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Design For Today   1   1933  Page: 144
 
 What Campers Travel With
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WHAT CAMPERS TRAVEL WITH

1. ON FOOT

2. BY CAR

By F. Palmer Cook

In the following article a brief attempt is made to describe what equipment is necessary for anyone contemplating a holiday as (i) a pedestrian camper; (2) a motor camper; and (3) a caravaner; and as such holidays depend for success on “knowing the game,” a few hints and tips are thrown in. It is hoped that sufficient information is given to enable the reader to be able, after a try-out on some fine week-end, to adapt it to personal requirements.

PEDESTRIAN CAMPING

A pedestrian’s outfit must of necessity be as light as possible compatible with a measure of comfort necessary for anyone doing upwards of twenty-five miles’ walking with the assurance of a good night’s rest at the end. Weight and compactness of kit are the chief factors. It is possible to get a complete kit weighing only 10 lb., but such fine limits are only for the enthusiast, and a certain amount of comfort has to be sacrificed.

The Kit. All the equipment should be carried in a rucksack with or without a carrying frame; this point has to be decided personally — the experienced “tramp” camper prefers the “sack” fitted with a frame. The well-known “Bergan” type, which is waterproof and has a light tubular steel frame, is perhaps the finest obtainable; the frame allows an air-gap between the rucksack and the back, minimising perspiration. Choose a “sack” of good capacity with two or three outside pockets.

The tent most suitable for lightweight camping should be made of finely woven material such as lawn, the cloth being waterproof without being “proofed.” The poles should be of bamboo and made in sections for convenient carriage. The ground-sheet can be obtained in light rubber or oilskin; the latter is lighter but more expensive. The total weight of tent, poles, ground-sheet and aluminium pegs should work out at about 5 ¼ lb., suitable for one person. The “Itisa” tent is recommended for one person and the small “Alaskan” for two, as illustrated on this page.

Cooking. As it is not always convenient to light a wood fire, a pocket petrol primus which weighs 1 lb. should be included. This type of stove is very efficient and may be used for any type of cooking which is likely to be required when in camp. A windscreen is essential and may easily be made of some light cloth. A suitable aluminium canteen, consisting of two saucepans and a fry-pan made to “nest,” can be obtained and weighs 10 oz. Cups and plates made of bandalasta or bakelite are strong and light and can be bought almost anywhere. Carry as few provisions as possible — all that is necessary can be obtained at the last village passed through before pitching; such essentials as tea, coffee and sugar can be carried in waterproof provision bags sold for the purpose.

Sleeping. To sleep comfortably there is nothing better than a real eiderdown sleeping bag weighing only 2 lb. and this will be found warm enough for any normal night.

Clothing should be as light and loose as possible, provided at least one garment is waterproof. The open neck and shorts of the typical “tramp camper” are by far the most comfortable. Girls can choose between skirts or shorts. Boots or shoes should be well fitting and well worn; they need not be heavy or nailed unless mountaineering is intended. Ordinary walking shoes with a fairly stout sole will meet most needs. If feet get hot or blistered, a little fat or soap rubbed inside the stocking will give relief.

Finally. A complete comfortable kit for one person including rucksack should not weigh more than 131b. 11 oz. and can be obtained in the best quality for about £9. With personal items such as comb, towel, soap, toothbrush, matches, candles, etc., the total weight can still be kept within 14 or 15 lb. For two persons sharing tent, the total weight can be kept at 12 lb. per person and the cost per person at £7.
Design For Today   1   1933  Page: 145
 
 What Campers Travel With
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MOTOR CAMPING

To enable the reader to form a basis it is assumed that the party consists of a married couple with one child, camping with a moderate-powered open two-seater car. First and foremost, no matter what accommodation is available, weight and bulk must be kept down compatible with comfort. Heavy kit makes hard work and little time for leisure. The second consideration is: How much to spend. Wise expenditure on equipment is well repaid as the holiday is made much more enjoyable and the appetite whetted for future adventures. Buy the best and have the benefit from the start. Many a beginner has been soured for life through camping with unsuitable equipment. A “make-do” kit is fatal; even if endured with the best spirit imaginable, such discomforts are unnecessary.

