HOW TO CAMP A good camper may be likened to a good woodsman. He does not go with scanty outfit to endure as many hardships as he can stand---revelling in his stamina—but rather he makes the most of his equipment and the resources of nature and lives happily and comfortably in the woods. He goes camping to have a good time and returns to his work with increased health and vigour. This is possible only when he is dressed comfortably, sleeps well at night and eats properly.
The tent is the camper's logical shelter—light and portable— cool in summer and warm in winter. It may range from a simple three-pound lean-to or shelter cloth capable of sheltering from wind and rain one or two campers in brief overnight camps, to large wall tents divided by canvas partitions that accommodate whole families of outdoor enthusiasts. The proper size and style depends upon the number camping, the nature of their trip and means of transportation.
The big game hunter who moves often and carries his outfit on his back prefers the light shelter cloth or a feather-weight silk tent just big enough to hold his sleeping bag. The shelter cloth is simply a waterproofed sheet 5 by 7 f t. for one and 8 by i 2 f t. for two campers. Short pieces of tape are sewed on the long sides. These are tied to poles, one pole being staked to the ground and the other raised on forked stakes so the sheet stands at an angle of With the back upwind and a blazing fire at the front this simple device is quite comfortable in even cold weather.
The wall tent is a favourite for periods of one-spot camping. It can be supplied with a wooden floor and an extra fly that pro jects in front to form a shaded front porch. For short stays at one location, canoeists, fishermen and hunters use a large variety of quickly pitched tents like the tepee style, the miner's wedge tent and the Baker shelter tent. In the mountains of the North west the Indian tepee is a favourite. It requires a dozen poles at least 20 ft. long to erect properly and is only practical where straight young timber grows. In the territory named, however, it is so universally used that at nearly every good camp site stacks of poles are left by previous tenters. The tepee is the only tent in which an open fire will burn without smoking out the occu pants and is one of the two remarkable inventions given us by the Indian.
Automobile campers, of whom there are 12,000,000 following the highway trails in America, use tents built especially for their purpose, usually square and pyramidal in shape with waterproof floors and a wide front door closed by an awning which is stretched out in front to form a sheltered porch. These are very practical and comfortable tents and are suitable for any style of camping where their weight of 5o to 70 lb. can be transported. The 7 by 9 f t. size is right for two campers and the 8 by r o ft. size for f our.
Tents should be absolutely waterproof or the camper will spend many hours in misery. Canvas fabric alone will not shed water unless pitched at an angle of at least and then it will leak readily when touched or rubbed from the inside. Make sure your tent has been treated with a waterproofing process. The green electric is best and will preserve the material for years. Such tents do not mould even if packed damp. In mosquito infested country the tent should have a sewed-in waterproof floor and close-mesh bobbinet screens to cover door and window. For hot weather camping ventilation is very important and is best secured by a fair size window opposite the door. Tent makers insert windows at any point on order.
Tents must be pitched so the sides and roof are square and tight. Loose wrinkled canvas will not shed water and snow, and a drooping, sagging tent warps from shape and leaks at the seams. The guy ropes of unwaterproofed tents must be loosened in a rain or the canvas will pull the pegs when it starts shrinking. It is best to use steel tent pegs, for in some sections the ground is too hard for wood stakes to penetrate. If you camp on solid rock, and such camps are at times necessary in the upper Great Lakes region, cut four heavy poles, lash them in a square to fit the base of your tent and tie the bottom edges of it to them. To make guy ropes hold in loose sand, tie bundles of brush or sticks to the end and bury them a foot deep.
A good camp site has convenient supplies of water and fire wood, shade in the late afternoon, protection from severe storms and wind and good drainage. The water-supply should carry an assurance of being reasonably pure. If in doubt boil it before drinking. Contrary to popular belief running water does not purify itself and a fast flowing stream may be badly polluted, especially when in a flood stage. Small springs issuing from rock are usually safe. Sometimes subterranean springs are found near the edge of rivers and lakes which supply pure cold water. You can locate them with your hand trailing behind a boat. A sudden cold spot means a spring and then you dig ashore several feet back from the water's edge. Or a weighted canteen is lowered to the bottom with a string tied to the cork which is pulled when the vessel reaches the supply of fresh water. Impurities in run ning or still water are of animal origin and not vegetable. Rotting vegetation does not always mean impure water. Vinegar or lemon juice will neutralize the alkali water of semi-arid regions.
The summer camper requires only a small amount of fuel for camping but the cold weather camper needs considerable for keeping his tent warm and he should camp where good fuel is available. Dead standing timber makes the best firewood. If dry wood is unavailable remember that hickory burns the best of any green wood. Chestnut, beech, birch and mountain ash will all burn freely in a green state. Green pine and spruce are worthless.
In warm weather stand the tent so it is shaded from two to four o'clock in the afternoon—the hottest period of the day. In cold weather observe the directions of prevailing winds as shown by standing timber which bends away from the seasonal blow and camp with a windbreak of woods or rock at the rear. Keep away from thickets and dense woods. These places are damp and unwholesome and thronged with insect pests. The tent should stand on a gentle slope to carry off surface water in heavy rains. Aid this drainage by digging a 6 in. trench around the bottom of the tent. Never camp in a depression where water will gather and stand.
In camping along a river observe the high flood mark as shown by the bits of dead grass, leaves and mud along the brush on the water front and camp well above it. Avoid the deep dry washes of western States, for sudden rains will fill them dangerously full in a few minutes. Do not camp under trees with dead limbs. Rather camp in the open where your tent will dry quickly after rain or dew and there is no danger of falling trees.
