Welcome back to our guide to ‘Expedition Equipment for the Tropics’.
We are now going to carry on looking through the contents of my rucksack that I used to take with me when on expedition or working in the jungles of Central and South America.
The following items of expedition equipment are in no particular order of importance.
- Tough outdoor sandals. Necessary for letting your feet breathe at night if your boots are wet. Also, for bathing in down by the riverside and protecting your feet from sharp rocks or coral if on coastal projects.
- Bungee cords. Good for putting up shelters, mosquito nets, washing lines. I take 4 of them.
- A decent length of paracord string. The uses are endless, from shoelace replacements to shelter construction.
- Duct tape, Gaffa tape, Hostage tape… whatever the name…. it is a superb, repair anything, highly useful addition to your expedition equipment – also include (not in photo) two tubes of super glue. You now will be able to repair rucksacks, boots, basha sheets, in fact anything in you have!
- Insect repellant. I take 50% DEET, but I never put it on my skin, I spray it on clothing and equipment (not plastic – because it melts the stuff).
- Sun cream. Highly important in the tropics because of the intensity of the sun near or on the equator.
- Cigarette lighters, several of them (I don’t smoke) and keep them dry. For fire lighting and candles.
- Batteries, lots of them. For torches, cameras, MP3 players, etc. Take dead ones back out of the bush with you.
- Spare bulbs for one of my torches. I am now leaning more towards the new style LED type of torches due to the longer lasting bulbs and they are more battery friendly.
- Torch number 1
- Torch number 2, a head torch. I have 2 torches because at night under the canopy of the jungle, with no moon, it is blacker than the ace of spades!
- A good handful of zip lock bags to keep items waterproof.
That is it for Part 2. Come back soon to read more advice on expedition equipment.
Tags: what equipment do I need for an expedition, what is the best expedition equipment, what shall I take to the jungle
Sailing is one of the finest adventure travel activities. On a sailing adventure you learn the art of navigation, how to forecast the weather, logistical skills as you provision the vessel, survival skills in case of emergency, cooking skills, maintenance of the various electrical and mechanical systems …. all this before you have even put your hands on the helm and steered your way through the ocean. The mastery of sailing requires a deeply developed skill set and experience in understanding the varying wind and sea conditions as well as general knowledge on the construction and control of sailboats. Even though it takes skill and talent to sail well, anyone can learn how to do it with some training and it can turn into one of the most rewarding adventure travel activities there is.
When out on the open seas with wind in the sails sailing is often considered as one of the more romantic adventure travel activities. This is often the case, for many sailors choose to cruise around the warmer tropical regions of the world, where is water is crystal clear blue and swimming off the back of the yacht is a daily ritual.
Sailing offers various challenges due to the location one wishes to sail in. Coastal sailing has many tidal influences and weather patterns that are created by the land shape of the coast itself. Off-shore sailing has the challenges of facing whatever weather is thrown at you because there is nowhere to hide. Sailing up rivers or estuaries is a challenge due to currents and moving sandbanks not yet charted. Obviously the region you are sailing in as well influences many decisions that need making – the warmth of the weather, the availability of food, fuel and water in remote areas, seasonal weather hazards (hurricanes in the Caribbean).
One thing also that needs mentioning is the marine life. Dolphins, whales, seals, sea otters, all the different fish species, the bird life, even, when on coastal cruises, the wildlife on the shores. The list of potential wildlife encounters is a long one indeed. Remember to take plenty of film (or memory cards and batteries) for the camera and even a good set of binoculars.
Sailing is one of those adventure travel activities that can be a bonding experience capable of bringing friends and family closer. When sailing, a person or group of people not only bonds with Mother Nature and the beauty of the body of water surrounding them, but they also bond with the people that are sharing the vessel with them. Passengers of the boat have to have a good firm confidence in their skipper, assured that he or she knows what they are doing. This sort of confidence and trust creates a great bond between friends and family alike.
Carrying on our series we have Mountain Biking, have a read –> Adventure Travel
Tags: adventure travel activities for families, Family adventure travel, What are the best character building activities, What are the best gap year travel ideas, What are the best outdoor adventure activities, What are the best outdoor adventure sports, What can I do on my gap year
When looking for adventure travel activities, mountain climbing is an exciting and adventurous one to choose. If you were to choose a suitable location and not such a technical route the whole family could take part and enjoy the challenge together. This fun activity is usually free, however the more remote an area or technical a route, then guides and equipment may be needed for your safety and enjoyment. Adventure travel activities are experiences for everyone to become involved in. Once outside you can learn about the environment, the animals in the area and how you can interact with the world around you.
