How to Stay Safe at the Campground During COVID-19

With COVID-19 circulating through communities still, it is difficult to find fun things to do with your family. Many places are closed, while others may not feel safe to visit, causing you to stay home more often than not. Cabin fever may start to set in as a result, leaving you desperate for a break from it all. Thankfully, camping is still in the cards. You just have to use the following tactics to make sure you and your group stay safe.

Go with a Small Group

As far as COVID-19 is concerned, the smaller the group, the better. Although you may want to round up all your friends and family, consider just going on camping trips with people in your household for now. If you do decide to go with a couple other people, sleep in separate tents or RVs and do not share any essential items. Your efforts will go a long way in maintaining everyone’s safety and preserving their health.

Consider Camping on Crown Land

If you are not too attached to any particular RV campgrounds, you might want to consider camping on  crown land. As a Canadian resident, you can camp for free for up to 21 days a year without a permit. Not to mention, you can select a spot far from the crowds or even in complete isolation if you so choose.

You do need to check the map to make sure you are in an authorized area and follow all rules while you are there. If you do decide to go to an established campground, check that they are open and ask about any special rules they may have before you head out.

Make Social Distancing a Priority — and Wear Masks

Social distancing is number one in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Even when outside, it is best to stay at least two metres away from people who are not in your group. By doing that, you can reduce your chance of breathing in their aerosols and catching anything, coronavirus included.

When you go indoors, you should not only abide by social distancing rules, but wear a mask as well. To prepare for any indoor excursions, bring along masks for everyone in your group, including all kids age five and up.

You can use surgical masks or even cloth ones made from three layers of tight-knit fabrics. Just make sure they fit snugly on your face and fully cover your mouth and nose. Remember not to reuse your masks. You can throw out the disposable style and use a new one each time you need a mask — and cloth masks are easily washable.

Skip the Campfire Songs and Buffet-Style Dinners

Belting out your favourite songs around the campfire is just not safe while COVID-19 camping. As you sing your heart out, aerosols can spread at least two metres around you, easily getting into the airspace of other people around the fire. And the louder you sing, the further the aerosols go, so it is best to skip this activity.

Buffet style dinners will have to wait as well. Having everyone grab their own food from the communal table can quickly spread germs. Instead, consider making individual foil pack recipes that have each person’s full meal in an individual container.

Heed All Warnings and Prepare to Cancel

A large spike in cases can call off your COVID-19 camping adventures, so it is important to be ready for that. If a stay at home order goes into effect, officials could close down campgrounds and even cut off access to Crown land. Just keep your ear to the ground and watch for reports before heading out to stay safe. You can always reschedule at a later date once the coast is clear and everything opens back up.

When you take the right approach, your camping trips can help you stay grounded during these difficult times of COVID-19. If you find the trips rejuvenating, you can go often without impacting your safety, as long as you follow the tips above. To make your trips even more rewarding, consider joining Explorer RV Club. With your membership, you will enjoy many benefits, including discounts on campgrounds, emergency roadside service, and much more.