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PRESERVATION A'KD PROTECTION OF FOOD

VJHILE CAMPING

CH ARLENE BAILEY HC lOi

 PHFSEHVATIOK AKD PROTECTION OF POOD
WHILE CAMPING

I. Why there is a need to preserve and protect food.

All perishable foods should be kept as cold as possible and
packed so that it is safe from ants, insects and secure from
inquisitive animals.
A.. Foods needing minimum refridgeration*
1.. bacon 5* jellies
2. cold cuts, 6. jams
3. fresh or hard cooked eggs 7. fresh fish
U. cheeses
B. Foods needing more refridgerstion.
These foods should be used first or left at home*
1. butter U» opened containers of
2. milk salad dressing
3» uncooked meats
These items should be put into tightly sealed containers
or in wrappings of metal foil and kept on ice on under ice.
II. How to preserve and protect food,
Modern technology has given us many new refrigeration aids and
for camping the most efficient is the small portable icebox.
The are compar-tively inexpensive and come in a wide variety of
sizes, materials and prices and better made than in the pest,.
An icebox kept cold by ice , regardless of hew well built it
is, will rarely keep foods at a maximum low temperature for more
than thirty-six hours and even less if opened and closed a lot*
This all depends on the outside temperature, amount of food
stored, raumber of openings and closings, and the de.gr---6 of shade.
Ice cubes will not keep food cold as long as a block of
ice will. Freeze your own water in milk cartons, plastic bsgs,
and wrap in metal foil. It is. easy to handle end provides drinking,
water as it melts* • V^-v •>••••—',^ ^n— <~" f- K—-
lou can also buy commercial freezing liquids which will
keep food cold, for awhile, but when it is no longer cold you
still have to pack it around with you,.
Glass should be chilled in advance of s trip or placed
inriediatley in s stream and secured. It is easier to keep a
box cold -than to rechill it. Buy an extra "block of ice and store
it in a bucket, psil, basin, and wet leaves, cloth or paper to
cover it with.
These commercial boxes can cost from ten to twenty dollars
with a ice pick, can opener and bottle opener to two hundred
dollars usinn bottled or canned propane gas or electricity,
I doubt that the above mentioned types would be very satisfactory
for the backpacker or hiker* You don't want to go lugging s
75> pound ice box: off into the woods* There are other ways to
cool food and at little expense. I personally would advise the
canping menues be kept simple, we can all afford to rough it
while camping. We have always camped from the trunk of the car,
keeping the food stored in the trunk. When the children are
old enough to heft a backpack, we will head for the woods and
then these other tecniques will come in very handy.
There are many types of crater tight containers on the
market today* I have gathered a few of the one I just had
around the'house. The variety of canned rtoods on the market
is endless,. 1 don't beleive there is any kind of food that
doesn't come in a can., I'll try to show you here some the
various ways you c?n preserve and protect your food. The
only other problem which I have not yet solved is how to prevent
some human animal from stealing it,
!• A simple net bag tied along the shore and enmersed in water.
DON'T FOR}EI TO LA3LS THE CANS BY SCRATCHING OH PAIKTIH3 OH WHAT
THE CONTENTS ARE..

