Across the Pond

Overseas adventure camping gear shouldn't weigh you down

- By Reuben Bolieu

What kind of people go on a planned adventure in the jungle? All over the world, there are guided trips to remote places in the jungle that require an overnight stay or a multi-day trip.

Destinations include places such as the Zambezi River in Africa and the jungles and rain forests of South America, Mexico, and Central America. Southeast Asia probably has the most overseas/jungle excursions out of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Usually, some package deal provides transportation via van, boat, or elephant, and always with a local guide.

ENJOY THE JUNGLE

Most of the topics in any survival magazine gravitate towards an emergency survival situation where skills and minimal gear are used to get through the ordeal. Movies and reality TV shows about time spent in the jungle usually involve a person trying to escape. This gives a negative aura to the beauty of the jungle. This preconceived notion is that the jungle is full of snakes, insects, headhunters, piranhas, crocodiles, and all things wanting to harm you. While that is not even half true, what is true is that just about any place in nature with inherent beauty also has a certain degree of danger.

I have seen people with four knives strapped to them while toting a 30-pound pack for a leisurely day hike. This mentality of setting out to battle nature puts the person in a paranoid mindset and makes them edgy, where they will be set off by noises or any wildlife they come across. Hardly enjoyable!

Having useful and lightweight gear makes any trip much more enjoyable. That "I must have everything" way of thinking holds a person back almost as much as the 30-pound-plus pack. I would like to help people shed that mentality and open them up to the fun adventures of overseas trekking, mainly in the jungle. I will touch mainly on the Big Four: backpack, shelter system, hydration, and tools.