CAMPING FOR ALL SEASONS 311 



one on either side of the fire, for by doing so a 

 funnel is formed and nearly all the heat goes up- 

 ward and is lost. I once saw a camp formed in 

 this way and spent the night in it. So great was 

 the cold that our coffee froze within a few minutes 

 after it was poured out, while within four or five 

 feet of a huge fire, and in the back end of the tent 

 the temperature was many (18, I think) degrees 

 below zero. Pancake batter had to be mixed with 

 nearly boiling water and held near the fire all the 

 time to prevent its freezing. Such a camp had 

 little in the way of comfort to offer. Should 

 sparks fall on the tent, sprinkle it on the outside 

 with water which freezes and makes the cloth 

 practically fireproof. When no tent is carried, a 

 shack may be made of bark or boughs, which, if 

 covered with snow, will keep the wind out and the 

 heat in. In the event of a heavy fall of snow pre- 

 cautions must be taken to prevent the tent giving 

 way beneath the weight of the snow. A rough 

 structure of boughs over the tent will have the 

 desired effect. 



A most important part of the outfit is the food, 

 for so much depends on the proper selection and 

 quantity. Do not go by what some precise-minded 

 man says. He works out the problem theoretically 

 with mathematical precision for which you gene- 

 rally have to suffer. I once was a victim of such 

 system, and now I carry what I think will be 

 sufficient and not what somebody else knows will be 

 enough. In cold weather one's appetite is usually 

 keen, and in order to keep out the cold a full 

 stomach is very essential, and, I may add, 



