Clothing and Equipment

If every item a big-game hunter needs on a ten-day hunt were tabulated on a strip of paper, the list would look as long as a polygamist's clothesline. However, when properly packed, the total duffel need be neither heavy nor bulky—if sensible items are chosen.

On a recent polar trip of a month's duration, neither my partner's nor my own gear—exclusive of the sleeping bag which the outfitter provided each of us—exceeded the 66 pounds allowed by the airlines. This gear in­cluded a heavy rifle each, and we had everything needed for a good hunt. Again, on another British Columbia big-game hunt of three weeks we agreed on a duffel limit of 150 pounds per man for the chartered plane. My own gear, including a heavy press camera, weighed 108 pounds.

The tendency of the beginning hunter is to drag along everything except the kitchen sink. The veteran hunter tends to go light but right. Every item of his personal outfit is well chosen for its intended purpose, and his motto is, "If you don't use an item every day, leave it home." However, this pre­cept must be modified somewhat in big-game hunting due to changes of weather, species of game, and changes of hunting terrain encountered dur­ing the hunt.

The fundamental gear for big-game hunting includes clothes, personal items, camp equipment and food (if the hunter isn't outfitted), and packag­ing for the same.

It is axiomatic that if a big-game hunter can be kept warm, dry, and well-fed, the chances of his hunt being a success are increased. Due to the storms of hunting country, the long hours on the trail or the chase, keeping warm, dry, and well-fed is temporarily impossible. But in choosing the  equipment, some provision should always be made so that the hunter can become warm and dry, with a full belly, without too much delay.

FUNCTION OF CLOTHING

Before getting into the various types of suitable clothing for big-game hunting, it would be well to understand the true function of proper body covering.

First, no clothing, regardless of material, is either cold or warm, per se. Warm clothing is warm only in that it provides a layer of insulation next to the body, allowing the body heat to be retained, and inducing a feeling of warmth. Conversely, cold clothing does not insulate, but allows the body heat to escape, inducing a feeling of cold. This condition is aggravated both by the incidence of body perspiration, which cools as it evaporates, and the presence of wind.

For the big-game hunter, who fluctuates between strenuous effort and rest, between warmth and cold, clothing must perform three functions: It must provide a layer of insulation; a measure of thickness to absorb body perspiration; and some sort of shell, layer, or covering to keep wind from spoiling the effectiveness of the insulation.

Entirely waterproof clothing performs only one of these functions; hence it is either cold or hot depending on the weather and season. Wet or damp clothing likewise becomes cold.

In choosing clothing to fit the kind of weather and temperatures expected during a hunt, the advice of the outfitter, a hunting friend who has made such a hunt, or even the suggestions of the inhabitants of that particular area can be most helpful.

Next, make sure that all hunting garments are large and loose-fitting enough, so as not to hamper your movements while you are physically active. Plan to purchase any new hunting garment well in advance of the hunt, so that any alterations can be made, and the garment can be tried out before taking it afield—even if you just wear it around the house for a few hours to break it in.

UNDERWEAR, PANTS, SHIRTS

For warm-weather hunting, cotton underwear of the union-suit type is fine. The standard cotton shorts worn at home had best be left there. The big-game hunter needs the extra length both for comfort in cool weather and high altitude and for leg protection against brush, sudden wettings, and the friction and galling of horseback riding.

Next in underwear warmth are the thermal knitted cotton garments, either in two-piece or union-suit style. This type of quilted knit provides an added measure of thickness, which gives absorbency to perspiration and added insulation. It is good for cool fall days and is easily laundered even at camp.

For cold weather, snow, and freezing nights, underwear of the laminated kind, which has an outer layer of wool and an inner layer of cotton (to prevent itching), is one of the most useful ever developed. These should be purchased in two-piece type so that one piece may be worn at a time, depending on the weather and the hunter's activity.

In the Far North, the standard fall and winter underwear has long been the double-barreled, trap-door, heavy woolen "Long Johns." I've been told by Canadian bushmen that, with the first heavy frosts, natives often sewed them on for the winter and emerged, as if from hibernation, in the spring. They're fine cold-weather garments, though not as adaptable as the duo-type.

