Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 90.djvu/305

 Popular Science Monthly

��289

��Personal Equipment

Woolen underwear, toque, mittens and socks, a heavy shirt, waistcoat and sweater, with a sheep-lined or mackinaw coat for extra cold snaps, are very necessary. A pair of tweed trousers under khaki overalls will keep out any storm. True^ the cotton overalls wet up easily in snow, but they dry quickly when hung up in camp. A slipper made of harness-felt sole and cloth vamp, with two pairs of socks, will be ample protection for the feet. Excepting in wet snow, chrome tanned horsehide moc- casins are the best winter outer footwear. I have had much comfort in all weathers out of a pair of leather topped rubbers, but the only foot covering that can be used satisfactorily on snowshoes is moccasins. Ordi- nary rubber shoes are excellent to wear around camp in the evening.

In most localities winter is in the closed season for game, but if the possession of a rifle will add to the enjoyment, take it along. Carry it in a loose mouthed cloth or canvas case. On preparing to shoot, take off your mitten, run the hand up inside the case, grip the rifle and slip off the case, allowing it to hang over the left arm. Treated in this way the muz- zle, sights and hammer are al- ways clear of snow. Do not bring the rifle into the heat of the camp fire unless to clean it. Water condenses in the bore and action, inducing rust spots.

Articles such as matches (some in waistcoat pocket and some in the safe), compass, sewing outfit, coil of snare wire for repairs and small whetstone need but passing mention.

The deceptive weakness of winter sunlight, the slowness of the emul- sion in intense cold, and the danger of electric markings on a hastily wound film are points to be remembered in taking photographs. Keep the kodak away from the warmth of the fire.

Making Camp

Choose a level, clear spot in a thick clump of trees, in close proximity to some dry,

��This tent is and earily

��firewood trees. Dig out the snow, if deep, with the snowshoe. Pitch camp facing at right angles to the wind. If it is stormy, bank with old logs, brush or snow, or all three. If faced directly away from the wind, the eddy formed by the tent will suck the smoke back into the camp.

Cut and thaw out enough evergreen bough tips to make the bed and also to carpet the rest of the camp floor. The secret of an all-night open fire is in the use of large logs. Cut dry trees into about 6-ft. lengths and reserve the larger butt logs for bed-time fire fixing. Build a back re- flector to the fire by piling up four or five of the greenest logs that can be procured. If two trees can be located, properly placed, against which these logs may be propped, the camp may be set up to suit them. The heat that would otherwise radiate from the other side of the fire and be lost is thus conserved. Do not attempt to fry bacon over the big camp fire. Draw out a bed of or make a small fire at one side, the size of the pan. If camp- ing in a closed tent it will be necessary to use a collapsible stove. To keep a fire all night, put in two halves of the largest blocks it will hold and choke the draft hole with ashes. Further checking of the draft may be effected by partially opening the top lid nearest the stove pipe.

Dig down nearly to the ground when getting snow for melting into water. There it is nearly all ice crystals, and contains much more water than the new, fluflfy, top snow. See that none of it sticks out over the side of the pail in melting, for its ability to acquire a smoky taste is remarkable.

���ideal for two men, being light erected with a pole tripod

�� �