Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

;TENTS FOR FIXED CAMPS 41I'hen it will not tear again so easily as if narrowstitches were taken all along, nor will itbe likely toruck. Temporary repairs can be made with adhesiveplaster.Second-hand Tents.— Second-hand army tentsthat are in good, serviceable condition, having beencondemned for stains or other trifling defects, maybe bought cheaply from dealers who get them atgovernment auctions. These army tents are alwayswell designed and well made. Second-hand tents,however, should not be bought without inspectionthey may be mildewed or otherwise unserviceable.Tent Rental.— Some tent-makers and outfittershave tents for rent. From a list at hand I copythe following charges for wall tents: 10x12,$2.00 first week, and half this for each succeedingweek; 12 x 14, $2.50 do.; 14X 16, $3.00 do.; flies,half these prices. In some places 3 whole campequipment can be rented.Pitching Wall Tents.— A tent should standsquared and taut and trim. This not only thatone's eyes may dwell with pride upon his camp, butbecause a tent that is wrinkled and set askew willnot shed a downpour nor stand stanchly against agale.In erecting any square or rectangular tent, thefirst thing is to locate the corners, and from themto determine where the corner guy stakes are to bedriven. Soldiers do this by measuring with the uprightpoles, but as the height of a common tent maynot bear the right relation to its spread, for thispurpose, a knotted string may be better.Set up the tent in your yard at home and adjustpoles and guys until the angles of the wall are trueand the canvas is drawn smooth all around. Tosquare the corners, observe that a triangle the sidesof which are 3, 4 and 5 ft., or multiples of these,forms a right angle.Then take a stout fish-line, fasten a small peg atone end, and drive this peg close into one corner of