;tober, 1921 
FOREST AND STREAM 
453 
f storms it can be made easy. Dry 
lel, tinder and a suitable spot to build 
fire can usually be found under large 
jcks, overhanging trees and logs or in 
le interior of stumps which are ex- 
osed to the lee of the wind. Rains will 
;ldom penetrate those places unless 
riven by counter winds. 
Split up this dry stuff very fine and 
tart the fire in the shelter of a rock or 
reen tree and nurse it along slowly. If 
ecessary, shelter it with a blanket raised 
n two sticks. 
To light a match in the wind — face 
le wind and hold the match head down 
I. 
The birch bark kettle 
in the cupped hands, head pointing to- 
ward the direction of the wind. The 
suction caused by the wind drawing 
through the opened hand to the rear will 
cause the flame to run up the stick. 
If you have no matches but do have 
a cartridge, a fire can be started by 
drawing the bullet, pouring out most of 
the powder upon a dry piece of rag and 
then putting the cartridge back into the 
gun, fire it towards the cloth on the 
ground which will be ignited. If the 
cloth is moistened with a few drops of 
inflammable oil, it will help. This should 
be done where tinder is handy so the 
fire can be started from the burning 
cloth immediately. 
Other mechanical means of striking 
fire during sunny weather are as follows : 
Take off the lens from your camera, field 
glasses or telescope and focus the rays 
upon dry tinder. If such lenses are not 
to be had use your watch crystal partly 
filled with water in the same way. The 
last resort, in cold weather, is to shape 
a piece of clear ice like a lens and use 
it as a substitute. In lieu of any handy 
tinder, rub cigar ashes into cloth or 
paper. Gun powder, if it can be spared, 
will do even better. 
When building a fire, remember that 
air is just as important and necessary 
as fuel. Air should always be allowed 
to enter from the bottom of the fuel so 
as to draw through the mass and escape 
at the top. 
A FEW mechanical kinks which will 
assist materially in lightening la- 
bor about the camp will be found con- 
venient, such as the following : 
Whetstones are heavy to tote around 
so here’s a good substitute. Take a piece 
of thin wood about io in. long and 2 in. 
wide and shape one end like a handle. 
Then glue a strip of coarse emery cloth 
on one side and a piece of smooth or fine 
cloth on the other. This can be carried 
in the coat pocket without making you 
round-shouldered. 
If you are going into a wild country 
carry a compass but be sure to take off 
the crystal before starting out and mark 
“N” on the end of the needles pointing 
North. This may seem unnecessary but 
a man is apt to lose his head unaccounta- 
bly when lost and follow the South end 
of the needle. This marking will obviate 
any such occurrence. 
One of the prime necessities about a 
well-ordered camp is a good axe. But — 
here’s the point — never leave it lying on 
the ground when not in use. Always 
drive it in the chopping-block — deep. 
This will prevent it from rusting from 
ground dampness. Also it will keep it 
where no one can accidentally be cut by 
it. This is important. Doctors are 
scarce in most camps and first-aid none 
too sure. 
A GOOD vise can be made by cutting 
down a good-sized sapling, leaving a 
stump about 4 ft. high and splitting it 
down through the middle for about 2 ft. 
Then lash a strong rope around the 
stump about half way up the split and 
insert a strong stick under the rope which 
can be twisted like a tourniquet. Open 
the split with a wedge and insert the 
article to be held. Then, by twisting up 
the rope, it will be clamped as securely 
as in any vise. 
A pair of sun goggles, necessary 
for those with weak eyes when on 
water, snow or in open spaces, can be 
made of two disks of thin wood similar 
in shape to the lenses of regular specta- 
cles. Cut two narrow slits in the center 
of each disk, crossing at right angles. 
Provide a strap for the nose and bows 
for the ears. If possible, replace the 
lenses in an old pair of spectacles with 
others, cut, as described, of cardboard, 
birch bark or thin wood. Such specta- 
cles provide perfect vision, keep free 
from moisture, and do not give the sen- 
sation of darkness, as do smoked glasses, 
after being removed. 
An efficient method of ridding a pain- 
ful insect wound of the injected poison 
is to force the open end of some small 
tube such as an empty cartridge, hollow 
key, etc., against the flesh around the 
wound for a few minutes. This will 
force out the poison to the surface 
where it can be wiped away. 
Temporary splints for holding to- 
gether broken bones until surgical aid 
can be summoned can be made out of 
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