19 
Forest and Stream 
Vol. LXXXII. May 9, 1914 No. 
How To Camp Out In Comfort 
Some Tricks of the Game, Told By A Man Who Knows Something About Them 
By Stillman Taylor. 
the hardships which the inexperienced usu¬ 
ally associate with camping are by no means nec¬ 
essary for a vacation under canvas. Of course 
we have all met men who prefer to rough it, and 
they fondly believe that the genuine-back-to- 
Nature-life must of necessity include a meagre 
outfit and uncomfortable living. This is perhaps 
the average conception of the novice—the ten¬ 
derfoot invariably takes the rough and rocky 
road, while the “old hand’’ side steps the “tough 
going,” simply because he has learned his little 
lesson. For plain solid comfort is just as essential 
for the enjoyment of camp life as it is in every 
other environment—and, comfortable camping 
pays. 
To the majority of men and women to whom 
camping-out appeals strongly, there is much real 
pleasure in planning and arranging the temporary 
home in the woods. To the average camper, sport 
with rod and gun is merely incidental. The essen¬ 
tial factor is the carefree and invigorating life 
of the outdoor world, and, if he has the true 
sportsmen's philosophy in his make-up, he will 
find recreation and health in every hour he spends 
in camp. On pleasant days, fishing and shooting 
may be indulged in, and on days too hot and rainy 
for pleasure in the open, one may practice rifle 
and pistol shooting from the open tent door, or 
pleasantly employ the time by devising many a 
“rough and ready” contrivance for the comfort 
of the camp. If a permanent camp be established, 
take the wife and family along. Most women and 
children quickly adapt themselves to camp life, 
and you will find them good companions for shar¬ 
ing the simple pleasures which Mother Nature has 
provided. 
THE CHOICE OF A TENT. 
To thoroughly enjoy the virgin life of the 
woods it is essential that the outfit be wisely 
chosen. It should properly embrace the few neces¬ 
sities which most of us deem indispensable for 
everyday comfort, and it should include but few 
of the luxuries. The first point is the shelter to 
protect the outer from rain and wind, with suf¬ 
ficient room to stand and move about in, yet open 
at will to admit air and sunshine and the pleasant 
warmth of the evening campfire when the nights 
are cool. For a summer camp which is moved 
but seldom and there is no particular necessity for 
“going light,” it is wise to choose a good, roomy 
tent, and among the most comfortable tents to live 
in are the regulation army or wall-tent and the 
baker style. For two persons, the best wall-tent 
is the seven and a half by nine feet size, having 
a window of bobbinet and a flap for closing, and 
provided with a six or ten-inch sod-cloth, sewed 
in at the bottom edge. 
For long and rough trips by pack or canoe, 
“waterproof silk” is the best material, while for 
the more permanent camp regulation army duck 
or drill is the best selection, and is of course much 
cheaper and more durable than the lighter weight 
materials. In this case, the addition of a “fly,” 
which may be stretched over the top, or set to ex¬ 
tend over the front to make a little covered porch, 
will add to the comfort of the canvas home. A 
ground-cloth of waterproofed canvas is a good 
thing to have along, and will be appreciated dur- 
609 
ing heavy rains. This should be large enough to 
cover the entire floor space of the tent. A poncho 
or rubber blanket may be used for the same pur¬ 
pose, though all, excepting possibly the poncho, 
are likely to be left out on longish trips. 
The “A,” lean-to, miner’s, Sibley, Indian teepee 
and other types are also used, but they are less 
comfortable to live in than the wall and baker 
designs. For long trips by canoe, or whenever an 
outfit of minimum weight must be chosen, the 
canoe, open lean-to or the forester’s tent is sug¬ 
gested. A glance at the illustrations will show 
up the good points of each design. It may be 
mentioned that all tents may be obtained in many 
sizes and in different weight materials, but what¬ 
ever fabric is selected, the material should be well 
waterproofed. The duck or dril ltents may be 
obtained in the common white color, in the tan 
or khaki shade, or in the newer and less conspic¬ 
uous dark forest green. 
Each tent should be supplied with a canvas bag 
of its own, and while poles and stakes are fur¬ 
nished with wall, “A” tents and others that re¬ 
quire them, these may be left at home unless the 
camper is en route to a treeless region. For it is 
a simple matter to cut them at the camping 
ground. 
FLY AND MOSQUITO NETS. 
To insure unbroken rest in the woods, every 
tent should be provided with some method for 
excluding flies and mosquitoes. The most satis¬ 
factory device is to obtain an entire inner tent 
made of cheesecloth or bobbinet and suspend it 
from the ridge-pole, or less thorough screening 
may be done by making use of a curtain to drop 
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