Found a good "Jungle Survival" link? Let Us Know!

Processing Shark Skin into Rawhide by Dino Labiste: Historically, shark skin has been used as an abrasive and, in Asia, to decorate sword hilts and sheaths. Dried but untanned skin, called shagreen, was once used like fine sandpaper for polishing wood. Shagreen was also used for the membranes on drums in the South Pacific.

Bamboo Rice Cooker by Bob Gillis, Adam Zwicker, and Dino Labiste: Bamboo is an ancient plant that has been utilized in the East by countries like India, China, Vietnam, and many other Asian nations for centuries. Its uses are numerous from housing material, fuel, baskets, ropes, boats, tools, food, musical instruments to furniture. Bamboo is much less known in the West and it's importance as a versatile resource is often overlooked. For the survival situation, this is an indigenous method of cooking, well, whatever you can catch... 

Thirst Quenching - Jungle Style by Jeff Randall This article deals with water acquisition in a jungle survival situation and should never be used in place of available safe methods. Even during survival training, we use water purification tablets and/or filters to avoid unnecessary risks, since contaminated water is the leading cause of disease and death in under-developed countries.

"FM 90-5: Jungle Operations" Field Manual produced by the US Army. Used by the Jungle Operations Training Center, Ft. Sherman, Panama. (been there, done that - what a rush!)

Passport to the Jungle Rainforest - Follow in Darwin’s footsteps, courtesy of PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE, to the heart of our planet's largest rainforest, guided by some of the world's leading biologists. Explore “the greatest expression of life” so far discovered in all the Universe, via a project that uses video, real-time interactions, the Internet and hands-on science activities - PASSPORT TO THE RAINFOREST.

Help With Amazon Jungle Report - This site gives tips and resources for writing a report on an Amazon rainforest (or jungle). Very helpful!

Rainforest Live - Take a look at the information section of this web site.

Tropical Jungle Rainforest - Learn about the plants, animals and climate.

Jungle Rainforests - Rainforests are very dense, warm, wet forests

Jungle Rainforest Sounds - What does it sound like in a rainforest? This site provides many, many sounds that you would hear....

The Jungle Rainforest - People, Animals and Facts

Jungles: Tropical Broadleaf Evergreen Forest: The Rainforest

Me? Live in a Jungle Rainforest? - You and three of your friends have been selected to spend the next year living in a rainforest in South America. You have three weeks to find out how you need to prepare for this adventure. Remember, what you don't know CAN hurt you. You will be living in a place where plants eat animals, snakes are big enough to eat people, and ... well ... I wouldn't want to frighten you away. You will find out more about the rainforest as you proceed on the quest.

About Jungle Rainforests - WHAT IS A RAINFOREST? IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A JUNGLE AND A RAINFOREST? IS THE AMAZON A JUNGLE OR A RAINFOREST?

Jungle: They Drew Fire - During World War II more than 100 U.S. servicemen and civilians served as 'combat artists'. They depicted the war as they experienced it with their paintbrushes and pens. Their stories have never been told, and for fifty years their artwork, consisting of more than 12,000 pieces has been largely forgotten -- until now

Jungle: The Living Eden - Peru's rainforest

Jungle Warfare Notes and Lessons Annoying pop-up, but interesting enough info to suffer through it.

Jungle Survival How do people survive in the jungle without food or water? Short (really) but surprisingly good article.

Ignacio's Cohune Palm Shelter: the Kekchi Indian technique of Blue Creek The Cohune palm (Orbigyna Cohune) is one of the most abundant trees in Belize. It is found in forests from near sea level up to 2000 ft in rich soil. Cohune trees can reach heights of 100 feet, while fronds can reach up to 35 feet long and are commonly used for thatching. Many other species of palm can also be used in thatching, such as Bayleaf palm (Sabal morrisiana) which is a favorite for its durability.

