Nessmuk (Sears, George W.) - Woodcraft & Camping (1887).pdf - Survival - Radioman

Woodcraft and Camping 1

Foreword

"Woodcraft and Camping" is a classical of US American literature on the outdoors.

Even if it dates from more than a century, it is still terribly accurate to our times.

Nessmuk had the same concerns about pollution, weight, nature, cooking and survival

than we do. He was advocating very light and well proved gear well before the modern

ultralight hikers.

All my research on this book from George Washington Sears, which wrote under the

pen name "Nessmuk" show that "Woodcraft and Camping" is not copyrighted. At least,

if it is, the US government has no trace of it: www.copyright.gov (search for "sears,

george" or "nessmuk").

If someone can show us a copyright, we will remove it from the site, but for the moment

all our investigations lead us to consider this book has fallen into public domain.

It is therefore our pleasure to provide our readers this great book in an pdf format.

There are 10 chapters.

Good reading!

OM editor.

Woodcraft and Camping 2

Preface: Woodcraft is dedicated to the Grand Army of "Outers," as a pocket volume of reference on

woodcraft.

For brick and mortar breed filth and crime,

With a pulse of evil that throbs and beats;

And men are withered before their prime

By the curse paved in with the lanes and streets.

And lungs are poisoned and shoulders bowed,

In the smothering reek of mill and mine;

And death stalks in on the struggling crowd

But he shuns the shadow of oak and pine.

NESSMUK.

Woodcraft and Camping 3

Table of Contents

.............................................................................................................................................................. ..2

CHAPTER I.................................................................................................................................. ..........4

OVERWORK AND RECREATION—OUTING AND OUTERS—HOW TO DO IT, AND WHY THEY

MISS IT................................................................................................................................... ...............4

CHAPTER II........................................................................................................................................ ...7

KNAPSACK, HATCHET, KNIVES, TINWARE, FISHING TACKLE, DITTYBAG, RODS..................7

CHAPTER III....................................................................................................................................... .12

GETTING LOST—CAMPING OUT—ROUGHING IT OR SMOOTHING IT—INSECTS—CAMPS,

AND HOW TO MAKE THEM.................................................................................. ...........................12

CHAPTER IV..................................................................................................................... ..................22

CAMPFIRES AND THEIR IMPORTANCE—THE WASTEFUL WRONG WAY THEY ARE

USUALLY MADE, AND THE RIGHT WAY TO MAKE THEM................................... ......................22

CHAPTER V.............................................................................................................. ..........................26

FISHING, WITH AND WlTHOUT FLIESSOME TACKLE AND LURESDISCURSIVE REMARKS

ON THE GENTLE ARTTHE HEADLIGHTFROGGING ......................................... .........................26

CHAPTER VI..................................................................................................................... ..................35

CAMP COOKERY—HOW IT IS USUALLY DONE, WITH A FEW SIMPLE HINTS ON PLAIN

COOKING—COOKING FIRE AND OUTDOOR RANGE............................................. ....................35

CHAPTER VII........................................................................................................................... ...........43

MORE HINTS ON COOKING, WITH SOME SIMPLE RECEIPTS BREAD, POTATOES, SOUPS,

STEWS, BEANS............................................................................................................................. ......43

CHAPTER VIII.................................................................................................................................. ...52

A TEN DAYS’ TRIP IN THE WILDERNESS—GOING IT ALONE................................................ ....52

CHAPTER IXCanoeing .............................................................................................. ........................58

THE LIGHT CANOE AND DOUBLE BLADEVARIOUS CANOES FOR VARIOUS CANOEISTS

REASONS FOR PREFERRING THE CLINKERBUILT CEDAR.................................................... ....58

CHAPTER X.............................................................................................................. ..........................63

ODDS AND ENDSWHERE TO GO FOR AN OUTING—WHY A CLINKER?BOUGHS AND

BROWSE........................................................................................................................... ...................63

Woodcraft and Camping 4

CHAPTER I

OVERWORK AND RECREATION—OUTING AND OUTERS—HOW TO DO IT,

AND WHY THEY MISS IT

T DOES not need that Herbert Spencer should cross the ocean to tell us that we are

an overworked nation; that our hair turns gray ten years earlier than the

Englishman’s; or, "that we have had somewhat too much of the gospel of work,"

and, "it is time to preach the gospel of relaxation." It is all true. But we work

harder, accomplish more in a given time, and last quite as long as slower races. As

to the gray hair perhaps gray hair is better than none; and it is a fact that the

average Briton becomes bald as early as the American turns gray. There is,

however, a sad significance in his words when he says: "In every circle I have met men who

had themselves suffered from nervous collapse due to stress of business, or named friends

who had either killed themselves by overwork, or had been permanently incapacitated, or

had wasted long periods in endeavors to recover health." Too true. And it is the constant

strain, without letup or relaxation, that, in nine cases out of ten, snaps the cord and ends in

what the doctors call "nervous prostration"—something akin to paralysis—from which the

sufferer seldom wholly recovers.

