U.K. based online magazine Wide World has a cool “How To” article posted on their site giving some great tips on How To Trek the Jungle. The informative article offers up 11 things to keep in mind when undertaking an expedition in the jungle, courtesy of expert Dominic Hall who has more than ten years of experience planning such expeditions.
Some of the tips are fairly common sense, but as usual, they deserve to be mentioned none the less. For instance, Dominic reminds us to “Drink, drink, drink…” which holds true for any outdoor adventure, but hydration is even more important when the temps are in the 30’s C (80’s/90’s F) and the humidity is off the charts. He also reminds us to not neglect the rest of our diet as well, as keeping your intake well balanced will be key as well.
Other suggestions are not so apparent to those making a jungle trek for the first time. Hall warns us, for instance, to not worry about the big animals we’ll encounter, but instead take heed of the small ones. He says we should be mindful of insects in particular, and especially mosquitos, which typically carry diseases like malaria and yellow fever. He also recommends that we ditch the tent and just bring a hammock. They’re light weight, can be strung up anywhere, and comfortably keep you off the ground.
There are plenty of other good things to be gleaned from the list, but perhaps the most important one comes in at #11 where Dominic reminds us to simply “Enjoy”. Sometimes we forget that tip on our adventures, being too focused on reaching a goal, and forgetting to take time to enjoy the journey. Wise words!
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Jungles are awesome and so are rainforests…check out Dominica some time.
http://pinacoladakisses.blogspot.com/
I especially like number 8. So many people worry about jaguars, lions, and tigers. I fear the mosquito and sandfly due to malaria and Leishmaniasis more than any big cat.
So true. A LOT more people die from mosquitos every year than every big game animal combined. Those little pests are the real danger. And think about all the other insects in the jungle that are dangerous. *shiver*
This is a very cool jungle exped – Ed is walking the length of the Amazon!
http://www.alastairhumphreys.com/2009/07/from-the-amazon-to-regent-street/
Yep! I agree. I've been following Ed for awhile now, and I've written on him twice here and once over at Gadling as well. His Twitter feed is amazing to follow.
Wish I could have been there for his talk though.