Family Camping Guide

Room to explore

Choose a camp and route that let children explore inside clear safety systems for site hazards, gear, boundaries, buddies, water, fire and wildlife.

1. Plan for wonder Kid-proofing is not sterilizing the outdoors. It is smart planning that cuts risk and leaves room for wonder. Children are drawn to sticks, mud, water, insects and every new sound.
2. Give energy room Give that energy a safe place to go. A good leader does not hover over every move. The leader removes avoidable hazards, sets a boundary that everyone understands, and keeps enough attention available to notice a change in weather, water, health or behavior.
3. Match the trip Before you leave, match the trip to the group’s ability and experience. Check the local route, site conditions, weather, fire restrictions, food-storage rules and wildlife alerts. Check the land manager’s page for current closures, because they change. Write a route plan for a person at home.
4. Carry the plan Include the group, start and finish points, route, equipment, expected return and the local emergency contact. Carry a map, first aid kit, whistles, light and extra food and water. Test packs, carriers, headlamps, life jackets, also called PFDs, and any new gear before the trip. Have a shorter route and a dry or sheltered fallback ready.

Field check. You reach a cypress landing and discover that the planned cooking spot is beside a wasp nest, while rising wind is pushing loose branches overhead. The smallest member is already wandering toward the bank. Explain your first three decisions, identify the new cooking location, and state the separation response.

Field check

• I match the trip to the group’s ability.
• I check site conditions, weather, and the land manager’s page.
• I carry a map and first aid kit.
• I have a shorter route ready.

Safety. Keep children away from fast water, fire, wildlife, dead trees and poisonous plants.

Sweep the camp

Walk the whole site before children start to roam.

1. Look up and down Look for steep drops, fast water, slippery banks, ravines that could flood, poisonous plants, insect nests, dead trees and hanging branches. Look up as well as down. Remove small tripping hazards from the traffic lanes, but do not damage living plants or change a site unnecessarily.
2. Choose durable ground Choose level, durable ground with shade and shelter, but not a low place that can collect water. Keep play space open and away from cooking traffic.
3. Work areas Place sleeping, eating and cooking areas so children do not have to cross a hot, sharp or busy work area to play. Use an existing fire ring where fires are allowed. On the Okefenokee refuge, campfires are allowed only at Canal Run, Floyds Island and Mixons Hammock. Keep every stove, fire and fuel burner outside and away from tents and tarps.
4. Store Food And Wildlife Follow the local rule for fire sites, fire bans and food storage. Store food, trash and scented items as the land manager directs. Teach children to look at wildlife from a distance, never feed it, and never touch an animal, nest, plant or mushroom. On the Okefenokee refuge, taking or disturbing any plant or animal is prohibited.

Check it. Pass: every child can see the whole play space and no hazard lies between it and the boundary. Fail: a child must cross a work area to play.

Field check

• I look up as well as down.
• I choose level, durable ground.
• I keep play space open.
• I keep every stove and fire away from tents and tarps.
• I store food, trash and scented items.

Safety. No stove, fire or flame under or near a tarp or tent.

Pack by age

Pack by age, then make the rule visible

1. Match ability Toddlers need a carrier, diapers, sun protection and comfort items. Younger children need a small pack, kid-friendly first aid and an activity such as a bug viewer or magnifying glass. Older children and teens can pack their sleeping setup, learn map and compass, and earn responsibility gear such as a headlamp.
2. Make the rule visible These are planning groups, not labels for ability. A child’s size, health, confidence and judgment decide what is safe. Mark the camp zone with a fallen log, sticks or a natural feature.
3. Show Every Point Point to the line and say the rule in plain words: “You cannot go past that log without an adult.” Walk every child to the boundary. Show the cooking area, fire boundary, water edge, toilet route, rendezvous point and the place where the first aid kit lives. Repeat the rule every time the group moves.
4. Medicines And Water Keep critical medicines on an adult, not in a pack left in camp. On the Okefenokee refuge, drinking or filtering swamp water is NOT recommended; bring all drinking and cooking water; one gallon per person per day is recommended.

Check it. Pass: every child can point to the boundary and the meeting point. Fail: the critical medicines sit in a pack left in camp.

Field check

• I fit the gear to the child’s size.
• I mark the camp zone.
• I show the rendezvous point.
• I keep critical medicines on an adult.
• I bring all drinking and cooking water on the refuge.

Safety. A knife comes last, and only after an adult has trained the child and stays within arm’s reach.

Buddies and head counts

Pair people before movement starts.

