Motor Camping

In these days when the gypsy habit is being contracted by many thousands who tour to the southlands in the winter season and across the continent during the summertime there are many who find it most convenient to have special caravan car bodies which in effect are land yachts or traveling bungalows. Some of a mechanical turn or training will take one of the standard chassis and build upon it a bungalow top to suit the owner’s needs and tastes. In other instances a special bungalow body will be built to order by one or other of the automobile manufacturers; and local car dealers will give the inquirer a list of body makers who will undertake this kind of construction.

We give an illustration of a traveling bungalow built for a man prominently identified with the automobile industry who uses the outfit in his business, which takes him afar over this country, and also for gypsy tours with his family in vacation time.

This outfit is a real home. Measuring seventeen feet long and six feet wide, the house itself contains everything necessary for comfort. The furniture is skillfully designed so that the tables fold and other pieces nest into each other for economy in space.

The beds are made up at night from the seats in somewhat the same manner that a lower berth takes shape under the deft hands of George, the porter. But these berths are longer, wider and infinitely more restful. Then the windows are large [48]and can be raised without the aid of a crowbar. The ventilation is perfect.

As one-third of human life is spent in sleep and a considerable portion in consuming food, the dining apparatus of this portable home is designed with the same care as bestowed upon the sleeping quarters. The table, sufficiently large, folds neatly into a minimum of space. The refrigerator is commodious enough to meet the expectations of the keenest appetite.

This gypsy caravan contains five lockers, including one devoted to the commander’s dress clothes, a tent to provide extra sleeping space on the roof of the car, a thirty-gallon tank containing water under air pressure for the shower bath, a writing desk, electric lights throughout, a two-burner stove, fireless cooker and phonograph.

With this equipment the family toured New England in summer. The trip totaled 1,666 miles and the entire expense for gasoline, tips, cleaning and storage was only $66.44, or less than four cents a mile for the journey.

The matter of trailers is one of considerable dispute. Some tell of seeing abandoned trailers left broken down along the roadside. Others declare that they never knew motor camping comfort until they came to use a trailer. Undoubtedly a trailer reduces the speed somewhat. However, the pull of [49]a good trailer only amounts to about twenty-five pounds, and so will not interfere with reasonable speed. On the main highways with wide roadways and easy grades a trailer will be a great convenience and source of comfort and give no trouble. On the other hand, where the grades are steep and the roads narrow and crooked the trailer is quite likely to prove a large-sized nuisance. One can back around a street corner with his trailer in the rear without great difficulty, but to back one down a stretch of crooked mountain road to a turn-out so that a descending car may pass him would be beyond the power of the ordinary driver.

Trailer owners may find trailer regulations of the various states tabulated in Chapter XIV.

There are several good makes of trailers at moderate prices. One firm is planning to offer a snug little trailer to follow a motorcycle, which has a number of points in its favor. As designed it can be attached to any make of motorcycle, using the rear end of the chassis as a connecting bar. The end of the trailer is fitted with a double swivel which fits into a clamp on the side car chassis and is secured there by a spring locking pin.

Among trailers there is the Motorbungalow which comes in two forms. There is the Motorbungalow, Junior. This is a real folding house, with kitchenette, wardrobe space, screened windows, comfortable [50]beds, large enough when erected to afford two bedrooms or dining-room in inclement weather. The Motorbungalow, Junior, is light and compact. It will follow an automobile almost anywhere, carrying all spare equipment. The erecting of the Motorbungalow, Junior, is very simple for the walls and roof are permanently secured to the folding frame. No canvas has to be spread or fastened on during the pitching of the camp. The bed frames, which are fastened to the sides of the trailer body, are turned over, the top raised and strapped into position, and the house is ready for occupancy. It can be done in the dark. The Motorbungalow, Junior, is listed at $225.00. The Motorbungalow is built on somewhat the same plans as the Junior of the same name. Both leave the motor camper with the unimpeded use of his car. Both have a forged steel axle, roller bearing wheels, 30 by 3½ inch pneumatic tires, and reënforced steel frame and hardwood floor.

