Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

nrTENTS FOR SHIFTING CAMPS 69down the size to what will " sleep " the occupantsand their personal duffle. Since the party is to beout of doors all day, save in uncommonly badweather, a small tent will suffice. Then we dispensewith a fly, and make the tent of waterproof material,not only to shed rain but also because plain canvasis very heavy when wet. If the journey is througha well wooded countrj^, no poles or stakes are carried: they are to be cut on the spot. If, however,saplings are scarce in the land, then the tent is madeto set up with only one pole, and this pole may bejointed ; no guy stakes are used, and the pegs arelight things made of steel,Tents that are to be carried on pack animals needas few as practicable.to be of strong, heavy duck, or else carried in stoutbags; otherwise they will be ruined by the sawingof lash ropes and snagging or rubbing against treesand rocks. For such work the best of army duck isnone too good.Materials for Light Tents.— Otherwise themost suitable material is very closely woven stuffmade from Sea Island or Egyptian cotton, which hasa long and strong fiber. A thin cloth of this kindis stout enough for most purposes, yet very light, anda tent made from it rolls up into a much smallerbundle than one of duck. It comes in variousweights and fineness of texture. The standard gradeof " balloon silk" runs about 3^ oz. to the squareyard in plain goods, and 5>4 oz. when waterproofedwith paraffine. This trade name, by the way, is anabsurdity: the stuff has no thread of silk in it, andthe only ballooning it ever does is when a wind getsunder it.Cheaper goods, of coarser weave, and intermediatein weight between this and duck, do well enough foreasy trips, if waterproofed.Waterproof or Rainproof Cloths.— Thesemay be classed under two heads: {A) cloth filledwith paraffine or other water-shedding substance;{B) cloth chemically treated so that each fiber or