Camping For Boys Part 17

"Every morning the tribe gathered to greet the rising sun, and, with right hands raised and left hands upon their hearts, prayed: 'Great Spirit, hear us; guide us today; make our wills Thy will, our ways Thy way.'

"And the tribe grew stronger and greater and wiser than all the other tribes--but that is another story."

--a.s.sociation Seminar, December, 1910.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Camp-Fire Musings-William C. Gray. Fleming H. Revell Company, $1.00 net.

A book full of the spirit of the woods and of camp life.

CAMP-FIRE STORIES.

In Camp with Boys--G. W. Hinckley. Central Maine Pub. Co., $1.00.

The Shadowless Man--Adelbert Von Chamisso. Frederick Warne & Co., $1.00 net.

Mystery and Detective Stories, six volumes. Review of Reviews Co.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Pathfinders (hikers)]

CHAPTER XI--TRAMPS, HIKES, AND OVER-NIGHT TRIPS

AN OLD TRAMPER'S ADVICE MAP READING SHOE WISDOM THE PACK THE "LEAN-TO" OR SHACK BED MAKING A HOT STONE WRINKLE NIGHT WATCHERS OBSERVATION PRACTICE CAMERA SNAP SHOTS CAMP LAMP HANDY THINGS TO MAKE.

Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road Healthy, free, the world before me, The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.

-Whitman.

An Old Tramper's Advice

It is an excellent thing for the boys to get away from the camp routine for a few days, and walk "the long brown path," stopping overnight, doing their own cooking, building their "lean-to" or shelter, and roughing it.

Walking is probably one of the best all-round cures for the ills of civilization. Several things should be remembered when one goes on a hike.

First, avoid long distances. A foot-weary, muscle-tired, and temper-tried, hungry group of boys surely is not desirable. There are a lot of false notions about courage, and bravery, and grit, that read well in print but fail miserably in practice, and long hikes for boys is one of the most glaring of these notions. Second, have a leader who will set a good, easy pace, say about three miles an hour, prevent the boys from excessive water drinking, and a.s.sign the duties of pitching camp, etc. Third, observe these two rules given by an old woodsman: (1) Never walk over anything you can walk around; (2) Never step on anything that you can step over. Every time you step on anything you lift the weight of your body. Why lift extra weight when tramping? Fourth, carry with you only the things absolutely needed, and roll in blanket and poncho, army style.

Map Reading

Before starting on a hike, study carefully the road maps. The best maps are those of the United States Geological Survey, made on a scale of two inches to the mile, and costing five cents each. The map is published in atlas sheets, each sheet representing a small quadrangular district. Send to the Superintendent of Doc.u.ments, at Was.h.i.+ngton, D. C., for a list.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Universal Map Measure]

A mountaineer in Tennessee said: "We measure miles with a c.o.o.nskin, and throw in the tail for good measure." A better way is to purchase the Universal Map Measure, costing $1.50 (imported and sold by Dame, Stoddard Co., 374 Was.h.i.+ngton Street, Boston, Ma.s.s.), which accurately measures the distance upon the Government Survey Maps.

Shoe Wisdom

For tramping the boy needs the right kind of a shoe, or the trip will be a miserable failure. A light-soled or light-built shoe is not suited for mountain work, or even for an ordinary hike. The feet will blister and become "road-weary." They must be neither too big nor too small nor too heavy, and be amply broad to give the toes plenty of room. The shoe should be water-tight. A medium weight, high-topped lace shoe is about right.

Bathing the feet at the springs and streams along the road will be refres.h.i.+ng, if not indulged in too frequently. (See chapter on "Health and Hygiene" for care of the feet and proper way of walking.)

It is well to carry a spare s.h.i.+rt hanging down the back with the sleeves tied round the neck. Change when the s.h.i.+rt you are wearing becomes too wet with perspiration.

The Pack

The most practical and inexpensive pack is the one manufactured for the Boy Scouts of America. Price, sixty cents. It is about 14 by 20 inches square, and 6 inches thick, made of water-proof canvas, with shoulder straps, and will easily hold everything needed for a tramping trip.

