Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

1 66 CAMPING AND WOODCRAFTin enough concentrated soup stock to last a month,which is quite convenient, as it takes at least half aday to make good soup from the raw materials, andthese are not always at hand when most wanted.Fats.—In speaking of erbswurst I remarked onits deficiency in fat, which is an important componentof field rations, especially in cold weather, since itfuel for the body. Pemmican owes much of itsefficiency to the large percentage of fat. CaptainScott had the pemmican for his antarctic expeditionmade with 50% lard, which is pure fat. Sucha mixture would nauseate many a man, but nearlyeverybody likes butter, which is the next most concentratedform of fat. The best field luncheon forcold weather, when j^ou can get it, is in the form ofsandwiches of toasted bread, thick slices of butter,and brown or maple sugar. It is very nourishing,and it will not freeze up like plain bread, as there ispractically no water in it. Outfitters supply excellentbutter, in one-pound cans, that will keep inany climate.Butter is out of the question in an emergency rationthat is to be sealed up and kept indefinitely.There are, however, certain other fats that will takeitsplace as fuel.Desiccated Eggs, if prepared from the wholeegg, contain 36% of fat. They are also remarkablyrich in protein. There is no good reason, exceptits cost and the fact that it requires cooking,why egg powder should not form a considerable constituentof an emergency ration, as it keeps perfectlywhen protected from moisture. (See Vol. I., pp.183 and 189). Its fat content is nearly equal tothat of full cream cheese, and itsisfuel value nearly athird more.Chocolate^ in plain form, contains about 49%of vegetable fat; less, of course, when sweetened.It is necessary, however, for eating purposes, thatchocolate should have considerable sugar added, andthis is directly a gain, for sugar itself is stored energy,as we soon shall see. Chocolate never gets stale.