2,. & homemade s;orinf; box, food is placed on the shelf of box
or if waterproofed, in the bottogu This nay also be used as a
pack hamper to transport food in the car. In a fast stream, the
box could be flooded or float swcy so be sure to anchor it with
cord to the shore. Divert current with rock in the stream above
the spring bos.
3* The food may be placed directly in the stceam itself as long
33 the items are marked. This is usually done by using a Coffer
Dam,
PURPOSE OF A COFFER DM: To cool canned poods such as food,
fruits and breakfast drinks and prevent them from being washed,
away.
HOW TO 3IJILD A COFFER DAI!: Simply arrange rocks, gathered from the
shore, and place them in the stream making s half-moon shape by the
shore.
OTHER HELPFUL HIIJTS: Kark the cans before placing them in the water
as :-,he paper Isbles will come off. Cans may be marked by scratching
the top with a nail, or knife point, or fingernail nolish, or
"
waterproof paint. This saves the confusion of wondering what is
in each can.
BREAKING CAMP: Rearrange the stones back on the shore before
leaving the comping site, so that the pool will not be slow moving
permanstely,
ALTERNATIVE: Cans may also ' e narked and placed, in a mesh bar;
and anchored to the shore securely.
ANOTHER ADVANTAGE: The dan, while coolinc the food, will prevent
it from being washed, away. There is virtually no chance that an
animal will disturb the conned goods or' the food.
lu> A Desert Ice Box may also be used and is very simple to make,
PURPOSi:; 0? A DESERT ICE BOX: To keep foods cool by evaporation
and protect the food from animals,
HOT TO BUILD A DESERT ICE BOX: Use a wooden chest which is open
on either one or two sides', with a shelf or two depending on the
size of the box desired, hang by a rope from the tree. Place a
shallow pan on the tor* of the bo?c and cover it with a burlap cloth,
OTHER HELPFUL KBITS: "Hang the box in the shade as air speeds
evaporation of water and the water in the pan will drip down the
cloth, keeping the cloth wet and the food inside the feox cool,,
5* Other food may be tied high off the ground in the same manner
without the evaporation method.
78
A coffer dam consists of rocks arranged so they
protect a half-moon by shore in a stream. Canned
foods such as fruits and breakfast juices, soft
drinks, stay cool when placed in this protected
area of water. It's wise to mark all the cans before
you put them in the water. The paper labels will
come off when wet. You can rflark the cans by
scratching identification on top with nail or a
Waterfront a cold, mountain brook runs
through this box, keeps the foods
stored inside cool, fresh, ready to use
A "wooden or metal spring box is ideal
for campers who'select sites near a fast-
ihoving, cold stream. Spring-box design
includes adequate holes at the bottom
of opposite sides. When box is anchored
in a cold stream, the water runs in one
side of box, out the other. Perishables
stored on the shelf above the water level
keep cool and fresh. Some campers
wrap foods in a waterproof container or
a plastic bag and place them in the bot-
tom of box—right in water. Anchor the
box with a stout cord to a stake or rock
on the shore. Or, place a few rocks farT
ther up in stream to divert strong cur-
rent and put less pressure on the box.
Tactics like these are especially impor-
tant in rainy weather, as stream will
run with stronger current than usual.
You can build a coffer dam to corral
canned foods in a stream—rocks prevent
the cans from washing away from camp
point of a knife. Or, you can label cans with finger-
nail polish or waterproof paint. This marking lets
you avoid the frustrating experience of having to
guess what each can contains. Before you leave
camp, rearrange the stones to their normal po-
sitions, so pool will not be slow-moving perma-
nently. Some campers mark cans,' tie them in a
mesh bag, then anchor mesh bag securely to shore.
 77

Versatile portable refrigerator changes

from one power source to another
with no effort needed for the "switch"
This universal camp refrigerator can be run on
standard 110-volt electricity, on low voltage,
off propane gas cylinders, or off a throw-away
container of LP gas. You can perform the quick
switch from one power to another without open-
^"k-^^lx
rw^-vV,
ing the refrigerator cabinet. To use refrigerator
on low voltage, plug special 12-foot cord into
cigarette lighter outlet and into a plug on the
unit. Handsome plastic exterior is impervious to
shock, will not fade in sunshine, resists staining. r>
.** - ^ •*•, - c«•„ -•,* ,">
\ sr«
Interior is polystyrene. The refrigerator, empty,
weighs an easy-to-carry twenty-eight pounds.

No straining needed! One person can

tote this lightweight, plastic cooler,
even when it is filled with food supply
Modern cooler counts on molded expandable poly-
styrene to give it a lightweight construction that
campers like. This high-insulation plastic is stur-
dy enough to withstand an accidental fall or
knock. In addition, it resists mold and mildew
even when the weather is less than ideal. The
washable polystyrene stays fresh and odor-free,
is buoyant in water. Coolers like this are available
in many sizes and shapes. Some of them are round,
shaped like a covered bucket. Small, inexpensive
models hold extra ice, supplement storage space
offered by the larger sizes of coolers.

