We’ve had days and days of rain here and parts of Malaysia have flooded. Up here in the hills flooding isn’t a problem, but the pervading damp has taken its toll on my computer which did not appreciate the wet weather and has been crashing repeatedly. The only thing that seems to help is using a hair drier to blow hot air through the vents – a low tech solution to a high tech problem!
Electrical equipment doesn’t like the jungle much – the humidity can play havoc with sensitive electronics – so it is worth investing in equipment that has some degree of waterproofing… and remember, your super-accurate GPS may simply stop working in the jungle, so don’t rely on it completely.
As a result of my computer problems I’m a little behind with the videos. I have finished the wooden sheath (see photo) but still need to finish the video, so the one below is just the first part.
In this video I’ve also shown how to tie constrictor knots – these are extremely useful knots to know for the jungle and are very easy to learn.
I’ll finish off the second part of this video in the next day or two.
A relative of Baha’s kindly showed me how to tie the simpan knot (used for binding the two halves of the wooden sheath together) – he also told me how, some years ago, a wild boar attacked him and bit off the end of his thumb!
In this area of the rainforest there are loads of wild boar and I come across them all the time – hearing this story I shall be a little more careful around them in future!
If you are interested in seeing a Malaysian wild boar I’ve added the video (below) which I took last year.
thank you and managed to buy an authentic parang. is a pleasure to watch their videos. I wonder if guna belonged to the branch of ejecito thanks and best regards.
I wonder if it has information to make a sheath com
ps: forgive my English, I use a translator
Hi Miguel and thanks for the comment – good to hear you managed to get an authentic parang; they are very versatile tools to have. Not sure I fully understood all your message (does ejecito mean army? and Guna?) so please write again if I haven’t answered your question. Cheers! Paul
paul, sorry for my English but not write or speak, use a translator.
I thought this one needed another great comment added. I love knots and rope work in general. This knot should be learned by more people and this is a very clear representation of it. I would love to see an video on the Simpan knot. Here is a great knot resource but you probably already know about this one but some of your viewers might “knot” 🙂
http://www.animatedknots.com/index.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com
Hi Johm,
Thanks again for taking the time to add your comments which are always interesting and useful. I too like knots and they are so useful in the field that it amazes me that some people don’t bother to learn even the simplest ones and then go to extraordinary lengths to find other mechanisms to do the job a knot could do just as well.
And thanks for the link – I’ve come across the site before and it’s very useful as you don’t have people’s hands getting in the way of the camera so it’s easier to see how the knot is constructed. A great resource and well worth a look for anyone wanting a clear visual explanation of a knot.
Anyway, thanks again for all the support.
Cheers!
Paul