Two New York Couples
Two New York couples forming a one-car touring party went motor camping through the Hudson River country. Their outfit was somewhat elaborate, and for the ladies consisted of toilet articles, underwear, flannel underskirts, linen shirt-waists [[10]]without collars, gray flannel shirt-waists, sweaters, high water-proof shoes with heavy soles, woolen kimonos, sun bonnets, motoring bonnets, heavy raincoats, khaki skirts, flannel night-dresses, stockings (including extra pairs of heavier weight), and slippers.
The men confined themselves to heavy flannel and khaki shirts, and two silk and wool negligee shirts each. In addition they took regular summer underwear and a set of woolens apiece. Besides khaki suits for use when motoring, they took along old suits which had been discarded for street and business wear.
Having sent for the catalogues of a number of sporting-goods houses, they selected from them and bought two patent automobile tents made of sea-island cotton and oiled in such a manner as to water-proof them. Each tent had a telescopic tent pole. The center of the rear tent wall was made to be guyed from the steering wheel of the car and the two corners of the rear wall were guyed to front and rear car wheels, thus providing two one-family houses, one on each side of the car.
This party was provided with a combination cooking outfit which included four cooking pots, coffee-pot, tea-pot, two frying pans, and four each of plates, cups, soup bowls, knives, forks, dessert spoons, and tea spoons. All these articles were of aluminum except the frying pans, and all nested in the large pot which was ten inches across and eleven inches high. The frying pans had folding handles. [[11]]There was also a porcelain, salt, pepper and mustard set that nested together, and two oblong cake pans, one slightly larger than the other. They took eight woolen blankets, four camp stools, a patent grate, a three-quarter size ax in sheath, a thirty-caliber rifle, a shotgun, fishing tackle and collapsible table.
The provisions taken consisted of tobacco, prepared coffee, pea-soup powder, tabloid tea, evaporated milk, flour, sugar, salt pork, bacon, cheese, baking powder, baking soda, beef-tea cubes, sweet chocolate and soda crackers.
The clothing was carried packed in four suit cases fastened to the trunk rack of the car. The tents were carried in large duffle bags on the running board, and the remainder of the outfit in bags placed in the tonneau.
The party at each stop made “a real Indian fire,” as they called it, by clearing a space on the ground about four feet across. Then with some yellow birch bark which they had previously gathered they kindled a small fire, later adding small branches, so that in a few minutes they had a low fire of pure coals. Next, two forked sticks sharpened at one end were driven into the ground, a cross pole was laid in the forks, and by means of a couple of wire links the coffee-pot was hung from the pole about eight inches above the fire. Soon the pot was boiling, and, adding evaporated cream, the coffee was ready.
The beds were fashioned in this wise. They [[12]]selected several small saplings about an inch and a half in diameter, and cutting them off just above a convenient crotch at the top, pointed the lower end, leaving the stick about twenty inches long. These were driven about a foot into the ground, forming thus four bed-posts. In driving the posts it was arranged so that the crotches were toward each other. Across were laid poles on each side. Again, across these longitudinal rails were laid a row of birch branches about three-quarters of an inch in diameter. While this foundation for a bed was being prepared the women would industriously gather a sufficient supply of balsam twigs to cover these improvised beds to a depth of eight inches. Over these last were spread the blankets, and they had beds fit for a king.
The cooking experience of this party was also successful. They mixed dough and put it in a greased cake tin. After raking away the coals they put the tin in the hole where the fire had been. The other cake tin was then placed on top, and the ashes and coals were heaped on over it. In fifteen minutes the hot bread was cooked to a turn. Potatoes in soaked newspapers were put under the ashes and came out in about half an hour cooked to perfection.
Thus these New Yorkers went motor camping for two weeks up and down the Hudson and Connecticut valleys at very small expense and with health-giving enjoyment. [[13]]