Winter is the time of year I take on larger projects that take a lot of time and as the weather warms up it is a reminder that my deadline approaches. Horace Kephart wrote the above quote in his book Camping and Woodcraft in 1918, his experience is one that I have shared for years, especially after I started reenacting. This is due to two main reasons, first of all I get cabin fever and yearn to be outside camping with friends. Second, and the reason that speaks most to this particular article is that of being prepared when I get the opportunity to break away from society and spend time outside to recharge my batteries. It is always frustrating to be out and about and realize something was forgotten or a repair that was needed from a prior excursion was neglected. Keeping things organized helps to alleviate the feeling of being “lost” and makes the whole experience enjoyable, this is especially important to me since I do not get to go out and spend a weekend camping that often so getting it right is important.

This leads us to the point, how and what do we pack our duffel on an extended trip or for a base camp setup? For the purpose of my winter 2021/2022 series I will be focusing on the setting of a deer camp so I will answer that question with that frame of mind. Historically speaking, deer camps were a social and extended event. Today deer camps are significantly less common and many are not willing or able to take more than opening day off from work. If you have a school age child and live in a rural school district they may get the day off from school, much like a holiday. Horace Kephart suggested in his book for extended camp to pack one’s baggage in a steamer trunk which was the general practice in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s when taking vacation. This was also during a time when one would take several weeks to even months off at a time for vacation. This clearly indicates the class of people who were considered the sportsmen of the time, upper middle class and wealthy. This makes sense when analyzing historical sporting, especially in my state of Ohio. Seeing deer in Ohio in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s was a very rare and even celebrated sight. To participate in big game hunting one would need to travel elsewhere, usually westward. This type of travel would require and even permit the use of the traditional steamer trunk.

For canoe, pack train, or automobile Horace Kephart advised taking one’s personal belongings in a dunnage bag or what we refer to today as a common duffel bag. The problem with the duffel bag is one needs to “root around” for their belongings. Even separating items by poke sacks and other bags of organization does not alleviate the overall frustration of quickly getting to what you want or need. For this purpose, and one Mr. Kephart supports, I prefer the ditty box. It offers easy organization, solid protection for the items inside from being crushed or damaged by water, a level or security if it has a lockable hasp, and provides a comfortable seat or small table when around camp. I like to enter the camp with a mindset of what can it be used to suit multiple needs for all my items. This has been good training for “thinking outside the box”, especially when an event or emergency dictates a need for a quick response.

My ditty box holds my primary kit items and in a way that is easily accessible and just large enough to hold what I need. Kephart suggested a box with the dimensions of 24″x18″x9″ divided internally with partitions and small items organized in cigar boxes. (Kephart 1918, 206) He does not describe how one should divvy up the items or how one should organize what they take leaving it up to personal choice. I was fortunate to find an antique box with dimensions nearly identical to Kephart’s suggestion but I preferred to install a shallow tray for my small items so I could quickly get to them as needed and leave the bottom open for bulkier items. The small compact size is for two purposes, 1.) it forces me to be deliberate in what I will carry and I only take what is truly necessary, 2.) so that it can be carried lightly and stored away compactly.

The first point relates to clutter; I want to make sure I can easily find what I need when I need it and I don’t want to carry items that I will not really miss. The best way to do this is after an event or outing I make a list of everything that I did not use so they can be reconsidered for the next time. Of course some items I always take even if I don’t use it, these usually fall in the category of emergency preparedness. The second purpose is all about space and weight. Even though I will not be carrying the boxes over long distances or on my back, weight plays a part in the larger picture. I try to consider what the total sum of what I plan on bringing will weigh and what do I really want to lug around. I am sure you are getting the picture that the stereotypical deer camp is outfitted well and is meant to be a comfortable respite from the daily stresses of the world, however, packing, setting up, and maintaining an large camp setup can be stressful if not properly planned or is rushed into. This is why you should check and maintain your gear before you leave and plan to spend one complete day to set up your camp for comfort. This day will give you the time to de-stress and put you in the right state of mind so when you go out on your hunt the frustrations and chores left back at camp will not be on your mind.

What should you put in this box? For the sake of limiting this article to focus on the box alone I will provide a guideline for now and offer my suggestions for a later article. If you have not already done so, I give a preview of items I keep in my box in my YouTube video about this very subject:

Since deer camp generally takes place in the colder winter months one needs to be prepared for cold weather starting with our foundation all the way to the top. One should already dress layered and warmly before setting foot into the field so the items kept in the box should be redundancies for the most part. Wool socks for each day to be spent in the field and 2-3 extras. Remember to check your feet half way through the day and change socks if needed, another article will need to be devoted to foot care for more in that subject. The chance of getting wet and cold during an extended winter camp is very high so an extra pair of long johns, pants, long sleeve shirt, and sweater is important in the almost inevitable possibility of being wet and need to change or cold and need to add layers. Toiletry items should also be taken for a clean body will boost morale on those days we turn back to camp empty handed but will also promote our health and the sanitation of the camp overall. You should also bring an extra pair of gloves and a sock hat as we call them in Ohio. An alternate cooking platform should also be considered in case a fire cannot be made so a backpacking stove is suggested, this will cover the concerns for our internal body temperature be securing a warm meal and drink. I keep these bulkier items in the bottom of my box.

I offer the following suggestions as the smaller items to consider as redundancies: compass, first aid kit, knife, small sharpening stone, reserved match safe, reserve ration of food, and a watch. I suggest you take a few comfort and entertainment items such as a checker set, cards, dice, or small instruments. A repair kit should be carried on you when away from camp and in the field but a set of blanket pins can be kept in your box for larger repairs and making make-shift sleeping bags or sleeping bag liners, or cloaks. However you organize your box and whatever you take should be personalized to your needs and skill set. Build your box around you, not the other way around. Especially starting out it is much better to be over prepared and learn from it than under prepared and die from it…or in the least have a miserable time. Each time you go out tweak what you take so eventually you have a nice compact duffel and you know exactly where it is when you need it. Happy hunting my friends!