London vacation. There are museums for Science, Natural History etc., and the British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum. The kids will also enjoy a London vacation.

Madame Tussauds will entertain them with its assortment of wax works, particularly in the gory Chamber of Horrors. A trip to London is not cheap, especially the airfare. But there are ways to save money. When I get the weekend newspaper, the very first section I dive for is the travel section.

Research has proven to me that there can be some amazing vacation deals to be found. Research vacations on the internet and tons of sites jump out at you. For those people who enjoy doing their own research and planning their own trips, there are so many vacation deals to be found, but proceed with caution. The first thing you may want to consider is making your travel plans as early as possible. If you plan early, you may get some cheap airline travel deals. With airline travel deals, it may actually be cheaper to travel by plane rather than automobile. Nowadays, the price of airline travel greatly influences where you decide to spend your family vacation. Here are some tricks that can help you to save a great deal in your air travel expenses. - If you purchase your airline tickets at least twenty-one days in advance, you'll have a have a much greater chance of a lower rate.
- Flexibility about travel times can also bring big savings.
- Traveling off-season will also bring airline travel deals. This is because during the times when fewer people want to travel, airlines are eager to ensure steady profits. Because of this fact airline travel tickets are often cheaper during this time.
- If you're willing to travel on the less popular early morning or late evening flights the price of your ticket will lower in cost.
- If you are going to a popular travel destination, see if you can arrange for your hotel, and travel accommodations to be in a package deal.
Often times airline travel deals can be found in these package deals. In addition, these packages may supply you with extra privileges such as tickets to a theme park or show as well that you were planning on paying for separately. The most important thing to remember when trying to ensure airline travel deals is if you don't ask, you don't get. It's not rude or impolite to ask the person you're booking the flight with if what you're paying for is the best deal, it's frugal. If you want to keep more money in your own pockets following these ideas will certainly help. Remember, if you don't look for the best airline travel deals, no one else will do it for you.

About the Author
Cindy Heller is a professional writer. To learn more about romantic getaway in Illinois and romantic getaway Wisconsin, visit romantic weekend getaway.
Source: http://www.articlestreet.com