and sold by Dame, Stoddard Co., 374 Washington Street, Boston, Mass.), which accurately measures the distance upon the Government Survey Maps. For tramping the boy needs the right kind of a shoe, or the trip will be a miserable failure. A light-soled or light-built shoe is not suited for mountain work, or even for an ordinary hike. The feet will blister and become "road-weary." They must be neither too big nor too small nor Shoe Wisdom too heavy, and be amply broad to give the toes plenty of room. The shoe should be water-tight. A medium weight, hightopped lace shoe is about right. Bathing the feet at the springs and streams along the road will be refreshing, if not indulged in too frequently. (See chapter on "Health and Hygiene" for care of the feet and proper way of walking.) It is well to carry a spare shirt hanging down the back with the sleeves tied round the neck. Change when the shirt you are wearing becomes too wet with perspiration. The most practical and inexpensive pack is the one manufactured for the Boy Scouts of America. Price, sixty cents. It is about 14 by 20 The Pack inches square, and 6 inches thick, made of water-proof canvas, with shoulder straps, and will easily hold everything needed for a tramping trip. A few simple remedies for bruises, cuts, etc., should be taken along by the leader (see chapter on "Simple Remedies"). You may not need them, and some may poke fun at them, but as the old lady said: "You can't always sometimes tell." Amount and kind of provisions must be determined by the locality and habitation. Select your camping wood, drainage, and Choose a dry, level Reach the place where you are going to spend the night in plenty of time to build your "lean-to,” and make your bed for the night. spot, with reference to water, material for your "lean-to." place, the ground just sloping enough to insure the water running away from your "lean-to" in case of rain. In building your "lean-to," look for a couple of good trees standing from eight to ten feet apart with branches from six to eight feet above the ground. By studying the il The "Lean-to" lustration below, you will be able to build a very serviceable shack, affording protection from the dews and rain. While two or more boys are building the shack, another should be gathering firewood, and preparing the meal, while another should be cutting and bringing in as many soft, thick tips of hemlock or balsam boughs as possible, for the roof of the shack and the beds. How to thatch the "lean-to" is shown in this illustration. METHOD OF THATCHING. If the camp site is to be used for several days, two "lean-tos" may be built facing each other, about six feet apart. This will make a very comfortable camp, as a small fire can be built between the two, thus giving warmth and light. On the floor of your "lean-to" lay a thick layer of the "fans" or branches of balsam fir or hemlock, with the convex side up, and the butts of the stems toward the foot of the bed. Now thatch this over with more "fans" by thrusting the butt ends through the first layer at a slight angle toward the head of the bed, so that the soft tips will The Bed curve toward the foot of the bed, and be sure to make the head of your bed away from the opening of the "lean-to" and the foot toward the opening. Over this bed spread your rubber blanket with rubber side down, your sleeping blanket on top, and you will be surprised how soft, springy, and fragrant a bed you have, upon which to rest your "weary frame," and sing with the poet: Then the pine boughs croon me a lullaby, And trickle the white moonbeams -J. George Frederick. What God puts in the blood is eliminated slowly and we are all impregnated with a love for the natural life which is irresistible. That was a great saying of the boy who was taken from the city for the first time on an all-night outing. Snugly tucked up in his blankets he heard the wind singing in the pines overhead. As the boy looked up, he asked, "Wasn't God blowing His breath down at us?'' -Dr. Lilburn. If the night bids fair to be cold, place a number of stones about six or eight inches in diameter next the fire, so they will get hot. These can then be placed at the feet, back, etc., as Hot Stones needed, and will be found good "bed warmers. When a stone loses its heat it is replaced near the fire and a hot one is taken. If too hot, wrap the stone in a shirt or sweater or wait for it to cool off. Boys desire adventure. This desire may be gratified by the establishment of night watchers, in relays of two boys every two hours. Night Watchers Their imaginations will be stirred by the resistless attraction of the camp-fire and the sound of the creatures that creep at night. Many boys have excellent eyes but see not, and good ears but hear not, all because they have not been trained to observe or to be quick to hear. A good method of teaching observation while on a hike or tramp is to have each boy jot Observation down in a small notebook or diary of the trip the different kinds of trees, birds, animals, tracks; nature of roads, fences; peculiar rock formation, smells of plants, etc., and thus be able to tell what he saw or heard to the boys upon his return to the permanent camp or to his home. One of the party should take a Brownie No. 2 or small folding kodak. Photos of the trip are always a great pleasure and a memory reviver. A practical and convenient method of carrying small folding cameras is described in "Forest and Stream." A strap with a buckle having been atCameras tached to an ordinary leather belt is run through the loops at the back of the camera-case. The camera may be pushed around the belt to the point where it will be least in the way. A very convenient lamp to use on a hike is the Baldwin Camp Lamp, made by John Simmons Co., 13 Franklin Street, New York City. (Price, $1.00.) It weighs only five ounces when fully Lamps charged with carbide, and is but 434 inches high. It projects a strong light 150 feet through the woods. A stiff wind will not blow it out. It can be worn comfortably in your hat or belt. |