OUT OF DOORS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10475, 4 January 1928, Page 3

OUT OF DOORS

HINTS TO CAMPERS

(Contributed by the Department of

Health.) • , ' The" spirit of holiday-making is everywhere. Tired, city dwellers are picturing idyllic scenes—by sea or river or bush . .with a blue. .iky overhead and undiluted sunshine. They grasp the opportunity of realising the joy of life out of doors, and plan to crowd into a few days many pleasurable experiences denied them in the ,routine of life. This ,is as it should be. but some forethought is necessary to .secure the 'maximum of health and ~ happiness from ! the long-looked-for . vacation. Sunlight, for instance.. we know to be one of Nature’s most beneficent' 'agents but injudicious l ,sun-bathing may be not only harmful. but actually dangerous. A famous. medical man has said with regard ±o sunlight treatment that a blister is: a major blunder of technique. A healthy-tanned skin cannot be acquired in a few days and sea-bathers should ■ refrain from too sudden and reckless, exposure of the body on hot beaches. Little • children especially.' should (Wear shady hats. ’To prevent sunburning and protect the face, cold cream, simple talc powder or even ordinary dour may be used. To relieve the pain of sunburn if acquired a. solution of bicarbonate, of soda (one teaspoonful to, a pint of warm water) is useful, followed by. a soothing application, cold cream, etc'. Calamine lotion is also a good application for acute sunburn. >

EXERCISE -\ND DIET. Again. we all know ' that exercise in the . open- air is. an aid to health, but here again, excess, is harmful. The.,,’essence of holiday is relaxation. The same brain controls, ‘the mhscles and, the mind and excessive bodily fatigue,is not an antidote to menial and nervous overwork. It. is unscientific and harmful for those of mature years to indulge in violent athletic exercise without proper training. A twenty-mile tramp with muscles flahhy fom disuse means exhaustion without benefit to compensate. Even the most ardent holiday-makei is better for a sound sleep at night. Remember that a badly-pitchfed tent may be stuffier thap a shut-up house. Every tent- should have a drain dug round it to carry . off water altos rain, and the tent ropes must be slackened each night to allow for shrinkage from moisture. "Waterproof ground sheets are invaluable to rest on by day or to put. beneath the mattress at night. Tlie use of judiciously suspended mosquito netting gives" peace and security at night where insect pests abound. The irritation of mosqu,iko Hites may be allayed by bathing with weak ammonia or sodium bicarbonate solution. lodine may be applied subsequently to. prevent the development of infected sores. Sandflies do not readily bite a mud-covered surface-—fortun ately for bare-legged - children disporting in creek beds. The diet of camjiers 'is necessarily simplified, but it should contain a liberal supply of fresh vegetables and fruit, and a minimum of tinned food. One fact not sufficienntly known is that' milk should not be added' fo tea before putting in a thermos ffas ! as by this means a good medium; is provided for the growth of bacteria, which may l<e present in the milk. Milk should be carried separatel\ and kept cool. Water from wayside streams may or mav not be safe, according to its source. Jt is safer to boil it—as is fortunately done in the populaV pastime of tea-making. Meat for campers may be kept fresh) and nncontaminnted i>v Hies in ah improvised safe of butter muslin stretched ove< iron hoops and hung from a tree hi a cool place. ..Butter may be kept cool in an unglazed pottery dish with wet muslin over it.

AVhen packing, remember that though wo hop? for summer at this time we sometimes meet winter, and warm clothing cannot be leftout of the bag.

SIMPLE REMEDIES. Shoes are important. No one even on holiday can be happy with sore feet. For little children sandshoes are good at the seaside. Shoes for tramping must have thick soles and broad low heels, and must not cramp the toes. They should be worn with thick stockings, preferably undarned. Stockings should lie soaped before use and the feet dusted with Woracic powder. Regular daily bathing of the feet is advised, [f blisters form, they should be let out by tunnelling under the edge with a sterilised needle. Fine strips of adhesive zinc oxide plaster should be evenly applied in lattice-work pattern over the affected parts. Campers should carry simple firstaid requisites, e.g., a few bandages, some .common antiseptic, as lysol or boracic acid; tincture of iodine is generally useful. Friar’s balsam is not only beneficial for use in sore throats (a few drops every few hours on loaf sugar), but makes an excellent external protective covering for cuts.

. In conclusion, good campers do not deface the landscape with debris such as old tins, waste paper, decayed vegetable and animal matter. Such rubbish forms a breedingground for flies, and may form a fertile source of infection. In any case, it is an eyesore. A true lover of Nature will always leave a scene as beautiful as he found it.