CAMPING PREPARATIONS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 190, 1 November 1927, Page 6

CAMPING PREPARATIONS

COLLECT EQUIPMENT NOW A USEFUL LIST With the camping season still a few weeks off, this is the time for preparation. A motor tour needs to be carefully mapped out beforehand, especially if camping gear has to be collected. A few hours spent on the selection and purchase of suitable material now may mean the saving of days on the trip. Camping equipment, of course, will vary' with circumstances, such as the season of the year, the number in the party, the proposed duration of the camp, the capacity for transport, the individual tastes and requirements of the members of the party, and, to some extent, the locale of the camp. Some sort of waterproof covering will be needed. There are many kinds of tents. Some of these cover the car,

and a space alongside of it, some are attached to it, and some are independent units. A sine qua non is that the material be waterproof, and with some of the cheaper kinds, it is advisable to prove that it is, even if it is “guaranteed.” Motor bodies are being built adaptable for a couple, of people to sleep in, but for other purposes they are too cramped for comfort in camping, though in certain cases they are convenient for travelling. A* properly constructed and equipped caravan is quite a different proposition to an adaptable motor-body, for it is meant for camping de luxe. Most campers use their ordinary cars—and some form of tent. As to other equipment, that also will vary with the conditions already mentioned. I give a list of the things I usually carry, leaving it to others to add to or deduct. In addition to a very full set of tools and accessories, I pack away the following: Non-skid chains, spade, axe, chopper (like a small mattock), 4ft steel crowbar, one eo,il of 3in rope, several coils of thinner rope of different thicknesses, and the same of galvanised and of copper wire, a windlass for pulling out of bogs, blankets, rugs, cushions, mosquito nets, mattresses, or, for grass or fern country empty covers, which are less bulky: waterproof ground sheets, folding camp grid, benzine stove, camp oven, all necessary cooking and table utensils, cutlery, billies (one enamelled), enamelled basins, tinsel pot scrubbers, hurricane lamp, candle lanterns (very convenient), electric torch (with refill), folding canvas buckets and water cooler, portable meat safe, folding table and canvas deck chairs (child’s size), fireless cooker (home-made —most useful), boot-polishing kit, kerosene, methylated spirt, wax candles, fishing rods and gear, rifle, guns and amunition (not to be used on protected game, or on private property without consent of the owner), binoculars, camera, and films, playing cards, literature, first aid kit (including tincture of iodine, permanganate of potash, bandages, plaster strapping, cotton wool. mosquito oil, Scrubb’s ammonia for insect bites, chlorodyne, and a few simple medicines), fly veils, matches. tin opener, and bottle opener, thermos flasks, toilet articles, Sunlight and sand-soap, soad, soap extract, clothes pegs, dish-cloths, etc., and anti-mosquito liquids. The greatest of care should be taken in the selection of packing of this material. Some sort of carrier is essential, and that, too, must be decided on in advance. Some people have had constructed a two-wheeled trailer, which carries all their goods and is pulled along behind the car, while they themselves sit back among the cushions in comfort. Others haVe boxes fitted to the rear of the car or to the running-board. Whatever form is decided on. however, care should be taken to make sure that the carrier is large enough for all your equipment. The proper gear handy whenever you want it is the greatest boon a camper can have.

Where Life is Life When you hear the call of the open road And the song of the rolling hills— The rippling laughter of a sparkling brook As it canters o’er rocks and rills— When you hear the whisper of a tall pine tree, As he juggles with shafts of light— The song of a thrush, the drone of a bee— The hoot of an owl by night— When you hear the call of the open road. And you’re tired of bustle and strife, Just close the doors of your town abode And roll out where life is life.