Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

lanket,HOW TO WALK 147when the winter fog coated every twig inthe forest with rime, and frost sprang up from thegiound in feathery forms three or four inches high.We grinned at all that, and fancied that we wereplaying the game like men. So we w^ere, but notlike sensible men. We were sapping our vitality.Had we gone fixed to be well fed by day, warm anddry at night, and clean enough not to have smeltlike a monkey's nest, we would have been playinga better game. A -loo, it is gone—and 1 am done.Going Alone.— I have given a good deal of spaceto the subject of outfitting for single-handed cruisingin the w^ilderness, because, as I have said, it isa difficult art, and anyone w^ho masters it can easilyfit up a company kit for two or more. But whygo alone? To the multitude, whether city or countrybred, the bare idea of faring alone in the w^ilds^for days or weeks at a time is eerie and fantastic:it makes their flesh creep. He w^ho does so is certainlyan eccentric, probably a misanthrope, possibly afugitive from justice, or, likely enough, some moonstruckfellow whom the authorities would do wellto follow up and watch.But many a seasoned woodsman can avow thatsome of the most satisfying, if not the happiest, periodsof his I'fe have been spent far out of sight andsuggestion of his fellow men.From a practical standpoint there are compensationsin cruising the woods and streams alone, andeven in camping without human fellowship. Youget the most out of the least kit. It simplifies thewhole business of camp routine. It would be piggish,for example, for two men to eat out of thesame dish ; there must be three at least, one to coolcin and two for serving the food ; but for one manto eat from, his own frying-pan is ncrt only cleanlybut a sensible thing to do. It keeps the food hotterthan if transferred to a cold plate, and saves w^ashingan extra dish, an economy of effort that is themost admirable of all efficiencies!The problem of cuisine is reduced to its lowest