CHAPTER XV
CLOTHING
MEN from cities who have gone into the wilderness
because their business took them there, and kept them
there year after year-mining engineers, rail. road
engineers, explorers, and geological survey
members-invariably admit that the native knows best
how to dress and to live in his particular section,
and that the outsider has less trouble if he adopts
local methods.
Such men go into the wilderness to work, and not
for recreation. Their work consumes most of their
time, and they demand, and get, efficiency in
equipment. Once they have proven the worth of a thing,
they stick to it, unless their work takes them into an
entirely different sort of country.
The recreationist, because of less experience and
greater enthusiasm, k prone to go to extremes in the
matter of tents, sleeping equipment and personal
duffle. Until years of experience have brought wisdom,
he is inclined to burden himself, or others, with
useless paraphernalia, or articles which are carried
for a month and used only once or twice.
Outfitters have developed some wonderful bits of
equipment, and, when the cost is a lesser object, the
canoeist planning a trip in any district cannot do
better than to seek the advice and obtain the goods of
an efficient firm. He should be cautious, however, to
seek a really good outfitter and to get the advice of
an experienced man rather than that of a clerk who
never has demonstrated the value of anything he sells.
When they can be afforded, aluminum kettles and pans,
imported woolens for clothing, the best in footwear,
and light, compact medicine chests, toilet kits, and
shaving outfits are valuable not only for their
lightness and compactness but for their durability and
all-around efficiency.
The man who has less money to spend can enjoy
himself just as thoroughly and travel just as
efficiently if he studies the methods of the people
who live in the land he will visit and gets most of
his equipment there. Such a method should be founded.,
however, upon personal experience and observation or
upon first hand advice.
The matter of dress and personal equipment is one
of the most important the canoeist has to consider,
and one open to nearly as many interpretations as
there are canoeists. Between personal whim and
outfitters' ideas, the touring canoeman presents a
strange medley in attire, from the sleeveless rowing
shirt of the college boy to the elaborate patented
articles of his father. Their wide divergence in
methods of dress is particularly noticeable when
contrasted with that of the woodsman, which is
universally the same.
On the Mississippi, Ohio, and eastern rivers where
days and nights are warm, portages are absent, and the
capacity of the canoe alone limits the equipment,
personal wishes can dictate the clothing to be worn
and carried without uncomfortable results. A trip
through the north country demands protection from
flies, cold days and nights, rain and thick brush.
Experts are unanimous in declaring that only wool
should be worn. The woodsman wears only wool, unless
he is living in a permanent camp during hot weather,
when he dons a cotton shirt and overalls or khaki
trousers.
But if a given route is to be covered in a given
time, and each day spent in the canoe, rain or shine,
the woodsman wears woolen underwear, a woolen shirt,
woolen trousers, and heavy woolen socks. Many men who
live and work in the north country wear the same heavy
weight of underwear the year round.
Some men will not wear wool next to the skin and
depend upon waterproofed garments for protection. One
can learn to wear wool comfortably, however, and the
slight discomfort of the first few days will be more
than compensated for later.
With woolen clothes, mosquitoes cannot bite except
on the hands, face, and neck. A man can portage, or
paddle, all day in the rain and, even though he
finally may be wet through, will still be warm as long
as he has wool next to the skin and keeps at work.
When he has finished the day's toil, he can build a
fire and dry out. The man who does not change from wet
to dry clothes rarely catches cold when he wears
wool.
Woolen clothing, if of a good quality, will shed
rain for many hours. When portaging on a brushy trail,
the moisture will beat through, but under such
conditions nothing except rubber is a protection.
Heavy socks are desirable because they keep the feet
from being chilled when wet. Even the best of shoes
will not always keep the feet dry.
The greatest objection to waterproofed cot ton
garments is that they are seldom, if ever, waterproof,
and that, when once wet, they are cold, clammy, heavy,
and difficult to dry. Light weight oil slickers, or
coats which reach nearly to the knees, give excellent
protection from the rain, but they cannot be worn on a
portage or the wearer will be as wet from perspiration
as he would have been from the rain. Even when
paddling, they will be found uncomfortably warm,
unless the day be very cold. If the canoeist is
willing to carry the extra pound or two, and the extra
article, he will find an oilskin coat valuable in camp
on a rainy day, but hardly anywhere else.
The river driver of Michigan, Wisconsin, and
Minnesota has spent more than fifty years living under
conditions more adverse to comfort than the canoeist
ever encounters, and his clothes are always of wool.
