Useful tips on how to travel through jungle areas
Most people think that a tropical jungle is a neverending nightmare where danger is crawling on every leaf and hanging from every tree.
A bit of knowledge on how to follow the rules of the jungle and some time invested in learning survival skills that can make your tropical experience more enjoyable and will make the whole thing easier for you.
The ability to improvise in the rainforest will increase your prospects of survival. Everything in the jungle flourishes including germs and parasites. As for the food and water, they are provided by Nature in good quantity, so don’t worry about that.
Indigenous people are still living in the jungles of South America and some parts of Asia, so this proves that the life and survival there are more than possible.
With some practice, travel through the abundant undergrowth can be an adventurous voyage and not necessarily a dangerous and scary one.
Always wear long sleeves to avoid scratches, cuts and insects nesting under your skin or crawling into the warm places on your body. If you want to move smoothly through jungle areas, you need to develop a jungle eye. A jungle eye means you need to adapt your vision to the new environment and see the bigger jungle patterns, not only the closest bushes and trees; you need to look through the trees, not at them.
While walking, it’s highly recommended that you stop from time to time and have a good look at the jungle floor. You may find game trails that you can follow, possibly leading to a drinkable water source. There are generations of animals that maintain the same trails use the same paths that you will notice if you pay attention.
Always move slowly and carefully and also stay vigilant while you are in the jungle or a dense rainforest. Listen to the sounds around you and be careful where you step.
A must have tool for a jungle hike is a machete. Use it to cut vegetation and make your way through the undergrowth, but don’t use it too much because you will become exhausted. When using a machete, cut the vines upward to avoid making lots of noise because the sound in the jungle travels long distances. Also, use sticks to divide branches and vines. Never touch a vine with your hands to avoid cutting yourself with a poisonous thorn. The stick will also help in removing ants, spiders and even snakes from your path.
Pinpoint your starting location as close as possible to help make sure you’re not walking in circles which can happen in such a closed in environment. Take stock of your equipment and water supplies. Always move in one direction, but not necessarily in a straight line.
Use leaves and dirt to hide if you feel threatened. Move slowly through the jungle and be careful not to get cuts and scratches because they can be infected very quickly. Turn your shoulders, shift your hips, bend your whole body when needed. You need to adapt to moving through the thick undergrowth, stay safe and also try to not damage the vegetation.
Tropical jungles and dense rainforests are one of the most exciting gifts nature has given us, a place where hiking is an unforgettable experience.
Being in a jungle is like having a part in an adventure movie. Everything seems to very real and vibrant, it can be dangerous if you do not take care but as long as you do it will be fantastic. Love nature, be well prepared, respect the jungle rules and have fun on your next wild adventure.
If you have any comments then please drop us a message on our Outdoor Revival Facebook page
If you have a good story to tell or blog let us know about it on our FB page, we’re also happy for article or review submissions, we’d love to hear from you.
We live in a beautiful world, get out there and enjoy it.
Outdoor Revival – Reconnecting us all with the Outdoors