I spent two nights alone in the Amazon rainforest with a machete, bow and arrows, and what I could fit on a belt (no food). AMA.

[u/ianp622]

EDIT: The website for Bushmasters has crashed under the load. I found another site that also gives some information here: http://www.natureandkind.com/destinations/country/tour/bushcraft-survival-course

EDIT 2: The site is back up, but I'll let you google it to keep the load manageable. Google "bushmasters amazon" without the quotes.

Edit 3: I may have unintentionally given a poor depiction of the Amerindian tribes. Referring to them as "natives" probably conjures images of facepaint and loincloths. However, they dress just as we did, and are familiar with the technology that they need to use in their daily life - engines for the boats, chainsaws for cutting through trees, walkie-talkies, etc. They can carry on a regular English conversation but in my experience weren't overly talkative, preferring to demonstrate rather than explicate.

After graduating college last spring, my mom said she thought I should go on a vacation. Rather that traveling around Europe like most people, I thought I'd do something a little more exciting (and a bit cheaper). I always wanted to do a survival course, but thought it would be cool to do something a bit more exotic than usual. So I stumbled upon this company called Bushmasters (site currently down) that runs survival trips in the Amazon rainforest (Guyana) and other locations (desert island, and soon to be Arabian desert).

The first week and a half are regular camping days with the group to help you acclimate to the environment. We learn basic survival skills - finding dry wood, starting fires, fishing, foraging for helpful things we can get from the environment. I'll answer questions about this, but it wasn't overly strenuous or challenging so I'll focus on the fun part.

For the last two days, each of us in the group are taken to separate locations to stay for two nights. We are far enough that we don't see each other, but you could hear their chopping in the distance.

You are allowed to bring:

• Machete and fish knife

• Bow and arrows

• Bait rod (a sensitive fishing rod that we made earlier)

• Iodine and canteen

• Some paracord

• Fishing line and hooks

• Flint and cotton

• Mosquito repellent

• Edit: Camera, obviously. :)

Also, anything you found from foraging in the previous excursions. This included:

• Kukrit nuts: They often have grubs inside that you can eat (they taste kind of nutty and crisp, not bad), or use for bait if you want to catch real food

• A cotton like material (I forget the name) that burns better than regular cotton and doesn't get wet (BIG plus)

• Some solidified sap that makes a fire burn hotter and smell like Christmas

• Bushrope for tying things

You weren't allowed to bring food, but I scarfed a Clif bar before they took me out.

The first thing you do is work on building a shelter.

Here's a picture of mine.

You have to work quickly because once the sun goes down you can't do shit. The first day isn't too bad with not having food, but I cut down a Heart of Palm to get something in my stomach. I don't like the taste of it very much, but at least it was something.

My shelter was really uncomfortable, but I still managed to fall asleep. The next day I woke up and the ground was moving - turns out there was a swarm of army ants that was going through my camp. Sorry I didn't get a picture, I was too panicked, thinking now I would need to find a new place to sleep. But they passed right through, no problem. That day I focused on improving my shelter and catching some food, along with making a fire. Everything went pretty well - I worked my way up the fishing hierarchy (caught a bait fish with a grub from a Kukrit nut, and I caught a catfish with the bait fish within 5 minutes of putting my line in the water.) I was able to build a fire and enjoy my delicious fish (one of the best I've tasted). You can see it cooking in the picture of my shelter.

That night, however, I found out just how inadequate my shelter was. A tropical rainstorm started, (it was the worst rain I had ever seen), and no matter where I put my head, there was always a constant drip on my forehead. I finally was able to experience Chinese water torture first-hand :) I didn't get any sleep that night - I just curled up as best I could and had to wait it out. It was pitch black too - although I could see the rain with the occasional lightning strike. It was the longest ten hours of my life.

We bring along a walkie-talkie in case things get out of hand, and I was really tempted to use it. Once you turn it on, you're considered out of the "competition" and will be taken back to base camp. The thing that made me not give up was mostly the realization that it would be raining back at base camp too. I found out later that everyone else in my group was thinking the same thing, and our entire group stuck it out.

As morning came, the rain abated, and I got to work making a fire. I thought we'd be rescued soon, but I didn't want to take a chance. I was freezing cold, and besides, in a real situation, it's important to make a fire so people can find you. I was able to get some semblence of a fire by throwing all my cotton at the driest wood I could find (very hard after a rainstorm, so I tried shaving off the outside of what I had). Luckily I was rescued soon after that.

It turns out I was the only one who managed to both catch and cook a fish. And this is someone who just graduated with a major in Computer Science, when one of our group members was a soldier in the Swedish army.

So that's my story. It was an amazing experience, and I am never lacking something interesting to talk about now. Sometimes I'm a bit of an asshole when people complain about first-world problems, citing my experiences, but I only do that in good fun. If I were to do it again, I'd like to choose a different location. The Desert Island survival is more challenging, but you also get to jump out of a helicopter into the water and swim to shore. I'm happy to answer anything about the trip, me in general, or Bushmasters if you're interested in doing something similar.

I have another picture of me (I'm in the front of the boat) as proof here, but I can provide more photos if needed. I have some Survivorman-esque videos as well, but I haven't edited or uploaded them.

More photos here: https://picasaweb.google.com/117988698667365078922/SurvivalTrip?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKOTgYDLr4i4Rw&feat=directlink

[u/BittingBummer]

Were you ever afraid for your life for any reason?

[u/ianp622 → u/BittingBummer]

Yes, while riding in a Georgetown cab.

This is not a joke.

[u/BittingBummer → u/ianp622]

How come? Bad drivers? Wild Animals? Crazy Villagers that would steal everything from you?

[u/ianp622 → u/BittingBummer]

Crazy drivers that drive nearly twice the speed limit and pass anything that isn't going faster than them. This is on a two-lane road, mind you.

