Camping is a beautiful journey, and everyone wants to enjoy this premium time with friends and family at its peak. But what to do if there is the danger of snake presence around your campsite? Most people have a phobia of snakes, and no one wants a slithering snake around them.
There are no specific ways that keep snakes away from your campsite. Some folk remedies like pouring vinegar or spraying essential oil of garlic or clove around camps may only work sometimes.
Knowing how to keep snakes away from your campsite while camping in snake territory is necessary during your camping. So that you are fully prepared and have fun with friends and family while camping. It may seem attractive that snakes are also afraid of us as much as we want to avoid them.
Here, I will share some tips and hacks in this blog that minimize the risk of snakes present around your campsite. Also, I do share how to handle a situation if you have a face-to-face encounter with snakes.
How to Keep Snakes Away From the Campsite 2024-2025 | Here are the 10 Best Way
Everyone is not brave enough to see a snake slithering around them. As there is no guaranteed way to keep snakes away from your campsite, getting all the necessary information about snakes and handling them is very important.
You can’t ignore the presence of insects or snakes on your campsite. Snakes are not always aggressive animals, but they are more poisonous when they feel the danger of their lives. We listed some helpful ways to keep snakes away from your campsite.
1. Choose a snake-free camping location
If you want to avoid encounters with snakes, choose a snake-free camping site. Snakes are cold-blooded and mostly like to live in warm climates. So before selecting a camping site, you must know complete information about snakes’ presence and their types, etc.
You can get information from any recognized authority about your campsite and its wildlife. Seasons are also an essential factor, as most snakes hibernate in winter. So there are few chances to face them in winter compared to summer and spring. While choosing a campsite must consider the following locations that snakes might inhabit, so thoroughly check these areas before camping there.
- Rock piles area
- Deadfall and heavy brush area
- Areas Adjacent directly to water sources
Always try to find a campsite away from the water area and its short grass plain with plenty of open spaces. Some people have an extreme phobia of snakes which is called Ophidiophobia. In this case, you can choose a snake-free campsite or one with a minor snake presence.
2. Avoid camping in forested or bouldery terrains
Everyone knows that forests are the primary habitat of snakes. In forests or bouldery terrains, there are more chances to face snakes. Choose your campsite wisely to minimize the risk of an encounter with snakes.
Snakes hide in dark and warm places like tree trunks, big bushes, or under big rocks. It’s essential to place your tent in a plain dry area, far from trees and short grass areas.
3. Store your food properly
Snakes are not interested in human food, but other small animals and rodents like mice are interested in it.
As we know, snakes are carnivores and like to eat these rodents, mice, chipmunks, and other critters who came into your tent to grab your tasty leftover food. So you indirectly invite snakes if you throw food carelessly. Snakes are attracted to your campsite because they find food and shelter simultaneously.
It is essential to store food correctly and out of the range of these rodents and small animals. It may minimize the risk of snake encounters.
Always keep your food in a rodent-free airtight solid container. Dispose of your leftover food and clean your campsite properly and immediately. These leftovers grab the attention of small animals, and due to this, you can face a difficult situation.
4. Keep a tidy campsite
A clean and tidy campsite must be your priority if camping in snake territory. Leftover food attracts insects and small animals. And these small animals and rodents attract snakes to enter your campsite.
So clean all food grain immediately after every meal and store food in an airtight container. Snakes like to stay in warm places. Keeping a pile of dirty laundry, camping or hiking gear outside, or mess inside the camp provides an ideal place for snakes to stay there.
To overcome this problem, follow these tips;
- keep your campsite neat and clean.
- Keep everything in its place.
- Packing all extra things that are not used will minimize the chances of snake encounters.
5. Make noise while in camp
Generally, snakes are also afraid of humans and don’t want to face encounters with humans. Many accidents of snake bites happen because a snake is startled by humans unconsciously as they walk or hike silently in their tracks.
To prevent any encounter with snakes, It’s a great idea to have some noise around your campsite, so snakes are alert and change their way.
It doesn’t mean that you make a lot of noise all the time to irritate other camp members, but a decent conversation with them is also acceptable. You can play good music or guitar, and play different games around your campsite.
You can use a portable speaker to play loud music to scare snakes. You can place speakers on the ground so that snakes feel the vibration of the base and sound. They are susceptible to beat or palpitations, so they change their way and avoid your campsite.
Even when you are going hiking or walking, always wear close footwear and make some noise with them on your way so if there is any snake can feel your presence and change their way.
6. Stay away from snake repellents
Nowadays, many companies prepare camping snake repellents and claim that these snake repellents work magically to keep snakes away from your campsite. But unfortunately, there needs to be scientific evidence that proves their claim.
These camping snake repellents prove useless and are just a waste of money. Even these snake repellents prove harmful for humans and small animals but are ineffective for snakes. So try to use reliable techniques to avoid snakes, and don’t use these useless snake repellents.
7. Check your tent before going inside
You must be active and alert if you are camping in snake territory. After spending a day out, check your tent thoroughly when you return to your campsite.
As snakes like to stay in warm and peaceful places, there are chances they may hide in your tent. Always check your tent before spending the night in it.
Always check and shake your sleeping bag, shoes, and night clothes well. Snakes are hidden enemies, so try to search everywhere in your tent and sense if there is any danger so you can handle it wisely. Your tent must be sealed from all sides, with no holes. If there is any hole or tear in your tent, you must fix it as a priority.
