How to avoid nasty germs on your camping trip

Gastro is highly infectious and passed on easily. To avoid contracting it at a campground, check out some of our tips on avoiding germs.

People around a campfire

January 26, 2023

People around a campfire

Shared spaces are all well and good. Until someone gets gastro… In December 2022, you may have seen Inskip Point campground making headlines for the wrong reasons. The campground closed to new bookings after 13 people reported contracting gastro in December. Unfortunately, this was the third consecutive year a gastro outbreak occurred at the campground.

Gastroenteritis is highly infectious and passed on easily, which is bad news for campgrounds. To avoid contracting it at a campground, read on to check out some of our tips on avoiding germs.

Wait, how did this all happen?

Let’s rewind first to our example and figure out where we can access some learnings. Associate Professor Linda Selvey from the University of Queensland School of Public Health said gastro viruses can easily spread quickly in densely populated campgrounds. This is because people share the same facilities, as naturally, everyone uses the same toilets. Transmission happens mainly through the faecal-oral route, but not exclusively. Alternatively, norovirus particles could stay on surfaces for up to two weeks and survive in water for several months.

Flies are also a route. They could transmit gastro viruses, particularly in camping areas where people defecate in the bush. If a fly travels from faeces to your food… I’m sure you can put two and two together there. Let’s not go too into detail.

Although uncomfortable to discuss, this topic is quite serious and unfortunately a very real threat to campers. 

Washing hands germs

How can we avoid nasty germs?

If the Inskip Point campground story has got you fearing your next shared campground, don’t fret. We’ve got some ways you can stay hygienic while away from home and do your best to avoid contracting an illness.

Always thoroughly wash your hands

It’s a given. You go to the bathroom. Then you wash your hands. Most of us learn this as a toddler. However, it’s even more important to ensure you’re washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water after using a shared bathroom. 

Bring your own hand towel

Just like you wouldn’t use someone else’s towel to dry your body after showering, it’s best to avoid using a communal hand towel to dry your hands. A towel can harbour loads of bacteria that grow in a damp bathroom environment. In this case, sharing is absolutely not caring. Especially when it comes to strangers at a campground!

Sanitising

Sanitise

I’m sure you’re used to the familiar smell of hand sanitiser after the COVID pandemic. All of those mini-sized sanitisers accumulated over the months of isolation can certainly come in handy for travelling. Before preparing food and eating make sure you sanitise your hands to avoid transferring any germs to your meal. 

Bring your own portable toilet 

In the midst of the outbreak at Inskip Point campground, campers were also encouraged to bring their own portable toilet. Although it sounds like a burden, portable toilets have been created with both convenience and ease in mind. For example, the Porta Potti Qube 345 12L can be used for 3-5 days before the waste tank requires emptying. However, to avoid any confusion there’s also a waste tank level indicator. The waste holding tank simply needs to be detached and taken to a waste disposal point. It’s clever, convenient and it eliminates the need to use a shared, public toilet that may expose you to germs.

Camping

Clean shared surfaces

If your campground has shared equipment and surfaces such as picnic tables, it’s a good idea to give them a good wipe-down before sitting down. Pack some surface cleaner and a microfibre towel in your camping kit to easily wipe down all surfaces. Some organisms can remain viable on surfaces for a prolonged period of time. This means they can continue to infect others during and even after the outbreak appears to be over.

Keep your distance

Of course, camping is a wonderful way to make new friends and socialise. Unfortunately, some illnesses such as gastroenteritis can spread via small airborne particles circulating in the air during or after vomiting attacks. Even if the person who was ill has now recovered, people with gastroenteritis can continue to be infectious for days or weeks after recovery. Although anti-social, it’s best to keep your distance from strangers if you can. A wave and a chat across the campground is fine, but keep the close and personal stuff to your travel companions.

Navigating germs in shared spaces is just something that comes with camping. With these hygiene tips, you can do your best to avoid contracting any illnesses that you may come across on your travels.

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Jess Olson
Jess Olson

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