Safety should always be priority number one on any camping excursion. In the summer months, there are a few extra considerations that should be made with regards to safety. Here are some camping safety tips for the summer:

• Pack for cold weather. Just because it’s 80 degrees or more during the day doesn’t mean you’ll be hot at night. Temperatures can fall into the 60s or lower in the summer months depending on where you are camping. Sixty degrees might not sound too unpleasant, but it is very, very cold for sleeping outdoors. Imagine sleeping in your house with the air conditioning set to 60; you’d want lots of blankets, right?
• Use sunscreen. Sunscreen should be used year-round, but the risk for burning is even higher in the hot summer months. You also have more skin area exposed during the summer, so be sure to apply sunscreen liberally to any areas of your body not protected by clothing.
• Drink lots of water. When spending a summer day outdoors, it’s about impossible to drink too much water. Water intake is important for camping no matter what time of year, but in the summer months you’re more prone to sweating and dehydration. If you plan to drink alcohol while camping in the summer, try to drink one bottle of water for every alcoholic beverage as alcohol strongly promotes dehydration.
• Protect against mosquitoes and other insects. In winter months, insects do not pose much of an issue while camping. In the summer months, they can ruin your day. Guard against this by applying anti-insect spray and setting up several citronella candles around your campsite. A bee sting kit is also a wise thing to have on hand.
• Dress in layers. During the daytime, you’ll probably be comfortable in as few clothes as possible. However, as the day lingers on and becomes cooler, it is handy to have layers of clothing. By nighttime, you’ll probably have three or four thin layers of clothing on to stay warm in a cool night’s breeze. Again, don’t assume that just because it’s 80 during the day that you won’t get cold at night.

In addition to these summer safety tips, always be sure to come prepared basic camping first aid and common sense!