What You Need To Survive A Jungle
Jungles. These majestic places renowned worldwide for their beauty and photogenic qualities can easily conquer the enthusiast explorer in you. But they can also offer perilous pitfalls if you go unprepared. Unless you’re taking a survivalist with you, make sure you pack these 10 things you need to survive a jungle.
1. Insect Repellent
Jungles are thriving ecosystems packed with the most diverse wildlife. Including potentially life-threatening mosquitoes and other small creatures. If you don’t want to become another delicious treat that just walked into their home, make sure to have a powerful insect and bug repellent with you.
2. A Pocket Saw
A handy pocket camping saw serves more purposes than a knife, and it’s the wisest choice to throw in your survival backpack. Most pocket saws have sharp points you can use to slaughter prey should you need to, but its blade is less sharp and safer than the blade of a knife.
You can also use it to cut tree limbs to build a fire or free your path, and it’s generally a more useful piece of equipment to have in a jungle.
3. Mosquito Net
There are two types of mosquito nets you need to survive a jungle. One is the head mosquito net that will surely come in handy on those moments when you’re seeking lost treasures in the jungle right after a tropical rain.
A body mosquito net is a must when the night falls, on those moments when it’s just you and the solo tent. Especially useful if you want to sleep soundly without waking up to reapply the lotion or if you run out of insect repellent.
4. A Cooking Pot
You might tackle the wilderness, but you still need to eat. Sure; energy bars may work fine in the first days. But what if you manage to catch some game? Roasting it over a fire seems nice, but you can also make a stew if you have a cooking pot.
Wild delis apart, you also need a cooking pot to sterilize stream or lake water; and that’s an essential thing to think of.
5. First Aid Kit
A first aid kit is a must-have whenever you adventure into the wilds, but it becomes essential if you want to survive a jungle. There are a few indispensable items it must contain.
Perhaps the smallest and often neglected items are the band-aids. Pack plenty, as you never know when you may need them. Should you have to stop a bleed or cover some blisters to prevent them from turning into infected injuries, they can come in handy on many occasions.
Also, pack some painkillers. antibiotics and probiotics that work well in case of travel diarrhea.
Lastly, make sure to have an antibacterial hand sanitizer. It’s not only useful to clean your hands before eating, but it’s also a great thing to apply to your skin if you’ve been bitten by an insect.
6. Insulated Bivy Sack
Let’s face it! You will get tired sooner or later while exploring this woodland. While the tropical climate of a jungle may inspire you to sleep directly on the ground and under the starry skies, don’t do it.
A bivy sack is a great compromise between a sleeping bag and a tent. You can leave it open and enjoy the Milky Way or close it to keep nasty crawly creatures away from your face and body.
Just make sure the sack is insulated, so you can also stay dry while laying down on the moist jungle ground.
7. Chop-it-All Axe
You might have a saw, but a chop-it-all ax is another essential item you should tuck in your backpacking backpack. It can help you build shelter, gather firewood, or hunt bigger game.
It may add some weight to your luggage, but it’s one of those things that just can’t stay at home.
8. A Ferro-Rod
Whether you want to sterilize water or cook a meal, you need an essential thing. Fire. There are dozens of ways to start a fire in a jungle, but why struggle when you can just take a Ferro-rod with you?
This is a metal rod that produces a golden rain of sparks when scraped against a hard surface, such as your pocket saw’s blade.
Place the rod over a bunch of dried leaves and use it to start a fire. Add some sticks and branches, and you’re all ready to make a feast.
9. Filter Water Bottle
A pot and a fire are two essential things you need to sterilize the water. However, the boiling process won’t remove any residues and debris. If you’re in a swampy area, drinking muddy water won’t double as hot chocolate, so you might want to use a filtered water bottle.
10. Wire And Fishing Hooks
Perhaps nobody thinks of taking wire in a jungle. It’s the sort of “when would I need this” item. The truth is, it can serve a host of purposes. It can help you build traps to catch some game or tie some branches and leaves into a shelter.
You can also use it to build an ad-hoc fishing rod you can use with that monofilament and fishing hooks you smartly threw into your luggage.
The wire is not so heavy, so you should better take it and never use it than leave it home and regret you don’t have it.
Wrapping It All Up
A jungle can be a dangerous, but it’s an equally mesmerizing place to explore at least once in your life. Use common sense to stay out of danger and pack these 10 things you need to survive a jungle to stay on the safe side. Then, go and have a blast! You’ll surely live the adventure of a lifetime.
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