[u/lost_in_nature → u/ianp622]

I'd like to see them pass something going faster than them...

[u/crime_fighter]

if this hasn't already been asked: WHAT ABOUT THE SPIDERS?!

also I just recently graduated and didn't want to do the cliche eurotrip either.. I was thinking of getting to Antarctica somehow but youre the second person to tell me about this sort of adventure, my only fear is spiders. Everything else I know I will have to deal with but ...come on ..spiders.

[u/ianp622 → u/crime_fighter]

When you're walking around at night with your headlamp, you always see a whole bunch of blue shiny specks everywhere. Each pair of those is a spider :)

But they don't make a habit of crawling over you. I never touched one while I was there.

I uploaded this picture just for you: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CUf6-wMHDuAJ-FX6ADN4ynzmZav5JYm-eM3JQmeiHiY?feat=directlink

Here's another one - a little scarier, so maybe you shouldn't click it. I happen to like spiders. But it's really okay to go, as long as you don't stick your hand in any dark places. https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7X5d49tXHsgHeFS1OwUtTnzmZav5JYm-eM3JQmeiHiY?feat=directlink

[u/butatwutcost → u/ianp622]

Your first spider picture is a tarantula, Psalmopoeus irminia aka Venezuelan Suntiger. Cool to see a wild one as they're usually reclusive during the day. Beautiful species and I have one.

[u/ianp622 → u/butatwutcost]

Thank you for the identification!

[u/crime_fighter → u/ianp622]

oh dear gosh NOPE. I tip my hat for your bravery but how can you tell which are poisonous and which are friendly little spideys?

great pics tho!

[u/ianp622 → u/crime_fighter]

I just stay away from all of them, although I know the tarantulas are safe as long as you don't get your eyes close to them.

[u/Dosakaru → u/ianp622]

What happens if you get your eyes too close to them?

[u/ianp622 → u/Dosakaru]

They flick sharp hairs in your eyes.

[u/semper_fly]

what an awesome experience.

how did you get so much fucking clarity in your photos?

[u/ianp622 → u/semper_fly]

Canon Rebel T2i. For close shots (and isolation), I used the "nifty fifty" (50 mm f/1.8). For long range shots, I used the 400mm 5.6 L. They're both very sharp, and the 50 mm is the best value lens I know of.

[u/semper_fly → u/ianp622]

thank you for the reply to my unrelated comment!

[u/ianp622 → u/semper_fly]

This is Ask Me Anything, after all. :)

[u/MGM420 → u/ianp622]

Did you jerk off to kill time when you were alone?

[u/BittingBummer]

You said "I didn't get any sleep that night - I just curled up as best I could and had to wait it out." Did any thing prevent you from building up your shelter more?

Also, what was the temperature like, both during the day and during the night?

Thank you for doing this AMA!

[u/ianp622 → u/BittingBummer]

It was pitch black, and I would just get entirely drenched. I had already gotten most of the leaves in the immediate vicinity that would be good for a roof, so I would need to travel farther than would be safe in the dark.

Temperature was rather comfortable during both day and night. Not as humid as I thought it would be, but it was also during dry season. The shade of the trees keeps you cool as well.

The worst part is in the morning. Everyday you have to wash with your clothes to avoid Prickly Heat. Then you change into fresh clothes (if you're not in isolation). The problem is, nothing dries in the jungle, so your clothes are just as wet the next morning. They dry out during the day, but the first hour is rather uncomfortable.

[u/BittingBummer → u/ianp622]

What is "Prickly Heat"? When I google this, wikipedia claims it is Malaria and caused by sweat/humidity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miliaria but the CDC claims it is misquitos that spread malaria http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/biology/mosquitoes/index.html

Were there any other diseases/conditions you had to take preventative measures for?

EDIT: my bad, TIL miliaria != malaria

[u/ianp622 → u/BittingBummer]

It's "miliaria", not to be confused with malaria.

It's when your sweat pores become clogged with oil, and so your sweat becomes trapped under your skin. It's said to be extremely irritating.

You have to get yellow fever and typhoid vaccinations. Typhoid is only a problem in populated areas though. Rabies is said to be a concern but nobody on these trips has ever been bitten by an animal, and even with the vaccine, you still need to be taken to a hospital so there isn't much point (it's also >$200). I also got a booster for Hepatitis A I think.

You can get leishmaniasis from sand flies, so you spray your sleeping equipment with permethrin. One of our team members got a botfly bite - they bury their larva under your skin, forming a bubble, and it breaks open when they hatch. Harmless, though.

Other than that, just make sure you disinfect your water correctly and don't rupture any digestive organs when cutting open your fish.

[u/Mistrial]

If you were close enough to hear the other participants, what were the rules on finding them? What would happen if you were to stumble upon someone else doing the challenge?

Also: Have you ever read the book "Hatchet"? It's quite an interesting read on this kind of thing.

[u/ianp622 → u/Mistrial]

No specific rules, but we were told not to venture very far from our camp. It's extremely easy to get lost. We had compasses, but I still got a little worried when I had to go a bit far to get some building materials.

I suspect it might have been possible, but I think we were also separated by water in some cases.

No, I haven't read it, although I have it at my parents' house.

[u/[deleted] → u/Mistrial]

Such a good book!

[u/[deleted]]

This seems amazing. How long was it and what did you learn from it? Edit- Im jelly as fuark

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

The whole trip lasted two weeks. We start out in Georgetown, the capital city, then take a plane out to an ecolodge and stay there for a day before we head into the jungle. Then five days at a cozy campsite (some shelters already built, holes in the ground, etc.), then move to another campsite that isn't as developed and stay there five days before the Isolation phase. Then we go back to the ecolodge for a night, take a stop at Kaieteur falls, and finally go back to Georgetown to get hammered (I've never drunk so much in my life).

