Holling's backpack tore at the seams and dumped out all of its contents.  His pack was loaded with four cans of chili and all of the utensils for the entire class.  

During the month of June, Holling, his class, and his teachers go on an end of the school year camping trip into the mountains.  The vehicles can't make it all the way to the camping spot, so the students must carry all of the supplies to the final spot.  Mrs. Sidman and Mrs. Baker select a few of the boys to carry the heavy packs with food and cooking gear for the entire group.  Holling gets the pack with all of the eating utensils and four big cans of chili.  Holling tells his readers that his pack was an older pack.  During his long, arduous hike up the mountain, the seams on the pack began to tear loose.  As Holling and the pack jostled along the trail, utensils began falling out.  Nobody noticed this because Holling was the last person up the trail.