Take The Path Less Ordinary

Jungle adventure tour package - RM800 …. ka-ching !

What to pack …… clueless

Everyone knows how to fill up the luggage for a holiday trip to snazzy beach resort or urban destination but scores very low when it comes to going off grid.

Ok, to be fair, one need not go to places where no man has boldly gone before. Going places where you have never been before is disturbing enough. Not problematic, not exhausting, but disturbing. The quality of life begins to drop far and fast once you hit the jungle.

Back home or hotel, running out of toilet paper is a mild glitch, not a crisis. In the jungle, .. we leave that to your imagination. With countless “what ifs” swimming in the back of your mind, not packing a chock-full of everything is an adventure itself. Believe us, everyone feels their bags are too small (before the trip) and too big (during the trip). Besides looking like a dork, lugging an overloaded luggage through the rutted rainforest is back breaking.

So, taking it from us. Here is how you downsize your backpack to less than 10kg …

What to wear

Malaysia has only one season - summer. Clothes should be worn to prevent sunburn but it should be thin enough for you to remain cool. The heat also means that when clothes are washed, drying is just a matter of 2-3 hrs. Simply put, one needs very little clothes and cotton is best. Nylon will bake you.

If your holiday plan includes highland or spending a cold night in the rainforest, layer up with a few shirts. It’d save you from bringing thermal-wears. Dress down with dull coloured clothings if you don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb. Whites, greys, browns and earthy coloures are safe bets. We don’t like black clothings because it’s hard to spot a leech against dark background and the sun can turn black clothes into ovens during middays.

We think The North Face’s convertible pant is a great idea, zipping and unzipping the mid-section to convert long pants into shorts and vice versa. We have seen them in action and they came out with flying colours

Pussyfooting

You need …
- one pair of sandals (the cheapest you can buy) for easy walking
- one pair of shoes (all terrain sporty types), preferably those with rutty deep threads for jungle treks

You do not need “special performing sandals” like Teva, Chaco and the likes. It’s too expensive for something that’d wallow in mud and slushy paths. The only times you’ll need sandals are when you walk around the base camp and going for baths in the river.

Things sandalmakers don’t tell you - This is the result for wearing “performance sandals” for deep jungle trekking. Beside exposing the feet to mud, thorny roots and leeches, sores from abrasions against straps can be excruciating

We DO NOT recommend trekkers to wear “performance sandals” for trekking no matter how robust manufacturer says they are. They are made by designers sitting in office cubicles the whole day and have never humped around the rainforest.

Strappy shoes expose skin and leeches will have your feet for breakfast, lunch and dinner; dangers from thorns and sharp roots notwithstanding.

For the best footwork in the jungle, wear a pair of shoes with rutty soles for good grips. You’d appreciate this. We don’t understand why most western adventure brands purvey high-cut trekking boots. They look too heavy. Of course we heard that they are made in such a way to protect the ankle from spraining. We disagree. Ankle sprain is caused by lack of warming up or exercise. Slipping into an expensive pair of shoes won’t help.

We prefer low-cut ones because they are lighter and give good ankle room for flexibility when trekking up and down hill terrain. There will be moments when one is required to climb over fallen trees or negotiate narrow hillside paths. You are going to need suppleness, not ankle rigidity.

Water proofing

Ironic … but true, the more you prepare for rain the less chance there is of it actually raining - and that’s got to be a good thing. So, having raincoat or poncho goes without saying.

Obviously, it’s best to use a waterproof bag too. If this is not possible, separate your belongings and bundle them in a few small plastic bags before stuffing all in the master bag. This generally helps keep everything dry and to a certain extend works even if your main luggage accidently dips the river. Put important documents, passports, cash, wallets and electronic gadgets in zip-lock bags.

Mosquito Proofing

We are not doctors. So we won’t tell you to cut slack on what you think is best. We can only share will you what locals normally do.

Malaysians never pop Malarone or any mosquito borne disease prevention pills. In fact, local pharmacies don’t stock them. At most, locals will slap on some insect repellent ointment or light up slow-burning incense coil before before calling in a night in the jungle. Rubbing on medicated oilment like Vicks Vapour-Rub or heat rub helps too. As long as the skin smells weird, mossies will shy away. We have seen visitors using Ben’s Insect Repellent, which contains DEET, and it works pretty well in the Malaysian countryside. However, Ben’s is not sold in Malaysia.

The only time to worry about mosquito problem is when you walk pass or spend the night in city slum (ghetto) where human population is dense and sanitation is poor (backpackers, budget hotels are usually located there, so take note). In these poor enclaves, which is usually neglected by city councils, mosquitoes thrive in unkempt compounds littered with rubbish and an infected mossie can hop from one person to another with little effort because everyone lives in close-knitted neighbourhood.

Mosquito problem and epidemic happen more often in mega cities than the countryside. Read STAR local news article and Singapore National Environment Agency press release. For foreign visitors’ discussion about mosquito borne disease and prevention, this Tripadvisor thread may shed some light.

Survival kit - Pack smart, not more

If you’ve signed up for deep jungle treks - you know, the non-touristy types - it pays to take the packing list to a higher level. Keep all jungle survival items into one waist bag and don’t leave camp without it. Below are the must-haves in your survival kit and collectively they should not weight more than 1kg;

1. Carry at least 3 ways to start a fire – Vaseline soaked cotton balls, magnifying glass and cigarette lighter.
2. A small bottle of iodine to disinfect water. Use 1 small drop for every litre.
3. A few zip lock bags for holding water.
4. Dental floss (100m). It’s a light and tough string with many uses.
5. Mini flashlight.
6. Heavy duty garbage bag. It makes great raincoat and waterproof shelter. You can also use it to collect rainwater.
7. All purpose knife made of carbon-steel that can throw sparks when struck on granite.
8. A bottle of antibiotic ointment.
9. Some energy bars.
10. A whistle to draw attention.

OK, this is the recommended packing list ….

If you’ve signed up for a typical Malaysian 3D/2N holiday in any one of the national parks, here’s the recommended checklist ….

- 3 or 4 short sleeve T-shirts
- 1 long sleeve T-shirt
- 2 short pants
- 1 long pants
- swimwear
- underwear, you do the maths
- a plastic bag for soiled clothes

- 1 pair of sandals or flip flops
- 1 pair of shoes with rutty threads
- 1 or 2 pairs of long socks (to protect against leeches)

- towel
- toilet paper
- soap / facial wash
- shampoo
- toothbrush / toothpaste
- comb, you still need to look good in the jungle too, don’t you
- personal medication

- mosquito repellent
- sunblock lotion
- Pepto-Bismol for stomach upset/diarrhea medication, in liquid or chewable tablet form.
- heat rub for muscle ache
- flashlights
- camera and batteries
- raincoat or poncho
- survival kit, if necessary
- some energy or chocolate bars
- water bottle, minimum 2 liters capacity.
- some garbage bags
- ear plugs or cotton balls, the cacophony of insects making mating calls at night can be difficult for some people to go to sleep
- a great book to while away idle time
- last but not least, a lot of “anything goes” attitude

This list should suit SE Asian backpacking travels if laundry and sewing kit are included.