Tropical Survival and Coconut Climbing A few years ago, I read a popular novel called "Castaway". As an experience in subsistence/survival living, a couple marooned themselves on a tropical island for one year. They chose their island well, but they nearly starved because they didn’t possess a few of the most basic yet crucial survival skills. During our sea kayak expedition in Central America, my expedition partner Luke Shullenberger and I have learned all the skills necessary to make a good living on tropical islands.

Coconut Tree Climbing Technique Coconut is the most important fruit in the tropics for it gives precious water full of potassium and other minerals. The young flesh looks like yogurt and is delicious. The old flesh is hard and can be good to eat in small quantities, or is a great addition to various dishes. In addition to its nutritious value, coconuts also have some medicinal properties. The juice of green coconuts (immature fruits) is recommended for heart, liver and kidney disorders, as well as gonorrhea. The problem is to obtain those immature coconuts.

Opening and preparing Conch Conch live in beautiful shells. They aren't a shellfish per say but a sea snail. They can be prepared in a variety of different ways, as  seviche, sauteed with garlic, etc. The problem is to extract them from their tough shell. Unless you know the technique, you might find yourself with nothing else but a beautiful shell to look at.

Edible Plants found on Tropical Beaches There are many plants and trees that can be used as a source of food on tropical beaches. Here are a few we came across during our trip.

Edible Plants found in Tropical Rainforests There are many plants, trees and fruits that can be used as a source of food in tropical rainforests. Here are a few we learned in Blue Creek, Belize.

Bamboo Survival Cooking This technique is easy and imparts a deep flavor to the rice. The photographs below illustrate the steps he took to cook rice in a bamboo tube. The time necessary depends on the size of your bamboo pot, the amount of water and rice you pour into it, and the size of your fire.

Eating Cohune Palm The nuts found in giant grapes are used to produce oil or are just edible after collecting them from the ground. The most delicious part which is providing a lot of food is the heart of the palm found in the last 4 feet before the base of the branches. The bark around that part is fed to pigs and chicken and the Mayan people even used to make palm wine from the heart left on the base of the tree.

Fire: The Technique from Irian Jaya Photo series

Malaria Page of Rimachi Expeditions: What is Malaria? Why do you need to be concerned about Malaria? Why is Malaria spreading?

WINNING IN THE JUNGLE. Fighting in the jungle is tough, both physically and mentally. To win you must have organizations that are sound from the bottom up. Above all, jungle operations test squads and platoons to their limit. Limited visibility and rugged terrain combine to render communications difficult. Although a trip to the Jungle Operations Training Battalion (JOTB) would be an excellent way to prepare units for the jungle, this handbook should be a great help also. This is a superb manual!

Jungle Tips. Must read info for jungle terrain operations.

TRACKING. Tracking involves using the five senses plus common sense to follow a trail through the jungle. It is a learned skill. However, soldiers with especially keen senses of smell, hearing, and sight are at a distinct advantage. A good source of personnel with basic tracking skills is soldiers who were raised in rural areas. Hunters and farmers are generally good basic trackers. Whenever possible, employ native trackers. A general rule is the more primitive, the better.

Survival In Central Africa. The U.S. Army Medical Research, Development, Acquisition and Logistics Command (USAMRDALC) has prepared this handbook of preventive medicine and behavioral guidance as a reference for unit commanders and NCOs deploying to Rwanda, Uganda, Zaire, Burundi and Tanzania (RUZBT). It includes suggestions for sustainment of health and performance through predeployment, deployment, conduct of operations, and redeployment. It addresses important health issues including: disease hazards, environmental hazards, work-rest cycles, and soldier morale. These areas range in biome structure from tropical to mountainous and the manual contains excellent info for all areas. Granted, it is intended for central Africa, but equivalent biomes exist everywhere.

Jungle training (Hysterically funny article - caution! Language) Things started to hot up from now on, quite literally. Two more men had gone missing at the weekend whilst on the pub-crawl. Had I known how hard life in the jungle was to have been I may well have joined them... Don't miss this article on the JOTC courses experienced by a group of Rangers

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