CAMP EQUIPMENT FOR A CANOE TRIP
Personal likes and prejudices have much to do with the form of tent
chosen. My own preference is for either the "A" or wedge tent, with the
Hudson's Bay model as second choice, for general utility. Either of
these is particularly adapted also to winter travel where the tent must
often be pitched upon the snow. If, however, the tent is only to be
used in summer, and particularly in canoe travel where a light, easily
erected model is desired, the Frazer tent is both ideal for comfort and
is an exceedingly light weight model for portaging.
Duck or drill tents are altogether too heavy and quite out of date.
They soak water and are an abomination on the portage. The best tent is
one of balloon silk, _tanalite_, or of extra light green waterproofed
tent cloth. The balloon silk tent is very slightly heavier than either
of the others, but is exceedingly durable. For instance, a 7-1/3 ×
7-1/3 foot "A" tent of either tanalite or extra light green waterproof
tent cloth, fitted with sod cloth, complete, weighs eight pounds,
while a similar tent of waterproof balloon silk weighs nine pounds. A
Hudson's Bay model, 6 × 9 feet, weighs respectively seven and seven and
one-half pounds.
These three cloths are not only waterproof and practically rot proof,
but do not soak water, which is a feature for consideration where much
portaging is to be done and camp is moved almost daily.
Some dealers recommend that customers going into a fly or mosquito
country have the tent door fitted with bobbinet. The idea is good, but
cheese cloth is much cheaper and incomparably better than bobbinet.
The cheese-cloth door should be made rather full, and divided at the
center from tent peak to ground, with numerous tie strings to bring the
edges tight together when in use, and other strings or tapes on either
side, where it is attached to the tent, to reef or roll and tie it back
out of the way when not needed.
When purchasing a light-weight tent, see that the dealer supplies a bag
of proper size in which to pack it.
A pack cloth 6 × 7 feet in size, of brown waterproof canvas weighing
about 3-1/2 pounds, makes an excellent covering for the tent floor
at night. On the portage blankets and odds and ends will be packed
and carried on it. If one end and the two sides of the pack cloth are
fitted with snap buttons it may be converted into a snug sleeping bag
with a pair of blankets folded lengthwise, the bottom and sides of the
blanket secured with blanket safety pins as a lining for the bag.
My standby for summer camping is a fine all-wool gray blanket 72 × 78
inches in size and weighing 5-1/2 pounds. This I have found sufficient
even in frosty autumn weather--always, in fact, until the weather grows
cold enough to freeze streams and close them to canoe navigation. Used
as a lining for the improvised pack cloth sleeping bag, this blanket is
quite bedding enough and makes an exceedingly comfortable bed, too.
A three-quarter axe with a 24- or 28-inch handle makes a mighty good
camp axe. A full axe is heavy and inconvenient to portage and the
lighter axe will serve every purpose in any country at any time.
Personally I favor the Hudson's Bay axe. This may be had fitted either
with a 24-inch or 18-inch handle. In the two-party outfit which we
are discussing there should be two axes, one of which may be fitted
with the shorter handle, but the other should have at least a 24- and
preferably a 28-inch handle. Every axe should have a leather sheath
or scabbard for convenient packing. The so-called pocket axes are too
small to be of practical use. The camper does not wish to miss the
luxury of the big evening camp-fire, and he can never provide for it
with a small hatchet or toy pocket axe.
Cooking utensils of aluminum alloy are the lightest and best for the
trail. Tin and iron will rust, enamel ware will chip, and unalloyed
aluminum is too soft and bends out of shape. The best sporting goods
dealers carry complete outfits of aluminum alloy. I have used them in
the frigid North and in the tropics, in canoe, sledging, tramping and
horseback journeys, and can recommend them unequivocally, save perhaps
the frying pan.
