Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

CLOTHING 157marsh, wear rubber boots, which are waterproof insomething more than name.There are times and places where an eight or teninchhunting shoe that started out to be waterproofis all right.High-topped " cruisers " have all the faults of theboots except that they are lighter. They scald thefeet on a warm day, and chill or freeze them on acold one; from lack of ventilation and confinement ofmoisture.Pacs.— A " shoe-pac " or " larrigan " is a beefhidemoccasin w^ith eight to ten-inch top, and with orwithout a light, flexible sole. It is practically waterproofso long as the seams (which are on top wherethey get less strain than those of a shoe) remainsound, and they are kept well greased. They arelighter and more pliable than shoes, and are firstrate*' extras " to take along for wet days, dewymornings, and swampy ground, or as the regularfootwear for still-hunting. Get them big enoughto accommodate heavy lumbermen's socks over your•3oft thinner ones. Otherwise your feet will generallybe either too hot or too cold.Pacs without soles are fine in a canoe. In troutfishing they can be worn with a pair of hemp sandalsto prevent slipping. In extremely cold weather theoil-tanned leather freezes as stiff as horn, and getsdangerously " slick."Moccasins.— In dry weather, on ground that isnot too steep or stony, give me the velvety and pliant,pussy-footed moccasin, of real moose-hide, " smoketanned" So it will dry soft if I do get wet. I willsee more that is worth seeing in the woods thananybody w^ho wears shoes.If your feet are too tender, at first, for moccasins,add insoles of good thick felt, or birch bark or thedried inner bark of red cedar. After a few days thefeet will toughen, the tendons will learn to do theirproper work without crutches, and you will be ableto travel farther, faster, more noiselessly, and with