He starts to work when the ice goes out, and is out in
the rain, snow, sleet, and wind, sometimes up to his
waist in water, from daylight until after dark. His
feet are always wet. Yet his outfit consists, almost
without variation, of the following: A heavy suit of
underwear, heavy woolen trousers cut off below the
knees, heavy woolen socks, heavy woolen shirt, and
driving shoes. Even though wet through, he keeps warm
when working, and at night there is a big campfire
beside which he dries out. When tired out, he goes to
sleep in his wet clothes.
The canoeist journeying in the north country cannot
do better than to adopt a similar Costume. The ideal
equipment in a country where frosts come in early
August and it may snow in the first two weeks of June
is as follows:
One suit of light woolen underwear to be
worn every day.
One suit of medium or heavy woolen underwear to
be used for sleeping, a change when the other suit
is being washed, or for exceptionally cold.
weather.
One pair of light woolen trousers. These should
be of hard finish so as not to catch brush and
should be woven sufficiently well and closely to
prevent tearing on snags. Kersey and light mackinaw
are the best.
One light woolen shirt, gray or tan. One is
enough. It can be washed on a bright day and dried
en route, the wearer paddling in his undershirt
alone.
Three pairs of heavy woolen socks. This gives a
dry pair for sleeping and a dry pair each
morning.
One heavy stag shirt. This is a lumberjack's
garment and one that only in the last year or two
has been recognized by a few out-of-door
enthusiasts as a valuable piece of personal
equipment. The lumberjack and river driver "stags"
his trousers by cutting them off with a jackknife
below the knees. He found a coat too heavy and
cumbersome to work in, so he bought a heavy shirt
and "stagged" it by cutting it off around the
middle of the hips. Later manufacturers learned
this and placed the stag shirt on the market.
The lumberjack has been wearing it for years. It is
made of heavy wool, generally about thirty-six ounces
to the yard. The pattern is the same as that of a
"top" shirt, except that there are no skirts, or
tails. It affords nearly as much warmth and protection
as a coat and yet fits so snugly, and is so light that
it may be worn without interfering with the free use
of the arms and body. This shirt is now being
manufactured for sportsmen with several pockets sewn
around the bottom. Some are made with a puckering
string, giving the shirt the appearance of a boy's
blouse. The plain, unpocketed shirt is best, as it
will not catch on snags or brush.
With such an equipment the canoeist is prepared for
any sort of weather down to zero. In fact, the
lumberjack wears such an outfit all winter. It may
prove warm on a portage through a breezeless swamp,
but the portager would perspire as freely if he wore
nothing except light cotton, and he is saved a chill
when he leaves the hot swamp for a windswept lake.
With this equipment the only extra pieces of
clothing to be carried are the heavy underwear, two
pair of socks, and the stag shirt. Many carry a
sweater, but the stag shirt serves every purpose of
such a garment and has the additional advantages of
shedding rain and being windproof. The stag shirt is
an excellent pad beneath the canoe yoke or
paddles.
It is taken for granted that every article of
clothing described will be of pure wool. The wearer
should carry a bar of naphtha soap for laundering.
With it he can wash wool in cold water.
In the fall a pair of heavy woolen gloves should be
worn.
The question of footwear has so many angles that it
is difficult to give definite rules. Many canoeists
wear the so-called hunting boots and carry canoe
moccasins. This means an extra article to carry and
care for and loss of time in the changes at each end
age. If one can stand the single piece of leather for
a sole, the best footwear for canoeing is the shoepack
of Maine and Canada. Well made, it is waterproof, easy
as a moccasin on the foot, and, with the usual
canoeist, adaptable for both canoe and portage. Some
men cannot, however, wear a shoe without a sole on
rough ground. A shoepack is made with an extra sole,
which affords better protection from rocks and roots,
but is more liable to leak.
In purchasing a shoepack the canoeist should see
that the sewing is sunk below the surface of the
leather. Otherwise, the thread will be cut. On a trip
of more than a month, he should be provided with waxed
thread for repairs and a small can of dubbin, or
grease, for softening the leather and keeping it
waterproof.
Many woodsmen wear a shoe, usually hobnailed,
exclusively. This may prove hard on the canoe,
especially if any natural awkwardness forces a heavy
descent every time the wearer embarks. However, if the
canoeist can stand the single sole and does not intend
to travel through rough and rocky country, he will
find the shoepack the best article of footwear
possible.