The Motorbungalow, however, is much more elaborate in its appointments than the Junior. In interior dimensions there is an open floor space, 4 by 7 feet. The room size is 9 by 12 feet. There is a kitchenette containing work table, pockets for knives, forks, spoons, etc. Special shelves provide for jars and for cooking utensils. There is a large ice box and an emergency water tank, both finished in white enamel. A table finished in mahogany with white top acts as an inside door to kitchenette when touring or when not in use. Then there [51]is a permanent table formed by the top of the wardrobe and kitchenette which is four feet wide and triangular in shape. There are side curtains which are of brown “Fabrikoid,” also curtains to the rear of the same; a large wardrobe where clothes may be hung at full length, two beds four feet by six feet two; cotton mattresses two and a half inches thick, screened windows; back door and step—door locked by key from inside or out.

Another trailer but somewhat simpler than that just described is the “Auto-Kamp” Trailer. The Auto-Kamp can be set up in a few minutes and provides a tent 7 by 12 feet upon a frame that extends out from the trailer when it is opened up. There are two windows with storm-proof covers opened or closed from the inside. The beds simply fold over on strong hinges, tent frame sets up in sockets, bed legs are fitted with adjustable ends to take care of uneven ground so that beds will be level. The beds are high and dry, each large enough for two adults—size 48 by 76 inches, sagless bed springs and felt mattresses. Four feather pillows are furnished. There is a curtain for dividing the tent into two sections. A comfortable bed can be made up on the floor of the trailer for children and cots may be placed under the beds for extra members of the party. The body of the trailer is made of selected woods securely ironed and braced. [52]The end gate is made to form a convenient step when dropped. The floor is of matched lumber, put together with white lead so as to exclude all dust on the road. The axles are 1¼-inch solid drop-forged steel, fitted with automobile type ball-bearing hubs. Standard 56-inch tread. Regular equipment is 30 by 3 pneumatic tires on artillery wheels. There is also standard equipment of electric light outfit complete with wire and plug for attaching in any socket on car, folding table, folding shelf, two burner gasoline stove and electric tail light outfit, with dry battery.

Still another notable trailer, which is known as the “Chenango Camp Trailer,” provides outdoor comfort with privacy. This is listed at $375.00. In a very short time this trailer can be converted into a 10 by 14 foot bungalow with two comfortable bedrooms, a kitchen equipped with a two-burner vapor stove and oven, encased in a fireproof metallic cabinet with ventilator, refrigerator of fifty pounds ice capacity, kitchen cabinet capable of carrying a week’s provisions for a party of four, four large dust-proof clothes lockers, running water, electric lights, dining-room seating six, which is a reading and recreation room at night and all that one could desire in a 10 by 14 foot camp. The two bedrooms, which are ventilated by screened glass windows adjustable to any angle, contain each a double spring, [53]sagless bed with down mattresses and are separated by a four-foot aisle. The bungalow has 9⅓-foot head room. Everything can be reached at a moment’s notice and the entire outfit made ready for the road without any tiresome packing in a few seconds. The trailer body is of hard wood tongued and grooved and covered by 24-gauge sheet metal. The roof is made of collapsible framework of quarter-inch steel tubing which by a simple operation drops down into retaining sockets, allowing the sides of the bungalow to fold up and the roof to collapse over all without disturbing the contents of the bungalow. The trailer is supported on 30 by 3½ pneumatic tires and springs with roller bearings and demountable rims. The weight is 850 pounds with equal carrying capacity. The axle is of nickel steel with Timken roller bearings.

Many persons, however, do not find it feasible or desirable to have either a convertible body or to own a land yacht for motor touring. Others do not care to sleep in the car body, but prefer rather to pitch a tent either in connection with the car, alongside, or near by. Such will require something in the way of tenting equipment. In many aspects a tent entirely separate from the car has its advantages. The car is then simply parked near by and is available for side trips, journeys to market, near-by sights, etc. [54]

As for tents, the variety available is well-nigh infinite, and at almost any price from several dollars up. The humble pup-tent, or the army A tent (so named from its shape) will serve very well for those who don’t mind roughing it.

Of tents attached to the car there are those that do not touch the ground and others that have a ground attachment. Still others are entirely separate from the car and form independent units. Some tents use poles and others are supported entirely by ropes. Where tent poles are used they are as a rule in sections for convenience in packing.

Of sleeping tents that are attached to the roof of the car and extend from its side without reaching the ground, save by the guy ropes and the supporting frame, the Auto Bed Camp is a good example. These tents come in units for two people, and are sufficiently rugged to accommodate two large adults. The supporting frame is so constructed as to increase the tension of the bed canvas in proportion to the weight superimposed, thus preventing any sagging of the bed. The bed is protected on all sides and screened windows admit sufficient air. Such a tent bed is practically damp proof, as a tent [55]with a floor cloth resting on the ground cannot be.

