Every emergency situation is unique – if you break your leg while jungle trekking with hardened jungle trekkers who are super fit and many in a number it is a different situation than if you do the same while out with first timers who aren’t used to the jungle and are a bit ‘city slack’. You might be a mile for civilisation or fifty miles, there might be phone reception, there might not be, you might be in overgrown jungle or on a nice clear trail…the list goes on and on.
So, should there be some emergency the first thing to do – and do this immediately – is to do nothing at all. Or rather once any immediate danger to the person is dealt with and first aid administered, then you should S.T.O.P. (Stop, Think, Orientate and Plan). You and the group you are with should take a few minutes to think and come up with the best plan, because there are very few (I can’t think of any off hand) situations where a a few minutes of physical inaction is going to make all that much difference one way or the other, but a few minutes spent thinking and planning can make all the difference in the world.
I remember watching a programme about a couple who were on holiday, bird watching somewhere in a South American jungle and the woman twisted her ankle, her husband went off for help but then couldn’t remember the way back to where he’d left his wife and by the time they did find her (weeks later) she was dead. I’m sure all of you could think of what he should have done to make sure he could find her again (or even the alternative of not leaving her in the first place) but he was probably slightly panicked and disorientated and the real mistake I suspect he made was not to S.T.O.P.
In this video I look at the reality of carrying someone out of the jungle – it is no small task to undertake but there is a method that makes it a little easier. In many situations it might make more sense to send a small party off to get help while the rest of the group stays behind with the injured person….but only you will be able to determine what is the best option on the basis of the particular emergency situation you find yourself in
Choosing a parang can be a bit bewildering for someone new to the jungle as there is a wide range of different types of parangs out there, and then there are the large bladed knives as well. Ideally one should test a parang first to see how it feels, whether it fits your hand and is the right weight and length, however many of us order on-line where the only reference is a picture and the testimonials of previous customers.
So in this video I try to give some guidelines of what I look for in a parang and answer some of the FAQs that have been sent to me about parangs, particularly how they perform vs large bladed, Bowie style knives and where to source a good Malaysian parang.
The other point I am trying to reinforce is that the type of parang you need is dependent on both how you treat it and and what you use it for. This confuses a lot of people who are persuaded to by overly heavy duty and weighty combat style machetes when they really don’t need such a heavy and cumbersome piece of kit.
The trick is to learn to use the parang so that it takes as little effort as possible and to always try to find easier ways to do difficult tasks. At the end of the video I demonstrate an example of this but there are many more: e.g. processing large logs of wood for the fire doesn’t have to be done by lots of parang chopping, there are easier ways; the most obvious being to simply burn through the middle of log, which takes no effort on your part whatsoever.
For those interested in buying the Malaysian parang (called ‘MY Parang’) that Outdoordynamics are producing. here are the links to both their website and Ray Mears’ site where you can purchase one. I’m not affiliated with either company and I paid for the MY Parang I tested myself.
Slow down, relax, it’s too late to worry’ (Bakerman, Laid Back)
For me junglecraft is a combination of skills, gear, attitude and understanding that allow the jungle trekker to safely enjoy their time in the jungle. I have seen quite a number of people new to the jungle who don’t have any junglecraft and as a consequence tend to have a miserable time and regret going into the jungle at all…this is a shame as they end up joining the growing number of people who see the jungle as somewhere hostile and dangerous that should be concreted over as soon as possible; that the jungle is something you do battle with (the man vs nature misconception) rather than an endlessly fascinating place to appreciate and enjoy.
I though it might be useful to list out the top ten mistakes newbies to the jungle tend to make. We were all newbies once and many of these are mistakes are ones I made as well.
1. Pack too heavy
This is the most common mistake and one that the jungle will really make you pay heavily for. Carrying a heavy pack in a cool climate on a gentle walk is not the sameas carrying the same pack in the humid jungle environment, where you have to duck and weave through the undergrowth and clamber up muddy slopes.
I have seen people at the point of exhaustion thanks to the load on their back and, what is interesting is that when you take the load off them and distribute it amongst the group their ability to carry on returns almost immediately.
2. Unskilled with a parang
One of the things that really differentiates junglecraft from other types of bushcraft is the reliance we have on parangs: for clearing the trail, processing firewood, digging latrines and a host of other tasks. Those new to the jungle are not going to be experts overnight with a parang but they should at least know how to use it safely, how to sharpen it and the basics of the chopping action…none of this is rocket science but a little bit of practice in the back garden before you set off on your great trip is well worth it (and will toughen up your hands!)
3. Wrong clothes/footwear
Wearing the wrong clothes can really make life miserable in the jungle. Clothes need to breathe and allow air to circulate as you will be sweating heavily. Footwear needs to be appropriate for an environment where you’re feet are (often) wet throughout the day and should have grip on wet slimy surfaces (so no Vibran!)
