Safety in the tent, trailer and RV | Campground Safety and Wildlife Guide

Carbon monoxide: the hidden danger

Carbon monoxide (CO) has no colour or smell. In a closed tent, trailer or vehicle it can kill sleeping people within hours. Early signs feel like the flu: headache, dizziness, nausea, tiredness and confusion. If more than one person feels this way, suspect CO.

Never use a fuel-burning heater, stove, lantern, barbecue or charcoal inside a tent, camper, vehicle or vestibule, even with a door open.
Never bring a barbecue that is cooling down inside a tent. Coals give off CO for hours.
Run generators at least 6 m (20 ft) away from any tent, trailer or open window, with the exhaust pointing away.
In trailers and RVs, keep a working CO alarm and test it before each trip. Replace it by the date on the label.
If the alarm sounds or anyone has symptoms, get everyone into fresh air at once and call 911.

Choosing and setting up a tent site

Look up. Do not pitch under dead trees, broken branches or leaning trees. Falling trees and limbs ("widowmakers") kill campers every year, most often in wind.
Look down. Avoid dips, dry stream beds and low ground that can flood in heavy rain.
Stay back from water. Keep tents well back from riverbanks and lake shores where water can rise.
Lightning. Do not camp on open ridges or under a single tall tree. A tent gives no protection from lightning. See lightning.
Keep a flashlight or headlamp where you can find it in the dark.
Use battery lights inside the tent, not candles or fuel lanterns.

Sleeping in bear country

Keep all food, cooking gear, coolers, garbage, toiletries and pet food out of your tent. Even toothpaste and lip balm attract bears.
Do not sleep in the clothes you cooked in.
Store food in a hard-sided vehicle, a bear locker or a bear-resistant container. See the bare campsite.
In the backcountry, cook, eat and store food well away and downwind from your tent. Many agencies advise about 100 m (330 ft).
Keep bear spray and a light inside the tent, where you can reach them.

Trailer and RV safety

Alarms. Test smoke, CO and propane leak alarms before each trip. Propane is heavier than air and collects near the floor.
Fire extinguisher. Keep a multi-purpose (ABC) extinguisher near the door and know how to use it.
Two ways out. Know where the emergency exit window is and make sure it opens. Show children how.
Propane. If you smell gas, turn off the cylinder valve, put out flames, do not touch light switches, open doors and windows and leave. Close the propane valve when refuelling and on ferries and in tunnels that require it (BC Ferries requires propane cylinders to be turned off).
Power. Use a surge protector or electrical management system on campground power. If you feel a tingle touching the trailer's metal skin or door, the trailer may be energized. Unplug from the pedestal and have it checked before you touch it again.
Cords. Use RV-rated cords sized for the load. Never run a cord through a window or door that pinches it.
Levelling. Chock the wheels before unhitching. Stabilizer jacks steady the trailer; they are not built to lift it. Never get under a trailer held up only by a jack.
Slides and awnings. Check the area is clear before moving slide-outs. Roll in awnings in wind and before you leave the site.
Heat. In hot weather, a closed trailer becomes dangerous quickly for people and pets. Never leave a pet shut inside in heat.

Personal safety at night

Lock your vehicle and trailer, and keep valuables out of sight.
Use a light when walking to washrooms. Watch for roots, rocks and tent lines.
Tell someone in your group where you are going.
Know your site number and the campground name, so you can give them to 911.

If you are the host

Your trailer is usually parked on one site for months. Check the propane system, alarms and electrical connection at the start of the season and monthly after that.
Report dead or leaning trees over campsites to the operator before campers use the site.
If you see a heater, stove or barbecue in use inside a tent, explain the carbon monoxide danger to the campers.
Keep a list of which sites have tents, so you can warn them quickly about storms or wildlife.

General safety information for campground hosts, workers and campers in Canada and the US, compiled by CampHostJobs from Parks Canada, the US National Park Service, provincial, territorial and state agencies, and public health sources, October 2026. It does not replace training or the rules where you are. Always follow your employer, park staff and local officials. In an emergency, call 911.