Primitive Camping

Although most campers prefer some of the comforts of civilization even when in the wilderness, there are adventurous souls who like to reduce the trappings of their everyday life to a minimum. This chapter is written to indicate how the woods can be made to yield nearly all that the camper may require if he is sufficiently ingenious, informed, and anxious to rely on his own resourcefulness.

A couple of husky young fellows need take nothing more with them than a couple of pup-tents, or hammocks for beds, or, again, if they have a flivver they can sleep nicely in a bed arranged over the seats of a touring car or sedan. In fact, by hinging the front seat-back of a touring Ford, and piecing out the car cushions with a suit case or two, it is possible to make out quite comfortably without any further sleeping equipment aside from blankets or comfortables. Another way to go it cheap is to have a hammock apiece to swing from the car to a near-by tree. A canvas fly stretched from the top of the car to a tree or trees sufficiently near, and over the hammocks, will serve to keep off the rain. [158]

These several suggestions might be multiplied indefinitely, and they go to show how infinitely various are the simple arrangements that may be made by the economically inclined motor camper.

If the husky young fellows already mentioned wish to go it wild as well as cheap, if they are willing to hustle and rough it a little, they can camp almost anywhere east of the Rocky Mountains, and in most sections of the Pacific Slope, and live off the land without other supplies. Of course, they will have to be somewhat resourceful, and not too much of tenderfeet.

Here is how to do it. For simple equipment they will naturally require blankets, ax, hunting knife (Boy Scout knife will do), skillet, tin pail, tin plate, knife, fork, and spoon apiece.

As for safety’s sake it will be best to drink boiled water, it will be well to take a supply of ground coffee in tins. Most people find boiled water taken in the form of coffee more palatable.

If not sufficiently sturdy to make a fire without them, matches in a waterproof container should be included. However, the real pioneer can make out without pail, skillet or matches. If he is doubtful of his skill at making fire without matches, he may provide himself with one of the fire-making outfits sold for about a dollar by the Boy Scouts’ supply house in New York. This outfit will enable him to make a fire from two pieces of wood in about a minute. If the motor camper has to make his own fire with pieces of wood, he will be better master [159]of his fire, will use it more skillfully, and extinguish it more carefully.