For the coldest weather, such as that encountered hunting elk in deep snow and high altitudes and polar bear in the Arctic, the warmest under­wear is the quilted type insulated with down or Dacron. The down-filled kind are warmer, though more expensive and harder to launder than the Dacron-filled type.

Such garments are usually worn over a light suit of cotton underwear and will keep the hunter warm in subzero temperatures. The cotton garment is easily laundered and prolongs the "sweetness" of the insulated one. I know several hunters who wear the shirt part of down-insulated underwear as an outer garment, or coat, while hunting rams at elevations of 10,000 to 12,-000 feet, where it is cold even in early fall, and every additional ounce of weight the sheep hunter must carry is a burden.

Hunting pants include pants of cotton twill and duck, denim jeans, light woolen pants, heavy mackinaw-cloth woolen pants, and the down-insulated pants made for subzero temperatures.

Except for the extremes of hunting temperatures, perhaps the denim riding pants, often called Levis, and the heavy woolen pants are the most usable. Levis are inexpensive, tough, blend fairly well in color with rocky,mountainous terrain, and are cut to protect the groin when horseback rid­ing. The heavy woolen pants are best in cold weather when walking in snow. Woolen pants are "warm and dry even when they're cold and wet," and they don't swish noisily like Levis.

The two best materials for the hunting shirt are cotton and wool. Cotton hunting shirts are fine for mild weather, such as the antelope and deer sea­son in September. For colder weather, woolen hunting shirts are best. Their thickness and warmth should be determined by the coldness and wetness of the weather expected. Two light woolen shirts may be worn during extreme cold. The shirts may be "peeled down" (and up) during temperature changes.

FOOTWEAR

The feet are critical areas for the hunter. They must carry him while walking often unaccustomed distances. Unconditioned feet will swell. They will sweat and are very apt to blister. Toenails will be blackened by poking toes violently forward into new hunting boots while hiking down steep hills. Crippled feet will put a hunter out of sorts and commission as fast as any­thing you can name, so great care should be taken to obtain the right kind of footwear.

Nylon and cotton socks are fine for mild-weather hunting. Light woolen socks are even better, and may be doubled as temperatures get colder.

Leather boots with high tops and non-slip soles are suitable for hunt­ing in dry, cool weather.

Heavy woolen socks are best for use in uninsulated hunting pacs and boots, or when walking in deep snow. Their bulky tops help keep the snow off the pants and legs.

Weight of the hunting boots is a vital consideration, and whenever pos­sible it is wise to choose the lighter weight. Extra ounces of boots, multi­plied by the number of steps a big-game hunter takes in ten miles of walk­ing in mountainous country, add up to a prodigious tonnage.

For mild-weather hunting in muskeg, where the feet are constantly wet, moccasins made of heavy moosehide are mighty fine after you become accustomed to wearing them. They are easily dried without stiffening each night, and are usable again next morning. The light rubber Bar-Flex type of moccasin many Canadian hunters wear over heavy woolen socks are likewise fine for mild weather. They are better for climbing the rocks in sheep and goat country than the moosehide variety as their cleated soles stick tightly to slick and uneven surfaces.

For average big-game hunting, two basic types of boots are most often

Shoe pacs, with their leather tops and rubber bottoms, are ideal for mild-weather hunting in rain, light snow, or  muskeg. used. One is an all-leather boot, usually from 8 to 10 inches high, which is best when equipped with "cord," neoprene, or rubber-cork soles to prevent slippage. The other is a leather-top, rubber-bottom hunting pac, of similar height, and meant for use in rain, light snow, and muskeg.

Any boot of this kind should be purchased one-half size larger than the hunter's dress shoe. This added dimension takes care of the inevitable foot swelling during hard walking, and allows for the use of heavy socks and often felt innersoles, which in themselves protect and insulate the feet.