The two-man cooking and dining outfit should contain the following
utensils:
1 Pot with cover 7 × 6-1/2 inches, capacity three quarts.
1 Coffee pot 6 × 6-1/8 inches, capacity two quarts.
1 Steel frying pan 9-7/8 × 2 inches, with folding handle.
1 Pan 9 × 3 inches, with folding handle, for mixing- and dish-pan.
2 Plates 8-7/8 inches diameter.
2 Cups.
2 Aluminum alloy forks.
2 Dessert spoons.
1 Large cooking spoon.
1 Dish mop.
2 Dish towels.
The regular aluminum alloy cup is too small for practical camp use.
There is an aluminum bowl, however, holding one pint, but without a
handle. This is about the right size for a practical cup, and I have a
handle riveted on it and use it as a cup. The top only of the handle
should be attached, that the cups may set one inside the other. The
heat conducting quality of aluminum makes it a question whether or not
enamel cups are not preferable.
To pack the outfit snugly, set the mixing pan into the frying pan, the
handles of both pans folded, place the plates, one on top of the other,
in the mixing pan, the cooking pot on top of these, and the coffee pot
inside the cooking pot. The cups will fit in the coffee pot. The weight
of this outfit complete is 5-1/2 pounds.
A waterproof canvas bag of proper size should be provided in which to
pack the utensils. Forks and spoons, wrapped in a dish towel, will fit
nicely in the canvas bag alongside the pots.
_Waterproof_ canvas is suggested for the bag, not to protect the
utensils but because anything but waterproofed material will absorb
moisture and become watersoaked in rainy weather, adding materially to
the weight of the outfit.
One of the handiest aids to baking is the aluminum reflecting baker.
An aluminum baker 16 × 18 inches when open, folds to a package 12 × 18
inches and about two inches thick, and fitted into a waterproof canvas
case weighs, case and all, about four pounds.
Broilers, fire irons, fire blowers or inspirators, as they are
sometimes called, and many other things that are convenient enough but
quite unnecessary, should never burden the outfit. Even though the
weight of some of them may be insignificant, each additional claptrap
makes one more thing to look after. There are a thousand and one
claptraps, indeed, that outfitters offer, but which do not possess
sufficient advantage to pay for the care and labor of transportation,
and my advice is, leave them out, one and all.
Outfitters supply small packing bags of proper size to fit, one on top
of another, into larger waterproof canvas bags. These small bags are
made preferably of balloon silk. By using them the whole outfit may be
snugly and safely packed for the portage.
In one of these small bags keep the general supply of matches, though
each canoeist should carry a separate supply for emergency in his
individual kit.
In like manner two or three cakes of soap should be packed in another
small bag. Floating soap is less likely to be lost than soap that
sinks.
A dozen candles will be quite enough. These if packed in a tin box of
proper size will not be broken.
Repair kits should be provided. A file for sharpening axes and a
whetstone for general use are of the first importance. Include also a
pair of pincers, a ball of stout twine and a few feet of copper wire. A
tool haft or handle with a variety of small tools inside is convenient.
Either a stick of canoe cement, a small supply of marine glue, or
a canoe repair outfit such as canoe manufacturers put up and which
contain canvas, white lead, copper tacks, calor and varnish will be
found a valuable adjunct to the outfit should the canoe become damaged.
This tool and repair equipment should be packed in a strong canvas bag
small enough to drop into the larger nine-inch waterproof bag.
A small leather medicine case with vials containing, in tabloid form, a
cathartic, an astringent (lead and opium pills are good) and bichloride
of mercury, suffices for the drug supply. Surgical necessities are:
Some antiseptic bandages, a package of linen gauze, a spool of
adhesive plaster and one-eighth pound of absorbent cotton, wrapped in
oiled silk. In addition most campers find it convenient to have in
their personal outfit a pair of small scissors. These are absolutely
necessary if one is to put on a bandage properly. The regular surgical
scissors, the two blades of which hook together at the center, are the
most convenient sort, both to use and to carry, and have the keenest
edge.
A pair of tweezers takes up but little room and is useful for
extracting splinters or for holding a wad of absorbent cotton in
swabbing out a wound, as cotton will, of course, become septic if held
in the fingers.
A small scalpel is better than the knife blade for opening up an
infection, as it is more convenient to handle and will make a deep
short incision when desired. These will all be packed in one of the
small balloon silk bags.