Mr. Spencer quotes that quaint old chronicler, Froissart, as saying, "The English take their

pleasures sadly, after their fashion"; and thinks if he lived now, he would say of Americans,

"they take their pleasures hurriedly, after their fashion." Perhaps.

It is an age of hurry and worry. Anything slower than steam is apt to "get left." Fortunes are

quickly made and freely spent. Nearly all busy, hardworked Americans have an intuitive

sense of the need that exists for at least one period of rest and relaxation during each year,

and all—or nearly all—are willing to pay liberally, too liberally in fact, for anything that

conduces to rest, recreation and sport. I am sorry to say that we mostly get swindled. As an

average, the summer outer who goes to forest, lake or stream for health and sport, gets about

ten cents’ worth for a dollar of outlay. A majority will admit—to themselves at least—that

after a month’s vacation, they return to work with an inward consciousness of being

somewhat disappointed and beaten. We are free with our money when we have it. We are

known throughout the civilized world for our lavishness in paying for our pleasures; but it

humiliates us to know we have been beaten, and this is what the most of us know at the end

of a summer vacation. To the man of millions it makes little difference. He is able to pay

liberally for boats, buckboards and "body service," if he chooses to spend a summer in the

North Woods. He has no need to study the questions of lightness and economy in a forest and

stream outing. Let his guides take care of him; and unto them and the landlords he will give

freely of his substance.

I do not write for him, and can do him little good. But there are hundreds of thousands of

practical, useful men, many of them far from being rich; mechanics, artists, writers,

merchants, clerks, business men—workers, so to speak—who sorely need and well deserve a

season of rest and relaxation at least once a year. To these, and for these, I write.

Woodcraft and Camping 5

Perhaps more than fifty years of devotion to "woodcraft" may enable me to give a few useful

hints and suggestions to those whose dreams, during the close season of work, are of camp

life by flood, field and forest.

I have found that nearly all who have a real love of nature and outofdoor camplife, spend a

good deal of time and talk in planning future trips, or discussing the trips and pleasures gone

by, but still dear to memory.

When the mountain streams are frozen and the Nor’land winds are out;

when the winter winds are drifting the bitter sleet and snow; when winter rains are making

outofdoor life unendurable; when season, weather and law combine to make it "close time"

for beast, bird and man, it is well that a few congenial spirits should, at some favorite trysting

place, gather around the glowing stove and exchange yarns, opinions and experiences.

Perhaps no two will exactly agree on the best ground for an outing,...or half a dozen other

points that may be discussed. But one thing all admit. Each and every one has gone to his

chosen ground with too much impedimenta, too much duffle; and nearly all have used boats

at least twice as heavy as they need to have been. The temptation to buy this or that bit of

indispensable campkit has been too strong, and we have gone to the blessed woods,

handicapped with a load fit for a packmule. This is not how to do it.

Go light; the lighter the better, so that you have the simplest material for health, comfort and

enjoyment.

Of course, if you intend to have a permanent camp, and can reach it by boat or wagon,

lightness is not so important, though even in that case it is well to guard against taking a lot

of stuff that is likely to prove of more weight than worth—only to leave it behind when you

come out.

As to clothing for the woods, a good deal of nonsense has been written about "strong, coarse

woolen clothes." You do not want coarse woolen clothes. Fine woolen cassimere of medium

thickness for coat, vest and pantaloons, with no cotton lining. Color, slate gray or deadleaf

(either is good). Two soft, thick woolen shirts; two pairs of fine, but substantial, woolen

drawers; two pairs of strong woolen socks or stockings; these are what you need, and all you

need in the way of clothing for the woods, excepting hat and boots, or gaiters. Boots are best

—providing you do not let yourself be inveigled into wearing a pair of longlegged heavy

boots with thick soles, as has been often advised by writers who knew no better. Heavy, long

legged boots are a weary, tiresome incumbrance on a hard tramp through rough woods. Even

moccasins are better. Gaiters, all sorts of high shoes, in fact, are too bothersome about

fastening and unfastening. Light boots are best. Not thin, unserviceable affairs, but light as to

actual weight. The following hints will give an idea for the best footgear for the woods; let

them be single soled, single backs and single fronts, except light, short footlinings. Back of

solid "country kip"; fronts of substantial French calf; heel one inch high, with steel nails;

countered outside; straps narrow, of fine French calf put on "astraddle," and set down to the

top of the back. The outsole stout, Spanish oak, and pegged rather than sewed, although

either is good. They will weigh considerably less than half as much as the clumsy, costly boots

usually recommended for the woods; and the added comfort must be tested to be

understood.

The hat should be fine, soft felt with moderately low crown and wide brim; color to match

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