Camping and survival tips in Asia.

[Boucaneer]

Hello guys,

I am going over to Kerala, South India and might travel on from there.
I really would like to collate things and tips for camping out in India to help with my trip.

I mean there are snakes, mosquitos, elephants, tigers and thieves. So first thing is to gather the intelligence on local dangers and finding what dangers are around. The good thing is there are no elephants or tigers in Varkala, Kerala. Phew! ; )

One of the first things I will write is I am staying of the ground and using my hennassy hammock. But unlike in this country although we do have to look for loose branches that if a palm branch falls from a palm tree they can be quite sharp, so your tarp or built branch roof could be a protection.

I am using wood, coal or charcol to cook with if not using my whisperlight petrol stove, the stove will only be used to boil water with.

I am new to camping in South India so any advice and discussion we can have on the subject would be great for prepping me up.

So please post what ever is on your mind and advice about camping and survival in Asia and we can take it from there.

Thank you folks.

 

[sandbender]

Camping tips for Asia

1. be able to say about ten sentences in the local languages, please, thank you, is this the way to, what is this called in 'insert language', that kind of thing.
2. carry only as much as you can comfortably have sitting on your knees for a five hour (or more) bus drive.
3. do not fret about what gear to take, you will probably lose most of it, everything you need is available over there.

Expect people to act and behave in ways you are not used to and be accepting of that, keep a diary, take photos and post a trip report here on your return.

Most of all, have fun.

 

[Gweedo]

+1 for what Sandbender said

Take some postcards, stickers, badges from your local area or typically UK such as red buses etc. I've found that showing these or giving them away to the people that you'll meet on your journey allows them to get a sense of where you're from and they are a great ice-breaker, especially if there are language barriers.

Make sure that ANY water that you drink is clean and sterile - take some water purification system with you.

The things that cause the most harm tend to be the smallest - bacteria, viruses, midges, flies, mosquitoes etc. Make sure you get properly jabbed up before you go, and if you need to take medications on a daily basis do so.

Trust your instincts - if something feels a bit dodgy then it probably is.

Make sure you have the contacts for the British Embassy - it's their job to help you if you get in trouble. Read the FCO travel advice for the area that you're going to before you leave; it's pretty good.

Get to know the people that you're with - try not to drift through as an observer, get to know what their lives are really about.

Have fun!

 

[sandbender]

"...Take some postcards...allows them to get a sense of where you're from..."

+1 to this, also, a picture of your family, especially pictures of kids, nieces, nephews etc. are always an ice breaker.

However I have leaned that the common Scottish postcard of a Scottish Highland roadblock (lots of sheep) will invite laughter and ridicule as those will be the fattest sheep most folks in the world will have ever seen.

Folks are often curious as to why you are traveling, and about what it is that you do for a living, have good answers to hand for both of these questions.

In the eighties the historian and writer William Dalrymple (then a student) found himself in Pakistan surrounded by curious and potentially hostile Muhadajeen, when pressed on why he was travelling and what his profession was the Afghans mistakenly came to the understanding that he was a bus driver. As it turned out being a 'bussyman' was a profession that was (is) held in high regard in that part of the world, he was carried aloft to their encampment and feted and feasted through the night.

"...Get to know the people that you're with - try not to drift through as an observer, get to know what their lives are really about..."

+1 to this

 

[Blaidd]

All the above are brill! (I like the postcard idea!)

Lots of religions in India (although Kerala was noted for its communist sympathies) so find out what clothing is acceptable in different situations i.e. shorts or singlet not always; find out what actions might be unacceptable, i.e. don't point the soles of your feet at people; don't pat/touch somebody's head.
You may be off the ground but things can crawl/fly/slither on suspension cords.
Don't use ice, you don't know its past. (I decided to wing it once and had ice in a beach bar, walked away and saw a large block of ice on the ground beside the bar being licked by goats!).
Don't eat fruit from stalls that can't be peeled, (although I swear by the cooked street food if its hot off the grill in front of you).
Urban legend has it that the local beer is always good against mozzies,
On mozzies, Avon's got a product ( Skin So Soft, IIRC) is traditionally accepted as the best anti mozzies thing to use. I had no trouble when using it.
If its particularly humid, you can put a small pinch of salt in your drink, e.g. Pepsi, etc. as it keeps your salt levels up.
Have a great time. We will need pics.

