I've spent just enough time in the jungles and rain forests around the world to still be miserable but able to survive. Yes, there's humidity and moistness to rot you and your equipment away. Yes, everything from animals to snakes to bugs to even some of the plants (ever tangled with black palm?) are trying to kill you. But with the right local knowledge typically the jungle provides you with everything you need to survive and even thrive. Food, water, shelter, and medicine are all usually readily available.
My father was in the Navy and I grew up on the beaches all over the world. I feel comfortable enough in that environment even though I don't enjoy sea food all the much. Water can be a challenge but there's always transpiration, solar stills (in theory...my every attempt has been more work than reward), rain cachements, young coconuts, and water inside fish.
As a mountain guide in the past I've spent years in the highest mountain ranges around the world. It's the environment I love the most and feel the most comfortable in. Food can be a challenge, but everything else is available with the right equipment and know how. I'll also take the cold over the heat any day. You can always get warmer with shelter, food, fire and clothing, but when you're naked and still miserably hot life sucks.
Deserts are a mystery to me and because of that I feel very vulnerable in them. I've spent time in the deserts of North, South and Central America, the Middle East and South Asia (although never in survival or even extended camping situations) and I've never felt comfortable in them...ever. I feel out of my element and having driven hundreds of miles without seeing water it scares me. I hate the heat and I don't enjoy being slowly cooked by the sun and I don't enjoy freezing at night all in the same day. I hate being in 130+ degree Farenheit temperatures and having to be covered from head to toe in hot clothing for protection. I hate walking for days without seeing anything edible at all. I've often wondered why God chose the desert as the Promised Land, as to me it's a punishment. I suppose I need to be taken under the wing of some desert expert (is Cody Lundin available for free personal consultations?) and learn to thrive, but honestly I would just rather avoid the desert like the plague.
