Packing The Camping Outfit

As reenactors, most folks are familiar with the term "kit". This includes your uniform and all your camping/campaign equipment. However, this is specifically a military term. The word used to describe you camping, hunting, fishing, or canoeing equipment in this period was "outfit". Now that we have that out of the way, let's take a look at the outfit you will need for recreating an early 20th century motor camping trip!

Model T camping truck, loaded with the campers' outfit.

The Cooking Outfit: In "The Motor Camping Book", author Elon Jessup recommends the following set of utensils for a group of four people.

1 7-qt. Cooking Pot

1 9-qt. Cooking Pot

1 11-qt Cooking Pot

1 2 2/4-qt Coffee Pot

2 8.5 inch Fry Pans

4 1-pt Bowls

4 3/4-pt Cups

4 Plates

1 Salt and Pepper

4 Knives

4 Forks

4 Teaspoons

4 Tablespoons

Jessup recommends an aluminum "Wear-Ever" brand commercial set. Similar aluminum sets exist today and can be had for the right price. However, you can also use this as a guide and put together your own set. I personally like to use enamelware because of health concerns with using aluminum to cook in. (Something they didn't know 100-years ago, and is still not as common knowledge today.) I am also very fond of "cold handle" pressed steel skillets. Cast iron is too heavy to haul around, and wears out my hand when cooking and cleaning it. I would also add a steel spatula and a small ladle to this list. Jessup himself mentions these in his addendum to the chapter, along with pot hooks, a can opener, dish towels, and soap. I like to take along a pair of small wash basins, if space allows, because this is really handy for washing up after a meal. Use one basin for hot water and soap, and the other for a hot rinse. Some friction-top tins for dry goods, and a good thermos bottle would be useful as well. A couple of wooden crates are great for carrying your cooking outfit, or a running-board camp kitchen box is extra-special!

This book, published in 1921, is an excellent resource for what to do and how to do it.

The Camping Outfit: You will need, at a bare minimum, some sort of shelter, bedding, and furnishings for whatever degree of comfort you desire. If you are traveling alone and "gypsy camping" along the way, an auto-tent is the perfect choice. This setup is like a Baker tent, but also incorporates the car as a part of the camp and as the front tent supports. The drawback to this setup is that you can't take the car away from the tent. This makes it a little frustrating for special events that involve camping in one place for several days and using the car around the property, or to tour out to see the sights, as the car cannot be used without taking the tent down. For these sorts of events, a stand-alone tent is more ideal. For sleeping, a folding army cot is relatively cheap and works pretty well. The more taught the canvas, the more comfortable it will be. If you want to pack light, you can also remove the seat bottoms from your car and sleep on them. I did this in my 1930s Minimalist Camping video, and it worked out pretty darn well. There are many other historical options, but some, like the "Auto-bed", may be difficult to lay your hands on. A wooden folding chair (such as the kind often discarded by funeral homes, Masonic lodges, and churches) works pretty well and folds up flat and can be stored against the back of the front seat of the car. Folding canvas options are great as well. For a more luxury option, you might consider a Handy folding camp table, which has two benches that fold out from the underside of the table. The whole thing folds up into a manageable flat box about the size of a folded wooden chair. It seats four. It is, however, absurdly heavy. You can also use the wooden crates you put your cooking outfit in as make-do camp furniture. I personally use the running boards quite a bit for sitting on. Some basic lighting is also a necessity. I like the Coleman Quik-Lite lanterns, but a coal oil (kerosene) lantern does a decent job and never fails for any reason. If space is a concern, a folding Stonebridge candle lantern is great, but they don't put out a lot of light.

The Handy Camping Table. These came out in the mid-1920s, but 1970s versions are more commonly seen today. The only difference is that the 1970s ones are painted yellow and have a large, silver plastic handle. Judicious restoration work can easily convert a 1970s table into a 1920s table.

Additional Camp Needs: No camping trip is complete without an axe for making firewood, a few good knives for kitchen work and pocket knives for whittling roasting sticks, and some sort of water container. There were commercially made metal canisters for water storage, and these were usually meant to sit on the running boards. I personally like to use a metal gallon or two gallon jug with a stoneware crock lining inside. This has the advantage over a plain metal container, in that your water doesn't get hot in the sun as quickly. These can be had at antique stores, eBay, or sometimes on our own website, Logsdon & Co. If you need an especially large water container, a small wooden barrel in about the 5 gallon range works well, and I've seen several references to the use of a milk-can fitted with a spigot as a water storage container. A few canteens are also valuable for convenience of getting a quick drink. You should also include a first-aid kit. I use a combination of a modern and historical kit. I have modern supplies, such as Band-Aids, Neosporin, Tylenol, etc in a period tin within the kit. I also carry historical supplies that are still useful, such as rubbing alcohol, iodine, gauze bandages, and camphor salve.

Whenever possible, it is useful to plan your trip around sites that will have picnic tables already so you don't have to haul excess equipment.

The "Outfit" Outfit: Elon Jessup mentions a list of recommended clothing to take with you on a camping trip. This is the basic outfit for one person in camp. I've included links to our products that are available for this list. We are also working on future projects that will fill other needs on this list as well!

1 suit overalls

2 pair khaki riding trousers

3 army shirts (2 wool, 1 cotton) *These would be similar to the wool and cotton pullover shirts we sell on our site.)

2 pair shoes (1 light, 1 heavy)

1 pair "sneakers" or mocassins (around camp)

3 pair wool socks

2 pair thin socks

2 suits medium weight wool underwear

2 suits cotton underwear

2 pair cotton gloves

1 pair driving gauntlets

3 bandana handkerchiefs

3 pocket handkerchiefs

1 rain coat (Slicker, poncho, or raincoat)

1 sweater

1 light weight khaki coat

1 mackinaw or similar heavy coat

1 pair canvas leggings

1 cap or felt hat

1 pair white goggles

1 pair yellow goggles

1 good knife (Boy Scout knife is fine)

1 compass

Manicure scissors

Pocket waterproof match safe

Needles and thread

Belt

Safety Pins

Trench Mirror (or use the car's mirror)

Various toilet items kept in a special kit

He also recommends some mosquito netting and fly dope for keeping the insects at bay. I personally tend to carry modern repellent for this purpose. I will make concessions to historical accuracy when it comes to genuine safety, and the diseases we face today from ticks in particular, are far worse than what they faced in the woods 100 years ago.

Be sure to check out our Original Antiques page for great one-of-a-kind offerings for your camping outfit!