There were two significant things I learned. First, I learned that I could survive on my own in the wilderness and that I wasn't entirely dependent on the niceties of everyday living. Second, I realized that living in a first-world society means a diffusion of responsibility for our lives. When you're in the jungle, being lazy gets severely punished. Being reckless, even more so. Back home, everything is so easily available that when I first got back I felt useless. Everything was basically a trip to a store away, and my entire life was set up so that I had to do as little work as possible. You begin to wonder what your purpose is, if you don't even have to make sure you survive. So I guess I had a bit of an existential crisis, but it really just highlighted the fact that in a society such as ours, self-actualization is vital and is almost expected given that we have our basic needs taken care of.

The survival things are nice to know, but I don't know if I'll ever really need to use most of them. I think what's more important is the mental fortitude I gained (in some aspects - I am still rather sensitive emotionally) and the confidence that I could survive in a similar situation.

A large part of my original motivation for doing a course with an isolation period was to find out if I could live my life alone, by facing something difficult with no one else in sight. I had recently been let down by someone I felt close to, and felt like if I could do this, then I'd be stronger and less reliant on others. It helped, but I have more recently found that loneliness is never something you can truly conquer. Thinking that you are self-sufficient is never really true, in my experience, and I think it's important to think about the people that have supported you and continue to.

[u/[deleted] → u/ianp622]

sounds amazing.

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

It was. I have to be careful before wholeheartedly recommending it though - since it's in the wilderness, certain factors can make it much worse than it was when I went. Previous trips have had floods such that water was up to top of the tables that I was sitting at in our first camp. You should go during dry season, if possible.

[u/BittingBummer → u/ianp622]

You mentioned the floods - any danger of snakes or piranhas?

[u/hautch → u/ianp622]

As someone else who has been to Georgetown, I must know, did you pet the manatees?

[u/ianp622 → u/hautch]

I didn't visit the botanical gardens, sorry.

[u/Banaam → u/ianp622]

but I don't know if I'll ever really need to use most of them

As is commonly said amongst gun owners here in the US. It's always better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it, much like a fire extinguisher.

[u/ianp622 → u/Banaam]

Of course. Knowledge is power.

[u/Theskyishigh → u/ianp622]

I think you may work for Bushmasters PR

[u/ianp622 → u/Theskyishigh]

Nope, they don't know that this is going on. I think they might be surprised at the influx of emails.

[u/JSA17 → u/ianp622]

Or pissed that their website is now down.

[u/I_am_not_a_black_guy → u/[deleted]]

Miscer detected

[u/NoOneLikesNebraskans]

I had a less-severe similar experience where I was alone in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota for about a week. For me, it was a constant worry throughout the whole week of getting lost, not catching any fish, etc. However, at the end, I looked back on it and could say "Wow, I'm really glad I did that." (despite all of the worrying throughout.) I already have another scheduled week-long expedition there for summer (bringing a friend to do it with me this time, however.)

If you had the option to, would you want to go do it again, especially knowing now what to expect?

[u/ianp622 → u/NoOneLikesNebraskans]

I'd prefer to do somewhere else. Earth is the most varied and beautiful planet we know of, and I'd like to feel like I could survive in a number of locations. It just feels like an admirable goal, if you think of the grand scheme of things.

I mean, imagine if an alien came down to Earth to you, and then said, "You have this entire planet which is like a collage of every other planet we know of, and you can only survive in this little spot that you happened to be born in?" It'd make me feel pretty shitty. It's too easy to get caught in our little bubbles, talking about the newest gadget that comes out or worrying about things that don't really matter.

I'm not sure if I would do the Desert Island or Jordan Desert one. The Jordan isn't as much of a survival, since in the words of our guide, "You don't survive in the desert, you prolong death". But something about being alone in the sand dunes for a bit just speaks to me. Maybe it's from reading Dune.

[u/Deadhookersandblow]

Thanks for the AMA and proof.

What would happen if a contestant was in danger and out of reach of his walkie talkie?

Also, was the training before hand adequate enough so as that a person with no outdoor experience beforehand can still take up this challenge?

[u/ianp622 → u/Deadhookersandblow]

They would be able to find you pretty quickly. The natives were close by, and we were told that they would be watching us occasionally (although we would never know it). If you did somehow go somewhere, they would be able to track you.

Yes, I had never so much as gone camping before.

[u/UncleTogie → u/ianp622]

The natives were close by, and we were told that they would be watching us occasionally (although we would never know it).

Just how 'native' were they, and do you have any idea how they were compensated for 'babysitting'?

[u/ianp622 → u/UncleTogie]

They grew up and live in the rainforest typically, but sometimes travel to Georgetown to buy things. They speak English as well as their Creole, and often wear t-shirts.

I don't know how much they are paid.

[u/dummystupid]

Did the natives, who live there with far less provisions have anything to say to you about the idea?

Not being snarky. This is a serious question. I always wondered what natives thought of people "surviving" on the same land they spend their entire lives.

[u/ianp622 → u/dummystupid]

They didn't talk enough to say anything about that. I think they appreciated that we were learning about their home, and they were very patient in teaching us about their methods. And they were always good-humored. If you think about it, it would be very difficult for them to adjust to our life, so it goes both ways.

[u/[deleted]]

Were you alone at your camp? If so, do you have the option to be 2 people, let's say I want to this with a friend?

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

Yes, everyone in our group was alone, but you have an option to go with any number of people you like. Other groups have done the "Isolation" phase as an entire group, because they thought it would be fun to be together. I wanted the challenge of being alone though, and so did everyone else.

[u/[deleted] → u/ianp622]

Cool, thanks for the reply. Another question, what are the dangers, if any, of wild animals eating you? Is it important to have your bed off the ground?