For dry, cool weather, the all-leather hunting boots with composition soles and tops that are not over 10 inches high can't be beat. For wet, mild weather, the leather-top, rubber-bottom pacs of similar height are the best footgear yet developed. However, for cold weather, pacs are an abomina­tion. They become sweaty, clammy, and colder than the left nostril of a hound.

Where real cold enters the hunting picture, the best bet is to go to in­sulated hunting boots of similar height and materials—the one difference being an added insulation of foam rubber or other material inside the boot's lining.

For the most extreme cold weather, two other types of footgear represent the best developments yet. A pair of 12-inch felt gaiters worn over a pair of heavy woolen socks and inside a pair of 4-buckle rubber overshoes, or arctics, will keep most men's feet warm down to zero. For subzero use, Eskimo mukluks are the very best, the only type of footwear that will keep the feet from freezing during long hours of outside exposure. Mukluks are hair boots of nearly knee height, worn over an inner boot having the hair turned inside.

GLOVES

The hands and fingers are also critical areas in cold weather. Good hunt­ing gloves should provide both protection and warmth.

In mild weather, authentic buckskin gloves (the short ones, not the fancy gauntlet type which habitually collect twigs and leaves on the sleeves) are the best possible hand covering for work around camp, handling horses, ropes, and saddles, and for hunting on horseback.

Next in warmth, most inexpensive, and one of the most usable gloves ever developed are the knitted brown jersey gloves, obtainable at most any store. Their one fault is that they are not waterproof. A pair of these jersey gloves worn inside a pair of leather mittens will keep the hands warm in very cold weather. Even better is a pair of rabbit-lined leather driving gloves.

For extreme cold, such as in the Arctic, the warmest mittens invented are the down-filled mitts of gauntlet design. The uppers come well up over the wrists, shutting out any draft, and the hand portions are made with an inside pocket, enabling the fist to be doubled, and a mouton backing for wiping snow and moisture off the nose and face. Such down mitts often are used in combination with a pocket hand-warmer, which is heated by lighter fluid and carried in the coat pocket.

HUNTING COATS

Hooded parkas, down or woolen coats, and heavy woolen pants are necessary when hunting in cold, high country.

The choice of a hunting coat largely depends on the type of foliage en­countered in the hunting country, the degree of cold and storm expected, and the wearer's physical conditioning.

The most useful mild-weather hunting coat is a denim jacket which matches the denim Levi riding pants. Such a coat is tough as boiled owl, resists snagging on limbs far better than most materials, is trim, light weight, inexpensive—and you seldom see a big-game hunter wearing one. The rea­son? The virtues of the denim jacket haven't been discovered by the average hunter.

However, consider that most every guide, horse wrangler, and stockman in the West habitually uses a denim jacket while riding horseback. There's no better garment made for riding through snaggy brush. Woolen, nylon, cotton, and down coats in such terrain will soon be torn to ribbons. But an old "ducking jumper" takes it and wants more. For colder weather, such horsemen simply buy the kind with flannel lining.

Other suitable hunting coats include the heavy woolen shirts with the tails cut square so they may be worn outside the belt, down vests and coats, and for the most extreme cold, down-filled, hooded, and fur-ruffed parkas.

One of the most useful coats for average big-game hunting conditions is the woolen cruiser-stag made of heavy mackinaw-type cloth, with double thicknesses at the shoulders and cuffs for added warmth and wind protec­tion. The coat has ample pockets for the numerous small articles the big-game hunter habitually lugs along. It is usually red to conform to the hunt­ing regulations of many states.

One other coat which should always go along on any big-game hunt is an entirely waterproof raincoat. Unless the raincoat is hooded, a rubber rain hat and rubber pants should complement it. A most useful type of water­proof rain pants used in the West are rubber "lambing chaps," which can be made up by any good canvas-and-awning house and cost around three dollars.

HEADGEAR

In cold weather, one fact should be kept in mind. The human brain is used more than the extremities; therefore more blood circulates through it. More body heat may be lost by having a cold head than by having cold hands. It is odd, but by keeping the head warm, the hands and feet are kept correspondingly warmer. In choosing headgear, this fact is worth remem­bering, especially for older, balding men whose heads have a tendency to grow up through their hair.

