South America survival....

corwise

corwise

Joined
Nov 10, 2006
Messages
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I just got told that later this year I'll probably be deployed down to South America for a few months. I'll be flying around having all sorts of fun, but was wondering if anyone had any ideas for a small survival type pack to throw in my flight back. Currently I was thinking of adding a RTAK-II to the traditional surivival stuff I fly with in the states, but other then that I wasn't to sure about what "jungle" items I should add.
Of course, realistically, I fly in a large type aircraft with no ejections seats, so I'll probably die a horrible squashing type death if we go in, but I do like to try and be prepared. :) Any thoughts would be appreciated, have a good one.

Dave
 
Hopefully, Pict will respond.

I don't think there's anyone more qualified than him to discuss survival techniques in South America--since that's exactly what he teaches! :thumbup:
 
corwise said:
I just got told that later this year I'll probably be deployed down to South America for a few months. ........ Any thoughts would be appreciated, have a good one.

Dave
Click to expand...

A machete and all the water purification goodies you can haul. Add anti-fungals and a couple kinds of bug repellent to your first aid and hygene kits. Electrolyte drink mixes might be good too.
 
definitely a machete, a poncho or tarp bug repellant perhaps some mosquito netting, baking a pot and a filter for water purification, I don't usually bring this but perhaps a small snake bite kit...lots of little nasties down there...One of those jungle hammoks should ork good too . to keep you off the ground when you sleep. maybe a field guide of indigenous plants and animals
 
Hi :) ,

I sincerely recommend the Snugpak Jungle bag. It is wonderful to have a refuge from all types of insects and snakes. It packs extremely small and light. Their claims about temp range are nutty, this is a hot summer bag unless you wear a lot of clothes and have an insulating mat under the bag.

http://www.actiongear.com/cgi-bin/t...=snugpak jungle&backto=/agcatalog/results.tam

Another great product is the Hennessy Hammock.

http://www.hennessyhammock.com/new-products.htm

I have used both of these in Africa.

Steve
 
Yep, I'm waiting for our resident jungle expert Pict as well.

In the meantime, I'd suggest:

Changing the emphasis of your first aid kit - obviously keep all the basics, but add anti-fungals, anti-diarehtics and anti-malarias.

Lots of effective insect repellant and talcum poweder.

Mosquito net for head and for over your hammock.

Machete.

Lightweight wicking underwear, to avoid chafing under arms, groin etc.

Lightweight and breathable long sleeve pants and shirts.

Riggers gloves.
 
South America is a huge place with an incredible variety of terrain types. Don't make the mistake of thinking it is all just jungle down here. That would be about like thinking Africa is all like the Sahara Desert. We have some of the driest deserts in the world here as well as the Andes where you could easily freeze to death.

I live in the Central Highlands of Brazil, about 5 hours due north of Rio by car. My area doesn't have true jungle or true desert but gets close enough to each that you need to use skills from both areas. I'm not an expert on all the different areas you could encounter. If you post where you are going and what you normally carry it would help to answer the question better, I'm sure there are other posters more qualified for other terrain types.

Some constants about South America you should plan for.

#1. Bugs: You want to be able to deal with bugs of every type. By far they are the most dangerous animals in South America. Ask yourself, would you rather be attacked by a small dog or the equivelent weight of mosquitoes? One product I find very useful is Sawyers Military Clothing Permethrine dip. This stuff will give you a few weeks of protection as it bonds to your clothes. If you are going to be in and around the bush make sure your clothes are treated with this stuff. No kidding ticks will literally curl up and die as they walk on your sleeve. Back this up with DEET on your skin.

#2. Bugs: I know I already said bugs but you need to be able to get away from them as well. That means get a hammock. Forget those cheesy net things or the traditional Army Jungle hammock. The Hennessy gets good reviews, though I don't own one. A hammock gets you off the ground and the ground in the jungle is a very hostile place. A mosquito net is an essential in the jungle if your hammock doesn't already come with one.

