These were the items of clothing worn by the Indians of old. Leather trousers would be ideal for working in the woods, it's true, but ordinary old pants will do as well. However, you can make cheap, long-lasting moccasins yourself.
You need an old tire, preferably one on which the tread has not been completely worn off. This will make your moccasins skid-proof.
It is really simple to make them. According to your imagination and ability, you can make anything from simple slippers to magnificently embroidered moccasins. Cut out a piece of rubber that is the size and shape of your foot and remove the excess rubber sticking up on the sidewalls. You can use this as "leather" for the tops.
You can either sew the pieces together with twine or tarred cord, or cement or staple them together. Fasten them on your feet with laces drawn through the loops sewn around the top.
But moccasins are not the only thing you can make for yourself. You can make many things that will contribute to your ease, comfort and fun in the out-of-doors.
BACTERIA LAMP
When you've strolled through the woods at night, did you ever come upon faintly glowing pieces of wood? Or have you ever seen a rotting potato that glows? The glow is not really coming from the wood or the potato, but from little bacteria growing on them. These bacteria are called phosphorescent agarics.
You can grow these agarics yourself. Cook a little beef bouillon and add enough powdered gelatin so that it will get hard when it cools. Then take the. glowing piece of wood or potato and scrape off bits of it into the lukewarm bouillon. Stir it, pour the whole thing into a wide-necked jar, and leave it alone for a while. With the good culture medium of bouillon and gelatin, the agarics will soon start to multiply, and in a few weeks the jar with the culture will give off a mild, even light. It will make a worthy lamp for your tent or hut.
MAKING "SILVERWARE"
CAMPSITE FILTERING SYSTEM
The illustration shows a filtering system set up at a spring. As you can see, it has sections for drinking, washing and laundering. The bottom of each section is lined with pebbles and sand. The flow of water from section to section should not be too strong.
WEAVING HAMMOCKS AND NETS
Follow the illustrations to make a hammock to lie in or a net to carry things or to use as a frame for the gabled hut on page 27. The strength of the cord you use depends on your purpose.
A hammock is very practical for your trapper's bivouac. You can hang it up and set up a trapper's roof or a ranger's tent over it. You will need two blankets for the hammock, one as a support (or you might use a foam rubber mat or a thick pad of grass for this purpose) and one as a cover.
BIVOUAC CLOTHING
At the bivouac, the real coldness always comes from the ground and not the air. Therefore, you should be sure the ground you lie on is well insulated against the cold. Either spread out thick layers of newspaper, or make a bed from dried twigs, hay, straw or leaves.
You do not have to dress like an Eskimo, but it is important to wear woolen clothing next to your skin. In addition, loosen all clothing which is too tight (belts, elastic sock tops, etc.). Before going to sleep always put on dry clothing, including fresh underwear. Even if you have not been drenched in the rain, your skin always loses just enough moisture, completely unnoticeable to you, so that you can get very cold in the early morning hours. A complete change of clothing helps prevent this.
LIGHTING YOUR HUT OR AERIE
Why not use technical achievements to make your wigwam comfortable ? Make yourself a power generator!
You can see the material needed in the accompanying illustration. Naturally, you can mount several generators instead of one, if you like. In addition, you will need wire, bulbs and sockets. It's worth a try.
YOUR BLANKET
This is the way to wrap yourself up in your blanket: Lie along a diagonal. First turn in the corner over your feet and then fold the two sides. To keep the blanket from coming apart at your feet when you turn in your sleep, tie a cord or belt around it. However, this should not be so tight that it binds you.
WATERPROOFING
You should waterproof your tenting cloth, rainclothes, and all sorts of other things. You can use a commercial chemical product, or you can use a natural substance such as birchbark or the bark of an oak. Prepare a brew of this, and let the material soak in it for two days.
RAIN PONCHO
Your outdoor adventures are not going to take place only when the weather is good, so you should be prepared for rain too. A raincoat is often clumsy, so why not make your own foul-weather gear?
The rain poncho illustrated here is modeled after a garment made by some Belgian scouts. Theirs was made of leather, but you can make yours of waterproofed cotton.
Sew the poncho as shown in the accompanying illustrations.
continue on to chapter 13: The Law of the Forest
