“Never Eat Shredded Wheat”
Most people who go into the jungle simply don’t navigate at all and most of the time there is no need to…you will be following a trail that, more often than not, runs parallel to a river, or there will be a guide who knows the way. Most of the time this works out fine, however, sooner or later something happens that throws a spanner in the works and you find yourself ‘turned around‘ in the jungle with no obvious landmarks to guide you. It’s not a good feeling.
This happens more easily than people might think: you could be following a river but, as the banks steepen, you head inland to find an easier route….you try to return to the river but find it’s not where you thought it was and, after more trekking, begin to wonder whether you’re walking towards the river or away from it.
A couple I know had to be rescued from the jungle near here after getting hopelessly lost on a ridge-line. They knew that if they walked down from the ridgeline heading north they’d quickly hit a road….and that’s what they did…except they went 180 degrees in the wrong direction; descending the southern slope by mistake.
If I get lost in the jungle near where I live, I know that I only need to head north or north-east and, within a few hours, I’ll hit the main Karak highway (which runs roughly east west to the north of me). However, if I should go south-east by accident I will have a 2-3 day trek before get out of the jungle.
Easy!….but I need to know which way is North first.
I suspect a lot of people are put off navigation techniques because they can appear to be quite complex…even something as simple as whether the sun rises in the east is not the hard and fast rule that we’d like it to be (it only rises true east twice a year on an equinox), the north direction indicated by a compass is not the same as true north and the difference (magnetic declination) depends on where you are and also changes over time. Add to this the fact that (in Malaysia at least) maps are not available (restricted for some archaic and bizarre reason) for many parts of the country (and not that accurate even when they are available) and a lot of people simply give up trying.
However, this is a mistake as even having a very basic navigational map (e.g. a print out of a Google map showing where the main roads are) and a rough idea of where north is, is usually enough to enable you to navigate your way out of the jungle.
Take the example of the couple lost on the ridge line. They started their descent at around 5pm….a quick check on the position of the sun would have immediately alerted them to the fact that they were going due south instead of north. Now, I’m sure they knew that the sun sets in the west, so why didn’t they check the position of the sun before descending? I suspect that there were two reasons 1) because they were convinced they were going the right way and 2) because they’d never got accustomed to double checking their direction against the sun (it was simply something they’d never done before).
Safe travel through the jungle requires awareness: awareness of what’s around you, any dangers that are in front of you and awareness of where you’re going…if you ever want to see two extreme examples of this, watch an Orang Asli walk through the jungle and you’ll soon notice how much they are taking in as they go, how ‘in the moment’ they are …compare that to a city raised child visiting the jungle who will, more often than not, either walk along staring at their feet or, more probably, have their gaze locked on their mobile phone or some other electronic distraction from real life.
So even the most basic jungle navigation is a habit well worth getting into; learn to deduce the position of the sun from the shadows as you walk along (rather than searching the sky for the sun) and your brain will begin to subconsciously make a road map of where you’re going.
Hand in hand with directional navigation goes landmark recognition. In the jungle the landmarks are the trees, plants and rivers and, if you ask an Orang Asli to describe a route, chances are that this will be how they describe it: e.g. “follow the trail through a semaliang bamboo grove till you hit a river and then follow it upstream till you see a large kapok tree where the trail crosses the river etc” and again, awareness is the key. Where newcomers to the jungle see only a mass of green, interchangeable plant life, the Orang Asli see a road-map, clearly sign-posted by the trees and plants around them.
But even the Orang Asli get lost from time to time and, of the ones I’ve talked to, all told me that to find their way out they simply used the sun to guide them.
Well done on another great vid. Will the magnet ever stop working being constantly attached to your machete?
Hi Grayson,
Many thanks for the comment and glad you liked the video. I don’t think the magnet will become demagenetised as it was taken from a door catcher anyway (and they seem to work for years)…perhaps it would lose a bit of its strength over time because of impact shock (?)….honestly I don’t know, but I doubt that it would be a problem. The fact that it is held to the parang isn’t an issue and, when you buy craft magnets, they are usually sold attached to a metal back plate.
Cheers!
Paul
Hi Paul,
I went into the Jungle many times, alone, in areas I didn’t know, with an equipement least than optimal. As a lot a of people I guess, especially amongst travellers.
Well, I did not “get lost” or had any kind of trouvbles.
I see two main things for that:
– I was aware of the sun, and knew where it sets, where it rises
– I had a really simple map ( I drew it myself in 45 seconds)
– I knew several landmarks. Even when I’m in town, I look at landmarks (mountains, rivers, beach, highway, factories, constant noises)
– I am calm, aware, and I look at my back to see what is the way-back look like
I did have a button compass, and a simple whistle (that I will change! for a loudier one)
I know I do not want to get lost, so I do what I got to do for enjoy the trips. Works fine for me 🙂
Thank you for sharing on this subject Paul!
Hi Wawa,
Many thanks for the comment and your excellent summary of a good approach to navigation in the jungle. As you say, just a few simple habits can save youfrom getting lost in the jungle and even the most basic of maps can be a huge help. I often just print out a Google map if there’s nothing better and that, at least, shows the roads and the main hills.
Also, staying calm, (as you mention) is a very important factor and makes a big difference.
The only times I have got really lost in the jungle is when I’ve been with other people as, chattering away with them, I get distracted and lose focus on where I’m going!
Thanks again,
Cheers!
Paul
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/01/australian-man-found-alive-after-two-weeks-missing-in-malaysian/?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark Have you seen this and could you do a video on how not to get yourself in this situation?
Hi Henry,
Many thanks for sending through the link and ‘yes’ I did see it when in the local papers here too. I think the key mistake he made was not to go in with a guide who knew the area, but I know a lot of people want to `experience the forest on their own as he did, but then he paid the price. I did do an article and video some time back about what to do if you get lost in the jungle. here’s the link
Cheers!
Paul
Hello! This is a great website! I am preparing for my first two-week trip to Taman Negara and your website is full of useful tips! In this article you say maps are not available for many parts of the country. Are there topo maps for Taman Negara? I haven’t found anything online.
Hi Kouta,
Many thanks for the comment and sorry I’ve been so slow to reply – I have been very busy with other things and just not had time to do much junglecraft, or even update the site, for the last few months. I hope my reply isn’t too late – but maybe it is and you’ve already made your trip to Taman Negara – if so, my apologies again.
I am almost certain that topo maps for Taman Negara are not publicly available (i.e. are restricted) so I don’t think you’ll be able to get one anyway. Also, Taman Negara restricts where people are allowed to trek in the park. The best thing to do is hire a guide if you can.
Hope that helps,
Cheers!
Paul