The newbie mistake is to be too anxious about getting cut and scratched by the rattans and undergrowth and, as a result, choose clothes that are thick and overly heavy duty. I’d far rather get a few scratches and cuts than wear anything heavy duty and, if you look at the natives in the jungle they do exactly that…do they get cuts and scratches? Of course they do; they just don’t let it bother them too much.
4. Poor risk assessment
They say there are three stages when someone starts going into the jungle: Stage 1: Pretty much sacred of everything and expecting tigers to pounce from every tree and snakes behind every rock. Stage 2: after a few trips, and not a single tiger or snake in sight, complacency sets in and the newbie decides that there is absolutely nothing dangerous about the jungle at all and all the stories were just scaremongering. Stage 3: Sooner of later you do come across a deadly snake or a wild animal, or a tree branch falls and narrowly misses your head, or you nearly lose your footing on a river crossing and you begin to realise that there are risks to jungle trekking but not perhaps the ones you were most worried about at the beginning,
An example of this is the tendency of newbies to grab onto things for balance without checking first that the tree or branch isn’t full of spines, or covered in ants or even hosting a snake or bees nest. Similarly when collecting firewood you need to be cautious about what you pick up and using a glove or your parang instead of bare hands is a good practice to get into.
The point is that there is risk but the key is to understand the likelihood of an event actually happening, take reasonable precautions and to know what do if something does go wrong. Be cautious but don’t get paranoid.
5. Underestimating the ease with which you can get lost
In some ways this is the same as point 4 but I think it is worth emphasising as it is a mistake you really you don’t want to make as the results can be serious. They key is to practice convoy discipline when trekking in a group – I’ve covered this in an earlier video, but is essence it means that you are responsible for the person behind you on the trail and, if they go out of sight, you stop and wait for them to catch up – as everyone is practising the same discipline it means that should someone fall behind the whole group will automatically stop and wait.
Simple enough, so what is the problem? The problem is that what usually happens is everyone starts off with good intentions and rigorously applies convoy discipline but after a while they tend to forget and the discipline disappears….and Sod’s Law dictates that it is at just that point that one of your group picks a side trial and gets lost.
And let’s add to this newbie mistake ‘…not knowing what to do if you do get lost‘. I’ve covered this in an earlier video and it is something every newbie should be taught – in short: S.T.O.P., call out, build a fire and, assuming you are with a group, wait for them to find you.
Which brings us nicely to…
6. Can’t light a fire.
Now I’m not talking about starting a fire by rubbing sticks together or any particularly advanced fire starting methods. I’m talking about being able to collect usable firewood, prep it and start a fire quickly and easily even with a lighter and inner tube.
The jungle can be a difficult place as far as fire lighting is concerned as all the wood tends to be damp due to 1) lots of rain 2) the fact that sunlight almost barley penetrates the canopy so it takes along time for wood to dry out.
Time and again I have seen people fail to light a fire in the jungle because they pick the wrong firewood, don’t prepare it properly or don’t understand the fuel/oxygen/heat inter-relationship.
Again, a little bit of practice (with less than ideal materials) at home can make all the difference and quickly teaches us that preparation (and wood selection) is 90% of the trick to efficient firelighting.
…and let’s add to this a bug bear of mine which is ‘people thinking they can start a fire with a just a firesteel using tinder from the jungle when the only things they’ve got to light up in the past were vaseline impregnated cotton balls at the camping shop that sold them the firesteel…..aggghhh!
And that brings us to…
7. Unfamiliar with their own equipment
This covers a multitude of sins; from not walking in that new pair of boots to not knowing how to set up a hammock. It seems incredible to me (and yet I’ve seen it a number of times) that someone can go on a 3 night trek bringing along a hammock that they have literally never set up before. How difficult is it to find two trees near your home and practice a few times before going into the jungle? At least learn the knots!
Equipment can go wrong/break/be unsuitable for the jungle environment and the best time and place to test it is at home (or better still on a short overnight trip into the jungle where you aren’t too far from your car) but do your equipment testing before you find yourself deep in the jungle and days from home. An example of this is is the tent, which works well in some environments but is poorly suited to the jungle whereas a hammock is tailor made for the job….a simple overnighter in the jungle is usually enough to convince anyone of this.
The Orang Asal have relatively poor camping equipment but one thing that becomes quickly apparent is that they understand the limitations of their equipment and treat it accordingly…they know what their equipment is capable of and what it isn’t capable of. The same applies to our own equipment – e.g. if you go ultralightweight you have to allow for the fact that that sort of gear won’t be as sturdy as the heavy duty versions and you need to be a little more careful with it (but the weight saving more than compensates for this).
8. Trying to stay dry and clean throughout the day.
This might seem a strange mistake to make as who wouldn’t want to be clean and dry through the day? But what I’m really getting at is that acceptance of a certain amount of discomfort during the day (being wet, sweaty, a bit grubby, getting a few insect bites and scratches) is part and parcel of the jungle experience but not really that big a deal as long as you mentally adjust for itand shrug it off.
