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

Tropical Survival [Excerpt from FM21-76c14] Most people think of the tropics as a huge and forbidding tropical rain forest through which every step taken must be hacked out, and where every inch of the way is crawling with danger. Actually, over half of the land in the tropics is cultivated in some way. Also available HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and as a PDF HERE and HERE and HERE

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... See also: Opening a Coconut with a Stone by Dino Labiste 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.

New Worlds Fruit Database After several years spent compiling information on edible tropical fruits of the Americas, IPGRI recently launched the New World Fruits Database. The result of collaborative work with the Centre for International Cooperation on Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD) in France and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), this database updates an ethnobotanical inventory on tropical American fruits, which was published as a Web page. The new database contains information on 1256 species from 303 genera and 69 families. It uses the standards set by the International Working Group on Taxonomic Databases for Plant Sciences. When available, data are included on species taxonomy, common names in eight languages and dialects, uses of the fruits and other plant parts, photographs, bibliographic sources, expert contacts and links to sources of additional information on the Internet.

Man and Mollusc's Data Base of Edible Molluscs Terrestrial and Freshwater Mollusks

The Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) is a medium to large sized tropical tree in the soapberry family Sapindaceae, native to southeast Asia, and the fruit of this tree. It is believed to be native to the Malay Archipelago although its precise center of origin is unknown. It is closely related to other edible tropical fruits such as Lychee, Longan and Mamoncillo. It is a popular garden fruit tree and propagated commercially in small orchards. One of the best known fruits of southeast Asia, it is also widely cultivated elsewhere the tropics including Africa, Cambodia, the Caribbean islands, Central America, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. See also: Nephelium lappaceum (Sapindaceae)

Know and Enjoy Tropical Fruit: Lychee, Rambutan and Longan See also Bananas & Plantains; Casimiroa, Black Persimmon & Mabola; Durian & Mangosteens; Jackfruit, Breadfruit & Relatives and Tropical Fruit Names and Pictures 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.

RambutanFrom Julia Morton’s Fruits of Warm Climates.

Wild species as food source In general, edible tropical forest species are more likely to have local importance to subsistence hunters and gatherers who harvest a diversity of species.

NATIVE TROPICAL ASIAN FRUITS Over 400 edible tropical fruit species are found in Asia. There is an wide range of production systems in Asia’s fruits, varying from collecting of wild fruits to intensive commercial plantations. Over 55% of Asia’s fruit species are not cultivated, but gathered from forests and other non cultivated area. Home gardens are the most prevalent production systems for cultivated fruit in Asia. Download the PDF Full Text Book (free log-in required)

Rambutan An excellent article by Dr. Francis Zee of USDA, Hilo, Hawaii.

Rambutan Information on rambutan from Malaysia, including cultivar descriptions

Thirst Quenching - Jungle Style by Jeff Randall & Wilderness Way. The jungles and rainforests are filled with water potential, but streams and rivers may not be available during certain seasons or in high jungle regions...

Bamboo Survival Cooking This technique is easy and imparts a deep flavor to the rice. The photographs illustrate the steps taken 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.

IMU: Hawaiian Underground Oven by Dino Labiste & Wilderness Way. Throughout Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and even the Americas, traditional underground ovens have been utilized to cook and steam food. The Hawaiians used a pit oven, called an imu, to steam whole pigs, breadfruit, bananas, sweet potatoes, taro, chicken, and fish.

The Samoan Fire Plow by Cpl. Geoffrey Angle, USMC & Wilderness Way. The subject changed to fire making, and we talked about Native American Indian techniques, such as the bow drill and hand drill. Ula had seen it done, but did not have much of an interest in trying it himself. He explained: "Samoans almost exclusively use the fire plow" (I never learned the Samoan term for it). "Unless," he chuckled, "they've got a lighter, of course!"

Eating Cohune Palm The most important tree in the Mayan Life. Harvesting and Preparation in Blue Creek (Belize).

Tropical Survival and Coconut Climbing 7/12/99 by Jean-Philippe Soule. Tropical islands are spectacular and most of the time provide what is necessary to survive. Nothing comes easily but with basic knowledge and a minimum of practice, you might be able to turn your next vacation in an unforgettable Robinson Crusoe-style experience.

Ignacio's Cohune Palm Shelter The Kekchi Indian technique of Blue Creek (Belize) PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT BY JEAN-PHILIPPE SOULÉ 1999

Coconut Tree Climbing Technique When you find coconuts on the beach, they are already mature and can be used for their hard flesh or to make coconut milk and oil, but they contain very little water. So there is no other way but to climb coconut trees (unless of course you can get someone else to climb for you. It’s usually a better solution as local people learn how to climb coconut trees from childhood).

Opening and preparing Conch They aren't a shellfish per say but a sea snail. They can be prepared in a variety of different ways, as ceviche, sautéed 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.

Survival tips and advice: watch out for boobytraps By Pablo Edronkin. Sometimes it is better to stay at home, instead of attempting to travel thorough some regions of the world. In those places where armed conflicts, revolutions, riots and such events took place recently, it is better to act prudently.

Survival tips: Making vessels for liquids and cooking (I) - Methods to improvise or manufacture vessels. Leather, pottery and more.

Malaria Page What is Malaria? Why do you need to be concerned about Malaria? Why is Malaria spreading?

South Pacific Island - The Marquises Islands lie between 400 and 600 miles south of the equator and approximately 1,000 miles northeast of Tahiti.

Survivor: South Sea Island - One of the Survivor episodes took place on one of the South Sea Islands called the Marquises Islands. Read about the challenges experienced there. Marquises Online Brief History of Marquisian Islands More on the Marquisian Islands (also called the Isles of Hiva) - Geography Marquisian Islands Marquises Tropical Moist Forests - From National Geographic Jungle Survival How do people survive in the jungle without food or water?

Field Manual 90-5 - Jungle Operations This manual provides information on the jungle environment, preparation and training, combat service and combat service support and tactical operations. It also provides information on navigation, tracking, obstacles unique to the jungle environment, and communication in the jungle environment. View it here or download the PDF

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