#3. Water: You need to be able to treat and carry plenty of it. I'll leave the method up to you as there is a wealth of info on the board. One caution, don't try to depend on boiling water in the jungle. Yes it will purify your water but you won't be able to keep up with it unless you are stopped and can maintain a fire long term. On the move you have to use chemical means for their practicality. Carry electrolyte salts as well.

#4. Water: I know I already mentioned water but you need to be able to get away from it as well. How will you look after you have been soaking wet, dried out to damp, and then got soaked again, for a few weeks? Crotch rot, heat rash, foot fungus, etc, you basically turn into a walking mushroom farm. Getting yourself dry for a few hours of rest each day is essential. Get a dry bag and keep a set of clean dry clothes, especially socks, in it for sleeping in your shelter. Guard those dry clothes with your life, thou shalt not get them dirty or wet. Clean your feet with religious devotion each day, wipe them down with alcohol, and powder them with an anti fungal. Start this before you wind up in the jungle and make it a routine, you don't want to head into the jungle with foot problems common to life. I use US Issue Jungle boots and have been very happy with them.

#5. Infection: Your medical kit should be beefed up in this area. Triple antibiotic ointment could save your life. The jungle is full of thorns and stickers, biting insects etc. These small cuts get infected easily and have to be taken seriously. There's no such thing as a tough guy in the jungle. If you got all ripped up one day, most likely you'll get ripped up the next day as well. You can't let stuff get to the point that it starts festering. Treating the bites and scratches is part of the evening routine.

#6. Machete and a small file or sharpening stone: The machete is essential as it is your means of travel, firemaker, camp clearer, shelter builder, kitchen cutlery, etc. You don't have to spend alot of money on a machete, you could even buy one locally as it will probably be best suited to the area you are in. If you are going to be in really wet jungle you don't want a leather sheath, go for nylon or kydex. I normally carry a 14 or 16 inch Tramontina and a Mora knife. In my area I can get away with my BK-7 but I wouldn't want to be limited to that in a jungle.

#7. Digital camera and lots of batteries: South America will surprise you around every bend. Make a habit of carrying your camera.

All for now,

Mac
 
I wish Pict would have mentioned Bugs & Water. :D

;)


Need to know what part of the SA continent you will be going??

Argentina?
Ecuador?
Brazil?
The Falklands???? :rolleyes:
 
Pict is right on. I spent six months in the moutains surrounding Patuca, Ecuador (we had the older C127's as our main resupply runs; and even a C130made it in...just once:D ). It was quite lush, but since it was in the highlands, the temperature dipped quite a bit in the early spring and late fall. We had observer stations on both sides of the Ecuador and Peru border...it was amazing at how much savanna-like northern Peru was (even had cactus near the runway!!)...very similar to to the Mojave and Sonoran deserts (during the cooler season).

This was a few years ago, and I was able to play with a few blades while "stationed" there. I broke an 18-inch machete prying a banana tree apart (yeah, it wasn't the smartest thing I've done), but, I really fell in love with the smaller 12" machete. Even used one an older Cold Steel LTC Kukri, which performed very well on trail clearing. The locals could literally do anything with their machetes...I remember following a small mountain stream up to a nice littel swimming hole, and ran across a half-dozen kids ranging in age from about 5-10, and all but 1 was carrying a machete!

Assuming you're a crew-member, you will have some basics already covered (fire, compass, signal flares, etc), but I would add:

1) Machete or similar light-weight chopper
2) Water purification (mandatory for how much water you'll need!)
3) Insect repellant (I would also pre-treat my clothing with Permethrin)
4) Lightweight silicon-tarp or your standard poncho liner

I would also recommend a camera too. We did over a hundered rotary flights down to and all along border...you wouldn't believe the lush and rugged beauty down there. I might also recommend a small Spanish/English dictionary if you don't already know some of the basics. I had to brush up, but every little jungle village we ran across new rudimentary Spanish (of course those along the Brazilian border may be a little different).

I would much rather be in South America than over here in Iraq!!!

ROCK6
 
Pick,

Thanks for the words. I do understand that not all of South America is jungle, but the part I'm going to be flying around will be. :) I should start out around Ecuador, but who knows, we move around a bit.

