DD camping with friends--you would want to know this too,

My dd (18) and 4 of her friends just went camping last weekend. They went to a provincial park. My dd and one of the other girls have camping experience the other 3 did not. They had a blast and are planning on going again before the end of the summer and everyone returns to university.

OP I think as long as someone in the group has some experience and they aren't off in the back country they will be fine. Hope she has fun

I must be reading a different OP then some of you. I don't see any attempt to curtail her daughter or clip her wings or overbearing behavior that you are chastising her for. She's asking for suggestions on what info would be helpful to have in case of emergency or to make certain her kid is prepared for this exciting new endeavor. I must have missed where she told her kid not to go or how stressed this is making her to guilt her kid not to go. Or maybe that's some of us projecting our own parental issues here.

OP, assuming you said none of that, and that there isn't some controlling backstory that I've missed, I will validate your concerns and applaud you for not quitting parenting because the child is of a particular age.

Yes, any responsible adult who knows someone might worry about them or accepts the reality that shit happens should provide some itinerary or general info about their plan and traveling mode/companions. It's not giving in to controlling helicopter parents, it's covering your bases and common courtesy.  Even a note left on a kitchen table or somewhere for someone to find if they have to check her residence would be helpful. 

She should have multiple ways to protect herself in her daily life already whether it's a self defense course, mace, whatever, that she can use anytime anywhere. For this she might upgrade to bear spray. A multi-tool pocket knife comes in handy in various ways when camping as well.

Does she know what to do if she wanders too far from camp and/or gets separated from her group or lost? Will she be familiar enough with the area to find a road or river and follow it?

Food will draw critters such as bears who have been known to destroy a vehicle or cooler to get to it.

I get where you are coming from about feeling anxious because she doesn't have firm walls and a door around her. I'm the same way. There's a vulnerability there to nature and man that is unavoidable. Frankly, I won't do it. RVing is more my style, even if it is more of a false sense of security. We are vulnerable when we sleep and we have no idea the character of the people around us while we are doing so. Let's be honest, not only nice, good people go camping. Camping no more makes a bad person suddenly good then it makes a good person not. Bad things happen at campgrounds. Bad things happen in people's homes (no doubt statistically more so). It's life.

The anxiety you feel from all this will make you sick, so my advice is to continue helping her have the tools and knowledge that best prepare her for situations that may occur such as not being able to start a fire or getting creeped out by someone there and then know that you've done what you can. Nature and man can be unpredictable so there's really only so much you can do. Insuring the best possible outcome for everyone involved should be a priority for every one of them so none of them should have an issue giving information or updating if things go haywire. Even if they are more the fly by the seat of their pants type, they should care about the others on the trip with them to want them to have help if needed.


TL;DR I don't see that she's trying to control, she's trying to help. Like a parent does, because you don't stop worrying about your kid at some arbitrary age. It's how you handle it that makes all the difference. Also, letting someone know your plans is common courtesy, harms no one, and could be helpful in an emergency so why not do it? 

I wouldn't worry either. My 21 year old daughter is moving to Hong Kong by herself in a few months. My 18 year old son wants to go tent camping with his friends this summer too. I told him that it's fine, but don't get arrested . We are experienced tent campers and travellers.

If she's in a camp ground, there are usually warden's or supervisors who stay all night to ensure everyone's safety. It would be different if they were backpacking into an interior spot, then you'd have to be more prepared. Make sure she has a first aid kit, bug spray, sunscreen etc. She will have to plan out her meals.

It's hard to let go sometimes but it's an important learning experience.

I'm happy for you? I know nothing of where you've lived or what you've experienced. Perhaps you've been lucky. That doesn't mean other people have. Or will be.

It's not living in fear to be prepared for things. It's living despite the fear or the statistics or what tv says. If you want to be unprepared, that's certainly your decision. Even preparations can go awry. But I'd rather have knowledge or tools and never need them than need them and not have them.