Outdoor Kids Fun

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To make a pack

MAKING A PACK to ship as baggage, fold the blankets lengthwise (Fig. 264),
place them in the middle of your tarpaulin or floor cloth (Fig. 2.54) ; fold the cover over (Fig. 256), then tuck in the ends and roll the package into a bundle and cinch (Figs. 266 and 256).

A SLEEPING-BAG can be improvised from one’s blankets by the use of safety
pins (Fig. 257). A section of the bag (Fig. 268) shows how the blankets are doubled.

To make a BACK PACK fold as in Fig. 259, then bend up the end as indicated by Figs. 260 and 261, fold again, Fig. 262, then fold in the two edges, Figs. 268 and 264, which show both sides of pack; bend over the top, Figs. 265 and 266, and strap ready to carry, Figs. 267 and 268.

For a BLANKET Roll fold as in Fig. 269; bend in the ends and roll (fig. 270).
Strap or lash the ends together (Fig. 271).

Easy Hallowe’en Crafts for Kids Stuffed Mummy Hand: Take a transparent latex glove, put a candy corn in the tip of each finger, then fill with popped popcorn. Tie with an orange ribbon and attach a spider ring to the ring finger. Mr. Pumpkin Head: Instead of carving all of your pumpkins this year, simply insert Mr. Potato Head [...]

The different Indian tribes all have their own tribal way of building or making a moccasin. Some have the soles cut the shape of the foot, with others the toes are as pointed as were the toes of a society man’s shoes a few years ago, and in still others the toe is rounded, and there are just as many varieties of styles to the tops of the moccasin. The ordinary moccasins known to the general public is the style worn by the Canadian Indians and these are not difficult even for a boy to make.

First put your foot down on a piece of paper and make a
pattern of it by drawing a line around it with a pencil, as shown
by Fig. 198. Then draw a line E F through the centre and
parallel to the centre line draw two lines, J G and K H. Next
measure 2 inches from each side and draw the lines A C and A B
respectively 2 inches from J K and K H. Two inches above
the toe draw the line C D connecting J G and K H; you will
now have a parallelogram A C, D B. Fold this along the centre
line E F as in Fig. 199. Then with the scissors cut a curve
around the toe, keeping about 2 inches from the pattern of the
foot, as shown by the curved line from M to E. When the paper
is unfolded you will have the pattern E N A B M (Fig. 200).

For the top of the moccasin you need a smaller piece of ma-
terial of the same shape as E N A B M. This piece forms the
tongue of the moccasin as well as its top. Roughly speaking,
it will be about half the length of the foot. If you place your
stockinged foot on the pattern that you have made and carefully
fold the paper up and around and over the foot you will see that
the space across the foot between the edge of the paper on each
side will be that which the small piece of paper is to fill. But to
get the width of the small piece it is better to take a piece of tape
and measure around the ball of the foot and up over the top,
then measure the width of the piece from M to N and the differ-
ence between the two measurements is the width of the small
piece. You need a small awl, a darning needle and some waxed
shoemaker’s thread with which to do your work. Read the rest of this entry »

The government poncho makes a good “rubber” blanket, useful in many ways as a blanket, a wrap, a cushion, a bag, a sail, etc. etc. There is a slit in the middle, covered by a lapel and hood. In case of rain slip the poncho over your head, and you are protected. It is very light. Carry one around with you at all times, when possible, even if you are off but for a few hours.

You never know when you may need it most. It protects you from sudden changes. If overheated, it is convenient as a wrap. If you are chilly put it around you, holding it tight at the throat, and you will soon be warm, for, thin and light as it is, it is air proof as well as water-proof. If fatigued from overexertion, throw it on the ground, and lie down flat on your back.  Five minutes flat on the back is of more rest to the body than an hour in any other position.  When you are resting … rest.  Make a business of it. Throw all care and worry, of either home or camp life, off your mind. Do nothing, say nothing, think nothing, be nothing. Recuperate.

To make a poncho tent, cut two stakes of suitable length, with a crotch at one end to hold the ridge pole; cut your ridge-pole and some small stakes or pins. You will find plenty of suitable material at hand. Drive your two stakes the length of your poncho apart, and place your ridge-pole in position, which should be a little less in height than the width of a poncho. String two ponchos together by means of the eyelet holes. Throw them over your ridge-pole dark side out and fasten tightly by the pins and small pieces of string run through the eyelet holes at the side. A third poncho protects one end ; the other end is left open for air and light. This seems very narrow quarters, but they will sleep two comfortably, and have been known, by a very slight change, to accommodate three.

