I am a camper.
I am a planner.
I am organized.
I am also mom to 4 boys, and they do stupid things… like throw rocks and crack their little skulls open while playing in creeks.
This was on our camping trip 2 years ago. (That was a bumpy trip.) I had not planned to spend my last full day of camping sitting in an emergency room, 50 miles from camp, getting a big gash closed up with staples.
We had a PPO insurance policy at the time, so we knew we could go in anywhere and we’d be covered. We also knew where the ER was because we had to drive past it on our way to the campground.
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| I’d rather be toasting marshmallows |
If you are out camping and there is an emergency of some kind, the last thing you are going to want to do is figure out where the nearest medical facility is. Come to think of it, this is true of any vacation or road trip. You should have a general idea of what your options are. This year we changed our insurance to Kaiser, and we realized we didn’t know where their facilities in Northern California were located, so we looked them up and figured out which one was closest to our campground.
We have since put together a little travel book that we keep in the car when we travel. In it we have:
- our insurance carrier’s nearest facilities
- other medical facilities nearby
- copies of all family members’ medical cards
- a list of medications anyone might be taking at the time of our trip
- any known allergies
- emergency contact numbers (what happens if everything is in your phone & the phone dies?)
- UPDATED – we also always have the local number for the ranger station/police, etc…
Then last week during a live chat at the KOA Campfire Community, we were discussing taking pets on vacation and I realized that our dog is member of the family too.
We will be adding a page to our book before our next trip for the dog. It will include:
- the nearest vet clinic
- the nearest animal ER facility
- her current immunization records
- her license number (if she gets loose her collar & license will be on her…)
This kind of thing may seem like a pain to do ahead of time, but I guarantee you that it is better to have it and not need it than it is to be in a panic and wondering what to do and where to go.
Also? Don’t throw rocks.
You can see how much he was crying in the thumbs down picture…poor guy. We found out the nearest hospital for when we’re in Destin. My mama the nurse gave us that tip…you guys are so wise 🙂
You should add the number to Search and Rescue to your book.
Don’t ask me how I know….
Boys. lol Michael always had us in the ER when he was little. What a great post. You’ve motivated me to do this. I have lots of numbers in my phone but not anywhere else. I’m going to put this on my to do list! Thanks Viv.
Heather
My 4 boys and the ER are best friends 🙂 I swear I am never going to pay off medical bills. I am glad you guy is okay!
This is great info. I think too many of us rely on phones and gadgets for info, and get in a pickle if it ‘dies’, we had this when I was in hospital recently and I just went blank on everything!
Glad your little guy is ok!
uh, oh…sorry for the vaca interruption…emergency info good to know! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! the doggie pic! PopArtMinis
Good advice! (He looks so much like his Mama!)
You’re so organized, my plan from now on will be to just travel with you since you have all the bases covered!
This is excellent advice!! As a brand new camper I realized how much I need to learn on our fist trip and this had never crossed my mind!! And collecting the pet info is equally excellent!! One more notation in my new camping list!! Thank you!! 🙂
You are so right! It especially helps when you are camping or traveling so far from home.
That picture of Corsa cracks. me. up.
You are my hero! Things to add to my trip lists….
Thank you for this! I NEVER in a million years would have thought of this ahead of time! We don’t camp (ahem–I don’t camp) often, but sense that as my 2 boys get older, we’ll be roughing it. (well, the boys will rough it and Mom will stay in an RV).
You’ve got the happiest dog I’ve ever seen! Great ideas!
Debbie
My dog makes that same grinning face. It is so crazy ! And so cute!
Excellent ideas – thanks.
EXCELLENT advice! It’s so easy to assume you have everything you need, but you’re right. . . in an emergency, you might not have the high-tech tools you always count on! This is REALLY good advice for someone like me whose family members have special medical conditions.
After an experience of getting lost in the woods on a hike one chilly autumn day, I started making sure that I have two things in my pocket on any hike: an extra- large plastic garbage bag and a book of matches. These two things are practically weightless, so it’s no trouble to carry them. Of course, I might also have a flashlight, water, etc. along with me, but these two things are always there just in case.
Refraining from rock throwing? Always a good idea.
Wahahaha! I love that face on the dog! My cats are not nearly as accommodating when they’ve done something naughty. It usually takes a few days to find what they’ve destroyed/barfed on.
Whoa you are way organized! This is a great idea!! I will have to put one of these together. Thanks for sharing!
Good idea! And what’s great is this is just one of those things that can go into the ever popular “camping tote” that never truly get’s cleaned out.
Being an avid hiker, I keep the state’s DEC Forest Ranger hotline programmed into my cell phone for emergencies, whether you spending one day or ten days out in the wilderness something as simple as a phone number can be a life saver!
Since I’m fairly new to your blog I’m just getting to read your older posts.
Happened to find your camping post. Boy can I relate to your post.
When our 4 kids were young our youngest son was always being run to emergency. He broke the same leg in same year, just different parts of the leg. That’s only part of his history,lol. We used to call him the tasmanian devil, what a kid. Never a dull moment with Jeff around. His brother, 16 months older, was pretty mild compared to his brother.
He fell and cut his mouth on the rocks at Mission Beach on 7/4 night. At the same time there was some kind of riot between where we were to our vehicle and traffic was backed up. At least there is a hospital fairly close to Mission Beach. This happened in days way before cell phones. Meanwhile my son was bleeding all over the place.
Our 2 daughters and I had to wait til they got back and stay out of sight. We were scared to death.
The joys of a parent. lol
It’s not just a boy problem. I used to be “that kid”. I was in and out of the ER so often that one time, when going to the ER with my sister, one of the nurses looked at me and said “You’re back again?” And I’d also get the “Are you being abused at home or by someone you trust?” question every time I called or went in.
I also spent my mom’s birthday in the hospital after breaking my arm right before her party. And, I ended a camping trip by falling into a fire pit. Which I had been sitting on the edge of. Even though I had been told every camping trip for 10 years prior to that trip that I should never do such a thing.