There are many styles of tents that attach to the car, some of them extremely ingenious in construction. Many of these tents use no poles, but are supported by ropes that fasten to the top of the car. Some of these tents are very simple and are little more than canopies, while others are quite elaborate with sod cloths for the floor, side walls, flies, and folding cots.

An inexpensive tent thus attaching to the side of the car by ropes that go over the top, a tent having walls but using no poles, and having no floor, may be bought as low as $7.50 for the 7 by 7 foot size, $6.50 for size 5 by 7 feet. This tent can be set up either with or without the auto. One has simply to throw the front flap over the car and fasten to the wheels or stakes on the opposite side with guy ropes which are furnished. To use without the car, with front flap closed, two 6½-foot poles are required. This particular tent is styled a Double Service Moto-tent.

It may be remarked in passing that in pricing tents on specifications supplied by the manufacturers [56]it will be well to keep in mind this information. The United States Government Standard yard of duck is 29 by 36 inches. A piece of canvas this size that weighs eight ounces is the “U. S. Standard” eight-ounce duck. If it weighs ten ounces it is U. S. Standard ten-ounce duck. Many manufacturers, jobbers and dealers use 36 by 36 inches as their standard yard. On this basis six-ounce “U. S. Standard” duck is called eight ounce, and eight-ounce “U. S. Standard” is sold for ten ounce. This means that they are using a lighter weight than the U. S. Standard, though using the same terminology as to weight in ounces. The only basis for comparative purchasing is to determine whether the statement of weight is based on a 29 by 36 or a 36 by 36 yard.

In small, inexpensive tents that stand apart from the car, tents without floors, a quite satisfactory article is the Scout Featherweight Shelter Tent.

The “Scout Featherweight” has a door at each end, and each door is equipped with an overlapping lapel and double row of tie strings. Draw the lapels together, tie them securely and the whole world is shut out completely.

Two folding poles, six stakes and a pack-bag are supplied with each tent. It’s no trick at all for a man or a boy to put the tent up in two minutes. No ridge poles, no guy lines. [57]

This tent is made of water-proofed aëroplane cloth—khaki color. The cost of the “Scout Featherweight” in the smallest size is only $5.00, with $1.50 extra if a sod cloth is desired. The smallest size is 7 by 5 feet, 3 feet high, with two poles and six stakes.

There is a larger Scout tent than the Featherweight which is made of the same lightweight aëroplane khaki cloth. It is fitted with automatic loop fasteners for the ridge pole or for a rope stretched between two trees. It is supplied with necessary guy lines. Doors at front and rear have double lapels and automatic button fasteners. Four ventilators, one in each gable end and one in each side wall diagonally opposite supply fresh air. The size is 6 feet wide, 6 feet high and 6 feet long, with a 3-foot side wall and 9-inch sod cloth. It rolls into a bundle 6 by 18 inches and weighs only eight pounds. This tent may be bought for $12.00, canvas packing bag fifty cents extra.

A more elaborate type of tent, but still one comparatively inexpensive in cost, is called “The Overland Trail Camp.” The occupants are completely shut in. This tent also has a bed for two people raised fifteen inches from the floor. The ground space covered is 8 feet 6 inches by 5 feet. The peak in front is 6 feet, and the back wall 30 inches. The space in front of the bed is 5 feet by 2 feet 6 inches. [58]There are three pockets on the side wall, with a netting door sewed to the front wall. The smallest model is the one described, and it is suitable for two people traveling very light, on long trips, making overnight stops. The weight of tent and fixtures, including stakes and pins, is only seventeen pounds. This tent is priced at $38.50.

One of the most recent tent outfits upon the market is a tourist tent called the Khaki Watershed. This is priced at $22.50. As the name would suggest, it is designed to afford full protection from rain and moisture and to be mildew-proof. Rolled up with its jointed poles and packed in its waterproof bag its weight is only eighteen pounds. This tent supplies sufficient space for three cots and can be erected either separately or attached to the car. When erected separately the front flap may be used as an awning in front of the tent. The quickest and usual way is to throw the flap over the car and the tent will be ready for occupancy in a jiffy.

Those who wish something more expensive have a wide variety of tents to choose from. Some of the more elaborate, and yet light in weight, are made of silk balloon cloth. These are somewhat costly, but for those who don’t mind a little expense they are extremely satisfactory. Lack of space will not allow a description of these here, but any one by writing to the leading dealers in sportsman’s supplies [59]will be supplied with catalogues which will show these more elaborate and costly designs.

