Movement in the jungle is slow, demanding, and potentially risky. Sharp underbrush, slippery slopes, invisible snakes: every step requires concentration and method. Improvisation has no place here.
This article provides you with 6 practical techniques to move effectively through the jungle, avoid injuries, and optimize your resources. Get ready to make the vegetation your ally, not your enemy.
1. Body protection: Prevent cuts and bites
Wearing long clothing is vital. A sturdy pair of pants and a long-sleeved shirt protect your skin from branches, insects, and thorns. Even in high heat, they reduce the risks of cuts, stings, and infections, which are common in such a humid climate.
2. Strategic vision: Look for natural passages
Do not fixate on the bushes in front of you: train yourself to look through the jungle. Look for escape routes, openings in the foliage, animal tracks. Crouch down at times to observe the ground: this is how you will find game trails, which are often more passable.
3. Controlled movement: Move slowly and silently
Adopt a slow and steady pace. Stop often to listen and orient yourself. When cutting through vegetation, do so sparingly: do not waste your energy. Angle your machete cuts upwards to reduce noise and use a stick to push plants aside without cutting them.
4. Obstacle management: Adapt your body to the terrain
In the underbrush, move like a snake. Avoid direct contact with plants. Turn your shoulders, lean your body, modulate your pace. Never grab onto vines or bushes: they may hide thorns or venomous ants.
5. Route selection: Use trails and corridors
Animal trails can be useful: they often lead to water or a clearing. If they go in your direction, follow them. In inhabited areas, power or telephone line corridors offer clear passages, but be mindful of human presence or wildlife.
6. Orientation: Stay on course without necessarily going straight
Establish a clear general direction from the start. If you do not have a compass, use the sun or vegetation. Avoid straight lines that would force you to cross all obstacles: prefer a flexible path, suited to the terrain. If you are in enemy territory, use natural cover to remain discreet.
Conclusion
Moving in the jungle is an art of precision, observation, and economy of movement. By following these techniques, you will advance further, with less fatigue, less noise, and above all, less risk.