A few simple remedies for bruises, cuts, etc., should be taken along by the leader (see chapter on "Simple Remedies"). You may not need them, and some may poke fun at them, but as the old lady said: "You can't always sometimes tell." Amount and kind of provisions must be determined by the locality and habitation.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Hiking Pack]

The "Lean-to"

Reach the place where you are going to spend the night in plenty of time to build your "lean-to," and make your bed for the night. Select your camping spot, with reference to water, wood, drainage, and material for your "lean-to." Choose a dry, level place, the ground just sloping enough to insure the water running away from your "lean-to" in case of rain. In building your "lean-to," look for a couple of good trees standing from eight to ten feet apart with branches from six to eight feet above the ground. By studying the ill.u.s.tration below, you will be able to build a very serviceable shack, affording protection from the dews and rain. While two or more boys are building the shack, another should be gathering firewood, and preparing the meal, while another should be cutting and bringing in as many soft, thick tips of hemlock or balsam boughs as possible, for the roof of the shack and the beds. How to thatch the "lean-to" is shown in this ill.u.s.tration.

If the camp site is to be used for several days, two "lean-tos" may be built facing each other, about six feet apart. This will make a very comfortable camp, as a small fire can be built between the two, thus giving warmth and light.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Frame of Lean To]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Method of Thatching.]

The Bed

On the floor of your "lean-to" lay a thick layer of the "fans" or branches of balsam fir or hemlock, with the convex side up, and the b.u.t.ts of the stems toward the foot of the bed. Now thatch this over with more "fans" by thrusting the b.u.t.t ends through the first layer at a slight angle toward the head of the bed, so that the soft tips will curve toward the foot of the bed, and be sure to make the head of your bed away from the opening of the "lean-to" and the foot toward the opening. Over this bed spread your rubber blanket with rubber side down, your sleeping blanket on top, and you will be surprised how soft, springy, and fragrant a bed you have, upon which to rest your "weary frame," and sing with the poet:

Then the pine boughs croon me a lullaby, And trickle the white moonbeams To my face on the balsam where I lie While the owl hoots at my dreams.

-J. George Frederick.

What G.o.d puts in the blood is eliminated slowly and we are all impregnated with a love for the natural life which is irresistible. That was a great saying of the boy who was taken from the city for the first time on an all-night outing. Snugly tucked up in his blankets he heard the wind singing in the pines overhead. As the boy looked up, he asked, "Wasn't G.o.d blowing His breath down at us?"--Dr. Lilburn.

Hot Stones

If the night bids fair to be cold, place a number of stones about six or eight inches in diameter next the fire, so they will get hot. These can then be placed at the feet, back, etc., as needed, and will be found good "bed warmers." When a stone loses its heat it is replaced near the fire and a hot one is taken. If too hot, wrap the stone in a s.h.i.+rt or sweater or wait for it to cool off.

Night Watchers

Boys desire adventure. This desire may be gratified by the establishment of night watchers, in relays of two boys every two hours. Their imaginations will be stirred by the resistless attraction of the camp-fire and the sound of the creatures that creep at night.

Observation

Many boys have excellent eyes but see not, and good ears but hear not, all because they have not been trained to observe or to be quick to hear. A good method of teaching observation while on a hike or tramp is to have each boy jot down in a small notebook or diary of the trip the different kinds of trees, birds, animals, tracks; nature of roads, fences; peculiar rock formation, smells of plants, etc., and thus be able to tell what he saw or heard to the boys upon his return to the permanent camp or to his home.

Cameras

One of the party should take a Brownie No. 2 or small folding kodak.

Photos of the trip are always a great pleasure and a memory reviver. A practical and convenient method of carrying small folding cameras is described in "Forest and Stream." A strap with a buckle having been attached to an ordinary leather belt is run through the loops at the back of the camera-case. The camera may be pushed around the belt to the point where it will be least in the way.

Lamps

A very convenient lamp to use on a hike is the Baldwin Camp Lamp, made by John Simmons Co., 13 Franklin Street, New York City. (Price, $1.00.) It weighs only five ounces when fully charged with carbide, and is but 4-3/4 inches high. It projects a strong light 150 feet through the woods. A stiff wind will not blow it out. It can be worn comfortably in your hat or belt.

The "Rocky Mountain Searchlight," made of a discarded tomato can, a candle, and a bit of wire for a handle, is a camp product that will be found to be very useful in an emergency.