The Washington herald., 1920-06-06

the experienced motor gypsy begins
getting out his kit and preparing
for summer of delightful living in
the open. To tn, veteran we can
not, perhaps. offer very much that
Is helpful. but there are thousands
Of new owners who Will want to try
the most delightful and healthful
way of spending q more or less
lengthy vacation camping with a
car. The motor car is ideally adapt
ed to make the camping trip an
experience of unalioyed pleasure,
provided you know how to do IL. In
this article we shall try to offer
some helpful suggestions along this
line.
In the first place camping equip
ment of all kinds must be carried in
the car or on a trailer. There is,
therefore. limit to the weight that
can be carried and the equipment
must not .be too bulky, as carrying
space is definitely limited.
Novel Tents Devised.
The first consideration will be
sleeping quarters. and here the
manufacturers have done very well
by the automobile camper. There is
almost no limit to the variety OF
tents, etc. that are available. There
are ordinary tents. made Of balloon
silk. khaki and special fabrics
which occupy little space when roll
ed up and may be erected in a very
few minutes by means of special
frames of steel rods. These Will
| range in price from SIS to as high as
ore cares to pay. Special automo-
bile tents designed for attachment
to one side OF the raised top are on
the market. In this way the tent
may be erected. the car used as q
dressing room, after which the tour
lists step down into the beds.
There are a number Of ingenious
cots on the market designed to be
stretched from the framework Of the
top, SO that the body of the car is
converted into a sleeping apartment
In special instances car-owners have
had the seats of the vehcle so hing
ed that they may be opened out to
form a very comfortable bed.
TraiIers Caxry Shelter.
Trailers are now offered so de-
signed that a tent is erected over
| the body of this auxiliary vehicle
and the sides let down to form single
beds. This trailer equipment hal
many advantages for the motol
camper at a cost running from lest
than 500 UP to several hundred.
| With the shelter provided for, tn,
next thought will be where to sleep
and a number of solutions of this
problem are available. There are thu
folding damp cots. which are sc
made as to fold and roll up int
small compass. The pneumatic bec
is an admirable thing to sleep on
1t Is simply a rubber mattress. which
is blown up with the tire pump
and is truly more luxurious thar
your bed at home. The cost Is OF
the average, somewhat less than S25
Special automobile beds, utilizing
one of the runningboards as the heat
of the bed and firmly implanted
stakes at the foot. are on the mar
ket in many varieties. The moto
camper may, in the matter OF hi
bed, be as much Of sybarite as hi
pocketbook will allow.
Kitchen Outfits.
With living accommodations pro
vided for, the next thought will b'
the method of providing food, anC
the first question here Is cookint
lit. Camp kitchen kits are avail
I able in endless variety. There are
! stoves made of sheets of cast iron
which fold up when not in use into
a thin package that takes up little
room and weighs less. Yet the
most elaborate cooking may bt
carried out on these camp stoves
even the baking of bread and
roasting of fowls. 1t is a gooC
plan to carry in addition to th'
regular. camp stove. which by th'
way burns wood. an auxiliary II
the shape of a spirit or kerosen,
stove. These latter may be had il
a number of varieties and they al,
extremely practical, their ultimate
value appearing on a rainy night
when you have to pitch camp with
out a single stick of dry wood II
view.
Utensils are made with rcmov
able handles. so that they may b
nested to take up the smallest pos
sible amount of space.
Having provided for the cookinI
of the food, the next thiue is no,
to serve II. Camp table kits fur
nish the answer These may b
had in any degree Of elaboratenes.
They include knives, forks. spoon,
plates. cups and saucers. these lat
ter in white enamelware, wit
thermos bottles, salt and peppe
shakers, etc, and usually they ar
packed in a hamper which make
for easy packing when the camp i
being broken. - The prices of thes
luncheon kits range from IS up.
Buy Only Necessities.
The question of what to carry |
one that the newcomer in campin
circles finds difficulty in solving. TIL
temptation is to load the car wit