By Gita M. Smith

Have you ever gone camping and had so much stuff that it felt like you never left the city? Or have you been out in the woods and realized you forgot something really important – like toilet paper or a flashlight?

Most kids go camping with their parents or someone older who is in charge … but just for a minute, let’s pretend that kids ruled the world and it was up to YOU to find shelter, safety, and have enough food and water in the great outdoors. Would you know what to do?

Test your know-how and see.

TRUE OR FALSE:

1. As long as water is running over rocks and it is cold, it is safe to drink.

2. Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide we breathe out.

3. Bears will not come to your campsite if you have a campfire burning.

4. Mushrooms that you find in the bark of trees are safe to eat -- it’s the ones growing in meadows that are poisonous.

5. Never dive into any water because you cannot see rocks under the surface.

6. Lightning comes before thunder because light travels faster than sound.

SHORT ANSWERS:

7. Now let’s say you were camping near a stream and wanted to catch some fish for supper. Do you know where to find worms to use as bait?

8. Can you name two bugs that are safe to eat, if you were hungry in the woods and needed food?

9. List three things to do with your garbage that begin with the letter B, so that you leave a campsite clean.

10. You are hiking with some friends and you lag behind, and they accidentally lose you. What is the best way to help them find you again, fast?

11. What are two shapes to use when placing the materials for a small campfire?

12. How do you know if a storm is coming? Can you list three signs?

ANSWERS:

1. False. Even cold running water can contain germs that would make you very sick to your stomach. Never drink water until you have boiled it for 5 minutes or used a water-purifying system.

2. True.

3. False. Bears will come to your campsite if they smell food.

4. False. Poison mushrooms grow in many places. Even if they look like “tree ears,” they could make you sick.

5. True. Very, very true.

6. True.

7. Worms live in damp places, and usually they are close to the surface of the ground. If you scratch under a pile of damp leaves you will almost always find worms.

8. Grasshoppers (and hum-backed crickets) and mealy worms are safe to eat. In fact, people in many countries consider them tasty, especially when fried.

9. The three words are Burn, Bash and Bury. First, burn your trash in your campfire to get rid of any food that ants would eat. Bash any tin cans flat. Bury the debris.

10. Sit down and stay put. Don’t try to go back to the starting point or try to find them. They will be retracing their steps to find you, so get into the shade right next to the trail they took. If you have a whistle, blow on it every few minutes.

11. Two shapes for placing your campfire wood are The Teepee and the Log Cabin.

12. Three weather signs that a storm is on the way: The temperature drops fast, the wind picks up, birds stop singing and they fly up into the trees to roost, even if it is in the middle of the day.