Tips for Personal Safety
Even if you have a safe campsite, it’s essential to take some precautions to avoid snakes outside of the campsite area. You should follow some simple safety steps to avoid any unpleasant event. The safety tips you can follow outside the campsite are the following:
8. Dress appropriately
While camping in a high-risk snake area, you must cover yourself adequately. Protecting your hands and lower leg areas is very important because these areas are easy targets for snake bites. Also, choose the fiber of pants that reduces the snake poisoning the skin, like jeans or gaiter.
Always wear closed and long shoes. This closed footwear provides you protection against snake bites. Also, these closed shoes produce more vibration on land than open footwear, which alerts snakes, and they change their way.
9. Watch where you walk
When you walk in snake territory, always step on your track carefully. Mainly snakes lay below a rock or in tree logs. Climb rocks and log carefully to avoid any encounter with them. You can make some noise and vibration through your footwear so that snakes feel these vibrations and escape from your way.
10. Pack a first-aid kit
First-aid-kit is essential in any camping backpack, especially in snake habitats. You must have medicine and pressure bandages to apply in case of snake bites. It’s better that you must learn the technique to deal with snack bites.
What is the Best Area for a Snake-Free Campsite?
A good camping site minimizes the chances of having face-to-face encounters with snakes. It would be best to choose land with plenty of open space. There must be short grass because long grass and bushes help snakes to hide.
A good campsite must be far and above the water places because dark, dumb, and warm places are primary locations for snakes. Also, the campsite must be adequately illuminated by light at night so that you avoid any accidents with snakes. A campfire is also an excellent option to prevent snakes from your camping area.
How Should I Store My Food?
Proper Food storage is significant during camping. Mice, birds, and small animals are interested in leftover human food, and snakes love to prey the small animals. So if you do not store your food and do not dispose of leftovers, you may invite snakes indirectly.
Always follow these simple tips;
- Always dispose of leftovers properly
- Clean dishes immediately after every meal
- Never throw garbage around the camping site.
- Place your stored food in an airtight container to avoid snakes and small animals.
How Can I Safely Check for Snakes?
It’s important to remain active and conscious while camping. Follow important aspects for avoiding snakes:
- Your tent must be completely closed after every entry or exit.
- There is no hole in your tent.
- Shake off your sleeping bag to avoid any bitter accidents.
- Always check your tent underneath, as maybe snakes hide there.
- Shake off your clothes and shoes before wearing them because small snakes may hide there.
What Should I Do If I See a Snake?
If a snake is near your campsite, stay calm and don’t panic. You have to follow some tips;
- If it’s nearer to you, freeze on your position and assess its reaction if the snake is not showing any reaction, back up slowly.
- Don’t encourage the snake to move. Snakes attack if they feel danger and threat. Please don’t use a stick or your footwear to provoke them.
- If you accidentally place your footsteps on a snake, move away immediately.
- Stay at some distance and don’t get too close.
- It would help if you treated all snakes as dangerous species. Don’t mess unnecessarily with them.
- Baby snakes are also dangerous and hard to spot. They quickly hide in a small place. So be careful and alert about them.
- Never attempt to kill a snake empty-handed or just with a stick.
- Use a large blanket or cloth to avoid snake bites. Snakes may attack more quickly than your imagination.
How Do I Treat a Snakebite?
Every camper must learn about first-aid in case of a snake bite. It’s essential not to panic and treat snake bites carefully. Although snake bites are not fatal most of the time, treatment on time is necessary. You remember these points while treating a snake bite wisely.
Do:
- Call on hospital emergency number for medical help
- Stay calm and still. Keep the affected area below the heart. It may help to slow down the spread of poison.
- Remove any restrictive item around the wound, as the affected may swell.
- Bandage as soon as possible.
Don’t:
- Do not try to suck out the poison.
- Do not apply a tourniquet.
- Do not cut the wound with a knife.
- Do not clean the wound with water, as the doctor might need to identify the poison.
Final Thoughts: How to Keep Snakes Away From the Campsite
Camping in snake territory is not safe, especially for small kids. You must have all the essential information about the snake habitats around your campsite. You must be prepared to face and handle any emergency in case of a snake bite.
Every camper needs to know How to keep snakes away from the campsite. There is no scientifically proven way, nor any snake repellents are effective, But by using the above-discussed precautions, you must minimize the chances of a snake encounter with you. Always be alert and careful when walking and hiking, and keep a keen eye on your surroundings.
Read more: How to repel mosquitos while camping?
Frequently Asked Questions: How to Keep Snakes Away From the Campsite
Following are the frequently asked questions about how to keep snakes away from the campsite.
1. What smells will keep snakes away?
Answer: Snakes are very sensitive to strong smells. They hate vinegar and ammonia smells. Other smells that help to keep snakes away are smoke, garlic, lime, vinegar cloves, and onions. You can use sprays and oils of these flavors or grow these plants.
2. What will repel snakes?
Answer: Sulfur, cloves, vinegar, and cinnamon oil are natural snake repellents. Pour these substances around your campsite. It helps to repel snakes naturally. Also, the smoke of fire, noise, and movement vibrations may scare the snake and help to repel them from your campsite.
3. What is the best anti-snake repellent?
Answer: Different companies claim their products as the best snake repellent, but there is no scientific evidence of the efficiency of these repellents. These are useless.
However, some natural remedies may help to repel snakes. Vinegar and cloves of garlic are proven to be the best anti-snake repellent.
4. Can a snake enter a closed tent?
Answer: Snakes can not enter a closed tent. But make sure your tent must be closed properly, and there is no hole or tear in it.