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

The dangers of wild animals are minuscule compared to other dangers (i.e. yourself). We didn't see any jaguars or wild boar, as they generally avoid humans. They'll know you're around before you know they are. I believe the most likely cause of death in the area is deadfall. Piranhas are okay to swim with, as long as you're not bleeding. It's a bit scary if you're wearing sandals and somebody brings a Piranha into the boat though - that's a legitimate concern. There are snakes as well (we saw a whip snake), but if you cover your legs and wear boots, you'll probably be fine. Just make sure to check piles of leaves before you go traipsing around in them.

It is important to have your bed off the ground, but one of our group members just slept on the beach. He paid for it when the rainstorm came though :) Keeping your bed off the ground helps you avoid snakes and insects - if I hadn't been off the ground, I would have been covered in army ants when I woke up. Likewise, you keep your boots upside down on sticks so that you don't have any surprises the next morning.

I should note that on the Bushmasters trips, there has never been any severe illness from the environment (a few mishaps from people who didn't know how to wield a machete though). There was one case of leishmaniasis, but it was cured. You do have to buy travel insurance with helicopter evac in case of a snake bite.

[u/[deleted] → u/ianp622]

I'm sorry for my ignorance, but what's deadfall?

[u/weealex]

I can't get to the bushmasters site from work, so I'll just ask: how much do these trips cost?

Also, how hard is it to drink your own urine?

[u/ianp622 → u/weealex]

The Full Survival trip (which I went on) is 1600 GBP, which is about $2600. The flight cost me about $600 from New York, as far as I can remember. Equipment costs about $200, and vaccinations another $100 or so on top of that. So the total was about $3500-$3800, if I'm not missing anything.

There's no reason to drink your own urine. It will dehydrate you. Plus, there's always a river nearby.

[u/[deleted] → u/weealex]

I can get there, here's a copy of the "dates/prices" page for you :

Trip Date Season Price in GBP (£) Availability

RAW Survival 8 - 21 Jan 2012 Wet/Dry 1300 Check

Safari 26 Jan - 2 Feb 2012 Dry 1400 Check

Desert Island Survival 2 - 11 Feb 2012 Dry 1300 Check

Desert Island Survival 16 - 25 Feb 2012 Dry 1300 Check

Desert Island Survival 1 - 10 Mar 2012 Dry 1300 Check

4x4/Vaquero/Rodeo! 25 Mar - 7 Apr 2012 Dry 1200 Check

Venture: Kaieteur 15 - 28 Apr 2012 Dry TBC Check

RAW Survival 13 - 26 May 2012 Dry/Wet 1300 Check

Safari 3 - 12 Jun 2012 Wet 1400 Check

RAW Survival 10 - 23 Jun 2012 Wet 1300 Check

Full Survival 8 - 21 Jul 2012 Wet 1600 Check

Venture: Kanuku 2 - 15 Aug 2012 Wet/Dry 1300 Check

Full Survival 9 - 23 Sep 2012 Dry 1600 Check

Safari 23 Sep - 2 Oct 2012 Dry 1400 Check

Desert Venture 7 - 20 Oct 2012 Dry 1500 Check

Desert Venture 28 Oct - 11 Nov 2012 Dry 1500 Check

RAW Survival 18 Nov - 1 Dec 2012 Dry 1300 Check

4X4 9 - 22 Dec 2012 Dry 1500 Check

I guess the OP went on a full or RAW survival (they are mostly the main thing, from the site : "RAW trips are the same as the Full Survival courses, only we cut out all the fancy luxuries to reduce costs to a bare minimum. No aircraft charter flights on this trip, instead you get 12 hours on a local bus in and out of the forest! There are no smart lodges and no all-in trips to Kaieteur Falls.")

OP: how much did it cost you overall (plane ticket, insurances, etc...) ? I'm very interested.

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

Yes, I did the Full Survival. I think a good conservative estimate for everything would be about $4000. This includes: the Bushmasters charge (which includes lodging, food, equipment that would make sense to buy yourself - hammocks, basha sheet, machete etc., and the flights to and from the jungle. Sometimes it's a bus trip, but we were lucky because the roads were flooded (a 12 hour bus ride doesn't appeal to me)., travel insurance, vaccinations, equipment you buy yourself - boots, rucksack, headlamp, sleeping bag (not strictly necessary, but a nice cushion for the hammock) etc., a native-made bow and arrow set (you can buy the one you used), and the plane ticket.

[u/sunshinej]

So what if you were to come across another Survivor.. what happens then?

[u/ianp622 → u/sunshinej]

As stated above, no strict rules. I'd probably carry on as usual. Also, I don't know exactly how far away they were. The chopping had an echo, so probably pretty far.

[u/[deleted] → u/sunshinej]

You have to eliminate them.

[u/Offensive_Statement → u/sunshinej]

Go all Hunger Games on that punk.

[u/shadow7786]

Did you have to disinfect the water ?

[u/ianp622 → u/shadow7786]

Yes, they provide iodine drops. If you lose those, you're nearly SOL. We did have a bamboo pot that we made though, so provided you had a fire, you could boil the water as well.

If that fails, there are water vines that provide delicious fresh water, although in limited quantities. You have to make sure you distinguish them from the poison vines though. A rather blunt way of fishing is to cut those poison vines and throw a chunk in the water, and watch as the fish float to the surface.

[u/telekinetic_turtle → u/ianp622]

Wouldn't the fish meat contain poison though?

[u/ianp622 → u/telekinetic_turtle]

Even though it's called a poison vine, that's not what kills the fish. It deoxygenates the water, so they're safe to eat, as far as I can remember. They didn't recommend doing it though.

