Jungle kits

If you decided to adventure into the Amazon or Borneon rainforests or jungles, which are amazing nature places, the following items may come in handy. They may be useful for hiking and camping in any large national parks too.

A compass. Light, compact and handy gadget. If you are heading north to explore you will have to go back south from where you start. You may be lost without it. You may find a compass in smartphones but using apps for extended period of time will suck up phone battery power. There are compasses that come with a thermometer and altimeter functions. There are mini compasses that come with a carabiner that you can hook onto your bag. And you can find in many souvenir stores small keychain compasses. But of course we can't expect high accuracy with these mini compasses. Compass is unlikely to be needed in some cases we followed guided tours in the forest. Though it may be useful for independent travelers or for those who hike alone in national parks. But national parks usually have directional signs to various trails though the signs may be inadequate.

Water bottle or container. Essential to keep hydrated especially during long walks or hiking. There is flexible plastic water container that can be flattened to save some luggage space. It comes in various sizes and colors. And you can easily hook it onto your bag as it comes with a carabiner. However many still prefer the conventional round water bottle as it is sturdier and some water bottles come with water filters.

Flashlight or torchlight. Batteryless mechanical hand crank flashlight. Repeated winding by cranking the side mechanism will charge up the torchlight. The flashlight may not be as bright as the conventional battery torchlight but still bright enough to find your way around in the dark if you decided to linger around till sunset in the forest. Very handy and compact gadget. You would not have to worry about batteries going flat. There are hand crank flashlights that come with USB cell phone charger. And there are also the hybrid batteryless hand-crank and solar power combo types to give you more eco and environmentally friendly options. Great when you are in the jungle. There are compact solar powered lanterns which is great for tenting and camping. So during the day you sun the solar panels, the compact type which is usually integrated with the lantern or flashlight.
You may need to apply sunscreen lotion to protect your skin against the harmful sun's radiation. Forest or jungles have shady trees to protect you but at some locations you may get exposed such as taking sampan rides along some scenic windy rivers. Apply liberally and reapply often. One should apply one hour before going outdoors. Some would recommend the higher SPF rating, but the general recommendation of SPF 30 would usually suffice. Whatever the SPF rating experts recommend getting the water-resistant type.

Mosquito or insect repellent is a must-have if you do end up in the Amazon jungle. Mozzie repellents usually contains DEET, thought to be the most effective ingredient for repelling mosquitoes and other insects. DEET concentration can be up to 100%. But according to CDC while higher DEET concentration may have longer repellent effect, concentrations over 50% provide no added protection. There are other types of mosquito repellents available such as those containing Picadirin or those made of plant materials. Similar to DEET the concentration of Picadirin will determine how long the spray can last. When I was in the Amazon jungle the guide told us not to spray the repellent indiscriminately as it may affect the fragile jungle eco system but to spray the liquid onto our hand and wipe the liquid onto our skin similar to what we would do with sunscreen lotion.

There is a mozzie repellent that is also a sunscreen so you do not have to apply twice the lotions. An alternative to spray is the individually wrapped insect repellent wipes that you can easily carry in your pocket. Mosquito repellent patches are also available if we do not wish to be sprayed by the repellent liquid. They usually come in a set of four per wrap. But their sizes are pretty small to be much use in the mosquito infected jungles. The patches can be stick onto clothes or on the beds or just about anywhere which are great for protection against mosquitos while sleeping. These patches will last up to 8 hours, depending on make and type.

There is also the colourful and cheerful looking mozzie repellent bracelet which is especially useful for children as the bracelet contain natural ingredients and it can usually last up to seven days. By the way, if you do end up in the Amazon rainforest or jungle, which is an amazing place where you can see piranhas, cayman and parrots licking clay, you will also likely need to get yellow fever vaccination which is requirement by many countries. Yellow fever vaccination is effective ten days after vaccinations and can last up to ten years. The immigration counters may ask to see the certificate if you just arrived from areas with risks of yellow fever. Though not compulsory, some travelers will also like to carry malaria prophylactics against malaria when visiting malaria endemic forest or jungles. The popular malaria pills is malarone. Dengue is also prevalent in some warmer and humid countries but there is no vaccination or prophylactics against it except the good old mozzie repellent. Get advise from your travel doctor before you travel on what precautions to take, especially when you are heading into the jungles. And if you plan to camp in forest or jungles for extended period of time you may also want to get mosquito net. Though properly sealed and zipped tents should be able to keep out the mozzies.

A comfy and sturdy pair of walking sandals for that lovely walk in the jungle or forest preferably with socks on. Hiking sandals can also be worn for certain type of activities. Open strapped sandals could be more practical if the walk involves walking across some water streams such as going to the amazing ATM cave in Belize. Otherwise hiking shoes would be more appropriate.

