Tips & Advice
What to bring:
- Sleeping mat
- FLASHLIGHT at least one for every two people in your group.
- Lantern
- 2 or more tarps with lots of rope
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellant
- Something to cook on (campfire grill, BBQ, Hibatchi)
- Warm clothes for the night
- Sturdy waterproof shoes
- Dish tub
- Plastic bags (always useful)
- Raincoat
- Extra socks
- Camp chairs
- Firewood (we do sell it but we encourage you to bring your own, not treated or painted please)
- Bathing suit
- Camera
As we all know if you’re completely prepared for the rain – it probably
will not rain. So it’s always good to be ready for wet weather.
(taken from the Camping British Colombia website at www.camping.bc.ca)
Campfire Safety
Campfire regulations are seasonal and vary from region to region. During the summer months forest fires are a very real danger and bans are put in place in the driest areas. For detailed regional information about fire regulations, contact the BC Forest Service Fire Information Line at 1-888-336-7378. Always check with local Tourist Info Centres, as local regulations always supersede those of the Ministry of Forests.Please limit your use of campfires to cooking and warmth. They not only create a danger of forest fires, but the smoke from campfires pollutes the environment. When gathering fuel use only fallen wood and never live timber. Often, cut wood can be purchased from campgrounds. Don't burn garbage in your campfire. The smell is unpleasant for you and your neighbours, and may even attract bears into your camp. Unburned waste left in a fire pit is an unappealing discovery for whoever uses the site after you.Never leave a fire unattended and always make sure that it is fully extinguished. Even days after having burned down, embers can stay hot and pose a hidden danger. Pull apart the logs and pour water over the coals. Even if this means repeated trips down to the river, make sure that nothing is left smoking, glowing or hot. These simple rules will help keep British Columbia's forests for all to enjoy.
Wildlife Tips and Bear Safety
 When travelling or camping in British Columbia, wildlife sightings can add an exciting and beautiful wilderness experience. People come from around the world to catch a glimpse of wild animals in their natural habitat, so if you have the good luck to catch sight of an animal, consider yourself lucky and enjoy the moment. However, to prevent your sighting from becoming an encounter, never feed and always keep your distance from wildlife. Remember that British Columbia's wildlife is wild, and that means unpredictable and easily startled. Outside of urban areas, bears are fairly common. Although amazing and beautiful in the wild, they become a dangerous nuisance around campsites. To avoid drawing bears into your camp, make sure that you don't attract their strong sense of smell. Leaving food out at night is perhaps the easiest way to invite one to come nosing around, so the best preventative measure is to see that all food is sealed and locked inside your vehicle.It is important to know that no two bear encounters are ever the same. Because of this, even the experts disagree on how to deal with a close encounter. The most common advice is to stay calm, speak soothingly and back slowly away from the animal. You don't want to startle any wildlife. British Columbia's backcountry enthusiasts will tell you that this is good advice, but warn you not to become "bearanoid" or fearful of bear sightings. If you walk in groups, it's easy to avoid catching a bear by surprise. It can hear your voices long before you see it and will most often disappear into the bush long before you arrive on the scene. In place of talking, some hikers attach tiny bear-bells to their packs. The steady jingling carries well and saves breath on steep climbs, but don't believe anyone who says a handful of gravel in an empty pop can is any less effective. For their size, bears are surprisingly timid animals. This is what makes them such an amazing creatures to see in the wild. By giving them respect, plenty of room and by never feeding them, a bear sighting offers one of British Columbia's most serene and beautiful moments.
Camping Etiquette
Many people go camping to leave the city behind. Even though you're spending time away from your neighbours, it's important that you don't forget about the people who are camping around you. Following these simple suggestions will keep you in good terms with your fellow campers. Remember that many people camp to escape the city's close quarters. Be considerate when selecting a campsite and try to leave a spot in between you and your neighbours. It's not that campers are unfriendly, just that it's hard to enjoy the great wide open when you're boxed in on all sides. Many campgrounds have a set quiet time, often from 10:00 pm until 7:00 am. Even if your campground doesn't, be considerate and think of your neighbours. Even during the day, loud stereos can bother those who are not out to party. The same applies to generators - if you feel it necessary to use one, try to do it when it will bother the least other people. It's a general rule that when you leave a campsite, you leave it cleaner than when you found it. There's nothing worse than arriving at a site to find litter on the ground and in the fire pit. It only takes a few minutes to pick up your empty cans, banana peels and cigarette butts. Most campsites will have garbage cans for you to use, and if not, most highway rest stops have trash cans for travellers.“
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