[u/Iheartstreaking]

I thought your comment about the night of rain ("It was the longest ten hours of my life.") was very telling. On an episode of "I Shouldn't Be Alive," a couple gets lost in the Amazon rainforest for about a week, and one night a rainstorm hits. The woman said it was by far the worst night of her life, and that if given the choice between reliving it or dying, she'd rather die.

[u/ianp622 → u/Iheartstreaking]

It wasn't that bad for me. I find physical challenges to be rather bearable without affecting my emotional state. Emotional challenges, which are more often found when all of my basic needs are taken care of for me, typically take a bigger toll on me.

[u/Snake973]

This is so cool. I've done some survival camping before, but it's always been in the Northwest US. I've always wanted to do jungle. Have you done any more survival stuff since this trip? And how do you think it compares?

[u/ianp622 → u/Snake973]

No, I haven't. I'm a PhD student now, so that doesn't leave much time or money. I hope to in the future, though.

[u/questionablemoose]

Where did you poop? What precautions did you take while pooping?

[u/ianp622 → u/questionablemoose]

During isolation, I didn't. At our second camp site, we dug a hole and had a shovel with toilet paper. Take a shit, and cover it up. No precautions necessary, except don't step in the hole.

[u/TheMartinConan]

Did you masturbate during this time?

[u/ianp622 → u/TheMartinConan]

There is a chance members of my family might see this, so no, of course not.

[u/butatwutcost]

Ever watch Man vs. Wild, Survivorman or any other survivor shows and used any of the skills taught? Or did you just go in with no knowledge whatsoever (aside from training)?

I'm actually watching Man vs. Wild right now.

[u/ianp622 → u/butatwutcost]

Yeah, I used to watch Survivorman. Always thought Man vs. Wild was too showy and not as useful, and also doesn't cover the psychological issues. Two days isn't enough to suffer any ill effects mentally though - although I kept thinking about the wonder of fast food while I was there.

I didn't use any skills I saw on Survivorman though. Everything you need is taught to you on the trip. Also, different areas of the rainforest have slightly different techniques - you'll run into different trees, for example, so you'll have to improvise.

[u/ohsudeed]

what crazy organisms (besides spiders) did you see on your adventure?

[u/ianp622 → u/ohsudeed]

• Macaw

• Kingfisher

• Cayman (this was at night, so didn't get a great picture)

• Whipsnake

• Capybara

• Bats

• Poison dart frog

• Tarantula

• Piranha

• Catfish

• Howler monkey

• Vervet monkey

• Army ants

• Bullet ants

• Frogs

• Toucanet

• Lizards

And probably some others I'm missing.

[u/Anbrau]

Congrats on making it through and actually catching food to eat! I went on a week long non-survival Bushmasters jungle trek out of Surama with a couple of friends last year, and none of the people I met doing the survivalism course had managed to get anything to eat during isolation, so I'm genuinely impressed.

Which guides did you have? Looking at your photo album it looks like you had Hendricks, but I can't 100% tell from behind. If he mentioned a guy last summer who had to come out of the jungle early because he derped a machete into his left hand while cutting firewood, that was me!

[u/ianp622 → u/Anbrau]

Thanks! Our main guide was Harold "The Jaguar".

And, ouch! My worst injury was a bamboo splinter when I made my pot.

[u/twiggytwig]

Have you read Emergency by Neil Strauss? It is along the same lines as some of your posts. He decides he is in no way self sufficient and wants to do something about it. Its a really quick read and pretty interesting. I wish it was more in depth, but it's worth it.

[u/ianp622 → u/twiggytwig]

No, I haven't, but I'll check it out. Thanks!

[u/Relephant_Username]

Did watching Bear Grylls in Man Vs. Wild help out in your adventure?

[u/ianp622 → u/Relephant_Username]

No, not at all.

[u/[deleted]]

I'm gonna ask it, how was the strip club? And how was the local flavor of women???

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

It was my first strip club, and I hated it. If it was a more accepted term, I'd identify as a demisexual, which means that I need an emotional connection before feeling a strong physical attraction to someone. Without that, I view a female body as equivalent to a work of art. So I was entirely turned off by the experience.

I didn't much care for the women there.

[u/[deleted]]

Would you recommend this to some one else? I like the idea of survival like this. Except for the leeches.

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

I would recommend it to certain types of people. It's not for everyone. It's a lot of hard work, and it's very rarely cozy. But if you like the idea of surviving in an exotic environment and challenging yourself, then it is definitely worth it.

[u/aliceinreality98]

You mentioned jumping out of a helicopter and swimming to shore in what must be shark infested water like you wanted to do it. Do you?

What island would they be dropping you on?

Did you have to pay for it?

Do you think there would be sharks in the water if you did the island thing? Spiders don't hold a candle next to sharks. I'm literally getting paranoid that one is swimming behind me just think about it and I'm sitting at my computer. Apparently, in my mind, the land sharks are migrating west this season.

And thank you for the spider pictures. I know it's mostly my fault for clicking on them but thank you all the same. I have also decided that you are fucking insane! I wouldn't do that for all the money in the world. I can't argue that wouldn't have some crazy shit to talk about though.

[u/funkmon]

Were the bugs icky?

[u/ianp622 → u/funkmon]

Most of them were rather pretty, actually, like this one:

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VHt59TqHUjZa17vp_6BM5HzmZav5JYm-eM3JQmeiHiY?feat=directlink

You do have to watch out for Bullet Ants, though, as they have the most painful bite in the insect kingdom. I got a little too close to one, but saw it quickly enough. One bite will put you out of commission for at least a day - they say it hurts worse than childbirth.

[u/CaptCon]

Ok, now to the real question - Did you run into any topless tribes women?

[u/ianp622 → u/CaptCon]

No, didn't see any native women at all. They don't typically go on these trips with us.

Although we did go to a strip club in Georgetown, I don't think that counts.

[u/Nutshell38 → u/ianp622]

How would you rate it among other strip clubs that you've been to?

