Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

154 CAMPING AND WOODCRAFTyou are to be out a good deal in the wet. Have »pair of the regulation army shoes for hot weatherand easy going.No leather is absolutely waterproof. The skinfrom which it is tanned is porous, and a waterproofingpreparation only partially fills those pores,making the leather shed water so long as the fillingremains intact, but not preventing air and moisturefrom gradually seeping through. This is as itshould be. If the pores were completely and permanentlystopped up, the shoe would be as uncomfortableand unhealthful to wear as if made of rubber.All we can reasonably ask is that the shoe shall shedwater under marching conditions; not that we maywade or stand in water indefinitely and still keepdry feet.There are several good waterproofing preparationson the market, to be bought of almost any dealerin sporting goods. If you prefer to make your own,either of the following recipes will do very well.Do not use a mineral oil on shoes: it "burns"leather ; but vaseline and paraffine are harmless.To Waterproof Leather.— A rather thickdubbing melted and rubbed into warmed leatheris better than an oil, as it " stays put " and does notmix so much with water. Have the leather perfectlydry and apply the compound with a smallbrush, blowing it into the crack between the sole andupper, then rub well with the hand. Usually twocoats, sometimes three, should be applied.(i) Melt together one part paraffine and two parts yellowvaseline. Apply as above.(2) Melt together equal parts paraffine or beeswaXjtallow, and harness oil or neatsfoot oil.(3) Boil together two parts pine tar and three partscod-liver oil. Soak the leather in the hot mixture, rubbingin while hot. It will make boots waterproof, andwill keep them soft for months, in spite of repeated wettings.This is a famous Norwegian recipe.(4) Get a cake of cocoanut butter from a drug storeand a small quantity of beeswax. Melt the cocoanut butterand add the beeswax in the proportion of about one