One of these larger tents that illustrate the more elaborate provision that is made for the motor camper who desires this sort of thing is called the Tentobed which may be set up without any external support. A light collapsible frame made from cold drawn steel when erected supports the canvas. A tent which folds up 4 feet long and 8½ inches in diameter and weighing only sixty-nine pounds has a dressing or extra room alongside full length of bed, 6 feet 4 inches long and 4 feet wide, and may be completely inclosed. This room may be used for an extra bed, double or single, or for serving and cooking lunch in case of rain. The drop curtain is 6 feet square and may be extended out as an awning if desired. The tent has two large ventilating windows with storm flaps, adjustable from inside with draw cords, and special marquisette net curtain full length of tent alongside of bed, secured by buttons in double flaps, making the bed absolutely insect-proof. The list price of this outfit, including tent, tent supports, new model steel tube bed, rain and dust-proof carrying case and steel tube frame for setting up independent of car, is $80.00. [60]

A type of the old-fashioned ordinary tent with which we are all familiar is called the Cabco Wall Tent. These tents come in five sizes, ranging from 5 by 7 feet and 5½ feet high to 12 by 14 feet and 8 feet in height. The side walls are 3 feet, save in the largest size, where they are 3½ feet. These tents come with fly and jointed ridge-poles, as also jointed uprights. Sod cloths are likewise provided. The largest size weighs close to a hundred pounds and will cost in the neighborhood of fifty dollars.

Closely related to tents as part of the equipment of the motor camper is that of beds and bedding. Of course, if resourceful and of economic trend the motor camper may equip himself fairly from his home supplies. With car cushions and suit cases he may arrange the foundation for a bed in his car upon which he will spread blankets and comfortables or such other bedding as he may find room for in his car.

But many will prefer the purchased rather than the home-made article in the way of beds and bedding. For such the variety offered is large.

If the camper prefers to bed out of his car rather than within its shelter he may get the De Luxe Comfort Bed, which is a combination of tent and bed. This in the smallest size will cost him about [61]a hundred dollars. This outfit consists of a double bed with a tent over and around it. The bed is a full-size forty-eight-inch double spring bed which easily accommodates two full-sized adults. It is equipped with a special spring tension regulator. The cotton floss mattress rolls up into a light compact bundle. The tent is of the highest grade waterproofed and mildew-proofed Emeraldite, very light of weight, yet tough. At the side of the tent are screened windows, with shutters adjustable from the inside, that give ventilation and light and regulate both. They also afford complete protection from bugs and mosquitoes. The tent is 6½ feet wide by 6½ feet deep, giving ample dressing room when the front is closed. As the tent is supported by four telescopic steel tubes mounted on the four corners of the bed, no poles are required. Ropes are provided for fastening the tent to the ground, but they are never needed except in case of severe storms.

There are a number of combination bed, tent and carrying case outfits, some of them very cleverly designed and exceedingly complete, yet compact. One of these which comes in several sizes is a combination for use with any auto. It is equipped with clamps for instantly attaching to the running board. There are no holes to drill. The bed has sagless, non-stretchable springs which enable a heavy person [62]and a light person to lie comfortably without rolling together. The tent of waterproof, mildew-proof material is olive drab in color and is four feet wide by seven feet long. The tent fits close around the edge of the bed and reaches the ground on all sides, shutting out all draft under the bed. The storm-proof bobbinet insect windows, which operate from the inside of the tent, allow plenty of ventilation. The complete weight is sixty-three pounds. The carrying case has an extra flap to hold three or four double blankets. Three straps hold the tent securely to the auto top, and a rod through the tent top makes correct attachment for either roadster or touring car. The back wall is a continuation of the tent top. No rain can enter. No ropes or stakes are needed. The combination is priced at $47.50.

Of beds that may be used inside the car there are many. One of these, called the “Utility,” is designed to serve many purposes, as it may be used in any wall tent, auto tent, sleeping porch, cabin, inside most touring cars, and as a spare bed in the home. The legs are adjustable for use inside touring cars, to pass over the seat backs. No ropes or fastenings are necessary. The bed is self-supporting, and the legs rest upon the seat standards after the cushions are removed. The frame is all steel, with an easy, quick-folding arrangement allowing a set-up in three minutes. When set up this bed is 45 inches [63]wide by 73 inches long, and when folded measures 5 inches in diameter by 45 inches long. It may be carried folded in the tonneau of most cars. The weight is forty-eight pounds and the listed cost $18.50.

