We are all familiar with the spectacle of lions on the prowl somewhere on the great plains of Africa. Maybe on the same wildlife television series we have seen other pack animals hunting together, chasing their prey, tiring them out and then going in for the kill.
In the jungles of the Americas and in Africa there is a act of predation that leaves the lions, hyenas, wolves etc, behind in the dust. It is an act so violent and unstoppable that we must be grateful for the ability to move out of it’s way.
On one side of the ocean they are called Army ants and on the other Driver (or Safari) ants but their behaviour is similar enough to be in this same article together.
When the ants are on the hunt there is nothing that can stop them and what ever can’t escape them is killed and devoured. Should the swarm or column reach an area of civilization, such as a farm in the jungle, and livestock are unfortunate enough to be in the way of the ants then they will be killed. Dogs that are tied up will be killed. Luckily the locals know how to deal with them….. they just move out of the way. The ants will go through a hut if it is in their way and remove every insect there is hiding in the cracks, also rats and other vermin are flushed out. When the swarm has moved on then the owners move back in to a nicely cleaned home.
The reason for the massive movement of the entire colony of ants is the fact that they are such efficient predators that they clean out the area around where they live and need to move on to ‘greener pastures’.
Whilst working in Africa helping to set up a reptile park we had the misfortune of having a Driver ant column go through one of our display cases. Despite there being some of the most dangerous snakes in the world in those cases there was only some skin and bones left the following morning.
The team here at S2Si are now going to bring you a series of articles on adventure travel activities. This will be a basic introduction to the various things you can do whilst visiting the new and exciting travel destinations we offer.
Not all adventure travel activities are for athletes, there are many things you can do no matter your age, or even disability, even families can enjoy there time together whilst they all go sailing, horse riding or trekking, for example.
One of the reasons we, S2Si, are different to many other organisers of adventure travel activities is that we pride ourselves on our excellent safety record. On certain expeditions, due to their length of time and location, we provide our own medical team and equipment. This will offer families, older travellers and travellers with disabilities much ‘piece of mind ‘.
We are sure that if you went around the world on a vacation, called into a local tour operator and booked some adventure travel activities that you would have a good time and most trips end with everyone satisfied, camera full of pictures and plenty of memories to share later. However, the ones that don’t always end so good are the ones that we hear about – fatalities or survival situations, for example.
So you don’t become one of the unlucky few who are not happy with their trip or, even worse, suffer due a lack of safety equipment or experience whilst outdoors, here is a basic guide for things to watch out for in the early stages:
- Does the equipment used seem excessively worn or abused? Check belts or straps for wear and tear, are ropes fraying, brakes on mountain bikes, leaks in kayaks, etc.
- Are you given the right safety equipment for the chosen activity? Lifejackets for all water sports, a proper lifejacket (not a floatation vest) when sailing, helmets in nearly all sports, if diving and partnered with a stranger make sure they know the safety procedures.
- No matter which activity or where, is there a first aid kit available and someone trained to use it? Ask to see the first aid kit, does it contain a suitable array of equipment for the activity you are about to engage in? Is is well packed, clean and items in-date?
- Actually ask about safety concerns. What is their plan is for emergencies, how have the dealt with issues in the past? If they say they have never had any issues at all then they are probably lying – all the staff at S2Si have had to deal with medical emergencies in the past and would be happy to discuss the procedures used.
- Finally – trust your instinct and don’t be affraid to say NO and leave the agency/office! If something doesn’t feel right then there might be good cause for that feeling. You can’t thoroughly enjoy a day rock climbing if you have a nagging concern over the safety of the kit!
Our series is up and running, starting with Mountain Climbing, have a read –> Adventure Travel
Tags: What are the best character building activities, What are the best outdoor adventure activities, What are the best outdoor adventure sports, What can I do on my gap year
It is amazing how easily people in this world skew words into meaning something totally different than what their actual definition is. Many times, people will hear a word and spin it to mean what they want it to, instead of what it actually means. One of the words that is commonly spun is “indigenous.” Many people hear the word indigenous and automatically think of a primitive group of people living in the middle of the woods who speak a dialect not known to “civilized” human beings. It is a real shame that this is such a common problem, as this couldn’t be further from the actual definition of the word.
In actuality, the word indigenous describes the original group of people who inhabit a specific area. For instance, Native Americans are the indigenous people of the United States. Therefore, indigenous does indeed carry with it the weight of describing a group of people that could be seen as “old,” but what it really describes is a group that can be considered the “original” people from an area. Bruce Parry, on his programme “Tribe” often speaks of the people he encounters in his travels as being “indigenous” to the area he is in, and this is where a lot of people get confused. Many of the tribes that Bruce Parry visits are in fact much more primitive than other societies in the world, and since they are also identified as being “indigenous” to the area, the two words often become intertwined and confusing.
The reason why it is important to clarify this misunderstanding is that, in essence, this is no different than a stereotype, and most people agree that stereotypes are harmful and unhelpful. This is not necessarily Bruce Parry’s fault, as his show does nothing to confuse the term “indigenous” with the term “primitive.” Rather, the problem is on the viewer’s end, as this is where the confusion originates. If we as a society can learn to remove the association between these two words, then perhaps we can work to break down the stereotype that indigenous people are also “below” us in any way, shape or form. The bottom line is that this confusion must be cleared as soon as possible.
