The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-25
A WINTER CAMP.
How to He comfortable Under tho Most
Adverse CirGumstances.

How to He Comfortable Under tho Most
Adverse circumstances
Tho first thing on reaching a good hunt
Ing region il 10 pick ont n spot for Damp,
one tina will be sheltered from the force of
the winds. Select = dell. a thickot Of small
trees or largo bushes 'tlarge trees hays not
enough lower ranches to make a good
wind-break) or Il secure position at the foot
of a cliff; az n rule, wnter will be fonnd
near any Of these locations. writes Lieut..
IL. r. Fremont in the Salt Lake tribune.
II you have a tent, 30 much the better,
but il you have not. n projected trip may
not be given up on that account.
With an oblong or square tent, first put
n tho ridge pole, then pass tho pins OF tho
k,ole throush the holes in the ridge pole,
takinQ care that they also pass through the
holes in the canvas of the tent at the top
binds. If there are only two in the party to
work, mark out the size of the bottom OF
he tent on tho ground and drive n tent pin
n ut each cornet; then dig two holes three
inches deep, one at the point where the
! ropt pole will be, and and the other where
he rear one will rest; hook the owe cor
ners of one side of the tent over two OK the
pins already driven, then lay the tent on
"a side 80 that the ends of the poles will be
IN the edges OF the holes that have been
made on the front and back lines. Now
ktation yourselves on the side opposite that
pn which you have the two tent corners
pinned. and. taking hold OF tue tent guys
IN tho upper side, pull 1t up into position.
lin the bottom md guys, taking care that
he tent door ia tied 10 that the sides will
not be- pinned 80 fur apart that the door
tsnnot meet.
Most tant poles are too long. and the pole
roles 1 have advised permit tnom 70 S.hk
Town sufficiently to let the sloess OK sAe
ant raat nm the ground.
With the round tent. mark q circle the
anne sizs az the bottom of the tent. pin the
bottom to the ground all around on the line
Il this CIRCLE. Then raise the lent from
he inside and fix the guys.
II you have no tent a very good sopssl-
ute can bo made from q wagon cover. Cut
ridge cole and support it on two shorter
poles at each end, dashed together in the
orm of a "V.' and over this structure
raw the wagon cover; and If you will also
blace thin sticks at right angles across the
idge pole like wagon bowG. you Will nave u
cry good tent indeed.
Failing any canvas, a worry comfortable
heller can be made out OF henlock or pine
ranches. The best way, although there
re many, is to select a small tree. cut OH
no lower branches as far up "a you can
each from tho ground, take some poles, as
nany az you please, but all twice as long as
he distance from the ground TO the last
ranch YOU out off (Which should be cut on
bout q foot from the trunk, and ress the
op ends against the stump OF tnis DEsnch
Q that they will project i've or six lnches;
lace the lower ends on the ground SO that
hey will form a oirclo around the tree. the
Funk being the center.
Now, commencing at the bottom, place
ood-sized pine and hemlock branches on
he ground against the pole. with the stem
I the branch up. or course you nave
laced the poles close enough together to
revent the branches from falling through.
Eeep ON thatching with the branches. using
mailer ones as you near tho top. If this
heller is made with a little care, being
IRE TO place the growing ends OF the
ranches down. and You will ind 1t a warm,
" and very snug shelter, such as you VIII
nrely enjoy better than any canvas tent.
rovided you are a born woodman.
You should never sleep OH the ground II
ou can help it. A most comfortable bed
an be made with pine or hemlock bouRhs.
sing small bouRhs for the lower layers and
10 soft ends for the top. Be careful in
his to commence at the head Of your bed,
lace the stems of the boughs pointing
way from the head, and be sure that every
Eem is covered by the soft end of the next
ouRh; the thicker this mattress Ia made
pe more delightful it is, and q very little
bidding makes you warm enough.
In winter d stove is IA necessity and one
lat you can cook upon is to be preferred.
l must qualify what ! just said about d
owe being a necessity, for L have slept out
brush shelter a week at a time in the
fountains of Montana when the snow WAS
eep and the cold intense. But then we
i'd not entirely enclose our hemlock
wickeyup," as the Indians call it, but left
partly open to admit the warmth of a
reat fire in front of il that was built up
Eery time any one woke up.
! remember once being out in the noun
ains whom it was SO cold that animals froze
death standing. That night we slept
ithout a tent or even Il brush shelter. The
how was deep, and Wa took advantage of
and got our shelter from il. We built a
Feat fire alongside q fallen tree. and 1t
BON melted the snow under and around il,
blowing out a sort of room. in which,
ter the fire went down. we made our beds
q some pine boughs. With a little fire at
II feet we slept in comfort in our snow
srth. never surprising for an instant that
10 thermometer WAS between sixty and
yenty degrees below zero.