If you are in a permanent camp where there are plenty of rocks, build a pier of stones about three feet high, leaving a hollow in the center for a fireplace, which may have a bottom of turf.
This device will save a good many back aches. Make the fireplace at the back a little narrower than the fry pan, and wider at the front. On this you may boil your potatoes, make your coffee, and fry your fish at the same time. The rocks will hold the heat, and food may be kept warm while waiting, if care is taken to have the stones on the top flat and level; in fact, I have often stewed fruit, etc., with the dish on the edge of the fireplace.
In temporary camp, cut three logs, about a foot in diameter; lay one for a back log, two for side logs, build your fire on top with small stuff, and when it falls in coals you have a convenient place to set your fry pan, coffee can, etc.
Remember that a small fire is better than a large one. With the latter you cook your face more than your food, and there is more liability of spoiling the cooking.
Hard wood is better than pine or spruce; the coals are what you want, and the longer they will remain hot the better for the cook. By no means use hemlock or cedar, as the sparks fly all over everything, burning the towels and the cook, soiling the food and setting fire to the surrounding dry leaves.
Although I prefer “frying pan bread,” I want an oven to bake beans, fish, etc., and construct it as follows: Dig a hole in the ground, preferably on the side of a knoll; line it with rocks, if possible; build a fire of hard wood within it and keep it up for a half hour at least, till the rocks or the surrounding earth is very hot; rake out the coals and ashes, leaving three to four inches of live coals and ash in the bottom. Put in whatever you have to bake, cover with the ashes. The length of this operation will depend upon so many conditions that it will be impossible to set a time, but a little experience will soon settle the question.
The evening camp fire is a great comfort, and is an altogether different proposition. Select a place in front of the tent, and some ways from it, and place a big log, or pile up several smaller ones with stakes to hold them in place, for a back log. Build the fire in front of it. Start the bottom with fine dry chips, branches, or shavings, place larger dry branches on these and top off with good sized pieces. After it is well alight, it will consume damp or even green wood. The back log will reflect the heat into the tent, and will hold the fire for a long time.
Supposing that you wake in the morning with a steady rain pouring down. Do not try to make a shift with “cold grub.” That is the time you need a warm meal. Put your rubber blanket over your shoulders, and go out. If you are wise, you will have prepared a store of dry soft wood, which will be stored in the tent, but if you have used it up or have neglected this precaution, hunt up a pine log or a dead pine tree, and chop off the outside; you will find plenty of dry wood inside. Rake open the ashes in the camp fire, where you will probably find plenty of live coals, put on your dry chips, cover with pine, fir or spruce boughs, blow up the fire and you will soon have heat enough to keep the tent dry, and coals enough to cook by. It will take a pretty hard rain to put out a good fire if once under headway.
If there are any mosquitoes, as when are there not, fasten the netting over the opening of the tent. Hard wood splinters will do the trick. Keep this netting in place as much as possible. It is much easier to keep these pests out, than to get them out afterwards. If these insects are too troublesome use the Insect Repellent freely. There are numerous preparations which can be purchased ready made. The most of them answer the purpose very well. But if you wish to make it yourself, the following recipe, furnished me by Dr. L. O. Howard, the U. S. Entomologist, is easily mixed and very good.
| 2 oz. | Oil of Citronella |
| 2 oz. | Camphor |
| 1 oz. | Oil of Cedar |