Camping and camp cooking — Reading Companion

A Conversational Voice and Direct Address

Bates writes in a direct, sometimes wry tone that treats the reader as a fellow camper rather than a student. When discussing game, he notes: “I might read you a homily on the sin of killing the creatures of the wood and field; but I am not going to do it, for several reasons. First ’twould do no good, for you would keep on killing. Second, it is none of my business anyway.” This conversational aside reveals a pragmatic, non-judgmental stance. Elsewhere, he uses second-person commands (“Have the fry pan hissing hot”) and assumes the reader will adapt recipes to taste. The voice is that of a seasoned mentor who values results over sentiment.

Recipes as Structured Procedures

The cooking instructions are methodical, often breaking a dish into numbered steps or parallel options. For hash, Bates offers three variations: warming with pork fat, forming croquettes dipped in corn meal, or mixing with eggs and deep-frying. Each variant specifies heat levels (“as hot as it can be without burning”) and sequence. The barbecue dressing recipe lists exact proportions and a basting technique using a “bit of clean cloth or sponge tied on the end of a stick.” These procedures assume the reader has basic equipment but needs guidance on timing and technique to avoid common failures like burnt onions or undercooked meat.

Health, Hygiene, and the Rationale Behind Rules

Bates repeatedly justifies his advice with health concerns. He insists on bleeding game immediately, warning that “the flesh of an animal that has not been bled is not fit to eat.” He advises letting “animal heat” dissipate before cooking, citing stomach discomfort as “proof positive that it is not healthful.” Fish is the only exception. The second edition adds an appendix on health care, though its content is not excerpted. These warnings reflect a broader concern that poor camp cooking leads to dyspepsia, which Bates aims to prevent. His tone is firm but not alarmist, treating the reader as capable of following reason.

Readers should note that the excerpts cover only the introduction and a portion of the cooking section; the chapters on camping equipment, site selection, and fish cleaning (by contributor Leslie F. Bosworth) are not represented. Bates’s emphasis on practicality and his aversion to “professional trapper” methods suggest the full book balances comfort with woodcraft. The recipes reward careful attention to heat management and ingredient ratios, reflecting a cook who expects precision even in the wild.

Flipping through Bates’s sturdy campfire menus, I found myself missing the warm, certain rhythm of my grandmother’s kitchen. His practical broths and simple roasts felt like distant cousins to the patient, loving precision in The Art of German Cooking and Baking Revised and Enlarged Edition — Reading Companion. Both books understand that a full pot is its own quiet kind of homecoming.