Fur-ruffed   parkas,   down-insulated   clothing,  and   Eskimo   mukluks combat extreme arctic cold.

Hunting caps are made of nylon, cotton twill, corduroy, wool, and leather. Some are down-filled. Most are red in color, to conform to hunting laws, and most have earflaps in case of wind or sudden drops in temper­ature.

One of the best mild-weather hunting caps is a nylon ski cap such as the professionals wear. For colder weather a woolen or down-filled cap should be chosen. Such a cap should always be equipped with earflaps and a stiff peak long enough to keep the direct rays of the sun, twigs, rain, etc., out of the eyes. Even in the Arctic, where the hunter wears a fur-ruffed parka, such a cap is useful in wind, especially if the hunter uses eyeglasses, to keep the fur out of his eyes.

CHANGE OF CLOTHES

It is wise to make everlastingly certain that on any prolonged big-game hunt you take along one complete change of clothes from the hide out (except rain gear and the heavy outer coat). Mild mishaps such as falling into the creek, getting caught out in sudden storms, or tearing the seat out of the britches while straddling logs all have a way of happening around a hunting camp, necessitating an abrupt change of clothing.

Also, after a few days of hard hunting and sweating, and without the convenience of the home tub, most hunters begin to acquire an aroma com­parable to that of an old soured churn. A quick dip in the creek or lake, plus fresh clothes, makes one more acceptable in woods society again.

BEDDING

Closely allied to the matter of clothes is the hunter's bed. The only suit­able bed is a good sleeping bag. Dacron and similar synthetic fibers make good filling for bags meant for use in mild weather. But the only really good sleeping bag for the big-game hunter is a down-filled bag. Regardless of the warmth of the autumn days, the nights of big-game hunting seasons range from cool to downright cold, often below zero. A down-filled bag will keep the hunter warm where others won't, and is least expensive in the long run.

The sleeping bag should be of a size to fit the hunter, and should have either a cotton sheet or inner liner, which is easily laundered and will keep the down bag clean. In extreme cold, even the down bag may be warmed by the addition of a woolen blanket folded and placed inside.

Some pillows meant for sleeping-bag use are of the rubber, blow-up type. Others are integral with the air mattress. Experienced outdoorsmen find few of these adequate. The best pillow is a small feather-filled or foam-

Down-filled sleeping bags are best for cold nights in big-game country. Oblong-shaped Eddie Bauer bag (above) is warm at 30 degrees below zero; compact Alaska mummy bag (below), for milder weather, is comfortable at 25 degrees above zero.

rubber pillow, rolled up inside the bag and ready for use when the hunter is tired.

The rubber air mattress has long been the standard item for use with the sleeping bag and is still the difference between an outdoor night of comfort and a night of misery. It should only be blown up enough so that when lying on your side on top the bag, your hips can be just made to bump on the ground if you bounce gently up and down. Too much air is like sleeping on a plank. Plastic air mattresses are not worth packing to the hills; they won't take the hard use in a hunting camp.

Recently an invention has come along which threatens eventually to re­place the air mattress in those hunting camps where portability to and from camp is no great problem. That's the insulated, folding camp cot.

This item has four aluminum leg bars which set into light side rails built right into the cot with spring tension. This lifts the cot approximately 8 inches off the ground, protecting the sleeper from moisture and insects. Its down or Dacron insulation is not only comfortable but eliminates that cold­ness of a rubber mattress long thought to be unavoidable in a mattress. The entire cot folds neatly inside a small package about 30 inches long and maybe 8 inches wide. It is easily carried on horses, car, boat, or plane.

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT

Personal items of the big-game hunter's equipment include a first-aid kit, shaving kit, toothbrush, camera, film, any medicine his doctor requires him to take (and I've seen hunters have to go home because they forgot it), eyeglass case, money, and similar necessities.

THE RIFLE

In ninety cases out of a hundred, one rifle, properly sighted-in before­hand and carefully taken care of during the trip, is all any big-game hunter needs. Some hunters say that a spare rifle should be carried along, just in case, and they cite instances where a rifle has been put out of commission.

