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Show , 4.-- x'lif .".' , 1,,, EPL 011 CONTINUED 6211!.P. ig) Vi ' W...v ' s.. 0,,,Z4N4' i t , ''' ' , ' t t . t , WI,. 4, 1 04 ; oft ' , ' I i P ' ., fr. I, '' 0 i ' N't 1 . ' t !, 1 Z i r 441411414149V Q 41 Srera ..$1,T in , ti Atk, i nt Be prepared 1 71:-.1:- -.. jiti 011 EILI3 Cit Ori N - by Robert G. Deindorfer 6 z lpz. e 0 et , TRAVERSE CITY, MICH. ature. You've got :a respect na- says Ford Kellum, puffing il ture," his pipe. "You don't fight it, you don't abuse it, you don't cheat it. What you do is learn how to live comfortably with nature." - --- Kellumcheery, balding and bespectacledhas spent much of his 68 years outdoors. He's hunted and fished, cruised timber, worked as a wildlife biologist, packed off on survey trips and served as a guide countless times. He's roamed the woods and waters not only in much of his home state of Michigan, but also in Canada and the western United States. Like others who've done considerable time in the woods, Kellum has devised innovative ways of living comfortably with nature. Unlike many old guides, however, he is willing to share them. Take the basic cooking fire, if and when you decide to "rough it" a distance from your headquarter family camper or van. The normal weekenders collect any dry kindling that comes to hand, add more substantial wood, swing a cookpot from a metal bracket or set it on a store-bougwire screen. ht How the woodsman does it . - 16 Kellum has his own seasoned approach. "Up here in our part of the country," he says, "I generally use birch bark to start up a fire because it ignites co easily, Later, hemlock bark glows and adds real heat. And if you didn't happen to carry along a bracket or screen, lust put the pans on some large stones in the middle of the fire. Easy as that." The choice of a ( ampsite should meet (ertain criteria. "Strike your (amp fairly high up, preferably where the pine trees are They give good shelter and warmth in the winter, shade and relief in the summer," Kellum says "High ground lets the rain run off, generally attracts fewer mosquitoes and bugs "Always know exactly where you ,....- -rt 4,- , tri.Si-t-- , 11 1 '016 rr 4 :- . ,t. ,. s .. ....,... woods. The keys, he says, are respect for nature and common sense. -- - Ford Kellum, veteran outdoorsman, knows how to be comfortable in the are." Kellum believes every camping party should have a proper compass but suspects that many tenderfeet don't know the needle points north. To them the thing's no more than an ornament. "Some modern campers laugh me off, but it's good to be able to measure a distance. I've always figured SOO double paces add up to approximately half a mile. Things like that can help you in the woods in case things ever go wrong." If lost, don't panic In case things go so wrong that a sit camper becomes lost, he should down, unwind, get a grip on any ter of panicand remember that while the wind might change, the course of the sun doesn't. A nearby stream or river can be followed downstream in search of people. Sooner or later you'll come upon a crossing, a small settlement, even a village. "But if someone is seriously lost, he better stay put," Kellum says. "After he builds a good fire to serve as a beacon, he can rig a lean-t- o shelter and cover it with his tarp, If supplies run low, he can club a porcupinea little fatty, but surprisingly tender meator boil up some cattails, the vohite part down around the water line. Children ought to be carefully briefed in the woods with before a tamp-ou- t their parents. In case they wander too far from the family camper or push beyond familiar geographic limits, they should stay where they are and immediately send up some noise. Experienced parents sometimes string a piercing metal whistle for emergency use around youngsters' necks. Kellum does allow himself the luxury of an inflatable air mattress, along with common sense, anyway," Kellum says. "You don't treat them right, they'll let you down badly." Another Kellum specialty is a pair of thin leather gloves, which he packs along whatever the season. Gloves are helpful gathering kindling, swinging an axe, building a fire, lifting pots onto the heat, swinging a canoe paddle, pegbing a tent, blazing signal markers on trees. repair patches. "It's nice to sleep fortable outdoors," he says. He comcare- fully clears an area of any sticks and stones, rolls out the air mattress, the sleeping bag and, finally, himself. A plastic sheet or tairp is essential nobody can predict the weather with certainty. If it's dry, Kellum has something to cover food with or sit on beside the cooking fire. If it isn't, he guys the tarp to a couple of trees with one end higher than the otherover his sleeping bag. Among the lightweight fixings generally not listed in the guidebooks is a ball of string. Be it ever so humble, string can be used to replace a broken shoelace, tighten the webbing on a pack or even string a fishing lineespecially useful should the camper fall on hard times far from a general store. He should also carry a hook on which to skewer a nightcrawler or berry for bait. always carry adhesive tape, too," Kellum adds, "an inch or wide. You can lay tape on a rip in a sleeping bag or a tarp, even patch a pair of pants. Mainly, however, the old guide uses tape as a hedge against foot troubles. Any time a sock or shoe rubs to a point where he feels the least bit sore, he soaks the foot in a stream or pond, rubs on ointment and puts tape on the area that might blister. A camper who plans to travel any distance must be careful in his choice of boots. They shouldn't be too high lest they feel stiff for hiking. Proper boots run up to eight or 10 inches high, are comfortably broken-i- n already, loose enough to accommodate two pairs of socks one lightweight, the other wool to absorb moisture. "Look, your feet are the best friends you have out in the woodsexcept for inch-and-ah- Choose essential items carefully. They include a good reliable knife, a lightweight hatchet sharpened to a fine cutting edge, some disinfectant such as iodine, and bandages. Any family outing involving children, even when it is within reasonable range of civilization, also demands a comprehensive first-ai- d kit kept in the trunk or camper. 'lip: the more Band-Aid- s you take along, the better. Kellum always wears a hat in the woods. In summer, it's a brimmed lightweight hat to ward off the sun and rain and restrict the target area for bugs; in winter, a warm stocking cap to pull down over his ears. His stricture about traveling properly equipped also applies to flashlights. Families should carry enough reliable, compact torchesall the better if they're waterproofto go around, although veteran outdoorsmen will also carry a few stubs of candles. "It's not enough to bring several boxes of matches," Kellum says. "They must be watertight, in different pockets and parts of your pack. I prefer to carry mine in small protective film containers, with others literally sealed in wax. All that firewood won't help any if you don't have a dry match." In addition to a standard insect repellent, Kellum usually carries a few hospital-siz- e plastic bags. Any time the stuff loses its magic and mosquitoes or black flies are taking bites out of him on the water, he stuffs his feet into the bags, fastens the tops around his knees with string. Food tips many camping vehicles come equipped with refrigerators, the bulk and perishable quality of food isn't the problem it was back when Kellum first took to the woods. But .,hould you plan to backpack at all, he feels it is wise to bring a supply of lightweight dehydrated groceries along with fresh rations If sleeping away from your camper, be sure to guard your provisions against foraging raccoons, porcupines, other ground animals. In general, normal precautions and common sense apply in the outdoors. Wise campers will follow the kinds of practical tips Kellum has developed over the yearsand learn to devise their ownto make their stay in the wilds as comfortable as possible. You savor nature's riches more fully that 116 way, the old guide says. As |
