"Well, this isn't going to happen again," was Bill's comment. "Next year
we'll have a log cabin on the island."
[Illustration: Fast Asleep in a Sleeping Bag.]
[Illustration: How the Pack Harness was Worn.]
CHAPTER XVIII.
TRAMPING OUTFITS.
Our winter expedition to Willow Clump Island filled us with a wholesome
respect for Arctic explorers. If we could find it so uncomfortable with
the thermometer only at 10 degrees above zero, what would it be to endure
a temperature of 40, 50 or even 60 degrees below zero? We were interested
to learn how they managed to stand it. This led to a study of the subject
in Mr. Van Syckel's library.
Sleeping Bags.
In one of the books Dutchy came across the description of a sleeping bag.
It was made of reindeer's skin sewed into a large bag with the fur side
turned in. This bag was large enough to hold three or four sleepers, and
each man was covered with a pair of woolen bags, one bag slipped inside
the other. The woolen bags were made of blankets sewed together and
provided with flaps at the upper ends to cover the head of the sleeper.
Of course, we had to make a sleeping bag, too. The innermost bag was made
of an old quilt and the next one of a blanket that we were fortunate
enough to get hold of.
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