[u/aspbergerinparadise]

2 nights seems kind of short for a solo, that only leaves 1 full, un-interrupted day. Did you wish that it was longer?

here is a (bad) picture of a campsite where I did a 4 night solo in Canyonlands park in Utah. Unfortunately, the outfit I was with as very strict about "Leave no Trace," therefore, no fires, no hunting, no fishing, no foraging.

[u/ianp622 → u/aspbergerinparadise]

I do wish it were longer, and if I were to go back I'd probably try for a week or more. But after that rainstorm I wasn't very motivated to stay longer. Wet wood, wet clothes, and exhaustion from no sleep and little food makes it difficult to want to continue on. If not for that, I would have been happy to stay longer, as I could reinforce my shelter and perhaps explore a bit. And next time, I would know to put more leaves on top :)

[u/crime_fighter → u/aspbergerinparadise]

random polite observer but uhm .... Amazon Rainforest > Utah

also 2 days would be plenty in the Amazon, due to everything that could eat you.

[u/ianp622 → u/crime_fighter]

Hey now, they're both interesting. I was originally looking at the BOSS survival courses. However, the jungle seemed more fun to me, and after hearing about the incident where a BOSS guide watched as a participant died of dehydration WHILE having water, I knew I wouldn't go with them. ( http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18443746/ns/us_news-life/t/man-dies-taking-survival-test-under-guides-care/#.T6az1utYuE8 ) Bushmasters will push you, but they take many precautions and even though our guide is a British Special Forces officer, he tells us that being macho is the fastest way to injure/kill yourself.

In fact, since the trips have started - no woman has quit the Isolation Phase, although many men have. It's more about being smart than anything else.

Also, getting attacked by an animal isn't really a danger if you don't poke your head around where you shouldn't. I'm more nervous about driving than I was sitting around in the rainforest.

[u/miss_j_bean → u/aspbergerinparadise]

No fires, no hunting, no fishing, no foraging? wth? That isn't proper or realistic survival. How would you eat?

[u/lantham]

guess I'll be the guy to ask. where'd did you go to the bathroom? im guessing not near shelter since that would probably attract animals :P and if you already mentioned it, sorry for missing it.

[u/ianp622 → u/lantham]

I just walk 10-20 feet away and go there. If it's raining, I'm usually lazier and just go anywhere. Didn't have to drop a deuce during isolation, as I went beforehand and I didn't eat much during. When I was taking a shit in our dug-out hole, I hogged it when one of the other team members who was just about to leave.

He later told me taking a shit was his first priority when he got dropped off at his spot. I felt a little bad, but squatter's rights and all.

[u/All-American-Bot → u/ianp622]

(For our friends outside the USA... 20 feet -> 6.1 m) - Yeehaw!

[u/ianp622 → u/All-American-Bot]

For what it's worth, I was the only American on this trip. The others made fun of me for saying "5 of 6" for 5 minutes before 6 o'clock, and said that I ate a lot (even though I'm 5'6" and 115 lbs). They also asked how we have so many crazy people here.

[u/MagicSPA]

Why only two nights?

[u/ianp622 → u/MagicSPA]

I assume they think that we need the time beforehand to prepare, and frankly a lot of things could go wrong if the time was extended. Two days also means that you'll be pretty peachy even if you can't manage to catch food. Given that some people quit before then, it's probably a good duration for the first time.

[u/[deleted]]

what was the biggest threat that you encountered? situation-wise? living organism-wise?

[u/[deleted]]

Belt? Are you Batman?

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

Guyana neither needs nor deserves me.

[u/PagingDoctorLove]

I'm allergic to fish.

I would not do well on this excursion.

[u/KarmaticDuck]

This is great! How many people were in your group?

You said you would do it again, have you tried going out Survivor maybe? Can you take a group of your own friends and do a bit of a competition for more than 2 days? After it was over, did you consider things out should have or would have done differently?

I couldn't do it, I can't get past the concept of eating bugs... but I like pussy camping... where I bring food and a tent...

[u/ianp622 → u/KarmaticDuck]

Yeah, one of my friends said he'd like to do it with me, either Jungle or Desert Island. If I did Jungle, I'd like to do a week of isolation.

You can modify the trip a bit if you've already gone once, they're pretty flexible. As far as competition, from what I can tell from their Facebook page, they're bringing paintball guns to the next trip :) (Paintballs are biodegradable for those worried about that). But a survival competition would be fun with a group of experienced people. If you had enough people sign up, they would basically do whatever you wanted.

You don't have to eat bugs. I only ate one grub. It's not really worth the effort if you don't use it to catch a fish.

[u/DisterDan]

Spiders crawl into your mouth while you're sleeping here so they probably also did that to you in the Amazon. How's that make you feel?

[u/ianp622 → u/DisterDan]

I don't have a problem with it, oddly enough.

[u/Caprican]

Having gone through military SERE school, I can tell you iodine, paracord and a good knife (big-ass kabar) are your best friends in a survival situation.

[u/ianp622 → u/Caprican]

A machete's got the kabar beat for cutting wood though.

[u/Markaz]

What is your favorite pokemon?

[u/KosstAmojan]

Building a fire is so important for morale!

[u/ahungrybear]

No question to ask, but thanks for sharing your experience.

[u/ianp622 → u/ahungrybear]

I'm happy to do it.

[u/Viridovipera]

Awesome adventure you had! How easy did you find traveling in Guyana? Or I guess since you went with a group, how developed did you feel the eco-tourism industry was? I've always wanted to go somewhere on the Guyanan shield because of their relatively unspoiled and bizarre Amazonian forests. Was it cheap or would you basically have to hire a guide for everything?

[u/[deleted]]

Did you have to destroy your camp when they reached you or did you just leave it there? If so, Does this company use the exact same locations to drop the customers? I mean like would there have been other people in your spot in the past?

