Tricks for the road

A knife called a camp knife or hobo knife is an indispensable tool spoon knife fork cork screw can opener and more

A flint and steel , a magnesium and a phosphorus bars are good fire starters

Make fire punks by taking cotton twine or jute twine A take the string soak it in lighter fluids mixed with Vaseline B make a bunch of loops about 3/4 inch long with then greased string C tie a tie at one end of the loop with little looped past the one end D rap down the coil’s around and around tie at the end E put in an air tight box like an Altoids box Use them to start campfire fires

Carrie a small hand shovel or camp shovel A sharpen the sides it becomes a machete and light axe B you can dig a hole

Hidden camp hole in the side of a clif of dirt use your shovel to dig out step and hand holes to climb up then start digging a bigger hole higher than animal can get up dig in then turn it like an L dig out your room by the one side make your fire pit harth on the thinner wall side dig the small hole out and up 45 degrees as a chimney make your bed seat across from it the harth should be near the entrance to keep animals out but done right it’s high enough animals or men won’t notice a camp like that can hide ya if ya make a 45 degree hole down an out on the thin side down from a raised seat the dump hole become a pisser an crapper you can make shelves ect

When on the road it’s not good to give your camp away one way to keep cooking fires low is Sterno cans pop the top light it you can cook on it when done put the top on let it cool before putting in pack. I’ve cooked food on car hoods on sidewalks with Sterno a mess kit and a camp / hobo knife

A compass a pedometer a map measure a map set street and typographical help you travel

A while to cook and camp when camped out you don’t want to be noticed dig a pit a foot around then in the direction of the wind dig a hole at a 45 degree put paper grass twigs and wood in light from the 45 degree hole called a North Dakota bean hole cause they put a stick across and a pot on it to cook food you leave space to feed your fire and watch make sure their ain’t dry leaf or pine needles or such under the dirt theirs a kind of under ground fire that starts up that way than can burn up to a mile a way and pop up around you so watch that

A quart plastic 1/2 full of honey 1/2 full of water open top for a day in three is mead you can get both on stamps

Always carry a couple card boards and a sharpie you can fly a sign or sit with out dust on your briches