Use the Safe Guide Activity Guides to help you plan:
Camping: Tenting in Established Campsite
Camping: Residential
Fill out all required
Safe Guide Forms and, in Ontario, submit to
safeguide@guidesontario.org
Some other helpful tips:
Check first aid kit prior to leaving
Check emergency equipment prior to leaving
Know the exact address of your camp site so you can give EMS your location in an emergency as per your SG.4
Plan an emergency drill for the first day of camp
Check for hazards, rocks, holes in ground, and low branches before the girls arrive
Use the buddy system for Guiders and girls
Check grounds prior to sleeping
Know how you will communicate with the rest of the world
If camping outside, know where the closest indoor shelter is
Make sure volunteers have the appropriate qualifications such as NLS for lifeguarding
Let girls know about the rules and boundaries of camp
Never swim in the dark
Limit night time games
Ensure you have the appropriate number of PFDs if boating (check if provided by facility)
Ensure all medication is locked and stays with the Guider
Make sure girls and Guiders with allergies that need EPI pens have them
Plan ahead for all possible emergencies
Due to the shifting weather occuring in summer, it is crucial that we honour the power of Mother Nature. Please follow this protocol at the first sound of thunder:
At the first sound of thunder, look for the closest, safest place to get everyone off of the water.
Avoid being the tallest object around. Stay away from isolated trees or clumps of trees. Find dense forest if possible.
Spread the group out and have them get into a squat position. Do not lie prone on the ground. Insulate everyone by kneeling on a PFD or a sleep pad.
The time from the flash of lightning to the thunder is a rough measure of how distant the lightning is. If you see a flash and count the seconds, 5 seconds corresponds to about 1.5 kilometres.
Use the '30-30' rule: take shelter if the time from seeing a flash to the time you hear thunder is 30 seconds or less. Do not resume activities until 30 minutes have elapsed from the last lightning and thunder.
At camp use 3 sinks to wash dishes.
Consult this PDF for full details.
Create a safety circle. The diameter of this circle should be approximately 1.5 metres.
To chop wood, stand with feet shoulder width apart and face the piece squarely.
Always use a chopping block. Do not allow the axe to hit dirt or stones.
Carry the axe by holding the handle with the blade facing downwards.
To pass the axe to another person, hold by the handle and the head should be down.
Always store the axe in a chopping block or in its sheath.
Lost Camper
First Aid
Drowning Prevention
Forest Fire Prevention
Leave the site clean and safe for others!
Don’t forget:
• All supplies that you brought with you, go home with you
• All medication/first aid supplies
• Tents, tarps, and ropes
• Chairs
• Coolers
• Extinguish the fire properly
Leave No trace
Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Others