WOODCRAFT NOTES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 193, 1 September 1937, Page 10

WOODCRAFT NOTES

"LITTLE

JOHN"

Camping time will soon be hero again. Wbat about tbat tent? Have you got if fixed up? If it is a ridge-pole one with a fly sbeet put loops of canvas along tbe ridge seam about ten inclies long. This will save you a second ridge pole. Now what about gadgets around your tent? We only want useful ones, and we want tbem in places where we shall not f all over tbem. Your plates and mugs sbould be ofl: the ground, so Jet's have a rack for tbem. Your stalf should be in a place where you can find it easily, so a patrol stalf rack needed. A candle stick will be wanted also. 1L: you bave room in your tent you may wisli to make a camp bed, but these tbings are a nuisance if the tent is full. If properly made the following metbod makes tlie best bed I have slept in. Four strong forked sticks about eighteen inches long are driven into tbe ground about six feet apart and two wide. .In the fork rest a stout stick about tbxee feet long, ono to each pair of forks. Now get some slightly tbinner sticks about six feet long and lasht them on to the ones resting in the forks. See that the lashing is done well and tbat the sticks are not more than six inches apart. Your bedstead is now made; if you bave used manuka you will find it beautifully springy. Now you will want a mattress. Make a camp look as in "Scouting for Boys" and wonvr /» mar-tres-s I'roin small scrub tops and sv tbat you weave it tiglitly or tbe "feathers" will slip. Don't use tbick ends or j ou wiU get a prod in tlie back. Place this mattress on your buuk and trim tbe edgo

with your small band axe, use a block 1 of wood for an axe to cut down onto.You can roll up your mattress every day and put it out in tbe sun.. The faults I notice with most chaps wben tbey try to make this kind of buuk are: Too sliort forks and too weak ; longest sticks too thin ; bad lashing; result: You throw tbe wbolo contraption outside and say tbe idea is rotten wben. it is rcally your own workmansliip tbat is wrong. — Cbeerio,