During my own thirty-four years of hunting big game, from Mexico to Alaska, I've seen two instances of this. One rifle's scope cross hairs sud­denly snapped for no apparent reason. Another fine rifle had its stock broken off at the grip because a knot-headed horse suddenly barreled the wrong way around a pine tree and hooked the rifle butt along the bole. In both instances, the hunters were with partners who had rifles; in addition, the guide accompanying them had his rifle to be used as a spare.

The biggest drawback to lugging along two or three rifles is the matter of transportation. Once you arrive at road's end the rifle often has to go on a horse. Seldom are there more than enough available riding horses to have a spare, and two scabbards on one horse is like hauling a bicycle in the back of a station wagon for emergency. Among the numerous outfitters who have packed me into the hills, I know only one who, if he had to pack a hunter's two rifles, would not lay back his ears and bellow his head off.

THE SCABBARD

The rifle scabbard is another important item. Regardless of the outfitter's policy, it is always smart for the hunter to provide his own. It should be made of heavy cowhide, fit the rifle, and cover the gun at least as far as the grip. Those short, surplus military scabbards advertised at army stores are useless for anything except lever-action carbines.

In an effort to provide a rifle scabbard suitable for most any use, I had a local saddle maker make one that would encase the entire rifle and scope and cover the butt as well. This scabbard not only is a real protection to the rifle while on a plane, boat, car, or dog sled, but is also fine for use in horseback hunting. It has made long trips to Alaska, the Arctic, Alberta, traveled all over the West, and no rifle has ever been damaged while in it.

EQUIPMENT AND FOOD

The question of camp equipment and food is answered in advance if the hunter makes reservations with an outfitter who furnishes everything except personal items—as most of them do. This, of course, should be ascertained in advance. However, usually a "furnished" hunt includes all personnel such as guides, wrangler, cook, etc., and all camp equipment and food.

When the hunting party goes on its own, then all such items must be furnished by the party. Transportation of the gear to and from the hunting camp must also be considered.

Beginning hunters often make major mistakes in the selection of both food and equipment. One of the best ways of avoiding error is to include in the party, if at all possible, an experienced hunter or camper, then heed his suggestions. The twin mistakes of the tyro are that he usually takes too much food and equipment, and much of it is of the wrong kind.

The basic camp equipment for any hunt includes the tent, stove, lantern, axes, saw, shovel, waterproof tarp, and camp cooking and eating uten­sils. The type of gear depends upon the number in the party, the kind of country, the season of year, and the length of the intended hunt.

TENTS

For mild weather, a baker-type tent will do for a party of two. The cooking fire is placed before the open front; the hunters sleep at the slop ing rear, and the reflected heat of the fire provides the needed warmth. For three or four hunters, in mild weather, the baker tent may be augmented by a 7-by-7-foot tepee tent, which will sleep two of the party. Incidentally, allow 25 square feet per person for sleeping space.

 

A favorite of big-game hunters, the wall tent is easily heated and has sufficient head room for cooking indoors. Courtesy of Fulton Co.

However, for all average big-game hunting in any area and for any size party, no tent yet devised beats a good wall tent with a stove. Such a tent provides head room while cooking inside, eating, and moving about. It is easily heated, is warm in any kind of weather, and protects the entire party and outfit. A white tent is far more cheerful inside than a colored tent.

An 8-by-10-foot wall tent will accommodate two hunters, if they don't mind being a bit cramped. Sleeping bags are piled up during the day to provide room and laid back down at night. A tent of 12-by-14-foot size is ideal for four hunters.

Any tent should be entirely waterproof, and this should be determined in advance. The best way for the city-dweller to make sure is to set the tent up on the lawn and turn the hose on it. One leak in a tent, especially if it occurs during violent rain and over your bed, can spoil a hunting trip.

Most veteran outdoorsmen immediately upon buying any wall tent will have a canvas shop sew an additional foot or two of canvas around the bottom edge, extending the tent height that much. This allows standing room inside  so that no one has to go around humped over.