Not only is mountain climbing a great learning experience, but also it has enormous physical and mental health benefits. The physical benefits are clear in that you will be moving nearly the entire time and challenging your body to do things it may have never done before. This can build muscle mass, increase your stamina, and keep your heart in shape. The mental benefits may not be so obvious, but once you get out there, you will know that this experience is great for your psyche. It is proven that vitamin D can increase your endorphin release, which can give you the feeling of happiness, so make sure you go on a day when the forecast is sunny. Oxygen is also plentiful, and usually much cleaner near mountain climbing areas because of the surrounding countryside, lack of vehicles and plentiful vegetation, so this can clear your head and help boost your energy as well. Although, if you are going on higher mountain routes the air will actually become thinner so be aware of altitude sickness. Another great part of climbing in the outdoors is reconnecting with nature, and with the people you care about, so make sure you go with a group. It’s always safer that way, and you can work on teamwork skills as well as you pull each other through any rough patches.
Mountain climbing can be as simple as hiking along well beaten trail up to a mountain vista point, or it can be as complicated as climbing the face of a nearly vertical cliff with just your toes and finger tips for gripping. There are many well marked, maintained and mapped trails on the mountains of the world so it can be very easy to plan a trip. Make sure you take lots of water, healthy snacks like fruits and nuts and suitable outdoor clothing and safety gear. Whichever way you choose to go, you are guaranteed to have a wonderful time full of learning and exercise outdoors, which will surely create lasting memories for you and whomever you choose to go with. Mountain climbing is a fabulous type of adventure travel that is a great way to expose your family to new places and learn more about the world, and how you can appreciate it in a healthy and rewarding way.
In the future, when planning your next series of adventure travel activities, whether it be mountain climbing, or something else, that you always tell someone you know exactly where you are going in case of an emergency. Remember to have fun, be safe, and keep learning about the outdoors! It’s an exciting place out there; isn’t it time you enjoyed all the world has to offer?
Carrying on our series we have Sailing, have a read –> Adventure Travel
Tags: adventure travel activities for families, Family adventure travel, What are the best character building activities, What are the best gap year travel ideas, What are the best outdoor adventure activities, What are the best outdoor adventure sports, What can I do on my gap year
As inspired by Bruce Parry, of the BBC show “Tribe,” the question we ask ourselves is ‘what is the value of westerners visiting indigenous villages and cultures?’ On the program, Bruce Parry attempts to learn as much as he can while visiting indigenous tribes. While he is obviously a skilled communicator, many times he did not understand or speak their language. He developed communication with them through simple body language, eye contact, and emotion. It proved to be very effective.
Bruce Parry immersed himself in “Tribe,” as he aimed to show the world places they’ve never seen and people they may never meet. In doing so, he brought attention to some very harsh social realities: Poverty, war, and famine as well as the effect these have on the indigenous peoples of the world. “Tribe” showed warring peoples, desperate for land that sustains their people, all the while showing us the humanistic angle that we can learn from.
As a western culture, we have become accustomed to a specific way of life. Everything we want is at our fingertips. Technology and innovation has made the world smaller as contact with other parts of the world is now instantaneous. I believe it is this area of life that Bruce Parry was trying to help us examine. Indigenous people have an immensely powerful sense of community. It is necessary for survival and vital for their continued growth as a people. Sometimes it’s the simplicity that can bring them together. A simple crisis like a child’s fever rallies the entire tribe to action. There are many lessons we can take from the remote peoples of the Earth.
There is a gratitude for the things they have that is not very common in western culture. We almost have a sense of being entitled to certain things they would definitely see as luxuries. Water is a precious resource that is not a given. Often they must fight for the life-giving resource that we have at our command. An adventure to visit these people would be well worth the time and effort. The memories that these people leave will impact the rest of your life. It will give you a different outlook on the way you live your life and make you better equipped to recognize the world beyond your community.
Tags: Bruce Parry Tribes television program, How to visit tribes like Bruce Parry, I want to know more about Bruce Parry, Who is Bruce Parry
The average person has a whole list of reasons why not to visit the jungle. They have seen programs on man eating beasts from around the world on the Discovery Channel. They have heard of exotic sounding diseases like Ebola, Lassa, Yellow fever and Malaria. They fear the swarms of nasty, stinging, blood thirsty insects that await them as soon as they step foot of the plane. But not many people sit around discussing one of the more common killers to be found in the tropics. One that can strike you down quicker than snake venom or a dose of Malaria.
It is one, however, that is the easiest to avoid.
Dehydration.
The rainforest thrives on the equatorial sunlight, our bodies, in the hot humid environment, don’t! To survive in the jungle or even to have a more pleasant visit, we have to drink more water than we are used to.
I can’t sit here writing this and give you a quantity of water to drink. The only true way to gauge your body’s needs for water is by the colour of your urine. This should at all times be clear or as close to it as you can possibly get. Thirst is an extremely poor indicator of your state of hydration, in fact if you are thirsty you are already dehydrated.
If you are on a guided excursion always make sure the company you are going with has enough water for you during the trip. If it is not out of a new bottle ask where the water came from.
If you are trekking as part of an expedition or doing your own exploration make sure you either have enough water with you or a means of purifying other available sources, like rivers, lakes or, in some countries, their tap water!
In later post we’ll look at water purification and self help dehydration solutions.