Then we have beds which are somewhat similar to hammocks suspended from end to end of the car. One of these hammock beds is called the “Tour-bed” and rolls into a bundle four feet four inches long and only four inches in diameter with a weight of twelve pounds. The bed is really an apron of heavy duck stretching from the back of the car to the front, over the wheel. It is said to be strong enough to carry two people weighing together over five hundred pounds. The Tour-bed is anchored to the axles, main springs or car frame, front and rear, so that there is no danger of pulling anything loose. The sleeper can adjust the bed to suit his own individual fancy as to rigidity, as the anchorage straps pull against the springs of the car itself. The front braces or legs rest on the floor and the rear braces on the floor under the rear cushion. The price of this appliance is $15.00.

There are also several kinds of auto-beds made that will fit any car and which make use of the [64]cushions of the car over which the auto-bed, made of heavy canvas, is stretched. The canvas is fastened to the four corners of the car, and upon the canvas the autoist lays down as many blankets as he can spare to put under him. Such a bed can be adjusted in a few minutes and to most people is quite satisfactory.

When we take up the question of food preparation and the cooking utensils required we have a great variety of appliances and a wide range of preference. Some will manage without any cooking utensils and will get along with an open fire on the ground. Naturally in such a case the motor camper is liable to have more or less difficulty with his fire in rainy weather. But notwithstanding the inconvenience due to inclement weather there are some hardy and resourceful souls that, like the wild Indians and trappers of former days, manage to make out very well with an open fire, whether it rains or shines.

The average motor camper, however, will find it much more convenient to provide himself with some sort of equipment for cooking or at least heating part of his food and drink. If nothing more, he will carry with him solidified alcohol in some form [65]or other. Those little kits for the use of alcohol in cubes or simply in a can do not give out a great deal of heat and are not good for much except for making tea, coffee or cocoa, or for heating up canned goods, such as beans. Yet they are convenient and absolutely clean. They are also entirely safe and may be used in the car itself. For short trips, such as week-ends, one can make out pretty well with this sort of thing, but on longer tours the motor camper will probably want to have something in the way of a regular stove, either for wood, oil or gasoline.

And here there is extensive variety of choice. Take first what we may term regular stoves.

About the simplest and least expensive of these is the “Rush Stove.” It is simply a rectangular box-like affair that folds up flat. It will burn any kind of solid fuel, but works best with wood. It costs about five dollars, and can be set up in ten seconds.

This stove weighs but seven pounds and folds into a package only one and a half inches thick. It may be packed under the seat of an auto or strapped on the back of a motorcycle. Nevertheless, this stove is thoroughly substantial, is made of 20-gauge sheet steel with four thicknesses at the corners, where strength is needed.

Another very satisfactory stove for solid fuel is the “Livingood.” This is somewhat more extensive and complete than the one just mentioned and costs [66]about twice as much money. The “Livingood” folds flat to a thickness of four inches. It comes with oven, three-quart water container, eight-cup coffee-pot and will roast a sizable potato in thirty minutes. When set up the stove proper is roughly two feet long, a foot wide and a foot high. It works best with wood or charcoal. In material the top is 22-gauge black iron, the body and oven of 26-gauge black iron, and the hinges of copper built with the body. The stove alone without the extras comes to $7.50.

Oil stoves are pretty effective, but they are usually not collapsible, accordingly bulky, and likewise are hard to keep clean, particularly such types of them as use wicks. The best are those kinds that operate under air pressure, like plumber’s torches, and without a wick. These high-pressure wickless stoves are very efficient. One, called the “Juwell,” will raise two pints of cold water—sixty degrees—to boiling in three or four minutes at the outside. This stove is claimed to be faultless in operation, also to make no noise, deposit no soot, and be absolutely free from danger of explosion.

However, there are exceptions to all rules, and there is at least one oil stove for campers which can be knocked down and packed up. It is the Optimus Traveling and Camp Stove. It can be taken apart and various parts packed into a small fiber [67]box, which also has places for a bottle of spirits, cleaning pins and a funnel. The oil tank is fitted with a hermetical brass stopper which permits the stove to be carried full of petroleum. The capacity is one quart of oil.

There are many kinds of gasoline stoves, but there is some danger attached to their use, as this fluid leaks out very readily and is, as all know, very volatile and inflammable. Of course, the great advantage lies in the fact that it is a material that the motorist is sure to have at hand, and a gasoline stove when working right certainly does the work in short order.

