How to Prepare a Winter Line Camp
- 1
Keep it simple. Line camps are meant to hold the basics of survival: food, clean water, a way to get warm and a minimum of entertainment to keep bored buckaroos from getting too frustrated while waiting for a whiteout to end so that they can get back to business and see to their cattle. Anyone had the right to use a line camp when needed for emergency shelter, but they were expected to replenish whatever goods they used during their stay. The previous occupant would leave a fire laid, ready to light. - 2
Provide a supply of boxed and canned foods and spices. Make sure there is salt, sugar, honey, yeast, flour, shortening or lard, dried or canned milk, powdered eggs, cheese powder, beef and chicken bouillon, baking soda, vinegar, beer, dried meat, dried fish, dried beans, rice, oats, canned fruit and canned vegetables. Be sure to have some bottled water and a water purification kit available as well. - 3
Your line riders will need some light entertainment, so include a deck or two of cards and some hand instruments such as a mouth harp, harmonica, Irish whistle or guitar. Supply your winter line camp with classic novels, pulp magazines and religious texts so your buckaroos have something to broaden their horizons and lift their spirits when they need it. Include books on canning, hunting and foraging as well as plant identification books. - 4
Stock your kitchen with cast iron cookware. Include a 10 inch skillet, Dutch oven, a griddle and a spider. A spider is a 12 inch cast iron skillet with a lid and three legs. The legs keep the pan above the flames to prevent burning your food. Be sure to have two to four metal mess kits available as well. - 5
Hunt, fish or forage to replace some of the supplies you use if you stay longer than a night or two. Dehydrate strips of meat or sun dry fish with salt. If you find berries, mix them with animal fat and dried meat, along with salt and spices and wrap in parchment paper. If you know how to can and find jars and other canning supplies available, can berries, fruit and roots that you forage, as well as meat and soup.
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