Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

64 CAMPING AND WOODCRAFTthe cook give all his attention to that one utensilwhen frying or making pancakes.Of folding grates there are many and ingeniouspatterns. I never use any of them ; for they arelikely to warp from heat or to rust in service, andbecome unmanageable. Simpler, cheaper, and quiteas useful, are a pair of ** fire-irons," which are simplytwo pieces of flat steel 24 x i ^ x ^^ inches,weighing 23^ pounds to the pair, that any blacksmithwill cut for you in a minute. Lay them acrossa couple of logs or flat rocks that are placed oneither side of the fire. You can space them apartto suit vessels of different sizes. They will standany amount of abuse; if they get bent, you canquickly hammer them back into shape.Ovens.— When there is no stove in the outfit,you will need some kind of camp oven. For a fixedcamp a good kind is the oldfashionedDutch oven (Fig.37). How to use it is explainedin Chapter XX. Fora party of four to six it shouldbe of full 13-inch diameter,which will weigh about 17pounds. Lighter ones, butFig. 37.—Dutch Oven "^"ch more expensive, are madeof aluminum with iron tops.Aluminum will not stand the high heat necessaryfor the top, but does very well for the body of thevessel, if thick enough.Such ovens are favorites in the South and theFar West. They are better than reflectors (seeChapter VII) for any baking or roasting that requiresconsiderable time (inimitable for pot-roastsand baked beans), but rather unhandy forbiscuits,though all right for biscuit-loaf.Other Utensils.— For stationary camps, or fortraveling by wagon, the most satisfactory materialfor pots and table service is enameled ware. It iseasier to clean than any other metal, and it is not