Top tips on how to stay safe while camping and caravanning

Camping and caravanning are choice holidays at present in the UK, as staycations soar in the wake of lockdown.

UK campsites are seeing a surge in bookings, while interest in online adverts for caravans is up nearly a fifth compared with the same time last year, as reported by Auto Trader.

But campfire camaraderie and feel-good fresh air can come at a price for some, according to the Camping and Caravanning Club.

Around 1,200 caravans were stolen in the UK last year, with many campers falling victim to theft.

Security experts from Yale have issued the following advice on how you can best protect your property from thieves;

Choose your pitch carefully

If you’re given a choice on where to pitch up when you arrive at your destination, pick somewhere in view of the car park, or a main path where people pass by. These areas tend to be well lit.

Keep valuables out of sight

Whether in a tent or a caravan, it’s a good idea to put any valuables away; don’t leave them at the tent door. It’s a good idea to put them inside your sleeping bag at night.

Before you set off on your holiday, weigh up whether you need to have expensive gadgets and valuables with you at all. Just take what you need.

Finally, if spending your holiday in a tent, keep your mobile phone, money and bank cards on you and make use of on-site cash machines, to avoid having to carry cash that could get lost or stolen. Downloading the digital wallet Apple pay on your smartphone is one solution.

Lock it away

A compact safe somewhere inside your caravan adds an extra layer of security, making sure your cash, bank cards, and other valuables are locked away. A number of safes are available from Yale, with some designed to protect cash to the value of £1,000 and valuables up £10,000.

The range includes small safes, ideal for holidaymakers, that are compact enough to store valuables, yet strong enough to withstand an attempted attack. Options include safes with blue backlight LCD displays, key code entry and internal lights.