Hello,
I have read many threads on this site about young people with no wilderness experience wanting to escape society and live in the woods, but please hear me out.
I am 22 and was a backpacking guide in California until just recently. The longest I've ever spent alone in the woods was 8 days off-trail in Sequoia National Forest, but I brought food. Because of my job and interest, I know a good about California's flora and fauna, but my knowledge is limited to Desert and Mediterranean climates.
I want to live with nature for an extended period of time. I'd be hunting/gathering food (I'm alright with a recurve. I'll practice more if my location requires it.) I realize that nowhere in the US can a person build shelter and hunt freely, so I am researching more about other countries. I did a 3-day solo trip in Japan, but it's too cold for me to live there for longer (I'm not good with the cold at all) so I'm starting to look into rainforest regions. I have two problems:
1) A lot of rainforests are in areas with drug labs and poachers who have no moral qualms killing people or holding them ransom, so I would need to be far away from any human contact to feel secure.
2) The rainforest is very different from the climates I'm used to! How do I go about learning the region-specific information I will need?
Do any of you have experience in a trip of this sort? Did you find a reliable guide to teach you the local way before heading off on your own? If you did, how did you find them? Also, if anyone has recommendations of places for me to research, I'd be very grateful.
Crabapple Plum, I read that your daughter stayed outdoors in Central America for awhile. How did she gain the region-specific knowledge she needed?
Thank you for your help. I realize you get a lot of people like me looking for advice, but this trip really means a lot to me, and I want to get all the input I can to make it as safe and life-affirming as possible. Hopefully others can also use the information on this thread to expand their adventures into climates that are new for them as well!
Best,
Ryo
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