Lined cooler holds eleven full gallons

or up to forty pounds of ice—
yet weighs only four-and-a-half pounds
One-piece green cooler body holds the cold for
hours. Body is molded of bead-foam insulation
that works effectively on temperature control.
Removable lid fits firmly, too, so contributes
to the airtight qualities of cooler. The lid seals in
place when bail handle is raised. Inside cooler,
copolymer plastic lining resists rust, it won't chip
or crack or collect odors. This, like all coolers and
iceboxes, does the best job when you place it in
a shady place in camp, and open and close it
quickly when you reach for items. Never leave the
lid off for an extended length of time.
76

Upright icebox features shelf storage

area as well as the push-button
faucet for drinking water and drainage
Removable plastic ice tray fits in top of this up-
right icebox, holdji twenty-five pound cake of ice,
" Faucet on ice tray simplifies drainage of water—-
you don't have to remove tray. Interior of the
box wipes clean wjth damp cloth. All of the in-
terior corners are rounded so there's no place for
dirt or soil to:collect. Handles on sides of unit
let you strap box in place for traveling. The non-
skid rubber legs help keep the box in place in car
or wagon as well as on a table or rock in camp.
The lightweight aluminum construction makes
icebox easy to transport while you're in camp.

Oval-shaped cooler takes care of extra

supplies of ice, is ideal holder for
soft drinks, melons, other bulky foods
Oval shape and bail handle contribute to the
carrying ease of this colorful cooler. Campers
appreciate the big four-gallon capacity cooler
offers, especially when extra ice needs an in-
sulated storage spot. Fiberglass insulation and
vinyl-coated liner that is varnished for addi-
tional protection keep the interior frosty cool.
This cooler comes with or without a food tray
and is priced under nine dollars. You can depend
on this camping helper the year-round—it is
a handy item to include in your picnic gear,
or, put cooler to work at a back-yard barbecue.

Aluminum and plastic combine to form

this sturdy ice chest that will
v"
give you years of dependable service
Aluminum and plastic make a practical combina-
tion of materials for a camper's icebox. Both
materials are lightweight; box can be carried
easily even when loaded. Both materials resist
rust—icebox stays new-looking for years. One
model of this icebox measures ten and a half by
nineteen by eleven and a half inches. It holds
twenty-four twelve-ounce bottles and has an ice
capacity of forty pounds. A slightly-larger ver-
sion holds forty twelve-ounce bottles and seventy
pounds of ice. Prices range from twenty to
twenty-six dollars, depending upon the capacity.
 Inexpensive desert icebox cools supply
of perishable foods without aid from
running water, without need of real ice
Campers who head for areas far from cool streams
and far from ice supplies can keep perishable
foods in a desert icebox. The law of evaporation,
operates as the cooling agent. This type of box for
cooling food is easy to construct, assemble. Any
wooden chest, such as an orange crate, forms the
main structure. This box is covered with coarse
burlap which is slit up one side—slit lets you
reach inside to the stored food. Wet the burlap
and hang desert icebox in the shade where breezes
can speed evaporation of water in burlap. Either
soak burlap by hand when it starts to dry, or put
a pan of water on top of box and place end of bur-
lap in it. Water from pan will creep down side of
box and do the soaking automatically. Evapora-
tion will cool inside of box and the food by several
degrees. A hot, dry climate just increases the
efficiency. If no tree is handy, you can set box on
shady rocks or even in shade of the vehicle or tent.

Four-legged visitors are foiled by
food hanging out of reach. Length
of clothes line and a simple single-
wheel pulley combine to form a food-
lifting device. Attach about thirty
feet of clothes line to pulley. Throw
end of line with pulley over tree
limb that's ten or fifteen feet off
ground. Thread other end of line
through pulley to about height of
limb. Then, pull pulley back up to
limb, snub the loop of line about tree
trunk or another lower branch. At-
tach the food to loose end of rope,
raise food up out of reach. In bear
areas, be sure to include ham, bacon,
and chocolate in the raised package.
These are food favorites of bears.