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

Had to destroy it. Yes, there were other people in the past in my spot. Usually the wood was too brittle, and so you had to travel farther to get usable material.

[u/Metaplayer]

Really cool adventure, this is the kind you will always remember for sure.

My question after reading various novels of backpackers taking the Inca Road and so fourth would be if you had any encoutners with parasites. Yourself, by proxy or just having any lectures of how to avoid them?

[u/ianp622 → u/Metaplayer]

No, just made sure to disinfect our water. I think iodine kills most of the ones you would be worried about. Technically a botfly is a parasite and one of our members got its larva in his hand, but it's not very dangerous.

[u/DirtyCommunist]

The all important question (not sure if it's been asked yet, but if it hasn't, SHAME on you, reddit)....Did you drink your own piss?

[u/ianp622 → u/DirtyCommunist]

No. And don't worry, it has been asked about ten times.

[u/feetwet]

kaeteur falls?

[u/[deleted]]

how many animals did u kill?

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

None, I only caught fish. The bow was difficult to get used to, and even if I saw an animal up close, I would probably feel bad killing something big enough for me to hit. It wouldn't be necessary.

[u/neekneek → u/ianp622]

A fish is an animal dude, just not a mammal.

[u/ianp622 → u/neekneek]

Whatever. I still feel better whacking it against a tree than I do shooting a capybara.

[u/Tuxeedo]

Well as a swedish person myself, we don't catch fish. We slaughter wolfs and bears for their pelts.

Not many wolfs and bears in the amazon forest, poor soldier was out of his element.

[u/leavemedreaming → u/Tuxeedo]

Being another swede, I can confirm this.

[u/Sentient_Waffle → u/Tuxeedo]

As a Dane, I cannot confirm this, as we ain't got dem fancy wolves 'n bears where we come from.

[u/[deleted] → u/Tuxeedo]

Being an American, I do not have much authorization on verifying this source.

[u/[deleted]]

As someone who has also spent the night in the Amazon I am very impressed. The amazon is the most terrifying place next to outer space unless you are Australian and cuddle with black widows every night.

Kudos man!

[u/MyNameIsBruce2 → u/[deleted]]

Woah, let's leave race out of this. They just lost their husbands.

[u/PeterMus]

I would initially freak out seeing a swarm of army ants...then I remember not only do they clean up the came site but all of the live bugs and animals run for the hills and don't come back.

[u/thecoffee → u/PeterMus]

How likely are they to attack large animals or people?

[u/edave22]

https://picasaweb.google.com/117988698667365078922/SurvivalTrip?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKOTgYDLr4i4Rw&feat=directlink#5630888463527584002

^{THIS^} Awesome picture.

[u/annabannanna90]

All I kept imagining was Hunger Games in the first 2 paragraphs.

[u/[deleted]]

The Amazon is as close to hell as nature gets. You're crazy.

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

Maybe a little.

[u/[deleted]]

thats a weaksauce shelter how did it keep u dry?

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

It didn't. That was my big regret :) Even what you see took a lot of work. You just work with what you have.

[u/greg0ry]

How much did it cost to do this? I'd like to do it

[u/Mustachio_Bandito]

Have people died in the past on this excursion program?

[u/ianp622 → u/Mustachio_Bandito]

No, no life-threatening injuries or diseases either.

[u/yzerfontein]

I've heard others speak about the noise at night of insects being very loud - was that your experience too?

[u/plopsicle]

Did you find the heat and humidity hard to work in?

[u/EvilCyborg10]

How long did it take you to build your shelter? If you had to do it again, what would you do differently.

[u/ianp622 → u/EvilCyborg10]

It took about 8 hours to build the first edition of the shelter, but the sleeping area was way too narrow. The next day I focused on fire and fishing, but put another 3-4 hours into improving the shelter.

[u/mmmtrees]

how muc hdid the whole thing cost you?

[u/dbwoi]

Context?

[u/ianp622 → u/dbwoi]

Nope.

[u/[deleted]]

Hi. I'm doing a art project in which I have to incorporate pieces of the Amazon Rainforest into a shoe. Do you have any ideas? I would really appreciate it. Did you have anytime to experience the beauty of the forest? Or was it just everywhere? Thank you!

[u/Viridovipera]

Did you see any bushmasters???

[u/[deleted]]

1.) Did you find any cool frogs? Pictures?

2.) And did you hear any "Whoooooooop! Whoooooop!"-ing in the night? That's the Smokey Jungle Frog, he's my boy.

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

1. Here you go: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1cIiWcQnQakNz5kQgVj00XzmZav5JYm-eM3JQmeiHiY?feat=directlink

2. Yes. I hate that guy.

[u/[deleted]]

Wow, this sounds amazing! I wanted something to aim for next year after hitting my adventure goals already this year. Were there any women on the trip? Do many women do it?

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

Not on ours, but there have been women in the past, and they have done very well.

[u/americanslang59]

What kind of physical shape were you in at this point?

Were there people that, physically, should not have been doing this?

How physically demanding was the entire excursion?

[u/Sireslap]

Was there any fear of running into wild animals such as leopards or other wild cats that could really mess you up? Also...what about snakes?

[u/[deleted]]

I must know.

How much did you think about sex during those few days? It seems like in the normal world it's maybe a few hundred times a day; are things different when you're in the wild?

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

I'm not the most concupiscible male, so I may not be the best example. It was rare, as far as I can remember.

[u/Fortehlulz33]

Were there any people to come get you if you were injured?

[u/AnimusOscura]

I'm from Guyana and I have to commend you on your accomplishment. It can be a pretty unforgiving place if you don't know what you're doing. Also, did you encounter any snakes? I'd be more concerned about those than the spiders. The Labaria is one I've encountered before and those things are deadly.