A camera is a must-have in most travelers packing list. When we travel we want to bring back some memories and a picture can tell a thousand words. Invest in Digital SLR Camera. It does not have to be the most expensive one, and you do not have to be a pro to use one. With its zoom function you can take photos of parrots licking clay or the amazing condor birds flying by. These days DSLR cameras are user friendly and easy to use. A simple and very handy point and shoot camera is still very useful and at times more appropriate especially when taking photos in crowded cities or dodgy areas as sometimes it is not good idea to expose your bulky and expensive looking kit. We can take photos with smartphones but smartphone camera have limitations and photo quality is usually not as good, but the high end ones are getting better. A tripod is usually not necessary, unless you are a professional photographer or intend to stay at one place long enough trying to catch that elusive flying bird pr jaguar!

A spare battery or long-lasting batteries if the camera use the AA or AAA type of batteries is good to carry along. The good thing about digital camera is that we can take as many photos (and videos) as we want and delete off those that do not turn out as well. We no longer have to carry a separate video camera as digi-cams come with in-built video cameras. And for those who hate to carry heavy and bulky full-frame DSLR cameras, there are mirrorless DSLR grade pocket size cameras with interchangeable lens options but they certainly will not come cheap and will cost as much as a full-frame DSLR camera. Extra zooming lens will be useful in this instance.

A sturdy light-weight hiking shoes will be useful if you plan to do some hiking or trekking. Normal casual walking shoes may not grip the slippery leafy trail especially when wet. I have learned that the hard way. Make sure you break into your shoes if they are a brand new pair. Some hiking shoes may look like sneakers so they can look cool for that casual walk in town and you may not want to carry too many pairs around. Shoes can occupy lots of luggage space. 

 A light foldable cheap hooded poncho is an easy way to protect from sudden rain. Rain is normal in a jungle for the rainforest to thrive. Though it tend to rain more during certain times of the year. A waterproof windbreaker can also do the job. But the winbreaker must be the lighter type without the lining as you may sweat if it is too thick. So it always a good idea to pack a cheap poncho instead.

Sunglasses. We not only look cool wearing them, but they also protect our eyes from the glaring sunlight or reflection. For those who wear prescription glasses you can get transition or tinted glasses. Or the clip-on sunglasses that you can clip onto your prescription glasses, though a clip-on may not look as cool and get look bulky and heavy. Ensure sunglasses have UV protection otherwise it is as good as not wearing one. 

 A baseball cap or hat for some sunshade. At the end of the trip, you can give away the baseball cap to some kids you meet along the way. I gave away my hat, knapsack, rain jacket, to some kids during community visits in the Ecuador jungle. They loved those gifts!

Wet tissuesor moist wipes and personal wipes are useful for bathroom trips or to clean hands, especially at remote areas and at places where water or soap may not available. We were once stranded on a highway en-route to the Amazon trying to fix a broken truck and the wet wipes came very handy cleaning our greasy dirty hands! A pack of facial cleansing wipes can also be useful. If the wipes are good for face they should be good for body too! Sometimes shower facilities are limited in remote areas unless you opt to stay at the nicer jungle lodges, where there will be a nice eco bathroom and mosquito nets for your beds. 

Bring several pairs of socks if you intend to spend several days in the the humid and damp jungle, can be usual cotton material, for general use. Socks get dirty and smelly easily especially when wet! You may want to bring some old pairs of socks that you can leave behind. 

Windbreaker can be handy during the long boat ride in the jungle or open water. The cold draft while riding in a boat can be quite chilly. A windbreaker with appropriate fleece lining is a essential travel gear when we travel at cold mountainous regions or just about any cold and windy areas. A lightweight waterproof outer-shell jacket with (separate) fleece layers inside will keep us from rain and cold can also come in handy. 

A backpack or daypack is convenient if you intend to do some hiking or trekking. For keeping stuffs such as camera, water bottle, flashlight and other small items. 

Some might find a swissknife handy for that picnic stop while hiking such as for cutting fruits. A complex swissknife can contain up to sixty tools. A simple no-frills swiss gadget should contain at least a knife, a pair of scissors and a bottle opener, which should be sufficient for the most basic uses. 

For light packing and quick drying bring dry fit tees, which can be either long or short sleeve depending on occasion. The long sleeve ones are great as cover up against mozzie attacks! These dri-fit tees can wick moisture easily. Great for sweaty activities such as hiking, walking or staying in humid or damp areas. These T-shirts are made from a combination of polyester, spandex and cotton. There are tees made from recycled materials if you are into green things. These tees are lightweight, soft, wicking material great for warm and cold climate travel. T-shirts are one of the basic travel gears. We can wear T-shirts as casual wear or sleep garment. For casual or sleep wear a cotton tee will do. We can pack a couple of tees. 

A quick dry micro-fibre towel will come in handy too.

We all love wearing that casual look cargo pants with side pockets to put some stuffs. Great for hiking and walking. They can be made from poly, cotton or nylon or a combination of it. Some may be water resistant or with UV protection. Some may come with a zip-off for water activities or when it get too hot. Get the light-weight and quick drying type. 

Wide brim hat is useful for that strong afternoon sun or when you are having a lovely stroll in the jungle or the desert. Get the soft easy to carry type. But if you want to look like Indiana Jones, you can wear the harder sturdier hat. Btw, if you go to Quito, you can get some nice Panama hat. Strangely Panama hats are made in Ecuador!

If you are into bird-watching, and if space allows a pair of binoculars will come in handy too.