434 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Oct. 4, 1913. 
Wrinkles for the Sportsman 
A NENT Mr. Lodian's "Camp Supplydom" I 
contribute a tew dots on my usefuls, com¬ 
panions of so many years that they have 
become necessities, for I don't know why they 
should be kept as secrets. 
Having left the three-score stakeboat be¬ 
hind, owned guns nearly half a century, and 
been in camp some fifteen years altogether, I 
have had some experience, know what I want, 
and generally have it. 
Camp Bureau.— My combination hanging 
shelves and wall pockets, something I have used 
from boyhood, is the best piece of camp furniture 
I have. The back is of deer leather with bar at 
top and hole for nail and two hooks for calendar 
clock and barometer. The shelves of red cedar, 
sides and pockets below of brown duck. The 
pockets have small hooks on their front for 
watch, compass, pedometer, mule passometer, 
pocket thermometers, etc., and a few large hooks 
at the bottom. 
Camp Calendar.— Being a wretched hand to 
keep track of the date, I devised over a genera¬ 
tion ago, and have used ever since in camp and 
out, a calendar board which may be made accord¬ 
ing to the ideas of its owner. Mine is a vertical 
bit of board of dark wood, eight inches high as 
it hangs up, having seven holes which represent 
the days of the week. A violin peg is shifted in 
them daily. They are connected by a groove for 
convenience during darkness. The upper, or 
Sunday one, is surrounded by a countersunk sun 
of golden tinsel. Wednesday by a red shield of 
some material and Saturday by a green diamond. 
At the top is an erasable tablet on which to write 
the Sunday date. 
Fruit Hook.— This is never absent from my 
haversack, and is more useful in the Tropics than 
at the north, where small boys are not known to 
need any aid in the matter. It is made from a 
two-pronged stevedore's hook, though a large meat 
hook, such as is used by hotels and ships, may 
be used. The curve can be straightened out to 
fit over cocoanuts better. Discard the handle and 
turn up the point of the tang to go into a notch 
cut near the end of a pole to which it is lashed 
when used. Turn it upon the point side so it will 
not chafe through the haversack. Invaluable 
for pulling cocoanuts from low trees when 
traveling the - Tropical beaches, which are the 
legal highways, as well as for oranges, man¬ 
goes, alligator pears, etc. 
Climbing Iron.— When on one of the early 
Darien expeditions forty years ago I learned to 
whack my buoy knife into cocoanut palms and 
draw myself up with both hands, which was 
easier than walking up native fashion, or shin¬ 
ning, but it didn’t take me long to think that a 
drawknife was better, so I filed teeth in one later 
and have it yet. It should be a small one with 
By THE OLD MAROONER 
folding, slanting handles, and may be carried in 
the haversack when climbing irons would be out 
of the question. Much shot game will fall into 
the tops of palms and is lost unless climbed 
after. 
Stomach Pouch.— This is not an anatomical 
organ, but such a convenient receptacle that I 
have carried one for a generation. It is used in 
place of a haversack, and has several pockets for 
compass, hypodermic, fish hooks and such small 
articles as an explorer would carry. It goes on 
the front of the belt, but instead of having 
loops, has two tangs of wood or mets, which 
stick inside of the belt and allow it to swing 
when crawling so it will not lose its contents. 
Its inner pockets have flaps, and on its main flap 
is a row of loops for pistol cartridges. It is my 
custom to put them on pistol and hatchet holster 
also, and between the large loops of the shot car¬ 
tridge carrier. 
Shot Cartridge Carrier.— This has two 
stories of leather loops and pocket on back, so 
that it takes up very little room on the belt, 
which must carry many other things. 
Hunting Knife.— For a- piercing knife for 
shot and trapped animals the clasp knife with 
double-edged blade twice as long as the handle, 
the point of which is covered by a sheath, is the 
right thing. The one on my belt now and in 
use daily has served me forty years and worn 
out several sheaths. I don’t see any advertised 
nowadays. The joint and lock-back should be 
much more substantial than they were made. 
