downing] 



THE SUMMER OUTING 



231 



some 30-inch pieces of ^4 inch tape by the middle point to the 

 strips of tape in the middle of the sheeting, and to the opposite 

 edges that are parallel to this strip. The diagram shows the 

 sheeting bound, with attached tapes. These tapes need to be 

 sewed on very securely. This is the tent, and it may be pitched 

 in several ways. 



To make the tent water-proof, buy a pint of raw linseed oil. 

 Put this in a dish like a wash basin. Hang the tent up by one 

 edge in the attic or cellar; spread some newspapers on the floor 

 under it. Dip the palms of your clean hands into the basin of oil, 

 and rub oil into the cloth, making the oil go just as far as you 



Fig. 2. 



possibly can. The object is to fill the pores of the cloth but to 

 leave no superfluous oil on the cloth. Proceed in this way until 

 the whole cloth is oiled. Leave it hanging indoors for ten days. 

 Then hang it outdoors for three days in a good sunshiny place. 



The tent, when completed, need not weigh more than two and 

 one-half pounds. It serves as a cover for your pack in tramping. 

 With any sort of care, it will last for years. I now have such a tent 

 made ten years ago, which has been my companion over hundreds 

 of miles of road, and has sheltered me in all sorts of weather. 



The easiest way to pitch the tent is to cut one pole about ten feet 

 long and two shorter ones five feet long. The two latter should 

 have a crotch at one end. Sharpen the butts of all three sticks. 