The low moccasin, without protection around the
ankle, is only a useless bit of equipment, serving no
purpose that compensates for its cost or
transportation. As a guide or example of the
possibilities cheap but adequate canoeing equipment,
and not as a model, the following description of the
author's outfit for two persons is given:
Two large packsacks, one for food and dishes, the
other for tent, blankets, and personal duffle. If the
trip is to be for more than two weeks, a third and
smaller packsack is taken.
A miner's tent as described in a previous
chapter.
One four-point Hudson's Bay blanket weighing twelve
pounds and one lighter wool blanket weighing five
pounds.
One towel, one cake of soap, comb, brush, and
shaving outfit for each person, and small medicine
chest, camera, watertight box for films, and small
package of needles and thread.
Extra suit of woolen underwear for sleeping and
change, two extra pairs of woolen socks, one stag
shirt of heavy wool per person.
Three nesting oval kettles of tin, tin folding
baker, tin cups, aluminum spoons, "white metal" forks,
steel case knives, and large aluminum mixing spoon.
The pails and cups nest and are packed in a canvas
bag. The spoons, knives, and forks are carried in a
pocketed roll of canvas. This is spread and tacked to
a tree, with wooden pegs, beside the campfire each
night.
An aluminum mixing pan, a twenty-five-cent frying
pan with the handle cut off and a steel loop attached,
and graniteware plates are packed in a second canvas
bag.
All food is carried in waterproofed cotton bags.
Several small push-top tins carry tea, coffee, bacon
grease, pepper, soda, baking powder, and matches. A
large push-top tin is used to carry cookies, sauce,
beans, or pea soup prepared the night before. A small
graniteware pail, carried in the hand, holds sour
dough.
An axe, ma file, canoe cement, a trolling line
wedged in the bow of the canoe-that is all. With a
sixty-five-pound canoe, complete equipment and food
for two weeks, the total weight, canoe and all, is
only 210 pounds. The outfit has seen hard service for
three years, some of it having been in constant use
for eighteen months.
CHAPTER XVI
MAKING CAMP: ADVANTAGES OF SYSTEM
IF a canoeing party be wise, much time will be
spent in the first few days studying and devising a
system and plan of cooperation in making and breaking
camp, in preparing the noonday lunch, and in
portaging. Whether the trip be one of idle drifting,
each morning bringing the first plan for the day's
Journey; whether the route be down a river in the
midst of civilization, a systematic division of labor,
a just assignment of duties, and enforcement of their
proper performance are essential for the greatest
progress or enjoyment.
System means more leisure if the trip be of the
non-objective, Indian variety; more time for fishing,
for excursions back from the water, for photographing,
and for simply doing nothing. On a hard journey, where
every available minute is spent in putting distance
behind, system not only tends to comfort and ease but
is an essential factor in speed.
Whether there be two, three, four, or eight in a
party, there is no reason why supper should not be
ready three-quarters of an hour after the canoes touch
shore. In the morning, with the same number, camp
should be broken an hour after the campfire is
started. The preparation of the noonday meal should
not take more than fifteen or twenty minutes, leaving
a half-hour for rest before the resumption of the
journey. Speed in loading and unloading at portages,
in each quickly starting with his pack or canoe, means
many miles added to the day's total.
System gives the same advantage to the party making
the leisurely journey. If camp is to be broken in the
morning, the more time there will be for exploring,
taking pictures of beautiful spots, or any of the
other activities various members of the party may
desire. If camp is to be maintained in one place for
several days, a quick breakfast and dishwashing mean
more leisure for everyone.
No party starting on a canoe journey will achieve
perfection in its system for several days. The members
must master unaccustomed tasks, wear the rust and
clumsiness from their bodies, revive little knacks in
doing things, and ascertain to which individual
certain tasks should be assigned because of particular
proficiency. Once this has been definitely settled,
things will move orderly and smoothly, it being taken
for granted, of course, that there are no shirks.
Much time may be saved and trouble avoided by a
systematic packing of whatever contrivance is used for
carrying food. If the journey be short, and there is
only one small bag for each article of food, those
which are seldom used should be placed at the bottom.
Especially in packing in the morning should care be
taken and the packsack or duffle bag so arranged that
everything necessary for the midday meal is at the top
and may be taken out without a search through the
entire bag to find the wanted article in the
bottom.
As the canoeist may learn much from watching the
woodsman, he may also greatly increase his knowledge,
and add to his comfort and safety, if he watches the
Indians. The red man always camps in a good spot and
rarely, if ever, sets up his teepee near large timber.
