Camp Stove Safety Guide
Camping Safety Tips
Camp stove safety guide providing camping safety tips for ways to protect yourself and loved ones whilst using a camping stove on your adventures.
Camping is great fun as you will be aware. If backpacking, hiking or car camping we get a well deserved break or adventure. However, we also want to make sure we good camping safety awareness.
Many accidents caused camping are avoidable with suitable and relevant knowledge for preparation before we go camping. Please , do not let us scare you, as camping is absolutely safe especially with some basic camping safety tips.
Camp Stove Safety Tips
First things first, follow the camp stove instructions provided with the stove when bought. If unavailable or you have a home made camp stove these tips should help, a lot.
Bring your new stove home and test it in an outdoors environment. You can familiarize yourself with its operation and contact the camping store if you have any questions or issues.
Camping with kids is a major part of camping for many. If children help out with any activity with camp stoves allow this under close supervision from an adult.
Keeping fuel containers well away from a campfire or any other heat source. Before setting out for a trip check fuel container is undamaged. Try to use fuel containers made for camp stoves or fuel trying to avoid making do.
When refilling a stove with fuel allow the stove to cool down to prevent burns. With solid fuel camping stoves allow spilt fuel to evaporate before igniting. Using a funnel for fuel will help prevent spillages.
Keep the work area clean and free of clutter, especially paper and other flammable materials. Be particularly careful during dry hot weather to keep dry leaves and pine needles away from your camp cooking area.
When lighting camp stove try to keep your face well away from above the stove. I know when we have a small stove it may be on the floor with us kneeling down. It is tempting or easy to forget our face or hair is above the stove.
Before setting up the camp stove find a good clear and level surface to prevent the stove from tipping over. It can be easy to use dodgy ground and lose a pot of water or food or even worse get burnt by the pan or contents.
Before leaving home do a camp stove safety check. This is definitely is advisable for all camping gear if it has been stored away for the winter season or a long period of time. Check hoses and valves for cracks or leaks . Give the stove a quick 2 minute trial to make sure it is working as it should . If you suspect leakage you can check by putting a little soapy water on all connections. The soap will bubble.
Keeping fuel well away from the camp stove when lit and not leaving it unattended is important. The last thing we want to create is hazardous fires.
Try not to overload a stove as we would with a cooker at home. Discarding empty fuel containers is a responsible way for us when camping.
It is very important to resist the temptation of lighting a camping stove within a tent. If it is freezing outside we would advise to wrap up with warm outdoor gear and set a windscreen up. When we get a cup of tea started on a cold morning we just walk on the spot and flat our around to generate heat.
Keeping fuel container's away from your food is important to avoid contamination. We provide an article here for food safety camping if needed.
If backpacking, store the stove well away from food in the backpack in the protective casing.
Double check a propane camp stove has the supply valve and hoses disconnected.
Final and most important camp stove safety tip, have a great time camping, enjoying great camp food.
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