 

[Blaidd]

Oh, when on the beach, we paid a beach seller to sit with us for a while, otherwise you can get a constant stream (like every 30 seconds) or people disturbing you buy their stuff). Our guy was very interesting. And +1 on getting to know people, views are lovely but you remember the people you talk to most of all.
And, just remembered, at the risk of being churlish, whilst people are wonderful, if you want a bit of quiet now and again and you get fed up with a constant stream of Manchester United or Maggie Thatcher discussions, or do you know their uncle, etc, when someone asks you where you are from say Sweden. They rarely know anything/anybody from there.

 

[Macaroon]

Wherever you travel, go with an open mind and an open heart, and concentrate on the positives; of course you have to consider potential negatives and prepare for them, but don't dwell on them. Develope your instincts and learn to rely on them.

 

[sandbender]

"...when someone asks you where you are from say Sweden. They rarely know anything/anybody from there..."

I find the same when I say I am from Scotland, contrary to popular belief (in Scotland anyway) most folks worldwide don't have a clue where it is and if they do they presume that it is just a part of northern England.

If you are a man, the conversation will often turn to what your wife back home is doing, the idea that you are not married is often considered to be a very odd thing, if you are a woman consider wearing a ring and describe your husband as being a doctor working abroad somewhere or similar, that may not sit well with you but describing yourself as being a single woman travelling alone will be considered very odd in some quarters.

 

[Bluffer]

Make sure you have the contacts for the British Embassy - it's their job to help you if you get in trouble.

I don't want to contradict that, but I'm sure it is their job to VISIT you when in bother, not necessarily help.

If you've done something naughty, then the UK passport is not a get-out-of-jail-free ticket!

 

[sandbender]

I don't want to contradict that, but I'm sure it is their job to VISIT you when in bother, not necessarily help.

If you've done something naughty, then the UK passport is not a get-out-of-jail-free ticket!

Indeed, if you break the laws of another country you must answer to the legal system of that country. The days when a gunboat would be dispatched to "quell a rebellious tendency" are behind us.

 

[GGTBod]

My eyes are playing tricks on me today, i could have sworn your thread title was Camping and survival tips in Asda.

 

[Blaidd]

I don't want to contradict that, but I'm sure it is their job to VISIT you when in bother, not necessarily help.

Yes, they don't necessarily help. During the Gulf War (the Kuwait thingy), whilst the Aussie consulate visited our place of employment, took everyone for a barbie and explained the evacuation procedures if required and other countries supplied gas masks, if you called the British Consulate about the crisis you were met with "Crisis? What crisis?". They're there to protect business dealings, not citizens. Oh, the French were nice and said we could use their planes if required.

 

[kungaryfu]

After a while in asia i found i became a bit cynical thinking everyone who came up to me was either gonna try sell me something or try to scam me in some way,try not to let this happen to you as sometimes people can surprise you; and there are a lot of genuine people out there who really are just being friendly or are trying to help. And often its the ones with the least, who are the friendliest

Sorry i know this is not a camping tip

 

[janso]

Top tip; take an umbrella - you will wonder how you managed without it in the sun and perfect in monsoon weather


Sent from my hidey hole using Tapatalk... sssh!

 

[mrcharly]

Those spiky bits off palm trees you mentioned?

Just don't go near them. Don't walk near them, don't camp under them.

I got a bit in my foot when I was a kid (we had a tree on the farm). Took nearly a year to come out, a year of dribbling pus.

 

[carabao]

1. Scan your passport, travel documents, health insurance, contact list of emergency numbers. Then email it too yourself, any problems ie lost bags, pop in to any Internet cafe ( They are everywhere) retrieve info.
2. Dummy wallet. Old bank cards, few local currency notes, a $10 bill, if you get mugged hand over the dummy, mugger will flip it open see notes and cards and be happy,
3. Definitely umbrella ( good call the original poster)
4. First aid kit. Lots of Imodium, when traveling in developing countries I always always carry my own needles and IV sets, just in case, because you can never guarantee the sterility of the kit. On leaving the country I hand them to a local who I have befriended, like the guest house staff. Because they would have to buy them if they need to visit a local hospital.
5. Carry a UCO candle lamp plus spare candles, they double up if you buy the citronella candles as a mossy repellent.

 

[The Cumbrian]

Take some anti bacterial wipes for when you can't wash your hands, and some wet wipes for after you haven't been able to wash your hands. In that situation, it's particularly nice to have kept them in the fridge beforehand.......

Cheers, Michael.

 

[Blaidd]

Fantastic tips guys, I'm learning loads. Re. Palms, don't camp under coconuts, they can kill you if they fall on your head.

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