Exercises
It may be asked, what about taking exercise while motor camping? In these days most every one has his “Daily Dozen,” or two dozen flexes or genuflexes, that he takes in order to keep fit. Now, should these be kept up when in camp? Really, each one will have to settle this for himself according to his bent. Most campers will have considerable exercise in keeping the car fit, and that exercise will go a long way at the same time in the direction of keeping the car owner fit. Even if the car is in perfect mechanical condition, the chassis, the body, the upholstery will require no small amount of cleaning, washing, rubbing and dusting or brushing if it is to be kept from quite speedily showing the signs of travel. If the car should develop temperamental tendencies, such as even the most expensive cars occasionally exhibit, the question of sufficient exercise will not become acute.
If the camper uses a tent, as most campers do, there will be no small amount of exercise involved in setting it up, driving in the pins and seeing that all guy lines are taut and secure.
Care of the Car
Many campers are inclined to neglect the care of their cars, as is very evident by the unkempt and [[139]]dusty appearance that so many of them present. They are likely, too, to be equally careless and disorderly in securely adjusting the tent and in keeping everything in the way of tools in an appointed place so as to be always findable, until after waking in the night a time or two in a wind and rain storm to find the sleeping tent ballooning because of a loosened stake, and then being carried away while the rain comes down, soaking everybody, because the ax has been mislaid and there is nothing to use as a means of pounding down the stakes that hold the tent except bare fists. After one or two such experiences the importance of order and its advantages over disorder are likely to be quite clearly realized.
Aside from the exercise afforded by the effort employed in regularly tightening up any parts of the car and its gear that may have been loosened by travel, the gathering of food for the fire and other chores involved in camp life, the camper will often go hunting or fishing when in a region where hunting and fishing may be had.
In the evening, after the meal and the chores are done up, if the campers are not all too old and stiffened, there will be exercise in the way of playing ball, tossing quoits and other games for which the camper should provide in advance by including the necessary bats, balls, quoits, etc., along with the other supplies taken for the trip. [[140]]