He always picks an exposed point in early summer and a
thicket in the fall. The white man can do no better
than follow the Indian's example.
Tall timber is dangerous, especially in midsummer,
when the strongest winds prevail. A cleared point,
with exposure to the breeze on all sides, is the best
camping spot when flies are thick. Islands frequently
afford ideal spots of this nature, but camping on
islands is hardly advisable. A drifting canoe, a spell
of bad weather, and heavy winds, may hold the canoeist
a prisoner, with possibly disastrous results.
The forest traveler should study the weather and
not seek the exposed point when a heavy wind or rain
storm is threatening. Then the shelter of small poplar
or birch, even with the mosquitoes present, is
preferable.
Later in the year, when the flies have thinned and
the evenings are cool, spruce or poplar thickets
afford the best camping spots. These are generally
found back of sand beaches, and it is seldom necessary
that brush must be cleared or roots and stumps grubbed
out.
When camping near a sand beach the tent should be
set well back from the sand, however. To camp on the
sand, or even to stop on a beach for lunch, generally
results in sand getting into the clothing, blankets,
packs, and food bags.
Prevailing winds should be studied and guarded
against. In many districts south and west winds
generally bring rain in summer, and quick squalls
invariably come from these directions. An east wind
sometimes brings a steady rain. For this reason it is
advisable to face a tent toward the north or
northeast, that storms coming up in the night will not
blow down a tent before it can be closed.
Never leave a tent with the flaps untied. Any good
tent will live through a gale if properly erected and
tightly closed. Permitting the wind to enter may
easily result in the shelter being torn to shreds or
blown down and damaged beyond repair.
When canoeing in the fall a dense thicket generally
offers protection from any direction. Care should be
taken, however, that no pine or poplar stubs are near
the tent.
One of the advantages of the systematic operation
of the camp will be the proper care of everything each
night. If the tent is not large enough for the duffle,
the food bags should be placed on a raised spot or
logs and covered with a tarpaulin or placed under the
canoe. If the canoe is not used for this purpose, it
should be carried up from the water each night, turned
over and weighted down with stones or a heavy piece of
driftwood. A sudden storm in the night cannot blow it
into the water or break it by blowing it against rocks
or trees.
No matter what the weather, it is an excellent rule
to take good care of the canoes each night. If rabbits
are numerous, the canoes should be left right side up
and the paddles placed inside. Rabbits will gnaw
varnished wood or that salted by perspiration. In any
case, paddles should always be laid inside the canoes.
Left on the beach or on rocks, they may be stepped on
and broken. If not broken, they will be scratched and
marred by rocks and become a source of irritation to
the hands.
If a trip is to be made on the Ohio or Mississippi
rivers, canoes should always be carried far enough
from the bank to prevent their being touched by the
wash from big river steamboats. Some small rivers rise
and fall quickly from natural causes, and others may
do the same because of the opening or closing of a
dam. Special care as to the stowing of canoes and
selection of camp sites should be exercised on such
streams. They are indicated by fresh high-water marks,
driftwood, and mud flats.
In the late summer many streams are so low they are
difficult to navigate, even by canoe. In choosing a
route by map, beware of those rivers shown in a thin,
crooked line.
In the late summer or early fall, when the days are
shorter and there is pressing need for many hours of
travel daily, it is often possible to make a late camp
by counting on the possibility of sleeping without
shelter. If the canoeist be a good judge of weather,
he can foretell a clear night, and a bow bed, with the
tent drawn over the sleepers to keep off the dew or
frost, is all the preparation necessary. In doing this
it is better to eat supper at five or six o'clock and
then travel as long as daylight lasts. The paddlers
will find themselves as comfortable beneath the stars
as they would have been inside a tent.
To the novice all these things come slowly, unless
he be so fortunate as to have companions of great
experience, possesses keen observation, or has that
natural aptitude for the out of doors with which some
men are gifted. Those who seek the pleasures afforded
by the canoe and the infinite waterways of this
continent without guide or experience have a great
reward in the exercise of ingenuity, the overcoming of
obstacles, in developing a creative instinct. Those
who have had experience, no matter how much, will
always learn something new, can always anticipate the
unusual. For the canoe, though the oldest craft in
America, has inexhaustible possibilities for those who
know it and have come to respect it.
THE END
..
© 2000 Craig O'Donnell
May not be reproduced without my permission.
Go scan your own damn article.