IF IT'S A CAMPING HOLIDAY—

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 303, 23 December 1939, Page 3 (Supplement)

IF IT'S A CAMPING HOLIDAY—

SUMMER is here again, and, although the really hot weather is a little late in arriving, there will probably be more people camping this year than ever before. A few remarks and suggestions from a not-too-old stager will not be out of place. Some, there are, who will travel de luxe, by motor caravan, stopping where fancy dictates. Others will motor from place to placa and each night pitch their tent in new surroundings. Many will camp for a week or more in the one locality. Yet others, looked upon in some measure as being less fortunate than their motoring friends, will join the growing bands of trampers who penetrate farthest from the beaten tractt. All are campers—to all, a good camping holiday! Although wedded to the motor car, I have tried out many kinds of camping holidays, and my firm conviction is that the "foot-slftgger" has the most enjoyable holiday of all, for he is farthest removed from the tares and worries, the hurry and bustle, and the many trials and tribulations that us in our everyday life. Also, he gets much closer to Nature in his tramps through bush and scrub than does the motorist tourist, whs glides more or less effortlessly, over hill and dale. Who at one time or another has not climbed the hill just to see what was on the other side? Who has not gone down

into the valley and lunched beside the rippling stream, then laid down in the long grass and relaxed, and listened to the birds and the incessant humming of summer insects? Where will you find anything more conducive to contentment, anything that will make your troubles seem so small, so far away, as the gentle murmuring of a mountain stream? The joys of the camper, indeed, of all who spend their vacations in the open, are many, but to the inexperienced camper there are many little things to be learned if he would avoid the pitfalls that can make what should be a pleasant and profitable outing into a miserable experience. Your camping holiday starts at home. The first thing to be done is to draw up a list of the articles that one thinks might be required at the camp. This list is usually a formidable-looking document. In most cases, it includes innumerable articles you will never need. The first and greatest secret in all outdoor excursions is: "Travel light." Go through your list and reducp it to the barest necessities. When you have done that, go over it again and reduce it still further! You'll get along quite well without all the extra gadgets; the less you have with you, the less to worry about! For instance, unless you arc in the trailer-de-luxe class, why bother with oil or petrol cookers? You will get Aore fun cooking your meals over a campfire. They will taste better, too. At night, when dinner is over and you sit around the glowing embers of your fire, and sing, or talk,

ByW.H.Moore.

or just smoke In silence, you will be forced to admit that it makes a more . romantic setting than does your portable stove! In New Zealand, you will find fuel in abundance for your campfire, wherever you may be; all you need carry is a box of matches. This calls to mind a useful hint for campers—always carry a few matches in a watertight container. A small bottle, well corked, will do. Then, if you are caught in the rain and everything else is soaking wet, you will still be able to light your fire. Strangely enough, not everyone can flight a fire in the open, especially in the rain. Yet you should seldom need to use more than one match to get it going. When you build your fire, collect first a handful of dry grass, leaves or frayed bark. Make a small, loose pile of this. Lay a few small twigs all round, their ends meeting at the top in the form of a cone; the first few twigs should be the smallest and thinnest you can find. Have in readiness some thicker sticks, and also the larger pieces for burning when the fire is started. Put a match to the grass and twigs, and as soon as it starts burning gradually build np with the larger sticks. Even in wet weather, if you look around you will find small, sheltered spots where

■craps of dry bark and dead leaves are available for the foundation of yo«r fire. Once your fire is started it can be built up to any size you require.' The secret of fire-making is to start small. A fire that you could put in a saucer is a fire; adding to it is a simple matter. Two forked sticks driven into the ground, with a cross-piece to bang the billy from— and the job is done! If you are bothered with smoke from the fire getting into your eyes when you are using the frying pan, an extension handle is easily made from a forked stick, three or four feet long. This mention of sticks brings ,me to another important piece of camp equipment. You will find a light belt axe or heavy sheath-knife of inestimable value when you go camping. Of the two, I prefer the knife. Indeed, I will admit that, on more than one occasion, I have heard sly, even caustic remarks, regarding my habit of carrying a large sheath-knife at my belt, but in every instance, before the trip was over, the said knife had proved its usefulness. For blazing a trail in the bush, for cutting tent-pegs, for clearing scrub, for cooking purposes, etc., a good sheath-knife is amazingly handy. Never go camping without a first-aid kit, containing adhesive tape, bandages, lint, iodine, laxative tablets, aspirins and quinine. They will take up little room and can often prevent a lot of unnecessary suffering and discomfort. This is a good plan to follow when making camp:—

First, select the spot on which you will erect the tent. Clear it of any irregularities—stones, roots, etc. Decide on a place for your fire. Do not be in a hurry to erect the tent. Instead, gather the necessary twigs to start. the lire and enough fuel to keep it going for some time. Get out the cooking pots and put them near the fireplace. If you are using a gtoundslieet or tarpaulin, spread that and unload your blankets on it. Now, light the fire, put on the billy arid whatever you are cooking for your meal. While it is cooking, erect the tent. By the time this is done, and the beds are arranged and all made tidy and comfortable inside, your mesl will' be ready. Too many campers think first of putting up the tent, getting everything sorted out, collecting fuel, lighting the fire and then having to kill time while dinner is cooking. _ There are just two' more things I would like to mention: if you think the place you have chosen for your camp site is on private property, make inquiries at the nearest habitation. If it is, you will rarely be denied permission to camp. On the ather hand, camping on private property without permission, even in ignorance, can easily lead to unpleasantness. Last, but by no means least, observe always the etiquette of the good camper. Before leaving your site, bury or destroy all rubbish and refuse, so that others following will not be greeted by a collection of empty tins, cigarette packets, eggshells, Waste paper, etc., but will find the same pleasant spot that appealed to you.