If you estimate your tent accommodations by what you require at home, you will make a mistake. Our mode of life grants us far more house room than we require. What an exceedingly small room is a stateroom on any of our boats, and yet it suffices amply for more than one on a long voyage. ( If you want to thoroughly realize how very little room you really need, go to an undertaker, and in five minutes he will show you in what a small space you can lie comfortably!)

This simple tent has the advantage of water-proof sides, is very light, and being in pieces, is easily carried, and can be made and put up inside of twenty minutes.

There is much gained by placing two logs parallel to each other and setting your poncho tent upon them. This gives far more. space than appears at first sight. If you cannot find logs, use small trees, large stones and earth combined.

Select a cheerful and dry spot for pitching your tent. Choose even ground and slightly sloping. If you expect to remain in camp any length of time, dig or cut with a hatchet, a small trench around your tent. This will prevent the water from higher ground around you running into your enclosure. If the trees are too thick, make an opening so as to let in the sunshine. Do not thoughtlessly cut down more trees than necessary, and in most cases it will be found easier to find a sufficiently open spot, than to attempt to make one. Camp as near to a spring or running water as you can, even though you are on a lake shore.

I cannot recommend highly enough the use of the military Poncho. If it’s good enough for the army, it’s good enough for our camping needs.

If your interested in purchasing a good military Poncho you  can get them at:

Although this will be viewed by some as cruel, when you have to eat by trapping a rabbit, this method works well and can be used to great effect when in an area with an abundant supply of rabbits.

I should mention here that this is not a game and should not be used just because you can but only used when you need food.

Ideally this trap should be set under a tree branch but if this is not practical then a good supple sapling can be driven into the ground or tied to a stake that is driven into the ground.

A stout switch as large as a man’s little finger, and nearly two feet long, should be cut and nicely sharpened at both ends. This should then be driven into the ground in the form of an arch in the rabbit run which can be seen by the regular used tracks left in the grass.

The illustration shows the method of setting the trap. This trap can be baited for other animals and birds but it is hard to get a wild rabbit to eat baits. The method I use is to have the trap set so as the rabbit ‘nudges’ the bait stick and thus springs the trap.

After the arch is firmly fixed in its place, a short piece of stick should be cut, of a length corresponding to the height of the arch. To the middle of this stick the bait should be attached, being either tied to it or stuck on a plug driven into the stick, the latter being sharpened on one end. Next proceed to cut another stick, of about six inches in length flattened on one end. The wire noose should then be fastened to the opposite end.

The noose in this case should be large enough to fill the opening of the arch. We will now go back to the sapling again. It should be bent down slightly, and a piece of the strong twine should be tied to its tip. Taking hold of the string, proceed to bend down the end of the sapling, in the direction of the arch, until it draws with a force strong enough to lift a rabbit if he were tied to the end of it. Thus holding it down with the string against the front of the arch, cut off the twine at the place where it crosses the top of the arch, as this will be the required length.

It is now necessary to tie the end of this string to the same piece of wood and at the same place to which the noose was tied. When this is done the trap may be set as shown. The sapling should now be bent and the piece of wood holding the noose should be passed beneath the top of the arch, as far as it will go, with its long end pointing away from the noose. By now supporting the inside end with the bait stick, and carefully adjusting the noose so as to completely fill the arch, the trap will be set.

In order to reach the bait, the rabbit or bird must necessarily pass its head through the noose, after which, if the bait be scarcely touched, the animal’s doom is sealed, and he is lifted into the air, generally suffering almost instant death. It is well known that in the case of a rabbit the neck is broken by a very slight blow, a strong snap of the finger being often sufficient.

It is therefore safe to conclude that when thus suddenly caught and lifted by the noose, death must occur almost instantaneously from the same cause.

It is not really necessary that the force of the sapling should be strong enough to lift the rabbit from the ground, as a mere strong tightening of the noose would be sufficient to cause strangulation and death but I recommend the former method as being less painful and more effective.

The ” Twitch-up ” may be used for the capture of all varieties of game and, when set with corn as bait, game birds can be your next meal but check your local laws on poaching before ending up on the wrong side of the law!