RV Safety Reference — Wildlife, Weather, Medical, Mechanical

Wildlife safety

Bears, snakes, alligators, ticks — recognition, response, prevention. · 33 pages

Life-or-death · 6 min
Black bear encounters
The most common North American bear — present in 40+ states. Aggression rare but conditioned bears kill.
Life-or-death · 7 min
Grizzly bear encounters
More dangerous than black bears — present in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Alaska. Response is OPPOSITE of black bear.
Life-or-death · 6 min
Polar bear encounters (Alaska only)
Alaska-only — Arctic coastal communities. The only North American bear that actively hunts humans as prey.
Life-or-death · 8 min
Mountain lion (cougar) encounters
Stealth ambush predator across the western U.S. and (now) the Florida Everglades. Attacks rare but predatory and lethal when they happen.
High risk · 8 min
Wolves
Across the western U.S. and Great Lakes — attacks on humans almost nonexistent. Real risk is to dogs, livestock, and habituated-wolf situations.
High risk · 6 min
Coyotes
Across all 49 continental states — increasingly habituated to humans in suburbs and campgrounds.
High risk · 6 min
Bobcats / lynx
Reclusive cats across the U.S. — attacks on humans almost zero, rabies risk in the rare ones.
Life-or-death · 6 min
Moose
More dangerous than bears in many parks — aggressive in rut and around calves.
Life-or-death · 6 min
Bison (Yellowstone gore statistics)
Yellowstone's #1 cause of injury — closer than 25 yards and they charge. 2,000 lbs and 30 mph.
High risk · 6 min
Elk (rut season danger)
Aggressive in September-October rut — antler injuries common at parks like RMNP and Yellowstone.
High risk · 6 min
Deer (vehicle collision data)
200,000+ deer-vehicle collisions per year — dawn/dusk on rural roads is highest risk.
High risk · 6 min
Wild boars / feral hogs
Texas, Florida, and the Southeast — destructive and occasionally aggressive. Vehicle hazard too.
High risk · 6 min
Mountain goats
Olympic NP, Glacier NP — aggressive in pursuit of salt. One documented fatal attack in 2010.
Caution · 6 min
Bighorn sheep
They look like calm posers on cliffside pull-outs. During November rut they crash 30 mph and weigh 300 lb.
Life-or-death · 6 min
Alligators (Florida + Gulf)
Florida and Gulf states — 30-foot rule, dog-attack risk, never feed.
High risk · 6 min
American crocodiles (Florida Everglades)
Only continental U.S. crocodile population — South Florida coastal mangroves only.
High risk · 6 min
Sharks (beach swimming context)
Florida, Carolinas, California, Hawaii — attack rate extremely low, but RV beach camping puts you in zone.
High risk · 7 min
Stingrays
Shuffle-walk the surf zone, not stride. Two thousand barb injuries logged yearly in California alone.
High risk · 6 min
Jellyfish (Portuguese man-of-war especially)
Atlantic, Gulf, Hawaii — vinegar protocol for box jellies, NOT for Portuguese man-of-war.
Life-or-death · 6 min
Venomous snakes (rattlesnakes, cottonmouth, copperhead, coral snake)
Four pit viper species + coral snake — recognition by region, bite protocol, antivenom locations.
Informational · 6 min
Non-venomous snakes (identification)
Most snakes you see are harmless — quick ID prevents unnecessary panic and unnecessary killing.
High risk · 6 min
Scorpions
Arizona bark scorpion is the only U.S. species with medically significant venom. Most stings are nuisance pain.
Caution · 6 min
Tarantulas (rarely dangerous, often misidentified)
Massive but mild — tarantula bites less serious than bee stings. Hair-flicking is the real defense.
Life-or-death · 6 min
Black widow + brown recluse spiders
Two North American spiders with medically significant venom — bite recognition + ER protocol.
High risk · 6 min
Ticks (Lyme, alpha-gal, RMSF)
Eight tick-borne diseases in the U.S. — proper removal, symptom recognition, when to test.
High risk · 6 min
Mosquitoes (West Nile, EEE, Zika)
Mosquito-borne disease landscape varies dramatically by region — EEE in the Northeast, WNV nationwide, Zika in the South.
Life-or-death · 6 min
Wasps, hornets, bees (anaphylaxis prep)
EpiPen access and emergency response. Africanized 'killer bees' in TX, AZ, NM, CA, NV.
High risk · 6 min
Skunks (spray + rabies)
Rabies vector across all 49 continental states. Spray response: tomato juice is a myth.
High risk · 6 min
Raccoons (rabies, don't feed)
Rabies vector. Habituated raccoons at campgrounds steal food and can be aggressive.
Informational · 6 min
Vultures (carrion finder, don't approach)
Massive but harmless to live humans. Cluster signals a recent kill or carcass — caution radius for predators.
Caution · 6 min
Mountain birds (eagles, hawks, falcons — leave alone)
Federally protected. Nesting season aggression possible. Bald eagle 'attacks' usually defense of fledglings.
High risk · 6 min
Snake encounters at campsites
Wood piles, rock walls, under the rig — where snakes hide in camp and how to keep them out.
High risk · 6 min
Bear-resistant food storage by region
What works varies — IGBC canisters in grizzly country, hard-sided RV in black bear country, bear poles in some parks.

Weather hazards

Tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning, flash floods — RV-specific guidance. · 25 pages

Medical emergencies

CPR, anaphylaxis, snake bite — first response when help is hours away. · 20 pages

Mechanical safety

Tire blowouts, fires, CO leaks — RV system failure protocols. · 20 pages

Roadside emergencies

Boondock breakdowns, satellite messengers, tribal-land dispatch. · 15 pages

Personal safety

Solo travel, stealth camping, RV theft, anti-stalking. · 10 pages