One of the best gasoline stoves is the Colorado Sure Meal Camp Stove. It burns with such a hot flame that the stove can be opened up and water boiled in five minutes. The burners can also be easily regulated and the fire controlled to a nicety. There are two burners solidly mounted in the grate, making this part of the stove practically one piece. There is nothing to get out of order. The stove has an adjustable wind-shield. The Sure Meal Stove has its burners enclosed in a heavy steel case, with grids at the top like an ordinary gas or gasoline stove. The top is covered except for these grids, preventing the flames from being blown out by the wind. The extra cover folds back to form a shelf or warming oven. The tank rests outside the stove [68]and holds three pints of fuel. The legs may be folded up when not in use, thus taking up little or no room. For carrying, the tank is detached and placed inside the stove, the shelf folding over the top of the stove as a cover, with a sure catch to hold it in place. The stove then resembles a small suit case in shape and measures only 18 by 11 by 3½ inches. This stove may also be had with a folding oven which when in use is set over the stove. A feature of this oven is the metal and asbestos plate on the shelf. This plate is open on all sides to permit the heat to radiate evenly to all parts of the oven. The asbestos prevents food from burning on the bottom. The oven is collapsible and can be set up or taken down in less than a minute. The front and side are hinged—the top comes off and the shelf out. The oven packs in a galvanized iron box, only 1¾ inches deep, which comes with the oven. This stove is listed at $9.00 and the oven at $5.00.

In addition to stoves, campers use various wire broilers that are supported by legs and that stand on the ground. These cost very little and are a convenience where open fires are used. Similar to the broilers but more substantial are various kinds of camp grids which can be stood over the coals and on which pots, pans and kettles may be placed for cooking purposes. [69]

As to other cooking utensils, aside from stoves or other appliances to be used in connection with cooking fires, the camper has the same wide choice that he has elsewhere. He may have everything going or almost nothing. He may use a skillet for both his coffee and his frying, making the coffee first, and keeping it hot in his pail while he fries his bacon. Then, with tin cup, plate, knife, fork and spoon he may make out to his satisfaction. Another motor camper, however, will be satisfied with nothing less than a complete folding kit of the latest and best cooking outfit offered by the market. Naturally Mr. Average Man will come somewhere in between the extremes noted.

Cooking utensils may be taken along from home, but such will mostly be rather bulky and will not pack together well. There are many comparatively inexpensive outfits that nest together and so take but little room that will meet all the needs of the average motor camper. Almost anywhere the motor camper may buy aluminum ware that nests together and that will meet all requirements.

In buying aluminum ware for camp use it is well to remember that aluminum cups have a tendency to burn the lips because the metal is such a good heat conductor. So agateware cups will prove more satisfactory for the camper’s use. Likewise an aluminum skillet for the same reason is liable to burn on the bottom, and a steel skillet with a folding or [70]removable handle will fill the bill better for the motor camper than one of aluminum. Aside from these cautions the motor camper may go as far as he pleases in buying aluminum ware, and he will be pretty sure to meet with satisfaction. There are, indeed, some campers who feel that lightness compensates for the disadvantages named above even in the case of cups.

A standard aluminum cooking set for two persons, to nest together in a canvas bag eight inches high and nine inches in diameter will cost about twenty dollars and weigh about five pounds. Such a set will consist of 1 seven-pint cooking pot, 1 ten-pint cooking pot, 1 four-pint coffee-pot, 1 frying pan, 2 plates, 2 dessert spoons, 2 cups, 2 soup bowls, 2 knives, 2 forks and 2 teaspoons. As has been seen above, it will be well to substitute for aluminum ware agateware cups and a steel frying pan. These sets come also for three, four and six persons with a corresponding increase in the number of utensils.

As for tools, the motor camper will include the usual number of spare parts and repair and adjustment implements for his car. If his trip is to be at all extensive, or even more than for the week-end, he should not fail to include such items as a good towing line and other equipment to extricate himself if need be from mud holes and other difficulties. [71]In addition the motor camper should have along with him at least a camp ax, a shovel, and a hunting knife. A standard camp ax, “Quarter Ax” size, may be bought for $1.25. This has a nineteen-inch handle. If a larger one, half, three-quarter, or full size is desired, the cost will be a little more. If the camper intends to cut browse for his bed he had best supply himself with a machete. This will cost him in the neighborhood of three dollars for one with a full-size blade of about twenty-two inches.

