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Tokwan
10-14-2014, 03:01 AM
I guess most of you know that I always conduct solo hiking/camping. Whenever I go on these trips, I found that the rainforest offers me a lot of natural resources.

Then I realized that the thickness and the dampness of the rainforest also does not allow me to use certain items that are in my survival kit.

I would like to share what I think and at the same time absorb your opinion on what I think, I will take and will opt out of the kit.

The forest itself, undulating terrain, thick bushes at the lower area but clears out towards the top.natural resources such as water and bamboo are of the abundance. Threat of insects, leeches, poisonous and aggressive animals are there and we have to minimize the risks. Wild elephants are always on my mind. There could be no escape from a very angry bull.

What we will need to survive are:
1. Shelter
2. Fire
3. Water
4. Avoiding elements and nuisance such as mosquitoes, leeches , insects, snakes/wild animals and of course coldness in certain areas/season and altitude.
5. Navigation
6. Possibly medical aid.

I have decided to review my SK and have decided to only have the certain items. The revised SK will be based on the following survival needs:-

1. Shelter - away from rain and cold. I will use two disposable ponchos and at the same time have a mylar blanket to avoid the cold. Not much wind in the forest. Paracord for the shelter build up (I have 15 feet on my bracelet, 100 feet on my belt and another 30 feet in my kit.). I will carry a parang and a Survival Knife for the tools to make the shelter. The shelter should be just to survive the night and move on towards civilization .

2. Fire- I will need to have at least a good function able fire steel. Tinder is usually cotton balls with petroleum jelly. The damp wood can be split to get to the drier parts inside.

3. Water- available from pitcher plants, roots, bamboo, banana trees, leaves, puddle, streams and rivers. I will need plastic bags, a cup to collect water or use bamboo tubes to hold and cook water, water filters or water purification tablets.

4. Avoiding elements - insect repellent, fire and smoke from the fire.

5. Navigation - GPS or compass. (forget about maps..its almost impossible to get topographic maps in Malaysia). I would love to add my Kompernall hiking poles.

6. Medical Aid - Containing alcohol swaps, gauge, bandages, bandaids of various sizes, stitch set, scissors, flavin and antiseptic cream. Some pain killers, antibiotics, anti histamine, paracetamol and some upset stomach meds.

As such, I think the following items are adequate for me to survive:

1. Shelter- two disposable poncho, 30 feet paracord and mylar blanket. Parang.
2. Fire - Lighter wrapped in plastic, Firesteel and Tinder. Survival knife
3. Water - Clear plastic bags, a mess tin or cup, Sawyer water filter, water purification tablets.
4. Elemets Avoiding - Insect repellent.
5. Navigation- GPS, Compass, Kompernall Hiking Posts.
6. Medical. First aid kit and medications.

My Shelter will be using resources from the forest such as timber poles or bamboo.
I can cook large amount of water using bamboo tubes on an open fire. Supply should be good - replacing cooking pots which i can leave.
I will add a file for sharpening the parang.
Additional items such as a few packs of MREs would suffice, but if none, the banana trees, heart of palm, and trapping should give me enough food to help me survive.

This means that I can forego items like signal mirror, cellphone (as there is no coverage definitely) and the large items for cooking.
All these items are in a pouch on my waist except the parang and knife will be on my belt, and the hiking poles in my hands.

Please deliver me your thoughts.

Rick
10-14-2014, 06:18 AM
I don't know what flavin is or does. That said, the only things I would add to your medical kit would be some Loperimide. It's an anti-diarrheal. It comes in a lot of different brand names but that's the active ingredient. A hemostatic agent such as QuikClot or Celox and a compression bandage. Otherwise, it's well thought out.

You could use Google Earth instead of a topo map for your region. You'll have on overhead picture of the terrain. I use Google Earth in conjunction with topo maps all the time. I find it very helpful. I just print it out and place it inside a waterproof bag like a Ziplock gallon bag.

I haven't heard you discuss leaving an itinerary with your wife. Perhaps you do. That's something I leave with my wife or one of my kids on every trip. I give them the area (GPS Coordinates) where I'll be. If that changes then I phone them with an update. Without cell coverage you might choose a primary location and a secondary location. That would give SAR a starting point for their search. While I'm hiking I will often draw an arrow in the dirt with my boot to show direction of travel. It doesn't disturb the forest, doesn't leave anything unnatural behind and will disappear with rain. But it will provide SAR a path to follow if I don't return by the time I've told my wife.

finallyME
10-14-2014, 05:09 PM
Looks good. Maybe a light weight hammock?

hunter63
10-14-2014, 07:37 PM
Looks good. Maybe a light weight hammock?

I was thinking the same.......even using it to carry your kit, although appears that will carry well on belt.
That's my line of thinking.

Also I would add of the GI style canteen, cup, stove cover w/pouch for water tabs.......lots of bang for your buck and carry space. you are gonna carry a cup anyway....this all nest together.

Tokwan
10-14-2014, 08:35 PM
Great feedback and I intended this thread to be a discussion.
Rick has laid down some fine ideas. The google map might help and I would really have to determine the scale as the printing might scale the map down.

Yep I do tell my sons where I will be going and in which area. When I am expected to be back and so on. But I am talking about the kit! Finallyme and Hunter, this is a survival kit. Maybe where we are, survival kits might be different.