For milder-weather hunting, and a party of two men, several other forms of tents may be used. These include the explorer tent, the forester tent, and their variations.

The explorer tent has a high front in which the door opening appears and a sloping ridge which tapers down at the rear. It is set up by staking down the bottom edge all around, then erecting the front upon two shear poles and stretching the ridge tightly downward to the rear.

A forester tent is somewhat similar in shape, but is set up with the two shear poles in front, and the ridge stretched over another pole reaching from the front shear to the earth behind the tent. In stretching the forester tent tight, two angles of roof are created in the fabric, quite like the two pitches of a large dairy barn.

The virtues of both types are that they are light, snug, and easily set up. The explorer may be closed against mosquitoes with netting over the door. And the main feature of the forester is that a fire may be set closely in front of its open end.

For emergency use, pup tents, or even ponchos which may double as tents, offer some protection. These are simple A wedges of canvas or rub­berized material, stretched tightly over some form of ridgepole.

For those camper-hunters who want to use their trailer-house for hunting, there are several types of trailer tents available. These are usually awning-type tents, fastening onto the trailer contour. Some have a tent that can be erected adjacent to the trailer, and the awning can be stretched between.

For mild weather, when the hunter wishes to camp at his car, the trailer type of tent, or the umbrella tent with an awning is commonly used.

STOVES

Camp stoves come in a variety of types. Some stoves are made of per­manently welded iron and must be hauled intact. Other folding sheet-iron stoves have ingenious arrangements whereby they may be taken down, folded flat, and hauled as a neat bundle. Some have telescoping stovepipes, others have the standard lengths of 4-inch pipe, used in conjunction with a fireproof pipe collar.

The outdoor magazines continuously advertise these camp stoves and they are entirely suitable. Also, the military developed several compact folding sheet-iron stoves during World War II, and some are still available in army surplus stores. Many veteran outdoorsmen have their own stoves made to their specifications. When one does this, and doesn't mind a bit of extra weight, it is an advantage to have the top made of heavier metal than the sides to prevent buckling when heated.

A two-burner gasoline stove makes a fine addition to the wall tent and metal stove. During mild days, or when one is in a hurry, say, to get a quick lunch, the gasoline stove can be quickly lit, used, and turned off. An adequate tent warmer can be made by cutting an inverted number 2 washtub with two holes, one for the pipe and one for feeding wood. Cut the hole for the wood on three sides only, leaving a hinged door that can be closed.

LIGHTS

The standard camp light has long been the gasoline lantern. It is better to use the single burner—fewer mantles to carry along, less to get out of order, and the light is nearly as adequate.

Electric camp lights—the big ones run on a single large battery—are being increasingly used. Too, the small gas-operated lamps using a small disposable cartridge are making an appearance in hunting camps. They are perhaps safer than gasoline lanterns but are far more expensive to operate.

AXES AND SAWS

Camp axes for logging up stove wood, tent poles, and for clearing out down timber around the camp vary in size and utility. For most camps, two such cutting tools will suffice. One is a double-bitted ax, with 2 ½-pound head and 28-inch handle. The other is a Swedish bow saw with 30-inch blade. Regardless of the amount of camp wood to cut and the size of the party, those two tools will handle the job best. An ax doesn't have to have a 5-pound head to be highly efficient. Two cutting edges on an ax make it virtually as effective as two single-bits. And nothing goes through stove wood faster than the ribbonlike blade of a bow saw.

Two-burner gasoline stove is clean and fast for cooking outdoors in mild weather.

COOKING UTENSILS

Camp cooking utensils should include a large pail for carrying and heat­ing water, coffeepot of suitable size, pots for cooking vegetables, the equivalent of a 12-inch frying pan or skillet for each two people in the party, and if at all possible, a medium-sized Dutch oven. No better camp cooking utensil has ever been developed than the Dutch oven. It will bake, fry, broil, roast, and stew. More, it retains an even heat.

A sheath can be made for a single- or double-bit ax with the pat­terns shown above. Then leather is cut accordingly, riveted and equipped with a strap and buckle (below).