The car will have its own lights and perhaps a spotlight that within some range will be adjustable. Also the motor camper may be provided with insulated wire, lamp sockets and lamps with which to light his tent and the vicinity of his car. But in addition it will be convenient for him to have a lantern or two. If he lives in the country he may already be provided with lanterns that he may take along. Otherwise he will have use for one of the many camp lanterns that are on the market at small cost.

The temptation for the tenderfoot camper will be to load up with equipment which will burden him and for which he will have small use. These extras he will learn to discard. And yet there are some things that he will find mighty useful and convenient which at first he hardly thought of at all. Such [72]articles as waterproof water bags, folding basins, folding bucket and the like may be included in the above.

In the so-called “Egyptian Sanitary Self-cooling Water Bag” water is kept cool by the principle of refrigeration by evaporation. A small amount of water exuded by the bag evaporates slowly and keeps the contents cool. Colder water can be obtained by exposing the bag to the air on all sides, as when hung up.

Waterproof folding basins come in weight of seven ounces to fold in one-half inch thickness. One such basin costing sixty-five cents is made of brown waterproof duck; capacity, 1 gallon; diameter, 12 inches; height, 3 inches.

It is bound with linen braid and has a wire rim. A canvas folding bucket which costs ninety-five cents is made of the same material in the same way and with a stout rope handle, with a capacity of three gallons. The diameter of this is 9 inches; the height 12 inches, and the weight 8 ounces.

An excellent thing to take along for safety’s sake as a protection from contaminated water is the Army Filter Pump known the world over. This weighs three pounds and has a capacity of a quart a minute. [73]The filter consists of a brass case nickel plated, containing and protecting a cylinder made of infusorial earth. This must be put in water and, by a pump attached at the side, water is forced through the filtering cylinder out through a goose neck tube at the top. The filtering cylinder should occasionally be removed and washed off with a cloth or soft brush.

Everywhere, save in the eastern states and unpopulated parts of the west, the motor camper will find municipal camp sites in nearly all the towns and cities or in their close vicinity. These for the most part are supplied with public water of good quality. In most of them the motorist will also find electricity for light, and in many places gas for cooking. In others he will find fireplaces and fuel for his use. If the motor camper plans to use these public facilities, so numerously supplied, he will not have to depend upon his own resources for the same and so may correspondingly limit his camping equipment.

There is a camping outfit for motor campers that differs from all others in being a substantial canvas bungalow which is set up by itself like a house. It affords larger quarters than any trailer, but packs up so compactly and is so light that it may be carried [74]upon the running board. This is the Rietschel Camping Outfit. The structure can be erected in a few minutes and stands on its own feet like a house. The cost is listed at $98.50 and the weight is only 150 pounds. It has one full-sized bed and two benches that will accommodate six people. The two benches can also be used for children to sleep on. In addition there is a 36-inch table, 55 inches long. The floor space is 6 feet 8 inches by 9 feet. There is no stooping to get in and head room everywhere. Windows on four sides give plenty of ventilation. It is water tight and wind-proof. This entire outfit packs in a box that forms the table and fits on the running board of any car.

Nothing has been said hitherto on the matter of refrigeration. Where the motor camper wishes to take fresh milk, or meat, or such articles as butter or berries, along with him it will be essential to have some means of keeping these in good condition, and about the only thing that will meet such a situation is some kind of a refrigerator.

Some motor campers take along one of the small nursery ice-boxes that most people have who possess babies. These little ice-boxes will not hold much, but where small infants are members of the party they are quite essential, especially where the infants are bottle-fed.

Others take along their fireless cookers, and put [75]a piece of ice inside in place of the hot iron. Fireless cookers make very good refrigerators when so used.

Probably the most convenient arrangement for the motor camper is the refrigerator basket.

A refrigerator basket, called the Hawkeye, is made in several designs and sizes and ranges in price from $6.50 to $24.00. The most expensive one is a strong, light-weight rattan basket with nickel-plated zinc lining, a layer of asbestos and a layer of felt. There is a small removable ice compartment. In size this basket is twenty-five by fourteen inches and ten inches deep. It weighs nine pounds. The cheapest style is twenty-one by ten inches in size and twelve inches in depth. It is not only smaller but less expensively made.

