Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

CLOTHING 141practical consideration. If woolen garments arewashed like cotton ones — soap rubbed in, scrubbedon a washboard or the like, and wrung out — theywill invariably shrink. The only way to preventshrinkage is to soak them in lukewarm suds (preferablyof fels-naphtha or a similar soap), then merelysqueeze out the water by pulling through the hand,rinse, squeeze out again, stretch, and hang up to dry.This is easy, but it requires a large vessel, and sucha vessel few campers have. The alternative is tobuy your undershirts and overshirts a size too large,allowing for shrinkage. Drawers must not be oversize,or they will chafe. But one's legs perspiremuch less than his body, and need less protection ; so,up to the time of frost, let the drawers be of ribbedcotton, which is permeable and dries out quickly.Cotton drawers have the further advantage thatthey do not shrink from the frequent wettings andconstant rubbings that one's legs get in w^ildernesstravel. Wool, however, is best for wading troutstreams. For riding, the best drawers are of silk.I conclude that for cold weather, for work Inhigh altitudes where changes of temperature aresudden and severe, and for deep forests w^here thenight air is chilly, woolen underclothes should beworn. In hot climates, and for summer wear inopen country, a mixture of silk and wool is best,but open-texture linen or cotton does very well. Pajamasshould be of flannel, at all seasons, if onesleeps in a tent or out-of-doors.Union" Suits are not practical in the wilds. Ifyou wade a stream, or get your legs soaked fromwet brush or snow, you can easily take off a pair ofdrawers to dry them, but if wearing a union suit youmust strip from head to foot. Moreover, a unionsuit is hard to wash, and it Is a perfect haven forfleas and ticks — you can't get rid of the bruteswithout stripping to the buff.Drawers must fit snugly In the crotch, and benot too thick, or they will chafe the wearer. Thef