Mosquitoes have probably spoiled more camping trips that any other one thing.  The best tents have mosquito net or cheese cloth fronts which may be held close to the ground by a stick on the bottom.  Perhaps the easiest way to secure protection is for each boy to take along a few yards of cotton mosquito netting and by means of curved sticks build a canopy over his bed.

A smoky fire called a “smudge” will sometimes keep the pests away from the neighbourhood of the tent or if we build it in the tent will drive them out, but the remedy is almost as bad as the disease.  As a rule they will only be troublesome at night and the net over our bed will enable us to sleep in peace.

The most common “dope” used in the woods to keep off mosquitoes is called oil of citronella.  It has a very pungent odour that the mosquitoes do not like and the chances are that you will not like it either.  At the same time it may be a good plan to take a small bottle along.

You may safely count on finding mosquitoes, no matter where you go or what the people tell you who live there.  Perhaps they have never tried sleeping in the woods and do not know.  Be sure therefore to take along some netting or cheese cloth to protect yourself against them.

Everything that you can do at home to get ready for your camping trip will add to your pleasure when you get out in the woods.  If any part of your kit needs fixing, fishing rods wound or varnished, your jackknife ground, your camera fixed, or if your clothing needs any patches or buttons, do it at home.

No one ever does half that he plans to on a trip like this unless he does not plan to do anything.  Take along a few books to read for the rainy days and have them covered with muslin if you ever expect to put them back into your library.

If you have been putting off a visit to the dentist, by all means do it before you get out where there are no dentists.  An aching tooth can spoil a vacation in the woods about as easily as anything I know of.

As a final word of advice to the beginner in camping, let me tell you a few things that my own experience has taught me.

A felt hat is better than a cap as it is sun and rain proof.

Wear a flannel shirt and take one extra one.  You can wash one and wear the other.  Be sure to have a new shirt plenty loose in the neck as camp washing in cold water will make it shrink.  Do not go around in gymnasium shirts or sleeveless jerseys.  One of my companions did this once and was so terribly sunburned that his whole trip was spoiled.

Two sets of underwear are plenty, including the one you wear.

Take along a silk handkerchief to wear around your neck.

Wear comfortable shoes.  A camping trip is a poor place to break in new hunting boots or shoes.

Take bandanna handkerchiefs and leave your linen ones at home.

If you have to choose between a coat and a sweater take the sweater and leave the coat at home.  A coat is out of place in the woods.