I do have my Henessy in my backpack. A lite hammock would be great but it would be too bulky for the kit as the kit is in an old 5"x2"x7" army pouch which is attached to my belt along with my parang, survival knife and my water bottle.

So in short, if I have to drop my backpack, I still have my survival kit in the pouch, my parang, my survival knife and water bottle with cup which are all attached to my belt. Used to carrying all that when I was in the services.
Oh yeah, I forgot to add my whistle.

Tokwan
10-14-2014, 08:39 PM
I did not answer Hunter and Finally me well.
I also did not add a hammock as I can built off the ground shelters in an emergency situation and its usually less than 20 minutes from the timed practices that I have done. So I wanted to ensure that my kit is lightweight and I am able to move comfortably.

Please generate more talk here and ideas. I appreciate all and I hope this will make the forum more interesting as we tackle this issue and attract more people into the discussion.

RangerXanatos
10-14-2014, 09:20 PM
What about a flashlight? I know it can get dark quick under the canopy and it could save a lot of trouble looking in the dark for wood, tools, checking for things going bump, etc and doubles for signaling.

Tokwan
10-14-2014, 09:57 PM
It would be nice, but a nice fire would be able to produce light. Just to argue, I wanna keep the weight down, but a good torchlight or headlamp would be great. Let's talk about a survival kit in a small pouch. What would you leave out and what would you carry?

Rick
10-15-2014, 06:59 AM
I like the flashlight idea. There are a lot of small sized, very good L.E.D. lights. If you are forced to move through the jungle at night that would make a huge difference.

xjosh40x
10-15-2014, 09:02 AM
I don't know what type of wildlife are in your area. But when it comes to getting a meal I always have better luck fishing than setting snares and deadfalls. Perhaps a small fishing kit would do well for you. I use an empty Teflon spool and drill a small hole and tie off some 12lb fishing line and roll it up like a reel and towards the end I slip on a few hooks and sinkers. Put the cover on the spool and I have a complete fishing kit with 100ft of string weighing less than a half pound.

Wildthang
10-15-2014, 09:27 AM
Something for foot rot? I know there are natural remedies but some kind of antibacterial salve or something is going to work a lot better! I dont know what salve would work the best but it's something to think about. If your feet get damaged you are in trouble!

hunter63
10-15-2014, 12:39 PM
......................
I do have my Henessy in my backpack. A lite hammock would be great but it would be too bulky for the kit as the kit is in an old 5"x2"x7" army pouch which is attached to my belt along with my parang, survival knife and my water bottle.

So in short, if I have to drop my backpack, I still have my survival kit in the pouch, my parang, my survival knife and water bottle with cup which are all attached to my belt. Used to carrying all that when I was in the services.
Oh yeah, I forgot to add my whistle.

Canteen, cup, stove, nestled in on carrier on belt......pretty much the same as water bottle and cup....yes?

Of course not all kits are the same.....we pick, choose, try, add to, take out....and after 30 years or so I came up with a belt pouch.....add belt knife, and canteen kit

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y139/hunter63/bobcrop3.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/user/hunter63/media/bobcrop3.jpg.html)

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y139/hunter63/BOBcrop.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/user/hunter63/media/BOBcrop.jpg.html)

Tokwan
10-15-2014, 10:43 PM
[QUOTE=xjosh40x;444154]I don't know what type of wildlife are in your area. But when it comes to getting a meal I always have better luck fishing than setting snares and deadfalls. Perhaps a small fishing kit would do well for you. I use an empty Teflon spool and drill a small hole and tie off some 12lb fishing line and roll it up like a reel and towards the end I slip on a few hooks and sinkers. Put the cover on the spool and I have a complete fishing kit with 100ft of string weighing less than a half pound.[/Q
UOTE]

Yep Josh, me too. Seems fishing always gave me the main meals...but we have porcupine by the abundance and I love them..not that hard to get them, compared to a deer and when you do not have a firearm.

Tokwan
10-15-2014, 10:44 PM
Something for foot rot? I know there are natural remedies but some kind of antibacterial salve or something is going to work a lot better! I dont know what salve would work the best but it's something to think about. If your feet get damaged you are in trouble!

Good feedback Wildthang..we have some natural remedies and I usually use the 100% petroleum jelly from the cotton tinder.

Tokwan
10-15-2014, 10:45 PM
Good one Hunter. I am trying to see whether I can live with minimal items. A stove is a bonus...no matter how much I try to shave off, the back of my mind tells me..."you gotta have them"...hahahahaha

archeonut
10-18-2014, 02:42 PM
How do you manage the mosquitoes and flies? Just with normal, commercial repellant? Where i live, mosquitoes at night point and laugh at the repellant.

Tokwan
10-19-2014, 08:29 PM
Yep..I use the normal insect repellents, a couple won't bother me but a few will. If I am out of or lost my insect repellent, I would look for lemon grass...chew/pound/mesh em up and rub them on my exposed part...or rub my exposed parts with earth or soil...

Tokwan
10-19-2014, 08:30 PM
Now, that is if you are talking bout survival, but normal camping, I sleep well in a Hennessy Hammocjk..its got em mozzy netting.