Tags: Bruce Parry, Bruce Parry Tribes television program, How to visit tribes like Bruce Parry, I want to know more about Bruce Parry, Who is Bruce Parry
Slash and burn is a name for a type of forestry clearance used commonly in the jungle.
The jungle looks to the ordinary person like a rich fertile environment, ideal for a spot of agriculture. But the problem is that all the nutrients and goodness is in what you can see, not under your feet.
A leaf drops from a tree, it decomposes at a rapid rate and then the nutrients are sucked back up into the forest by all the competing species of plants and trees. The soil, to put it simply, is just a place for all this to happen.
When the forest is cut down the trees and vegetation are burnt and the ashes then fertilize the soil. The locals plant crops and what goodness there is in the soil is quickly sucked out. Then, when the soils is useless, more jungle is cleared.
The rainforest, if left undisturbed, can slowly creep forward into the open areas. Turning barren areas back into good quality jungle, but it has to be left alone and an element of luck is need. Whilst the forest had been stripped of it’s vegetation and the trees killed, all the root systems that were helping to hold the soil together have also perished. This now makes the area more prone to soil erosion.
Remembering the knock on effect of messing with such a complex ecosystem, the soil erosion now chokes the rivers, causes landslides and flash floods (the rainforest acted as a natural flood gate by releasing water gradually).
During my time in the Amazon I saw successful farmers using their environment carefully. They had small areas cleared for crops and animals. These areas were then allowed to re-grow after some time whilst the farmer used a different area. Maybe not in his life time, but in his son’s, the rotation would eventually come round to the first clearing I saw and by then the forest will have recovered to an acceptable level.
Having the right expedition equipment is vital, both to the success of the expedition and to your own personal comfort and safety.
Imagine, in the heat and humidity of the jungle, not having dry clothes to put on for days at a time because your rucksack wasn’t waterproofed properly or the mosquito net you brought along was too short and when you rolled over in the night it came untucked and every bug in the forests dined on you!
Then, as you suffer from fungal infection brought on by constantly wet skin or infections from scratching your mosquito bites, imagine how your performance would suffer and what a negative impact that would have on the expedition – especially if you had a pivotal role in the proceedings.
“Expedition Equipment for the Tropics” is a five part series where we will look briefly at what equipment you would consider using on an expedition, or even a trek, into the tropical or sub tropical regions of the world. What defines the equipment we will cover are the following factors -
- heat – because it is warm you will notice that all the sleeping equipment is thin and lightweight, also lots of water carrying methods and purification.
- moisture (both rain and humidity) – everything will be waterproofed many times. Sandals to let your feet breathe, bandana for sweat.
- survival – in the tropics the vegetation is dense due to the increase in the strength of the sun, not to mention the heat and humidity, so survival equipment is vital.
The image below (and in the the other articles) is an actual kit display of my own expedition equipment used for the many 2 – 3 month conservation expeditions in the jungle in Belize I led and my 8 months working in the Peruvian Amazon as a guide. It is also what would be recommended by S2Si on their expedition equipment list for a trips to Papua New Guinea, Borneo, the Bolivian Amazon, etc.
- A military style ‘basha’ sheet. To go over the top of your hammock and mosquito net and provide shelter. Keep in the side pocket of your rucksack so as not to get water in the main compartment. Make sure it is longer than you are.
- A decent hammock. Tough material and strong ropes. NOT a net hammock, please! Again, make sure it is longer than you are.
- Mosquito net. Get one that has a good ‘drop’ on it, so you can sit up in your hammock without having the net pop out from under you. Having it treated in an insecticide stops bugs getting you through the net, but it also kills friendly bugs… your call.
- A thin sleeping bag or a ‘tropical quilt’. Mine is a 2 season bag because I get cold even in the jungle. I don’t use a liner as I always wash before going to bed – no matter how tired. If in doubt get a thin cotton mummy style liner.
- A large rucksack liner, a good tough high quality one as this is your equipment’s first line of defense against moisture. Make sure the bag is bigger than the rucksack itself and pack a repair kit for it.
- Mini dry sacks. I put everything inside in these as well. Not only is it another layer of waterproofing but a good way to itemize things, for example, I had sleeping equipment, then clothing and dry gear, then wash gear and personal things.
- A sleeping mat. For when a hammock can’t be put up. Try to avoid the inflatable ones when in the tropics as everything has spikes and you’ll go through an awful lot of repair kits.
Not shown above is my 70 litre rucksack it all went into. We could devote many pages to rucksacks and how to make them fit properly, etc. For now find a good outdoor shop, find a decent sized one and have the staff go over the strap adjustments to make sure it feels comfy….. because if it doesn’t feel comfy in the shop it sure wont feel comfy when fully loaded and you are slipping your way through a muddy bush track with sweat stinging your eyes and blisters forming on your heals!
Why not head on over to part 2? –> Expedition Equipment
Tags: what equipment do I need for an expedition, what is the best expedition equipment, what shall I take to the jungle