1. Stay close A buddy stays close enough to see, hear and answer. The adult leader counts heads at departure, at every stop, at every turn, before entering camp and after any distraction. A buddy system is not a substitute for adult supervision. It is a second layer that catches a gap quickly. Give each child a whistle and let the crew practice the signal.
2. Use the lost plan If a child is separated, teach the child to hug a tree, stay put unless there is immediate danger, and blow the whistle three times. The adults stop, call 911, state when and where the child was last seen, and describe clothing, gear and medical needs. Older children and adults use the S.T.O.P. steps taught later.
3. Know the route Everyone learns the meeting point before the trip. Everyone also learns the route in simple landmarks. Older children can hold the map and name the next turn. Never allow a shortcut that breaks the group.

You need: Move at kid speed (Move at kid speed. Build in frequent stops and water checks, and look back often.)

Practice it. On the table, draw a camp map and place the boundary, buddies, cooking area, water edge and rendezvous point. In the dark, run the head count and three-blast whistle drill by headlamp. Wet, walk a muddy route at kid speed and turn around when the safest route changes.

Field check

• I pair people before movement starts.
• I count heads at every stop.
• I give each child a whistle.
• I learn the meeting point.

Safety. Call 911 for a missing person or emergency.

Hard lines

Water, fire and wildlife need hard lines

1. Check the PFD Near open water, every child uses a properly fitted, labeled PFD suited to the child’s size and weight. Fasten it, have the child hold both arms straight up, pull up gently on the tops of the arm openings, and check that the jacket does not ride up over the chin or face. Test the fit in shallow water under safe supervision before the trip. Keep a dedicated water buddy watching. Georgia requires children under 13 to wear a life jacket on any moving vessel.
2. Hold the fire line Make a fire boundary that children do not cross without permission. A responsible adult stays with a fire. A stove stays on firm, level ground in the open. Follow the stove maker’s manual for how to use a windscreen and fuel canister. Put every fire out with water and check it cold before leaving.
3. Look, do not touch Use “look, don’t touch” for snakes, insects, nests, plants and animals. Keep food, trash and scented items sealed and stored by the local rule. Do not bring food into a tent. Leave wildlife wild. Assume an alligator can be in any blackwater, and pack out fish scraps and food.
4. Leave it better Stay on durable surfaces and follow the local camping boundary. Pack out food, wrappers, peels, shells, foil, grease and leftovers. Away from the refuge, carry wash water 200 feet from streams and lakes. Strain it, scatter it widely and pack out the scraps. On the Okefenokee refuge, ask the refuge how to handle wash water before your trip. A child can help with the final slow walk around camp while an adult checks the fire, food storage, water edge and medicine kit.

Check it. Before departure, ask each child to point to the boundary, the buddy, the water rule, the fire rule and the lost signal. Then let the crew name one hazard and one control.

Field check

• I use a properly fitted PFD.
• I keep food out of a tent.
• I make a fire boundary.
• I put every fire out and check it cold.
• I pack out food scraps.

Safety. Use a properly fitted PFD near open water.

Gators Snakes Heat Ticks

Watch for gators, snakes, heat and ticks

1. Alligator Distance Stay at least 20 feet from alligators on the Okefenokee refuge, and never feed one. Pets are not allowed in boats or on platforms there.
2. No Swimming Do not swim where alligators live or signs say not to. On the refuge, swimming and wading are prohibited.
3. Snakes Leave snakes alone. After a bite, get emergency care and lie down with the limb at or below heart level.

You need: Heat And Ticks (Drink water, rest in shade, and call 911 for confusion. Use repellent, check for ticks, carry sun protection.)

Check it. Pass: no one feeds an alligator or swims where signs say not to. Fail: a person approaches an alligator or snake.

Field check

• I stay 20 feet from alligators on the refuge.
• I never feed an alligator.
• I do not swim where signs say not to.
• I lie down with the limb at or below heart level after a bite.
• I use repellent and carry sun protection.

Safety. Call 911 for a missing person or emergency.

Kid-proof campsite sweep

Walk the whole site before children start to roam.

1. Walk the site Walk the entire site before unloading children or gear.
2. Look above and below Look up for dead trees and hanging branches, then look down for drops, holes, roots, sharp objects and slippery ground.
3. Mark the hazards Mark fast water, steep edges, insect nests, poisonous plants, ravines and the fire area on the family site sketch.
4. Choose safe ground Choose level durable ground with shade and shelter, away from low places, dead trees, water edges and cooking traffic.
5. Keep the lanes Set sleeping, eating, cooking and play areas so the child traffic lane does not cross heat, fuel, sharp tools or tent lines.

