water can be had, and
wood for fuel is plentiful and near camp. If possible, select a spot
in a thicket of evergreen timber of a second growth and out of the
way of any large trees that might blow onto the camp.

If the ground is sloping, place your camp parallel with the slope,
whether tent or log cabin, as the surface water can more readily be
drained off, and not allowed to soak into the ground and cause
dampness inside of the tent. A ditch should be dug around the tent to
drain all surface water, and eaves so the water will not soak inside.
If a log cabin, the dirt from the drain can be thrown up against the
logs of the cabin.

If the camper expects to camp through cold and snowy weather, it will
pay him to place a ridge pole in crotches placed firmly in the
ground. The pole should be a foot above the ridge of the tent, then
place poles from the ground, the ends resting on this ridge pole as
rafters to a building, then nail a few poles to these rafters
sufficient to keep boughs from dropping down onto the tent. The
boughs should be of an evergreen variety. This outer covering should
be well thatched or covered with these boughs. This extra covering
adds greatly to the warmth and comfort of the camp, as it protects
from the wind blowing directly on the tent, also keeps the snow from
falling onto the tent.

It is also a great convenience if this ridge pole is allowed to
extend out three or four feet, and a strip of canvas run over the
pole and down to side poles, so as to form a sort of an awning so one
can step outside to wash when it is raining without getting wet. It
also makes a convenient place to pile a small amount of wood, and
will be found useful in many ways such as hanging furs, clothing,
etc., out to air.

Do not make your bed on the ground. Build a box bedstead by driving
four posts into the ground, then nail pieces across, up about twelve
inches from the ground. Lay small poles on these cross pieces, then
nail one or two small poles entirely around on the posts above the
bottom pieces forming a sort of crib. This crib may be filled first
with boughs, then on top of the boughs put a quantity of leaves or
grass, when the mattress is lacking. There will also be store room
under the bed, which would be wasted if the bed is made on the
ground.

Brother camper, when you are going well back into the tall timber
where you are obliged to pack your outfit over a rough trail or
perhaps no trail at all, do