Are You a Motor Gypsy?

Latest Information on the Fast Growing Sport of Motor Camping

GEORGE W. SUTTON, Jr.

THE more one looks into this subject of motor camping, the more interesting and hitherto unrevealed facts he finds. This is particularly true with regard to the immense amount of work being done by state and government officials in behalf of the motor camper. It is surprising, for instance, to discover that approximately fifteen hundred cities and towns throughout the United States have created public automobile camping grounds for the use of visiting motorists, where the facilities range from a simple equipment of open fireplaces and electric lights to the more elaborate conveniences such as free laundry machines, shower baths, recreation halls, waffle irons and fuel supply stations. Another surprise is that in none of these camps are the charges for occupancy more than fifty cents per night per car.

New York State itself has become one vast public playground under the supervision of the Conservation Commission. The Forest Preserve, covering the major portion of the Adirondacks and Catskill Mountain region, comprises 7,200,000 acres, about equal in area to the state of Maryland. This, and the beautiful St. Lawrence Reservation and certain islands in Lake George are owned by the citizens of New York State and are open for the enjoyment of many thousands of campers without any semblance of crowding. The Conservation Commission has prepared over 100 public camp sites for the use of transients and is constantly adding more log lean-to's, stone fireplaces and other conveniences.

Practically every state in the Union has taken note of the enormous growth in motor camping during the past three years, a movement which brought health and pleasure to approximately 1,000,000 people last year and increased wealth to the cities and towns patronized by the campers.

The manner in which you do your motor camping depends a good deal upon your temperament. If you and your chosen companions want to get away from people in general, it is easily possible to find little-travelled roads leading to hundreds of secluded woodland nooks where you can fish, hunt or rest to your heart's content, undisturbed. If, on the other hand, your ideas are more communistic, you may follow the long streams of motor travelers and rub elbows with your fellow men with a degree of democracy possible in no other way. Denver was probably the first city in the United States to make provision for the motor camper. She has now two splendid public camping parks, in the larger of which, Overland Park, a nightly attendance of five hundred camping cars from all parts of the country is not unusual during the season

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ONE of the great difficulties hitherto confronting the person desiring to get away from the crowded cities and turn his automobile into a rolling hotel has been the securing of accurate information on where to go, what to take and other questions of importance, This difficulty is disappearing rapidly with the growth of reliable sources of camping information, both public and commercial. Such organizations as the American Automobile Association, with 350,000 members and affiliated with 1600 automobile clubs, the Automobile Club of Southern California, with 36,000 members, the Yellowstone Trail Association and other bodies whose function in life is to. encourage motor travel, are prepared to help the motor gypsy with maps and information concerning routes and road conditions and in many other ways. State authorities who have the supervision of public preserves are only too glad to disseminate information about their facilities. The National Parks this year are preparing to receive many thousands of motor camping parties. In all these wonderful parks excellent provisions have been made so that the gasoline nomad can enjoy to the limit the immense public forests and open places.

We have established close liaison with a considerable number of these sources of camping information and we shall be only too glad to help our readers with their problems. Simply tell us what part of the country you wish to visit, what cities you would like to see en route, and we shall ask the proper organization to send you advice concerning routes and road conditions.

In the matter of vehicles, there are several methods of camping by automobile. The most popular, but not necessarily the best or easiest, is to carry all tents, bedding, cooking utensils and other paraphernalia in an ordinary touring car or sedan. This necessitates the setting up and dismantling of tents at each stop. Another method is to haul an ordinary two-wheeled commercial trailer in which the camp impedimenta are placed, thus leaving the car free for the use of passengers,

Another way of camping, and one which is growing rapidly, is through the use of a camping trailer. There are about twenty companies now manufacturing these ingenious vehicles, all of which are more or less alike as to general principles but differ somewhat in details. All the camping trailers provide sleeping accommodations for from four to six people on comfortable double beds. They range in price from $235 upwards and some of them contain elaborate stoves, clothes closets and other comforts. We shall be glad to send readers a list of camp trailer manufacturers.

SEVERAL companies have been organized within the past year to build camp cars, or land yachts, on various chassis. One firm, for instance, builds a very complete and comfortable camping body on Ford, Reo Speed Wagon and White ¾ ton truck chassis. Another makes very elaborate camp bodies on any chassis to order and is busy working out a comprehensive camp vehicle on a small, cheap chassis. We can send you a list of these concerns ii you are interested.

