Camping is a quintessential summer activity, but it is not without risks. While it offers a way for outdoor enthusiasts to relax and get away from the stress of work and everyday life, campgrounds are host more than just visitors in tents. Wild animals often roam or make their home in campgrounds, so campers must remain vigilant and take measures to protect themselves and their campsite. Here are few simple ways you can stay protected against wild animals while camping. Store Your Food Properly Bears, raccoons, and birds, oh my! Keeping your food items tucked away is key to keeping these unfriendly critters at bay. Storing your food properly means two things: your food that has not yet been eaten and your food trash. Scout practices base where they place their food perishables on the ‘Leave No Trace Ethics’ which means to keep your food and cook sites at least 200 feet away from your sleeping place. Did you know that animals such as chipmunks and squirrels are considered more of a hindrance for campers than bears? It’s true! Fortunately, most rules and guidance regarding bears applies for the smaller critters as well. If you are camping at a National Park, most will require campers to have a critter-proof container to house all food perishables. There are a few options out there that are made with different materials, such as plastic and a tough fabric. Many campers and hikers recommend placing food items inside of an odor-proof bag before placing that bag into the critter-proof container. Here are a few additional tips to keep those pesky critters away: Take Precautions at Your Campsite Wild animals will come after things they can see and smell, so you need to take precautions against using or leaving out items that could attract unwelcome critters. Before you leave on your camping trip, be sure to check your tent for any rips or malfunctioning zippers. You don’t want to give animals an easy entrance to your sleeping area. Once you arrive, you need to set up your tent or sleeping area at least 200 feet from where you’ll be cooking and storing your food and garbage. Remember that when camping, it’s good to smell like the outdoors because wild creatures have a knack for picking up unnatural scents, like deodorant. This is one of the times that it’s okay to skip the deodorant! Soap, toothpaste, and lotion may all contain scents that could attract wild animals to your campsite. If you can, leave these items at home or use them far, far away from where your tent is set up. Something as simple as spitting your toothpaste out on the ground could attract animals like raccoons and bears. Keep Animals Away with Nite Guard Solar Lights Nite Guard is a top provider of items that can help protect campers no matter if it’s day or night. Nite Guard Solar lights are compact and easy to pack when you go camping. They can help protect you on your camping trip and once you get back home, they will protect your woodland surrounded home. Nite Guard’s solar powered animal repellent lights can be placed around your campsite to properly safeguard your waste containers, food prep station, and sleeping area from hungry or curious wild animals. To properly install the solar powered animal repellent lights, place the lights approximately 100-200 feet apart around all four sides (perimeter mount) of your campsite and eye level to the predator, approximately 20-30 inches off the ground. Use cluster mount for large, open acreage. Nite Guard also has a product that can assist in protecting your property during the daytime as well! Nite Guard Repellent Tape is a wide, heavy duty, iridescent foil tape that scares away daytime animal visits with light, movement, and noise. Give us a call today at 1-800-328-6647 for more information or to place an order.