Camp dishes vary. The nesting aluminum kits are compact and easily packed. Most veteran campers, however, find extensive use for the kettles, coffeepot, and inside pots, but immediately throw away the aluminum plates and cups. An aluminum coffee cup will hold a scalding heat long after the coffee is too cold to drink, and an aluminum plate gets cold and greasy almost before the steak hits it. Such items are often replaced with enameled ware of suitable size.

The important thing in camp dishes is to make sure that each of the party has an individual plate, cup, spoon, knife, fork, and small bowl or dish for cereal, fruit, etc. Stainless-steel cutlery is excellent, and the only necessary individual "eating" knife is a small paring knife with sharp 4-inch blade for cutting steak. Such a knife will fit inside the kit where a long one won't, and the short, sharp blade will also cut the butter and spread the bread.

Two men on a bow saw make short work of hefty stove logs.
Cutlery for the cook's use should include a butcher knife, a long-handled fork and large spoon (slaving over a hot stove is hot on the hands), pan­cake or egg turner, and some kind of hotpad. Nothing is hotter than the handle of a cast-iron skillet or the lid of a Dutch oven.

With the cutlery should be included, of course, the necessary dishtowels and soap for laundering the dirty dishes. Incidentally, regardless of prefer­ences, the man who does the cooking in camp never has to do any dishes.

It is also an unwritten law in any hunting camp that the first one who com­plains about the cooking immediately has to take over the job himself.

Nested aluminum pots are easily packed, but many campers prefer enameled cups and plates which do not heat up and cool off so rapidly.

FOOD

Food can either make or spoil any hunting trip. As mentioned before, only a well-fed hunter is ever a completely happy hunter. This entails not only enough food, but the right type of food for the usually strenuous work of big-game hunting.

It is hard to believe how intelligent people can often go so far wrong in the matter of what food to take to camp. I've seen fellows haul along pounds of candy, cookies, fancy cakes, and similar knick-knacks for a week's elk hunt, while actually forgetting such staples as coffee, flour, and meat.

Grub lists for camp use will naturally be as varied as the people making them up. Food lists should be mildly varied, to fit the tastes of the individ­ual. However, any camp food should include those basic items necessary to a well-balanced diet and be sufficiently ample to cover the needs of in­dividual taste, increased appetites, and possible emergency. It is a long, hard pull from many a hunting camp back to the corner grocery.

The simplest formula for taking the right foods to camp is this: Multiply the amounts of the same foods the hunter, or hunters, eat at home daily by the expected number of days of the trip; include two or three basic foods for use in emergency; and add a margin of twenty-five per cent. Do this for breakfast and supper, but alter the items of the noon meal, since lunch, while hunting, is often either non-existent, or of the candy-bar-sandwich-orange variety.

It works out like this:
Suppose four hunters are going. Suppose all agree that in the morning such things as juice, coffee, bacon, eggs, and toast would represent a good breakfast. Assume also that each man would eat about 6 ounces of juice, 2 ounce of coffee, a tablespoonful of sugar for the two cups, 2 squirts of canned milk, 1/7 pound of bacon, 2 eggs, and 2 slices of bread with 2 pats of butter.

If these amounts are multiplied by four (hunters) times ten (ten-day hunt) the total amount will represent the amount of food needed for all breakfasts while on the trip. Naturally, someone will prefer ham to bacon, hotcakes to toast, and so forth. Such changes can be made and the items for which they are substituted lessened in amount.

The items necessary for supper can be handled the same way, and the lunches arrived at similarly. It is wise, in making up the food list, to have each member of the party present, state his preferences, and help arrive at the total. When the list is tentatively completed, multiply each amount by an added one-fourth for a safety margin. At camp hunters eat like horses and there is always the probability of running out of some items and having to substitute others. If the approximate balance of meat, vegetables, and fruit eaten at home is maintained, the diet won't be lopsided in any direc­tion.

For camp use, it will be found that meat is hard to transport. Most wise campers plan on taking along fresh meat for the first day or so, then chang­ing over to cured meat such as ham, bacon, and canned meats. Before these get monotonous, all hunters hope to have fresh liver, heart, and later meat from downed game.