Rock6,

Thanks as well. Although I'd rather be heading back to Iraq I think (LSA Anaconda, Balad, yippie) or Afghanistan again. :) I'm from New Mexico, I dig deserts, not sure I'm going to like the humidity. :) Stay safe.
 
picts post was on target as usual, i also would reccomend some purell to clean your hands and dry your feet every night, i like the 12 inch machete, handy tool. foot powder as per pict, antimalarial medication, i always have larium or other antimalarial with me at least 3 wks worth. if you get the time read cresson kearsy's jungle snafus and remadies, lots of information there taken from one of the original jungle experts.

alex
 
The book, referenced above
http://www.amazon.com/Jungle-Snafus-Remedies-Cresson-Kearny/dp/1884067107

I have not read it, nor do I have Jungle experience.

You guys made some good points and explained them well.

Lofty Wiseman SAS handbook seemed to be Jungle oriented;
many libraries have some edition of it.
http://amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/00...eld-keywords=sas+handbook&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go

Get shots for any area you might travel to, through, or take
some R&R.

GPS: not all antennas are equal. This is very important with a tree canopy.
Garmins are highly regarded, but some models have a poor antennas.
(They cannot get a lock in a tree canopy or narrow canyon.)
Magellans are generally better in this regard. This is what I have read;
I have not tested myself. One place I read this was on the Hoolums forum
or article, by Ron Hood himself, who is highly regarded. Since Ron wrote,
I think Garmin has come out with some models with better antenna/reception.

You may be prohibited from putting classified bases, caches, etc in your
GPS database. Critical locations could be encoded on paper, water proof it,
cover with Scotch Tape.

Sometimes, experienced outdoorsman say "you wont need that", when there
is a good chance that you will. (Some Psych prof should do a study as to why
they do this.) If something is not too heavy or bulky, and you think you will
need it, take it, even though the old expert says "you wont need that".
Or talk to the old guy at length, let him tell stories, and he may backtrack
on his previous opinion.
 
pict said:
In my area I can get away with my BK-7 but I wouldn't want to be limited to that in a jungle.
Click to expand...


Pict, I was just wondering what you meant by this. Do you mean the law prohibits you, or its just not a welcomed sight to have a machete in your area??
 
Fonly,

I can legally carry any blade I want down here.

The area I live in is a transitioanl zone between Caatinga (dry thorny bush) and Mata Altantica (tropical hardwood forest). It all depends on where I go. If I hike up into the mountains there is very little brush or trees, it's mostly grasses. In the middle elevation it is all scrub brush with patches of dense forest where there is water. In the lower elevations it is very dense forest cut by streams, ravines and lots of trails.

If I stick to trails and places I've camped before I don't really need a machete (gasp). A day hike in places I already know and travel on trails will see very little blade work.

In the upper elevations I carry a short machete for chopping out lumps in the ground and leveling a place to sleep. I could do that with the BK-7 but it would get seriously bunged up. Still up high you wonder why you carried a knife at all.

In the scrub I need a blade to clear a space for my hammock and my BK-7 does great at that. You don't have to chop to move, you need to make shelters, clear ground, etc.

If I hike down into the lower forest we're starting to get into an area that looks and feels like jungle. If you stay on trails the most you have to do is open the occasional snag or cut some vines or overgrown areas. If you leave that trail you have a very hard time making progress without a machete. The BK-7 will cut through alot of it but it is serious work. Clearing a place to hang a hammock in the dense forest is hard work and the BK-7 doesn't "cut it" as it is too short. A machete is essential for the lower forest if I am going to explore or go off trail. Lots of times I'll follow a trail for a long time but end up taking a shortcut off trail to get back to camp. I wouldn't want to do that without a decent machete.

So, in keeping with the original post. If you are going to be in really thick jungle an actual machete is essential. I wouldn't want to try it with an SPB. Could I do everything I need to in dense forest with just the BK-7? Maybe, but the knife and my arm would not be the same. I would consider myself under-tooled.

If I had to go to an area of jungle that I had never been to before I would go into a hardware store and ask what is the machete they sell the most to people who work in the bush. I would buy one and go be happy. Mac
 
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