How to Avoid Snakes While Camping | A Fully Safety Guide for Campers
Do you want to know how to avoid snakes while camping? We understand. Some people aren’t big fans of snakes and even those who consider themselves a fan of snakes, but you don’t wish to see them roaming through your campsite in the evening. Although there isn’t a 100% guarantee to ensure that snakes stay away from your camping area, There are a few actions that can be taken to lessen the likelihood of an encounter. In the case of nature’s most threatening enemies, none make you feel as scared as the snake. Perhaps it’s because of the legendary reputation for luring humans away from the abyss.
Perhaps it’s because 20 per cent of snake species have venom and makes it look all more suspicious. If a snake is venomous (or not), you would not want one in your camping area. This article will explain a few easy ways to avoid snakes while camping area and stay free of snakes.
How to avoid snakes while camping
If you scare of reptiles, The last thing you’d want to do is discover one inside your tent. It won’t be a pleasant experience, and your initial reaction would be to try to strike the creature with a stick to drive it away from your tent. But, reptiles perceive any movement as threatening and may attack you. It is possible to suffer a painful bite from a snake. If you don’t carry an emergency kit with first aid near you, the results may be death. As camping enthusiasts, you need to know how to avoid snakes while camping area. Now, we’ll share some expert strategies for doing this.
Learn more to keep away mosquitoes while camping.
Find a campsite that is free of snakes
If you want to keep snakes out of your life, camping in a spot that doesn’t even have any is probably the best choice. However, even though only two states of the US, Alaska and Hawaii, do not have resident snakes, there’s a plethora of recreation areas and parks across the nation with no venomous snakes. For instance, areas such as Olympic National Park and Acadia National Park are more likely to be home to venomous snakes than Death Valley or Joshua Tree National Park. It’s because most North American snakes that venom prefers living in hot, dry locations instead of cold, humid areas. Therefore, if you wish to stay away from snakes with poison at all costs, going north to more relaxed environments is usually an excellent idea.
Keep your camp area clean
Snakes don’t seem particularly drawn to humans eating food. However, birds, rabbits, and rodents are attracted to those delicious treats. In keeping your camp clean and tidy, you will keep snakes out of your campsite. To keep your camping area clean, store food and food waste inside an airtight container. You can seal your bags as long as they are designed to be non-odourless. Every trash item that may contain food-related smells (like napkins and plates made of paper) must be dealt with equally and then packed up and not resold. If you spill the crumbs, take them away, place them in bags, or dump them into the fire.
Do not camp in forested or rocky terrains
If you cannot eliminate the possibility of an encounter with a snake, avoid areas that are known to be snake-friendly. You can reduce the chance that you’ll encounter snakes by selecting an excellent camping site. Avoiding campsites with a suitable snake habitat can decrease the chances that one is likely to slither through your campsite during the evening. Snakes, for instance, prefer to hide in the boulders or forested terrains, with lots of leaves and rocks to hide in. Thus, placing your two-person tent in a large-open campsite is generally more advantageous than pitching a six people tent at a shaded forested area from a snake-avoidance perspective.
Check your campsite area for signs of snakes
I’m sure of it—the most important way to stay clear of snakes when camping is to regularly check your camping area, mainly after you leave it. Snakes won’t want to interact with them. Therefore, if they come across you, they’ll take in the opposite direction. The problem comes when you’re away. If you’re out fishing or hiking, that’s the best time for snakes to settle in your area. They’ll hide wherever they can get shade. Shoes. Sleeping bags. Even under your tent. This is why it’s vital to ensure that everything seal inside your tent or above the floor. If you’re not careful and then leave something open to animals, Shake it carefully. It’s also the reason why you need to inspect your campsite each time you return to ensure that nothing is waiting to find.
Don’t stay up where snakes sleep
You think it’s easy, don’t you? You’re not in their beds, and they’ll stay away from yours. Most of the time. This means that you can camp in open areas that are well-trodden grass. Or clearing a campsite and then stomping on the grass before putting up your tent if you’re camping in the backcountry that’s not kept clean. Avoid fallen leaves, tree piles, sticks, piles of bars, and particularly rock piles that provide heating and cooling to these cold-blooded animals. Make sure to set up your campsite at a minimum distance of 100 feet away from rivers, lakes, and other water sources. The best way to ensure your camp is to guard the delicate vegetation on the edge of the water. However, snakes also love moisture.