Steel Traps.— My custom when traveling, 
no matter by what method or conveyance, is to 
carry at least two No. 14 toothed jump traps. 
It should be noted that if toothed traps catch 
anyone’s live stock, they may lame it, but they 
can be set out of the reach of dogs. They 
should be electrogalvanized for success. If you 
can’t get them galvanized, then varnish them well 
and smoke them. If you can’t dip a folded link 
chain in thin varnish, then take it off and re¬ 
place it with galvanized wire rope six or eight 
feet long, which should be fastened high up on 
a tree. It is surprising how in a country where 
no trap was ever heard of wild animals will 
shun a few ounces of iron. Then whenever you 
stop for the night, set one out each way on the 
road, trail or shore, and you may find meat ready 
for breakfast. Shark meat is so oily it may be 
cured and kept without salt, and makes an excel¬ 
lent strong-smelling portable bait and trail scent. 
Shoulder Bags. —For carrying game at 
“plunder.” These I designed and used thirty 
odd years ago. and found no trouble in filling 
them with ducks and coots at Cape Sable. Fla. 
It is a long bag, split half way and goes about 
the neck just as one would carry a pair of pants 
in crossing a stream. 
Belt Pocket.— These are made of brown 
duck and slipped on the belt as needed for field, 
etc. Of course a little ingenuity and invention 
is used in the making of all these. 
Hammocks.— The light marching hammock, 
which Central Americans carry in their packs 
and will go in a knapsack, is simply a length of 
cotton drilling, which is strong enough and easily 
washed. Seven feet is long enough. Make a 
hem on the foot six inches wide and cut it 
across into a dozen loops for the clews. The 
head is best made with a strong spreader like 
a broomstick, which needs but three or four 
manila clews. Turn cod line in the side hems. 
A sheet should have a spreader, too, at its head 
which is lashed to the hammock. For cold nights, 
put a comforter in for a mattress and have eyes 
on the foot half of the hammock to tie the edges 
together over your legs, and you have the most 
comfortable bed known—a hanging sleeping bag. 
My perfect hammock which I made thirteen 
years ago, and has given me much comfort and 
satisfaction in many camps, is of strong canvas 
stretched out level with two strong spreaders, 
and kept so by stays from its canvas head and 
foot boards to the awning ridge rope. The 
head boards allow baggage to be piled on both 
sets of clews. The hems are wide enough to 
run poles through for stretcher or cot when no 
trees are available for slinging, but even if so 
mounted, it is best always swung clear of the 
ground insects, for many times ant armies in¬ 
vade camp. These are kept at bay by tarred 
irons on cot and awning. The hems lace to¬ 
gether beneath the middle to take up slack where 
one sits. I have a large pocket under the foot, 
two under the head, a hanging one at the side 
for note book, and one clear across .open at both 
ends to fold the arms in when lying upon the 
stomach. This is the one for revolvers. There 
is a hook at each corner for hat, shoes, basin, 
plate, knife, fork and spoon, all of which are 
made to hang up, and two larger double hooks 
on the ridge rope for rifle and shotgun rack. 
There are other hooks on it for small duffle 
bags. The ridge rope is set up by a small 
tackle, and it and the clews are so arranged that 
the hardest rain cannot trickle in on them. The 
awning is waterproofed and made so it can be 
set as a square sail. This outfit excited my 
enthusiastic friend’s admiration who pronounced 
it “perfect,” and so I have named it. 
Wind Sheet. —This is of fine duck to keep 
off the wind when- traveling on foot when heavy 
blankets cannot be carried. Double it length¬ 
wise and sew up the foot a short distance. Split 
the middle of the head down a foot for one’s 
neck. Then waterproof it, and you have some¬ 
thing that can be used for poncho, tarpaulin or 
awning in emergencies. 
