GUIDE NOTES

Southland Times, Issue 23677, 28 November 1938, Page 9

GUIDE NOTES

By BIG GUIDE “One of the great advantages of telling the truth is that you do not have to remember what you said.” These notes are written for the benefit of those who have not camped before. One learns by experience but some rather unenviable experiences can be dodged if one knows a little in advance. First of all a good camper does not get her things wet. On a bad night she sees that her palliasse does not touch the brailing of the tent, or if the brailing is rolled up she sees that the palliasse does not protrude beyond the walls of the tent. Let the brailing down on the weather side and cover the bed with a mackintosh or ground sheet if there is any danger of rain coming in the door. In the daytime as soon as the bed has been aired, roll all bedding on the groundsheet and fasten with a strap, or better still, two straps for neatness. Now comes the Guide’s ingenuity , in contriving means of keeping the bed off the ground—for the camp rule is that nothing must ever rest on the ground. Take every opportunity of airing the tent during the day, rolling up brailing and throwing back doors whenever possible. Keep clothes dry by packing in waterproof kit bags, or better, in kerosene boxes made to close like suitcases. Then the clean uniform, when the Guide comes out in it, will look as if it has been ironed.

Now for the tent. Remember not to come against the walls of the tent, or allow anything to do so, for it will immediately leak. If the camper should happen to start a small leak, draw a line from the base of the leak down the wall to the ground and the water will run down the track. You are not advised to start a leak just to prove the truth of this. Guy lines and pegs require careful watching in wet weather. The guys may need slackening twice a day, but remember if it is windy that the guys must be sufficiently taut to combat the force of the gale—therefore use judgment in keeping the tension just right without strain. The camper will possibly have to trench the tent: remember to turn the ends away from the front door. The writer still remembers a tent with a little river running between its banks right across the doorway! If guy lines and pegs are examined last thing at night, there should be little cause for trouble; if the camper wants to be awakened in the middle of the night with a wet tent on top of her, she can leave the guy lines too tight. The rain will do the rest.