The key thing here is to take comfort in the knowledge that when you set up camp you will get clean and dry and you will have nice dry clothes to change into as well as a lovely hammock to relax in….in other words the discomfort is temporary as long as you maintain a dry/wet clothes discipline (i.e. always keep your dry evening clothes dry and put the wet ones on again the next morning).
I’ve seen people make dangerous river crossings on elevated tree trunks when they could simply wade through the river instead….all because they were trying to keep their feet dry. It’s not worth it.
9. Jumping in at the deep end/over reaching
I’ve had a few people write in about trips they’re planning to Malaysia where they have some over ambitious goal like walking 100km in 5 days (and without a guide) and then am amazed to find that they’ve never even been to the tropics before, let alone the jungle.
This is a mistake and likely to lead to an unenjoyable trip for the over ambitious. A better idea is to plan a simple overnight camp in the jungle, with a short walk in and out, and see how you get along. It also gives you a chance to test all your gear without being too far away from civilisation. If that all goes smoothly then by all means try something more ambitious the next time.
The other issue here is people tend to overestimate how far they can travel in the jungle in a day. It is best to go conservative and have exit routes planned in case you can’t cover the entire distance in the time (and food!) you have available.
Related to this is the importance of breaking camp early so that you can trek in the relative cool of the morning and ensure that you have plenty of time to reach your next camp site. I was on a trip recently where, frustratingly, we didn’t break camp until late morning and then not only trekked during the hottest part of the day but didn’t manage to reach the next campsite until late evening.
10. Don’t know how to shit in the woods
This seems like an odd one but a lot of people seem to find it tricky. It really isn’t.
The first mistake you will come across is people using the river to both pee and shit in. This is wrong! Don’t do it!
The jungle floor itself, the earth and insects, acts as a highly efficient waste removal service…poo literally disappears in this part of the world in the matter of a day or two, so, unless you’re making a permanent camp somewhere, there is no need to dig deep latrines. All you need to do is push away the leaves, do your business, and cover it over with a stack of leaves…nature and the jungle will quickly take care of the rest.
If you’re worried someone is going to wander over and see you, simply tell everyone what you’re going off to do and they will keep away. Then walk a decent distance from camp and off the trail and that’s about it. I would recommend having a tree nearby that you can hang onto just in case you lose your balance mid squat!
Related to this is jungle etiquette when it comes to rivers. Everyone in the group should know that drinking water is collected up stream and then washing up (of dishes) downstream from that and washing clothes and your person downstream from that. It’s common sense, but you’d be surprised how often people get it wrong. I once saw a guy peeing into the river just upstream of someone washing their dishes…not good!
Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes….and you’ll get blisters.
I remember reading about the Glastonbury music festival that takes place in the UK over three days and being astonished to read that, during a particularly wet festival, around 100 people a day were being treated for Immersion Foot (aka trench foot). It seemed incredible to me that anyone could damage their feet so quickly, and carelessly, in what is hardly a wilderness scenario…and yet all these people did.
The fact is our feet don’t appreciate prolonged periods of being damp/cold/sweaty and can demonstrate their displeasure if we abuse them for too long by swelling up and becoming painful to walk on.
In the jungle looking after your feet is a high priority as unless you are in a group of remarkably accommodating friends who are prepared (and able) to carry you, then the only way out of the jungle is to walk out….although if there was a deep enough river you could possibly float out (but I wouldn’t bank on being able to do that!)
Swollen feet, skin deterioration, leech bites, fungal infections and blisters can all cause problems for the jungle trekker and even if you do manage to hobble out the experience is not a pleasant one. So, in the video below I look at some simple precautions you can take to ensure your feet stay in good shape. None of it is rocket science and the fact is that I have never had a problem with my feet in all the years I’ve been jungle trekking so, as long as you apply some discipline, there is no reason why you should either.
The key to keeping your feet in shape is to pamper them as soon as you set up camp and have washed yourself. Pampering them is simple: keep them clean, keep them dry, keep them warm (but not so much that they sweat) and keep them aired. I also like to put in some intensive hammock time to take the weight and strain off my feet.
As a result from say 3pm to 7am the next day (i.e. for 16 hours) my feet are treated very well and given the chance to recover for the stress of walking in wet shoes all day and ready to go again. I am careful to keep the dry socks I use in the evening bone dry and if there’s even a chance they’ll get wet (e.g. when collecting water) I take them off and leave them in the hammock.
So, after 8 months, a fair amount of expense and a lot of feeding and cage cleaning, the civet cats have finally gone free. It has been a great experience to watch them grow and, although we’re sad to see them go, it is impossible not to share in their delight in their new found freedom. They come back briefly for visits (we’re leaving food out for them for the moment) but have no interest in using the cage and prefer to sleep out in the trees…and who can blame them?
Anyway, for those who are interested, here is a short video of their release and a later visit home.