One motor camper had an ingenious arrangement for keeping the baby’s milk cool. He made two wooden boxes, one six by six inches in size, and the other six inches by nine in size. They were both eight inches deep. These were inside measurements. The lids had an extra block of the same thickness as the box (13 by 16 inches) which fitted down inside the box. These boxes were provided with a galvanized-iron lining seven inches deep and fitting snugly inside the boxes. He would ice the boxes to pre-cool them. Then the bottles, filled with the prepared milk, carefully stoppered and wrapped in [76]paper to prevent breakage, were packed in the boxes in chipped ice. These would keep the milk ice cold in ordinary weather for two days with the initial icing. Sterilized nipples were carried in an extra empty bottle.

To heat the baby’s milk water was drawn from the radiator of the car into a pound-size baking-powder can, and the bottle containing the milk was placed in this bottle until sufficiently heated, after which the water was returned to the radiator.

Probably the most satisfactory method of carrying “grub” is to put your dry foodstuffs, such as flour, corn meal, sugar, cereals, dried fruit, etc., into paraffined muslin bags which measure about eight inches across and which sit one on top of the other, in a waterproof canvas bag with a double throat for double protection from dust and insects. The little bags should be plainly labeled on their sides for such articles as coffee, tea, cooking fat, and the like. Use friction-top tins, which are made broad and flat to fit a cylindrical bag, for greasy foods, such as ham and bacon.

Wooden salt and pepper shakers are the best, because salt will not suffer hydration in a wooden shaker, but the grains will keep dry and separate.

It should hardly be necessary to remind the motor tourist that such adages as “Safety First,” “It’s Better To Be Safe Than Sorry,” and a “Stitch in [77]Time …” supply a wise basis of conduct for the motor tourist.

We sometimes hear a tourist boasting the speed at which he “hits it up,” “giving the other fellow the dust,” etc.; or telling how he made his forty per right along, and with a trailer, too. All such talk is supremely silly.

Watching for crossings, breaks in the road, and other wise precautions involve going at a moderate pace. The “Speed Fiend” is a peril to himself and a danger to every one who crosses his path.

One objection to speed is the effect on the tires. The thoughtful tourist will seek to lessen tire heat as much as possible on long tours. Run the wheels through water wherever convenient. Keep to the shady side of the street wherever possible. If there is a dirt side-road run on the dirt slowly and so cool the tires of your machine.

Keep the tires well inflated, the radiator full, and the fan belt sufficiently taut. On hot days coast down the slopes with your engine shut off. If the engine heats, wedge open the hood at the back so as to get better ventilation.

In the hilly regions of the Northeast, and among the mountains of the West, it is all-important to have both brakes in prime condition. On some of the Western roads the much advocated use of the engine as a break is almost positively essential. However, elsewhere most hills may be negotiated with the brakes alone, thus avoiding strain on the driving mechanism. Approach a descent slowly, so [78]as to avoid heating up the breaks by a sudden checking of speed. Alternate in the application of the brakes and thus avoid heating. Do not lock the hand brake, but hold it in your hand tensing and relaxing as required.

Watch your spark lever. The driver who leaves the spark lever fully advanced, irrespective of grades, road conditions and speeds, imposes unnecessary strain on the engine, and does not get the efficiency he should in car performance. It pays to regulate the spark to suit the load and speed of the engine so that ignition does not take place either too early or too late for smooth running and a steady flow of power.

In rainy or misty weather the wind-shield becomes obscured. There are a number of more or less successful devices for cleaning off the accumulated moisture. It is claimed by those who ought to know that a sliced onion rubbed over the surface of the glass will prevent the gathering of moisture upon it. Others are equally confident that a moistened plug of ordinary chewing tobacco is an efficient wind-shield cleaner if rubbed over the surface of the glass. There are soaps and other substances that are sold for the purpose of cleaning the wind-shield, and like the above-mentioned articles are more or less effective. The squeegee mechanical cleaners that work back and forth are probably the most efficient cleaners. A mechanical cleaner is the only kind efficient with snow. At any rate, keep your wind-shield clear and you will drive more safely. [79]

Always stop for street cars or omnibuses, unloading or loading. In most cities this is required by local ordinances, and in some states the traffic laws impose the same requirement.

Motorists should spread the gospel of good roads to all men, and great will be their reward in tire-saving.

Women drivers of vehicles should be given special consideration, and, some say, watching.

A small amount of shellac will stop small leaks in radiators.

Any kind of grease (butter, lard, etc.) is good to soften road tar adhering to fender, bumpers, etc., for easy removal.

To heat a tent on a cold night, fill a bucket with stones piping hot from the camp fire. Invert and cover with bucket. Good as a stove. [80]