The Tent should be of light-weight material; the majority of tents marketed are heavy, far from weatherproof (always remembering that the enemy is wind, not water) and not by any means suitable for their purpose. A heavy tent is not necessarily a good tent—the reverse is often the case. It should not be too high, and be wide enough to permit sleeping across should the pitch be sloping; the sides should be low, and guys of cord, not rope. It is not necessary to use heavy wooden pegs; light metal pegs which can be pushed in by hand are sufficient. The writer has used a tent for several years measuring 8 ft. 6 in. long by 6 ft. q in. wide by 6 ft. high, with a double roof, and when packed with poles, pegs, ground-sheet and blanket weighs no more than 36 lb. and packs into a bundle 2 ft. 6 in. long by 12 in. diameter.

Sleeping. Do not take camp beds—they are cold, bulky and not comfortable. Air beds (“Buckta,” new pattern) which can be blown up and placed on ground blanket are warmer, pack into small compass, and when used with a real eiderdown sleeping bag are all that is required for warmth and comfort; for cold sleepers an eiderdown quilt taken from home could be added.

Cooking. The latest instant-lighting Coleman petrol stove is recommended; it does not need priming, lights instantly and gives a fierce heat which can be regulated, and can be obtained with oven if required. Primus stoves have given good service to campers for years, but paraffin and methylated spirit have to be carried, whereas petrol can be obtained from the car.

Cooking Utensils. All utensils should be of light weight aluminium, made to “nest.” Complete sets can be bought consisting of three saucepans with lids which form fry-pans. A kettle and teapot can be added, although they take up valuable space and the best tea can be made in a saucepan; cups, saucers and plates of bandalasta (which is tasteless and made to “nest”), knives, forks and spoons, carried in a home-made loose bag, corkscrew and tin opener, glass screw-top jars for butter, jam, etc., and two half-size biscuit tins for bread, biscuits and cakes. A small wicker hamper for perishable goods can be placed outside under the tent eaves, where the air can penetrate it and farm dogs cannot steal the contents. If the camper is a handy man a store-box can be made with a fall down front with partitions for cups, saucers, tea and sugar caddies, saucepans, etc.; this can be carried on running board of car together with stove ready for a quick picnic meal on the road. See illustration on page 147.

Washing. Canvas bowls and buckets can be purchased, also a cheap tin bowl and mop for washing up.

Sanitary Arrangements. A small tent or screen should be purchased or made, and erected a distance from the tent. Dig a narrow deep trench and when used cover immediately with dry earth. Earth is the best deodorant and is more sanitary than the usual country privy. A small spade should be carried for this purpose, and also for digging a rubbish pit near the tent. Remove turf first and replace when striking camp.

Clothing. This is a matter of personal taste; don’t overdo it. An open-necked shirt, shorts and jacket are all a man needs, and a light mac. Don’t carry Wellingtons—walk in the early morning dew with bare feet and change into shoes when the grass is dry.

Packing. The whole of this equipment can be carried in a two-seater car, using the dickey and carrier as storage space. The writer has camped with wife and child for a fortnight with this equipment, a folding table and two deck chairs, with a Morris 11-9 two-seater open car, without using the carrier and with the dickey lid locked down, the stove, store-box and two gallons of water only carried outside. Camp could be pitched in twenty minutes and packed ready for the road in half an hour.
The writer strongl
y recommends anyone taking up the pastime to first join the Camping Club of Great Britain and Ireland, whose headquarters are at 3 Greville Street, Hatton Garden, Holborn, London, E.C.1.
Design For Today   1   1933  Page: 146
 
 What Campers Travel With
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These pictures show the complete equipment for the pedestrian camper, laid out, packed in the rucksack, and in use. [Weight, 14 lb.)
Design For Today   1   1933  Page: 147
 
 What Campers Travel With
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Here is the same thing for the motor camper, who has room for a much more elaborate and luxurious outfit.