Camping is no different to any other holiday we all want to keep ourselves and our family safe along with keeping our possessions secure. So what can we do to reduce the risks?

You and Your Family

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For me camping is about family time, relaxing and a bit of exploring. My kids feel the same and like most kids often want to explore a little more than they should. The Alert Angel is one of many devices available that will let you know when they are wondering off by sounding an alarm.

Another thing we do when it comes to the kids. As soon as the tent is pitched and everything is setup (We get the kids involved with this process so they are kept busy and again not tempted to wander) We have a quick drink and something to eat. and then take the boys for a walk around the site showing them where everything is so they have some idea of the park layout. Don't get me wrong ours are far too young to wander off but should something happen we feel happier that they have some idea.

Around the Kitchen

Even in the home the kitchen needs to be a safe zone so the normal basic rules apply that we all know about I'm not going to go into detail about the basics like safe working areas and keeping the kids aware of the space as you should all know this already what I'm interested in is what steps we can take further around the tent.

I'm amazed that all the stands I have come across either don't mention or make a big thing about ensuring the stove stand is safe. OK they tell you about making sure its on a flat stable surface.. great considering your usually in a field! However very quickly and easily you can get round that problem. Set your stand on a flat surface only placing inside the tent if you have a dedicated kitchen area, otherwise it should be placed outside! The quick easy solution now is to simply peg it down ensuring all pegs are down all the way to prevent any trip hazard. This simple action will secure the stand in such a way any adult, child or animal will struggle to cause it to topple.

May be little basic but always turn the gas off when not in use.. On the actual canister itself.

Fire is also a huge risk considering the material your tent is made from! camping without some form of extinguisher is really not a good idea! The great thing is there are small and easy to use cheap devices available. The Tundra AF400UK is a very compact extinguisher in aerosol form (Featured in this months Camping Magazine) Having watched the video on this device I will be replacing our older style for future trips.

Equipment and Security

I personally have never had a problem with any other camper or been unlucky enough to have anything stolen. It's a question that many people are just starting out ask. We never leave our home unlocked yet camping we go out leaving stuff behind, that is simply zipped up in a large piece of canvas! How safe is that?? Well in most cases it's as safe as your home. Theft from tents is very unusual (Festivals are a little different!!) again though some basic simple rules apply when it comes to valuables such as cameras, laptops, phones etc. Don't leave them behind just in case! We leave the entire kitchen, table and chairs out under the open extension the entire time, both at night when sleeping and in the day when we are out. The only theft we have ever encountered was a fox in the early hours stealing scraps from the bin! (now we take the rubbish down before go to bed lol)

At the end of the day it takes two minutes before you leave on a day out to look around the tent at what is about and on show and then to check the tent is fully closed with the curtains closed should you have them. The best prevention is to not offer the opportunity in the first place.

So what can you do if you want to be totally sure? The easy option that I have seen others do is a Rape Alarm, the type that has a small box with a small dongle that is pulled out via a strap that sounds an alarm which is pegged to the ground and the strap attached to the zip on the door.. enough to make any unwanted person trying to enter make a run for it.. (Just don't forget about it when you return from the Pub late!) This is not fool proof as anyone could cut through with a small knife and enter that way.. but if you want some piece of mind its a good start.

As for your trailer? Clamps and securing devices are available that are simple to fit and solve the problem.

As usual please do post your comments and ideas on this subject, we all have something to learn :)