Going camping this Labor Day Weekend? Tips on how to prepare and stay safe

Camping on Labor Day Weekend can be a great way to end the summer.

But before you go, make sure to plan head and pack properly.

ABC-7 spoke to a Franklin Mountains State Park ranger on the best practices for those staying out in the wild overnight, especially at the state park.

Here are some tips on how to pack properly:

• Look at your weather forecast — check if there’s good conditions. There are rain chances in the borderland this weekend, so pack a rain cover for your tent.
• For sunny conditions, wear long sleeves and pants to prevent sun burns, being pricked by plants like a cactus, and insect bites.
• Franklin Mountains State Park doesn’t have potable water, so pack a gallon of water per person, per day.
• You can make simple meals like oatmeal, sausages or sandwiches — or go all out with a stove top.
• Pack an ice cooler to keep perishable foods.
• Bring a portable charger for your phone since there is no electricity in the park.

If you do see one, here’s a tip from park ranger Lydia Pagel on how to keep a safe distance.

"If you put your arm out at arm's length and put your thumb out, if you can cover the animal entirely in your field of view with your thumb, that is a safe distance away," says Pagel. "If they are larger than that, you're a little too close."

Here are some other rules that the park has:

• Camp fires are allowed at the park in the designated areas.
• You can’t collect anything to burn at the park, you have to bring those items in with you.
• Throw out food wrappers when you’re done since it can attract animals..

There aren’t many insects to be worried about, but Pagel gives a heads up about scorpions.

"A little pro tip for scorpions specifically, which I think is super fun actually, scorpions glow under blacklight," she says. "So if you bring a little blacklight out there, you can go scorpion hunting. Please don't kill them. But, go find them and take a picture."

There are campsites still available for this weekend, reservations are required for a fee of $10 per night.