The question of equipment is an important one. The tastes of motor campers vary so much that no two parties ever start out with exactly the same load of accessories. A vast majority of beginners carry infinitely too much In fact, it is only through experience that one can learn what is necessary for his own particular requirements,

We have made up a very complete list of suggestions for your convenience covering clothing for plain camping anc various kinds of hunting and fishing sleeping, shelter, cooking and eating motor car necessities, and miscellaneou articles. This list is infinitely large than would be necessary for any one camping party but may be varied to suit particular needs. We will also send lists of companies manufacturing or selling camp stoves, tents, beds, eating outfits and other necessities.

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It is a great advantage when motor touring to be a member of a motoring association or a recognized automobile club. This will place at your disposal all over the country the excellent information bureaus maintained for the convenience of travellers with association or motor club affiliations and will assure your receiving assistance from a reliable organization in any city throughout the land.

You will doubtless wish to visit many of the established camp sites during the course of your tour. A very complete camping manual which, besides giving other information, lists approximately 1,100 of these public camping grounds, has been prepared by the American Automobile Association. This costs fifty cents a copy. We have a number of these on hand and will be glad to send them to readers upon receipt of the amount mentioned.

For campers who wish to investigate the scenic beauties of New York State, there is nothing better than a trip through the beautiful public forests of the Adirondacks and Catskills. For information on this splendid territory, write to the Conservation Commission, Albany, N. Y. State in your letter the district you wish to visit and the Commission will send you the proper booklets and maps with full information concerning routes, facilities, camp sites and regulations.

For the person who is not yet an experienced motor camper, nothing better has been written than The Motor Camping Book by Elon Jessup, published last summer. This book gives a vast quantity of practical information on the whole subject of motor camping, including advice on equipment, cooking, sleeping, tents, road troubles and other relevant subjects. The cost of this splendid volume is $3, and we shall take pleasure in sending it to readers upon receipt of that price.

MOTOR camping is not in any way LTX "roughing it" unless you wish to make it so. With a little preliminary study, it can be made to produce abundant recreation, exercise and health with all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of home life. If you start out prepared for the various kinds of weather and roads you will encounter, you should experience no great inconvenience. Much depends upon your attitude of mind. Automobile camping is exclusively for good sports and anyone who is not willing to do his share of the necessary work and put up with the trivial mishaps and discomforts which may arise, should not even consider indulging in this pastime.

There is much that the motor camper will learn in his first couple of lengthy trips. He will learn, for instance, that it does not pay to camp on private property without permission, nor to steal fruit, vegetables or other farm articles or to leave behind a messy looking camp site. These things cause the whole fraternity of motor campers to lose prestige and one party that acts this way casts discredit upon all who follow. He will learn that to buy eggs, milk, chickens and other fresh delicacies from farmers along the way creates good will and that the average farmer will have no objections to allowing the party to camp on his property if they do not cut down valuable trees for fire wood, pollute streams and ponds, start forest or grass fires or run around in untidy deshabille. All camp rubbish should be burned or buried and the camp site left as clean as it was before use.

MOSQUITOES and other insects are likely to be very troublesome if protection against them is not provided for. There are a number of excellent insect repellants on the market which are worth their weight in platinum when you are sitting around the evening camp fire. When you go to bed at night it is best to put on more covers than seem necessary at the moment because summer nights have a habit of turning cold and there is nothing more uncomfortable than waking up half frozen and nothing more disturbing to other sleepers than one member of the party threshing around to find more bedclothes. It is particularly important to keep the feet dry and warm, not only at night but throughout the trip.

Here is a little camping kink which has just come to my notice. If it is raining and all the available firewood is wet, or if you want to prepare a quick meal and your gasoline stove is packed away, simply bore a hole in the ground about six inches deep and two and a half to three inches across, with a broad stick. Put your grate over it or build a wind-break of stones around it. Pour a half pint of gasoline into the hole and touch it with a match. The result will be a flame about seven inches high, which will last for almost an hour and over which you can cook any camping dish. If you want more fires, simply, bore more holes.

One of the most important features of your camping trip is the car itself. No motorist should start off on a tour without making sure that his machine is in perfect condition for the trip. Go carefully over the lubrication, circulation and ignition systems. Put in new, clean oil and grease. Tighten all bolts, fan belt, oil springs and clean the whole car thoroughly, engine and all.