One of the best staples to have along for emergency use is an extra bag of flour or hotcake flour. Another is an extra amount of fresh potatoes. With these two items, and with any game down in camp, a party could become snowed in or endure similar emergency for a month if necessary.

PACKING

Lastly, in the matter of hunting equipment, is some form of adequate packaging to protect the gear en route and for protection and storage at camp. Such covering, cases, or packaging is necessary for all items of gear and is the very best insurance for expensive equipment.

For sleeping bags, the Navy sleeping-bag covers made up for officers' use during the last war are among the best covering. These consist of a canvas bottom, sides that fold over, and straps that buckle the bedroll completely inside, then around the rolled bed. A waterproof tarp of suitable size, folded around the sleeping bag, then tied with nylon rope with an express hitch is also fine protection for the bedroll. I've looked thirty years for an absolutely waterproof sleeping-bag cover to be used in transit in wet weather. The only one I ever found was made by a friend from the cloth top of a convertible.

For personal items of gear and extra clothing, the Army and Navy duffel bags measuring approximately 30 inches long and 16 inches in diameter are among the best, handiest, and safest containers. Commercial leather-bound duffel bags of similar shape are now available.

Gasoline lanterns are best packed in proper-sized plywood boxes which have room inside for extra mantles, funnel, and generator. I made such a box many years ago, having a hinged lid and a carrying handle. That light box has carried my lantern for thousands of miles, on everything from a pack mule to a river boat—and I have yet to break even a mantle on the lantern during transit.

Axes should have sheaths, at least over the cutting edges. So should the bow saw. Even a hunk of burlap tightly wound around the ax blade will prevent accidental cutting of gear or people. And a fine sheath for the bow­saw blade is a length of old garden hose, split along one side, set over the blade's teeth, and tied here and there with cord.

Dishes are best hauled in a box into which they will fit snugly. Camp dish kits are often nested, then the works set inside a heavy-canvas bag sewed to fit and having a drawstring closure.

A fair makeshift box for hauling groceries is a wooden orange crate, ob­tainable at many food stores. Two such crates, filled with groceries and balanced as to weight, are often packed (after being wrapped in mantas) on a pack animal and successfully hauled to camp. Later, the orange crates can be nailed together for a cupboard for storing the same food in the tent.

The best possible container for packaging the food en route is a pair of wooden boxes, or "kitchens," made especially for the purpose. These boxes are usually made of light plywood and range in size from 20 to 24 inches long, 10 to 12 inches wide, and 15 to 18 inches high. Some have their hinged lid arranged so that when opened and put together the lids become a small table. Often the boxes are partitioned inside.

Such a pair of grub boxes are the handiest things imaginable for hauling the food, either in the truck, station wagon, or car. Where horse transporta­tion is necessary at road's-end, the filled and balanced boxes are simply wrapped and become a pair of cargoes for a pack animal.

A similar pair of boxes called "alforjas boxes" are most useful, especially when horse transportation is used to reach camp. These are light rectangu­lar boxes made to fit exactly inside the canvas saddlebags used on a pack saddle. Sometimes, they have hinged lids. On others, a canvas flap is used. Many alforjas boxes have open tops, permitting them to be used with loads that bulge or stick out on top. These boxes will carry any such gear as food, clothing, even quarters of venison on the trip back, or oats for the horses.

My own alforjas boxes measure 23 inches long, 11 inches wide, and 17 inches tall. They fit snugly into most saddlebags. On the ends of each one, 4 inches down from the top, I have attached hardwood cleats, diagonally. These are used when lashing the boxes onto a mule's spine without any available covering for the boxes. As an added protection to gear, I've made these boxes exactly to fit a pair of inside rubber bags. These heavy water­proof bags slip inside and nearly fill the boxes. Any type of duffel, even to delicate binoculars, cameras, and other breakables can be packaged inside the rubber bags, and slipped into the alforjas boxes. Regardless of what the mule does, the gear will get to where it's going without damage or loss.

The last important piece of equipment is a small notebook and pencil for making up grub and equipment lists.

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