= 

Photo by Jule Marshall 
An Ideal Camping Spot 
the strips should be permanent but 
loose enough to permit the strips being 
slipped in and out without the necessity 
of untying. The slack in the cover can 
be taken up by making a fold down the 
center. The ends are folded over as 
on a package and tucked under the 
thwart. The cover will lie flat at all 
times and can not be blown off by the 
wind, yet it is easy to get at the load 
by slipping out the end of one strip 
and raising a corner of the cover. This 
arrangement makes an _ absolutely 
waterproof top and the manner of fas- 
tening eliminates any risk in case of 
a capsize for the cover will pull out 
from under the strips and let the load 
go overboard without sinking the craft. 
The popular conception of balancing 
a canoe is to get the weight low down 
over the keel, and to accomplish this 
most canoeists eliminate the floor rack, 
also because it is considered effeminate, 
but this is an indication of ignorance 
of its real purpose. The floor of a 
sharp ended boat should be flat; this is 
especially important in round bottom 
craft. When the weight is all over the 
keel the center of gravity is in the 
center of the boat and causes the keel 
to act as a pendulum and the round 
bottom being sensitive to shifting 
weight makes a very unstable boat. 
By using a floor rack between the 
thwarts only wide enough to raise the 
floor an inch and a half or two inches 
above the keel the center of gravity is 
shifted to both sides equally; this makes 
the canoe much steadier and gives a 
bilge space to gather rain or shipped 
water keeping the bottom of the load 
dry. 
HE floor rack can also be used under 
the tent floor on wet ground when ~ 
willows are not available. While on 
the subject of a dry boat, don’t forget 
to take along a large sponge to bail and 
wash out with. It also serves as a bath 
sponge, 
340 © 
It is not my aim to explode all pop- 
ular theories, but I wish it understood 
that I am discussing the Mississippi 
River exclusively in this article and no 
matter where you may start from, ‘the 
longest leg of your journey will be on 
the father of waters which has no com- 
parison with smaller streams. I am 
presuming that the individual contem- 
plating a trip of this kind will have 
sufficient intelligence to know when to 
moderate the principles, herein | set 
forth, when traveling on. narrowed 
streams and apply them accordingly. 
[3 contradicting popular theory I say 
travel heavy and let your ballast be 
food. You will be going down stream 
and bucking heavy winds that. would 
blow an empty or light ‘canoe all over 
the river if not upstream and make it 
almost impossible to handle. Try an 
empty canoe on a windy lake, alone, and 
then put in ballast and note the differ- 
ence. 
When ready to start, the loaded 
canoe should balance on an even keel, 
your added weight should not pull the 
stern down more than two inches. lower 
Photo by Jule Marshall 
Wing Dam 

on ‘the Upper Mississippi 




























than the bow. Remember the wind 
The cover should always be in place in 
anticipation of rain. Under the bo 
deck is the chain and picket pin, also a 
stick or two of dry pine to whittle 
shavings from for starting fires in bad 
weather. The canvas bucket and slicker 
are handiest under the rear deck, the 
sponge under the seat. The spare 
paddle fits in the bow and the cushions 
on the seat. 
F it should rain keep going, it will 
be just as wet on shore as it is in 
the boat and you won’t get anywhere 
if you don’t keep moving. The average 
rainfall is one day per week. 
The load is snug, so pull out your 
slicker and roll up your pants. If you 
have the right kind of slicker you will 
be perfectly comfortable; if not you 
will learn right there that any old thing 
won’t do for a canoe trip. A coat that 
buttons down the front will drain into 
your lap when you sit down. Oilskins 
can be had that button down the side. 
A poncho also has merit and is easy 
to get out of in case of a capsize. 
The sponge will take care of the 
water in the boat. It won’t rain over 
five hours in one stretch and you can 
then eat a sandwich. By the time you 
are ready to camp it has stopped again 
and you have accomplished from twenty 
to thirty-five miles of your journey, de- 
self eating supper in the dark. Of} 
clay banks always find a high, well 
drained spot for camp; but whenever 
possible choose a sand bar. (I w i" 
take them up later.) Unload the boat 
and pull it out of the water at once, 
then erect the tent and put the bedding 
inside, carry the load up to the tent 
and set up the grate over a trench, this 
is especially important for draft wh 
using a steel oven which will not ba 
properly unless the fire heats the bot- 

eo iap tO a hg tO tag aE 9 Willige ay: Mt > 