You need: Walk the boundary (Walk the boundary with every child and state the adult-only areas before anyone begins to explore.)

Check it. Pass: every listed hazard has been avoided, marked or controlled, the play area is open, and every child can point to the boundary. Fail: a child must cross the cooking lane to play, dead branches hang over camp, or the leader has not checked above and below.

Field check

• I walk the entire site before unloading children or gear.
• I look up for dead trees and hanging branches.
• I choose level durable ground away from low places.
• I set play areas away from heat and fuel.
• I walk the boundary with every child.

Safety. Keep every stove, fire and fuel burner outside and away from tents and tarps.

Boundary and buddy system

A buddy stays close enough to see, hear and answer.

1. Pair each child Pair each child with a buddy and name the adult responsible for the group.
2. Walk every boundary Walk everyone to the camp boundary, fire boundary, water edge and rendezvous point.
3. Practice the signal Give each child a whistle and practice the three-blast lost signal.
4. Count every move Count heads at departure, every stop, every turn, before entering camp and after a distraction.
5. Stay with the tree If separated, tell the child to hug a tree and stay put unless immediate danger makes movement necessary.

You need: Call with needs (If a person is missing, call 911 with the last-seen place, time, clothing, carried gear and medical needs.)

Check it. Pass: each child can name a buddy, point to the boundary and demonstrate the signal without prompting. Fail: a child does not know the rendezvous point, a buddy pair is out of sight, or the leader cannot state the last head count.

Field check

• I pair each child with a buddy.
• I walk everyone to the water edge.
• I practice the three-blast lost signal.
• I count heads at every stop and every turn.
• I stay put unless immediate danger makes movement necessary.

Safety. Set the boundary before the adventure starts. Keep the buddy, head count and lost signal active every time the crew moves.

Age matched gear check

A child’s size, health, confidence and judgment decide what is safe.

1. List each person List each person’s size, health needs, experience and comfort limits before choosing gear.
2. Pack for age Pack the toddlers’ carrier, diapers, sun protection and comfort items; give younger children a small pack and a safe activity.
3. Practice the route Have older children and teens pack their sleeping setup and practice the map, compass and headlamp before departure.
4. Fit the PFD Fit each PFD to the maker’s size and weight label, fasten it, raise both arms, pull up gently on the tops of the arm openings, and confirm it does not ride up over the chin or face.
5. Walk the first route Walk the first route section at kid speed and name a landmark, a stop and a turn before moving on.

You need: Turn around (Turn around when energy, weather, water, health or site conditions make the planned route unsafe.)

Check it. Pass: every person has tested gear that fits, every child has a useful job or activity, and the leader can name the next landmark and the turnaround trigger. Fail: an untested carrier or PFD, a loose jacket that rides over the chin, or a route chosen beyond the group’s ability.

Field check

• I list each person’s size and health needs.
• I fit each PFD to the maker’s size and weight label.
• I confirm it stays below the chin.
• I walk the first route section at kid speed.
• I turn around when energy, weather, water, health or site conditions make the planned route unsafe.

Safety. Use a properly fitted PFD near open water.

Leave No Trace kitchen sweep

Pack out food, wrappers, peels, shells, foil, grease and leftovers.

1. Repack by meal Before the trip, take food out of its store packaging at home and repack it by meal, so you carry out less garbage.
2. Cook in the open Cook on a stove, or in an established fire ring where fires are allowed.
3. Strain dishwater Scrape the plates into a trash bag. Away from the refuge, carry dishwater 200 feet from streams and lakes, strain it, and scatter it. On the refuge, ask the refuge how to handle wash water.
4. Cool the ashes Burn the wood to white ash, soak the ashes with water, and check that they are cool to the touch before you scatter them.
5. Seal food and trash Seal all food, trash and scented items so wildlife cannot reach them.
6. Pick up micro-trash Walk the whole camp slowly and pick up micro-trash: crumbs, peels, nut shells, wrappers and bits of foil. Pack out everything, including grease and leftovers.

Check it. Pass: after you leave, nothing is left but the existing ring and cool scattered ash. Fail: food scraps, foil or plastic in the ring, warm ashes, or dishwater poured near water.

Field check

• I cook in an established fire ring where fires are allowed.
• I carry dishwater 200 feet from streams and lakes.
• I check that ashes are cool to the touch.
• I seal all food, trash and scented items.
• I pack out everything, including grease and leftovers.

Safety. No stove, fire or flame under or near a tarp or tent.