The Art of Travel eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 457 pages of information about The Art of Travel.

The Art of Travel eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 457 pages of information about The Art of Travel.

OUTFIT.

It is impossible to include lists of outfit, in any reasonable space, that shall suit the various requirements of men engaged in expeditions of different magnitudes, who adopt different modes of locomotion, and who visit different countries and climates.  I have therefore thought it best to describe only one outfit as a specimen, selecting for my example the desiderata for South Africa.  In that country the traveller has, or had a few years ago, to take everything with him, for there were no civilised settlers, and the natural products of the country are of as little value in supplying his wants as those of any country can be.  Again, South African wants are typical of those likely to be felt in every part of a large proportion of the region where rude travel is likely to be experienced, as in North Africa, in Australia, in Southern Siberia, and even in the prairies and pampas of North and South America.  To make such an expedition effective all the articles included in the following lists may be considered as essential; I trust, on the other hand, that no article of real importance is omitted.

Stores for general use.—­These are to a great degree independent of the duration of the journey.

Small Stores, various:  —­ lbs.

One or two very small soft-steel axes; a small file to
    sharpen them; a few additional tools (see chapter on
    Timber); spare butcher’s knives..............................8
A dozen awls for wood and for leather, two of them in
    handles; two gimlets; a dozen sail-needles; three palms;
    a ball of sewing-twine; bit of beeswax; sewing-needles,
    assorted; a ball of black and white thread; buttons; two
    tailors’ thimbles (see chapter on Cord, String, and
    Thread).............................
.........................3
Two penknives; small metal saw; bit of Turkey gone; large
    scissors; corkscrew..........................................1 1/2
Spring balances, from 1/4 lb. to 5 lbs. and from 1 lb. to
    50 lbs. (or else a hand steelyard............................1 1/2
Fish-hooks of many sorts; cobbler’s was; black silk; gut;
    two or more fishing-lines and floats; a large ball of
    line; thin brass wire, for springes (see chapters on
    Fishing and Trapping)........................................2
Ball of wicks, for lamps; candle-mould (see chapter on
    Candles); a few corks; lump of sulphur; amadou (see
    chapter on Fire).............................................1 1/2
Medicines (see chapter on Medicine); a scalpel; a blunt-
    pointed bistoury; and good forceps for thorns................1
A small iron, and an ironing-flannel; clothes-brush;
    bottle of Benzine or other scouring drops....................3
          
                                                     ______

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The Art of Travel from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.