The simplest and cheapest form of camp bed and one fairly satisfactory is a tick or bag of stout waterproof material 3o by 76 in. in size. The camper fills this at his camp site with dry material—leaves, dead grass or pine needles and pins the edge shut with safety pins. With two medium weight blankets this makes a comfortable summer bed. Canvas cots are standard camp furniture when their weight and bulk can be carried, but they are quite cold underneath and the sleeper should have at least twice as many blankets under him as on top. Paper blankets or even newspapers are good insulation for cots. Where light weight and the most comfort are desired there are two camp beds built on the pneumatic principle. These are the air mattress used with sep arate blankets and the sleeping bag or pocket which incorporates eiderdown quilting for warmth. The air mattress is made of rubber with an outside canvas cover and when properly inflated rivals the old-fashioned feather tick for comfort. When deflated it occupies a very small space and weighs but a few pounds. These beds are spread directly upon the tent floor. Camp blankets should be of light wool; two light blankets are better than one heavy one. Big game hunters usually prefer the sleeping bag which is a combination of air mattress and down quilts. They are the warmest beds in existence for their weight and bulk. The only drawback is their expense.
Camp cookery has undergone a substantial change in the past years. Formerly the camp cook's cuisine was limited to the standbys of bacon, beans and flapjacks and campers' stomachs were frequently upset with rich heavy foods. Now the experi enced camp cook carries a wider variety of foods and handles his limited cooking equipment in a more effective manner. The light reflecting oven purchased at any outdoor goods store bakes biscuits, cakes and meats without the trouble of digging a bean hole or packing the sooty Dutch oven. The overworked frying pan is getting a much needed vacation. And dried milk, dried eggs and dehydrated vegetables prepared by adding water are nearly equal to the fresh products. The camper's grub bag should contain bacon, beans, cornmeal, oatmeal, rice, flour, baking powder, sweet chocolate, an assortment of dehydrated vegetables, dried or condensed milk, sugar, lard, butter in hermetically sealed tins, dried or fresh eggs, dried fruits, salt, pepper, coffee or tea and a few tit-bits like jams, jellies and cheese. This sounds like an extensive list but the secret of successful camp provisioning is to carry small quantities of a large variety. For example, in place of 15 lb. of flour take three 5 lb. sacks of flour, oatmeal and corn meal. Dry foods are packed in small 3 and 5 lb. waterproof bags sold by camp outfitters. These are stacked in a larger 5o lb. duffle bag. Bacon, butter and lard can be carried in friction top tins procurable from the same source. Do not carry flour in its regu lar sack. It will collect moisture and spoil. For short trips it is a good idea to mix the flour with salt and baking powder in the proper proportions for quick bread bef ore starting. One can open the top of the sack, punch a hole down in the flour with his fist, pour in a cup of water and mix a ball of dough which is lifted directly into the oven or baking pan. This saves soiled utensils, and dish washing is a big bugaboo of camping. To clean a greasy frying pan boil up water and a handful of ashes from the camp fire in it. Knives are scoured by sticking them in sandy earth.
A man will eat slightly over 4 lb. of food per day or 29 lb. per week. Men living an outdoor life feel an increased craving for food rich in protein and sugar and this must be remembered when the supplies are chosen.
Campers usually find fish or small game to vary the menu. Fish are at their best when eaten fresh, but game improves by hanging one or two days to bleed and tender. It should be protected from flies by a sack of netting. Amateur cooks should remember that most varieties of game are strong with a characteristic odour and the taste is improved by parboiling.
The best camp utensils are aluminium. Regular cook kits may be purchased which nest together in a compact canvas bag and are very light. When the outfit is small the camper uses his in genuity. A flat rock heated by building a fire on it makes an excellent baking stand. Brush off the coals and ashes, set the bread on the hot stone and invert a pan over it. Bread is baked, by timber cruisers who carry only a frying pan and small kettle, by twisting the thick dough about a green club of sweet wood which has been previously heated over the fire. It is then stood in the ground leaning to the heat and bakes delicious browned bread.
Every region has some material provided by nature for building quick fires. If the woods are wet birch bark always flares when touched by a match. Dead cedar roots in the West and rich pine knots in the South aid the camp fire builder. If none of these are handy, search for a dry squirrel nest in some hollow limb. To find dry fuel after a rain, cut into a tree that has died standing, or locate limbs on a fallen log which have not touched the ground. A short chunk of thick candle is fine to start damp wood and saves many matches. Candles also make good camp light and may be set in a tin can filled with earth.
The cooking fire should be small. Lay two 5 ft. logs close to gether and build the fire between them. Set your utensils on their tops. When gasolene can be obtained, the small gas stoves used by auto campers are the last word for camp cooking—clean and easy to control. Coals are better for cooking than a blaze. As a rule hardwoods burn to coals and softwoods burn to ashes. Always remember the fire hazard. Clear the ground of inflam mable material—leaves and dry mould—before building the camp fire. Never leave a spark when you break camp. Soak the ashes with water or cover them with fresh earth.
Stout khaki is standard for summer camping-clothes. Cool weather calls for light-weight wool underwear as wool does not absorb perspiration and become clammy. The wool-dressed camper can strip after a wetting, wring out his garments, put them on again, walk briskly a half hour and feel dry with little risk of catching cold. A partly worn business suit is very comfortable for camping, but be sure the material is stout enough to stand the hard wear it will receive. Shoes should be well broken in be f ore you leave for camp. Foot misery will spoil the vacation completely. A light raincoat and a wool sweater for cool evenings are necessary.
Every camper should take such few simple remedies as experi ence tells him might be necessary and a first-aid kit for wounds.
Red Cross outfits may be purchased ready assembled. Keep your camp site clean and sanitary. Enjoy nature but respect her domain and leave it unspoiled for the next camper to enjoy.
(M. H. DE.)