ll tent, either 12
x 14 or 14 x 16, which will accommodate from four to six fellows. An eight
ounce, mildew-proofed duck, with a ten or twelve ounce duck fly will give
excellent wear. Have a door at each end of the tent and the door ties made
of cotton cord instead of tape. Double pieces of canvas should be sewed in
all the corners and places where there is unusual strain. Manilla rope is
best for guys, and metal slides are preferable to wood. If the tents are
made to order, have a cotton cord about two feet long sewed in each seam
just under the eaves, so that one end shall hang down inside the tent and
the other outside. The walls of the tent can then be rolled up and tied so
that the tent will be thoroughly aired. Make sure that the end of the
ridge pole and of the upright poles have iron bands to prevent splitting
of the poles.

Bed on Ground

For a short-term camp, pine boughs make the best kind of a bed (see
chapter on Tramps and Hikes for description of bed). Sometimes a rubber
blanket is spread upon the ground and the boys roll themselves up in their
blankets. An old camper gives the following suggestion to those who desire
to sleep in this fashion:

The bed should be made in the afternoon while the sun is shining. To make
the bed, clear the ground of twigs and stones. The space should be about 6
x 3 feet.

A "Hip Hole"

A shovelful of dirt is removed, making a shallow, transverse trench, about
midway of the bed. This trench is the "hip hole" and the making of it
properly is what renders the bed comfortable. In making the bed the
following order should be observed:

(1) spread the rubber blanket;

(2) the blanket spread so that one-half only covers the prepared couch;

(3) then spread the woolen blankets so that the "hip hole" is in the right
place;

(4) add the pillow;

(5) fold the blankets over you and pin them with big safety pins across
the bottom and along the side.

To Keep Warm

Stewart Edward White in "Camp and Trail" tells how to keep warm when
sleeping on the ground: "Lie flat on your back. Spread the blanket over
you. Now raise your legs rigid from the hip, the blanket, of course,
draping over them. In two swift motions tuck first one edge under your
legs from right to left, then the second edge under from left to right,
and over the first edge. Lower your legs, wrap up your shoulders and go to
sleep. If you roll over, one edge will unwind but the other will tighten."

A bed tick[1]