FAMILY AFIELD
Don’t let having young kids keep you from your outdoor escapades, including backcountry hunts. With the right planning, you can bring them along instead
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Raingear and lifejackets are key for boat travel#2 PLAY IT SAFE
If you plan to be on the water at any point during your trip, equip your kids with high-quality, properly fitting life jackets, designed for their weight. Opt for a life jacket with large collar flaps to support the child’s head when in the water; it should also be designed to keep the child floating face up. Of course, teaching your kids to swim as early as possible is also priceless when it comes to water safety.
When camping, avoid sites with cliffs or jagged rocks in favour of flatter areas set back from the water. Be particularly alert around camp if you’re travelling with toddlers, as they require constant supervision. If you need a few minutes to take care of something, zip your young ones into a tent momentarily with some toys, but overall, plan to always have an adult at their side. And if you’re hunting, practise the same firearms safety around camp as you would at home to keep guns out of little hands.
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Before setting out, take a basic wilderness first-aid course that includes specific advice for dealing with sick or injured children. Likewise, make sure to modify your first-aid kit to also accommodate kids. For example, include items such as child-strength antihistamine, acetaminophen and ibuprofen. And throw in some bandages with dinosaurs on them while you’re at it.
Finally, if you’re travelling far into the backcountry and won’t have cell service, bring some form of alternative communication device, such as a satellite phone or emergency beacon, to summon help in case of an emergency. And as with any lengthy outdoor sojourn, leave a copy of your itinerary and planned travel route with someone back home.