At the close of the 19th Century, long before the advent of ultralight gear, synthetics, and freeze dried food, Sears was an advoacate of minimalist camping, his own load equaling about 26 pounds including his canoe, a 10 pound cedar strip wonder made by legendary wooden canoe maker J. H. Rushton.
George Washington Sears was 65 years old, weighed about 105 pounds and was probably suffering from tuberculosis when he decided to solo canoe the Adirondack Lakes.
While much of his camping techniques are outdated, there is much in both his methods and philosophy from which even the most modern backpacker and canoeist can learn, and it is an excellent read indeed.
Classic instructions for roughing it, camping, hiking, firemaking, cookout, shelters, miscellaneous wood lore.
Here is what you will discover inside...
• CHAPTER I. Overwork And Recreation—Outing And Outers—How To Do It, And Why They Miss It
• CHAPTER II. Knapsack, Hatchet, Knives, Tinware, Fishing Tackle, Rods, Ditty-bag
• CHAPTER III. Getting Lost—Camping Out—Roughing It Or Smoothing It—Insects—Camps, And How To Make Them
• CHAPTER IV. Campfires And Their Importance—The Wasteful Wrong Way They Are Usually Made, And The Right Way To Make Them
• CHAPTER V. Fishing, With And Without Flies—Some Tackle And Lures—Discursive Remarks On The Gentle Art—The Headlight—Frogging
• CHAPTER VI. Camp Cookery—How It Is Usually Done, With A Few Simple Hints On Plain Cooking—Cooking Fire And Outdoor Range
• CHAPTER VII. More Hints On Cooking, With Some Simple Receipts—Bread, Potatoes, Soups, Stews, Beans, Fish, Meat, Venison
• CHAPTER VIII. A Ten Days Trip In The Wilderness—Going It Alone
• CHAPTER IX. The Light Canoe And Double Blade—Various Canoes For Various Canoeists—Reasons For Preferring The Clinker-Built Cedar
• CHAPTER X. Odds And Ends—Where To Go For An Outing—Why A Clinker?—Boughs And Browse