The herald., 1898-02-06
HINTS FOR TRAVEL TO KLONDIkE

erS You Will be quite surprised 10
see how 1t will keep you warm.
Covering the head at night with fan
mel drawn over from behind, or a shirt or
| coat, is another of the many simple little
| tricks of sleeping out In the cold that are
equal to another blanket. By drawing 1t
down to the chin you can breathe with no
difficulty and In night or two learn to
| sleep just as well.
But after all the great reliance must be
on internal fuel. do not believe the stor-
les told of the great amount of fat con-
sumed by the Arctic natives and much
less the idea that 1T is necessary. Some
people can stand a great amount of 1t In
| such temperatures and 1t will keep one
warm. And IL the stomach can stand 1t
| and 1t does not fatten one so fast as TO
make one "logy," then 1t is all right to use
1t. l always did, and got good results
from 1t. But solid food OF any kind, lean
meat with Hour, beans, potatoes and sim
liar things, Will keep most people warm
| enough. But discretion should be used In
making the consignment. Unless Won have
| sleeping bag OF great warmth Won will
want well distended stomach to carry
you through very cold night in comfort.
though individuals will vary in this re-
spect-such is the general rule. There are
many VINO cannot eat three full meals a
uay unless working heavily, and one meal
!i nas 10 De light. If you are one of those,
theh arrange things II you can. so that
the light meal comes when there is the
ieast cold to endure When well fed it is
nara 10 suffer with cold. And on the other
nahd no amount of clothes will take the
place or the internal stove.
pue uo not try to warm up with whisky
except on rare occasions, when YOU are in
danger or taking cold from exposure
Qulhine IS infinitely better, but you should
nr
Gope coHee or tea, to help you keep warm
ihese two stand-bys seem never to lose
thelr erect. But whisky is straw fire.
with speedy reaction, often resulting in
appalling chills when the temperature is
very low, especially IL you are hungry at
the same time. Quinine lasts hours where
whisky lasts minutes, and heats one very
wen. 10 endure cold ride of several
hours or any unusual exposure to cold or
wet it is the most valuable of all slim
uiants and can be used with safety where
whisky should not be touched But 1t will
not DO TO repat this often, and reliance
must be on good constitution, sensible
dress and plenty of solid food.
There is certain sensation somewhat
analogous to long-felt want that nothing
put whisky Will reach. When coming into
ton to take drink is very
strong. But all the effect comes
from the alcohol, and the water in
the whisky, that forms about one-half. is
only 10 dilute 1t. The burnt sugar and
other havoring matters are of no use. and
half the whisky you drink at home is sim
ply made from alcohol and water. Conse-
quently you might as well carry the al
cohol and leave the water at home Be-
sides saving you half the weight and bulk.
this VIII be quite apt to keep any one
from stealing 1t and also keep YOU from
touchlng IT except as medicine. The lat
ter part OF the proposition is very import
ant on long trip, and both branches of
the case will be helped by putting enough
qulnine In 1t to make it taste nasty. On a
short camping trip you can take enough
whisky to still that long-felt want every
day, but on such trip as that into Alaska
VIII be for most people it will be quite
Impossible. Therefore. take alcohol and
use 1t only as medicine, and never touch
1t except when absolutely necessary, or
you VIII be out of it just when you need It.
Many people have prejudice against al
cohol but when pure It IS Just as harm
less as most whisky. The Swedes in Min
nesota and Wisconsin used to drink it raw
and used great quantities in harvest time
MADE INTO punch with twice as much water
and some sugar have had many a drink
of 1t while hunting prairie chickens. and
it is better than bad whisky and leaves
no worse effects than good whisky. But
remember always that 1t is the poorest of
all remedies aginst mere cold weather To
keep you from catching cold after dam
gerous exposure it is one of the best rem
eCies. But you want no old granny notions
about it, and should take enough to turn
every star into constellation in five min
utes. A good ague dose of quinine taken
with 1t to keep up the fire when the whisky
burns out Is also very fine, and If you take
headache the next day but there will be no
cold.
If you have to face a cutting wind with
very low Temperature, greasing the ex-
posed parts of your face heavily is a good
plan, and also the inside of your nose. if
you have any tendency to catarrh Eating
snow as substitute for water is said to
De bad, and may be for a steady thing
but never found it so for a day or two
/ never had any experience with the snow
blindness, though have been on the prai-
ries for days at a time in the brightest
sun, but 1T is thing to beware of, and
1t would be well to go well provided with
goggles. If you should happen to get sore
eyes goggles will be almost indispensable
to travel In the cold wind with.
III you are subject to rheumatism YOU
may have trouble. and should hesitate
about the trip. 1t is very common among
the strongest people in many parts of the
north and seems caused entirely by cold
in winter and getting wet In summer
Getting wet in summer will rarely hurt
one in warm country, but the cold water
and cold rains of northern country, COM
bined with the effect of the long cold win
ter, make 1t common also in the summer.
There Is no sure remedy for 1t, and one is
liable to be laid UP for a whole winter.
In some people it is caused by too much
acid in the blood and in others 1t seems the
reverse, but cold weather is the provoking
cause. and if you cannot stand it YOU
should not attempt the Journey
T. S. VAN DYKE.