Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

",TENTS FOR FIXED CAivIT*^ 35weighs less, bulks less when packed, does not mildew,does not have to be dried out every time beforemoving, and is easier to set up and manage thanone with a fly.A prime advantage of the processed cloth is thatit does not shrink when rained on. This means alot of trouble saved. With a tent of ordinary canvasit is necessary to slacken guys before a rain, andat night before turning in, lest the stakes be pulledloose. Of course, if long guy ropes are used theywill shrink, and must be eased before a rain, eventhough the tent itself be waterproof.Waterproof materials, and home methods ofwaterproofing tents, are discussed in Chapter V.For heavy tents, such as we are now considering, myown preference is either " green waterproof(Willesden) duck or a cravenetted khaki. Both ofthese are perfectly rainproof, in heavy and closelj^woven stuffs; they are soft, and are not affected byheat or cold.Colored tents, either khaki or green, are restfulto the eyes, blend pleasantly with their surroundings,and are not so likely as white ones to attractthe attention of unwelcome visitors, from insects totramps. They do not soil so easily as white canvas,and do not make shadow pictures of the inmatesby lantern light. Khaki or green is cooler underto shed rain and to make the tent cooler.the summer sun than white. It moderates the glarefor those who would sleep late or take a siesta (somecannot sleep well in a white tent under a full moon)and it does not light up so brilliantly as white canvaswhen the lightning flashes.Tent Flies.— A fly is an auxiliary roof of canvas,Most tent flies are set tight on top of the regularridge pole. A better plan, when the camp is not tobe shifted for a good while, is to use t\vo ridge poles,and so have a space between the fly and the ridgefor air to circulate through. In small tents, it ishandier to have a stout band on the :^idge of the