Always maintain a tidy campsite
As well as make sure you store your food correctly and adequately, you’ll need to keep your campsite clean throughout your stay in snake-friendly areas. Naturally, campsites that are messy by themselves aren’t likely to be a magnet for snakes. However, having plenty of tiny objects scattered around your tent’s two rooms is a fantastic way to make ideal hiding places for snakes and other creatures. Therefore, to avoid this issue, make sure you ensure that your campsite is neat and clean. Making things like stacking firewood, placing the camp chairs away and tables when they are not being used, and putting the gear you carry in your backpack every evening will help ensure there’s no place for snakes to take refuge at your campsite.
Store your food properly
How you place your food in storage will determine if it will draw snakes to your camping area or not. They aren’t interested in your food, but the rodents they consume are. They’ll visit your tent to eat rodents if you have not adequately kept the food. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that you keep everything you eat in airtight bags to keep out the smell. Keep all your food items adequately packed in a sealed container and keep the container from your bed. Be cautious when handling your garbage because it could be a magnet for all sorts of rodents if you do not properly store it. Place your waste in a trash bag, and seal it before taking it into the specified garbage place.
Don’t let trash fall in your tent, even when you’ve sealed it properly. The trash will continue to attract rodents to your tent and eventually snakes. They aren’t the only ones that could be a nuisance. Bears and bugs are also a threat that could ruin your camping experience, so follow some suggestions about keeping away the bears as well as insects.
Create an outdoor campfire
Gathering around the campfire is among the greatest enjoyments of camping. Are you permitted to sing songs for the campfire without a music source? It’s also a source of light and a source of heat at night. Therefore, you’re likely to plan to light it anyway. Here’s a second reason. Snakes don’t enjoy the smell. They can send their increased sensitivities to a frenzy. So long as you’ve got a fire going and avoid snakes while camping. However, it would help if you didn’t keep a campfire burning after leaving your campsite or going to bed. This is only an option during the daytime. Put the fire out before going to you go to bed.
Seal holes in your tent
Snakes are not welcome to get into your living space. They’ll use any open spaces within your tent to gain access inside. Make sure there aren’t any. Before heading to your campsite, lay your tent on the ground to see whether there are holes. Make sure to plug any holes found, and you could utilize the repair kit or perhaps duct tape for the job. There are also holes in your zipper to gain access. Make sure your zipper shuts correctly. Replace the zipper that is damaged or apply lube to help it get stuck.
Bring the repair kit with you to repair minor injuries that can occur while you’re on the move. Tree branches could land on your tent and tear off the canvas, leaving you vulnerable to snakes and other animals that can be dangerous. In this case, it is best to use repairs kits to repair your tent and increase your security. Here’s some advice for fixing your tent’s floor.
Apply repellent around your campsite
Apply insect repellent around your campsite to keep them away. The repellents contain chemicals they don’t like. Spreading them around your camping area and surrounding will stop them from getting into your site.
Try to use naphthalene
It is a typical ingredient used in the majority of snake repellents. It is also present in Molt balls. The smell of it irritates reptiles, and they are more likely to be careful to avoid them. Please put them in the camp area to repel the snakes. Naphthalene can be poisonous; therefore, avoid using the products if you have small pets or children when camping, as they might contact them.
Apply sulfur
One option to stop them from coming in is to use powdered sulfur. If the snake can go through it, her skin will be irritated, and they’ll stay away. As you apply it around the campsite, put on a mask since it is odorless.
Use lime mixture
Mix citrus, hot pepper, or peppermint, and spread it on the tent to ensure they aren’t a fan of the mixture, and the fumes can irritate their skins.
Cinnamon and clove oil
You can have an uninfested campsite without snakes by making the application of clove and cinnamon oil. Take the essential oils by mixing them with water. Mix the ingredients in the spray bottle, and apply it to your tent.
Apply Ammonia
Utilize a larger piece of cloth, dip it into the ammonia, then place it in a location near your tent. You can spray the fabric to prevent the animals from getting close to you and it will very effective to avoid snakes while camping.
Use onions & garlic
The secret weapon that keeps them out is the sulfonic acids in garlic and onions, which cause us to cry when we cut them. I suggest cutting the vegetables into smaller parts and adding rock salt to sprinkle them over the region. This is the best option to deter reptiles. Essential oils in these two can also be helpful. If you choose to go with this method, make sure to mix them in with water and spray them onto the desired location.
Conclusion
Snakes are dangerous since certain species can be poisonous. Therefore, you will require to discover ways to keep them away. Check out our suggestions to avoid snakes while camping in just a few easy steps. Be aware that these creatures are afraid of you. If you don’t risk their lives, they’ll go away.