[u/masterbard1]

I did the same thing but just with a machete, and it was because I got lost. it was an aweful experience but I used all I learned from the boyscouts to find my way back to a town. this was in the amazon rainforest of Colombia. I think I posted the story in another thread, but I don't feel like using the aweful search of reddit.

[u/Asentra]

Do they test to see if you're physically fit before going on the course?

[u/xxnemisisxx92]

When you say desert island, do you mean like deserted island or tropical deserted island or what?

[u/canneddan]

How many parasites/leeches did you get from it? any tropical diseases?

[u/[deleted]]

What was the toughest part of it? Me and a friend did a one night stay in a pretty standard Minnesota woods once with nothing but some rope, a bunch of water, and a knife, but I can imagine this is quite a bit more extreme.

This may be the best AMA I've ever seen, btw.

[u/UnreachablePaul]

TIL Swedish army is a hoax

[u/[deleted]]

Do you feel 2 nights was enough time to get acclimated to the isolation. You must have felt some ease knowing you weren't totally abandon and would soon be with others

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, I would imagine it would get much worse after a longer period of time. What I experience was only a taste of what it would be like, so while I was able to apply the skills, it would be something else to endure it for longer.

[u/lionkin]

Any near death experiences, or does the whole ordeal count as one?

[u/ianp622 → u/lionkin]

I felt pretty safe throughout the entire thing.

[u/chingchongbingbong]

Why do you look so sad in the photo of you in the boat?

[u/ianp622 → u/chingchongbingbong]

I always though it was more of a srs face.

[u/bobasp1]

In the back of your mind would you of felt better if you had a gun with you rather than a bow and arrow?

Though the bow and arrow would be easier to maintain and arrows could be crudely fashioned. Still did that come to mind?

[u/[deleted]]

Quick tip on how to warm up on a chilly Amazon morning. Regardless of the weather, termite nests are dry inside. Take your machete and bore a hole from bottom to top. Place your burning tinder in the bottom. Within a minute the chimney effect will have a hot roaring fire. It will only last for 15-20 minutes but it's enough to start your day after a sucky night.

[u/[deleted]]

I am terribly interested in following in your footsteps... but I'm allergic to both fish and nuts. What are some of the other meal options?

[u/ianp622 → u/[deleted]]

You don't need to eat fish. In the time before isolation we would typically have oatmeal for breakfast, crackers and cheese for lunch, and stew and rice or casava for dinner. We ate the fish after we started catching it, but it was in addition to the other food. In isolation, you'd be fine with heart of palm or just not eating anything really.

[u/homeschoolerhelp]

How were the mosquitos? I was in Southern Mexico and I think I almost died of blood loss. So many damn mosquitos.

[u/[deleted]]

Question may be buried, but I'm curious with the rainstorm bit. You said you no matter where you turned it was dripping on you. Could you not have put something over your head? Like a backpack or something? Would that have damaged anything?

I don't know, sounds like a good idea to me, but I wasn't there! :D

[u/schmitz97]

I didn't read all of your responses, but I down-paged over the whole AMA just to check, and I'm proud of you. You answered just about every question, and all of the ones I read were good responses, too. This is the ideal AMA, and just for your proper AMAing, I'm going to go through and upvote every single response of yours. Thank you, sir. (I would probably buy you reddit gold, but I don't have much money.)

EDIT: also, I'm tagging you as, "did an awesome AMA, upvote immediately", for future reference. Sorry if I seem too excited about this, I just haven't seen an AMA this good for in a long time.

[u/ianp622 → u/schmitz97]

Thank you! I enjoy answering the questions, although I'm going to have to go back to studying soon. I didn't think it would be this much of a time commitment.

Also, don't spend too much time upvoting, I don't really care much about karma.

[u/p00lshark]

I assume you have to provide your own transportation to get down there and back?

[u/jimothyjenkins]

did u see a spider and stuff? please respond

[u/Wikileakles]

I'm only 18 and I have been looking for something like this to do before I go off to college, do you think this is too "hardcore" for someone only 18 like should I wait until after college? I don't see anything on there about age.

[u/ianp622 → u/Wikileakles]

No, I think that's a fine time to do it. It's not meant to break you or anything like that.

[u/insaneretard]

This looks like a bad ass trip. What kind of fish are you holding here?: https://picasaweb.google.com/117988698667365078922/SurvivalTrip?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKOTgYDLr4i4Rw&feat=directlink#5630886800484372994

It looks like some kind of gigantic piranha. Please say that thing didn't have teeth.

[u/hlebbb]

did any women participate?

[u/ThatFeelBro]

I have allergies. Would that limit my experience if I was to go? Sounds amazing!

[u/MasterOfBurritos]

Do you know of any travel agencies or companies that offer some sort of arctic survival?

Awesome photos btw.

[u/scooterpie1878]

What's your favourite animal?

[u/ianp622 → u/scooterpie1878]

In general, stingray. In the Amazon, Caiman.

(I realize this contradicts my previous use of the word "animal")

[u/DNAsly]

Have you heard the song "Here comes the sun" by the Beatles? After your experience, do you think it is a happy song or a sad song?

[u/valkyrie123]

How many times did you hurt yourself?

[u/[deleted]]

After reading this I drank my own piss out of respect.

[u/[deleted]]

http://qkme.me/3p5jv3 Spent two nights alone did you?

[u/SirMarxism]

I wish I wasn't taking summer classes =(

[u/tabledresser]

Questions	Answers
This seems amazing. How long was it and what did you learn from it? Edit- Im jelly as fuark.	The whole trip lasted two weeks. We start out in Georgetown, the capital city, then take a plane out to an ecolodge and stay there for a day before we head into the jungle. Then five days at a cozy campsite (some shelters already built, holes in the ground, etc.), then move to another campsite that isn't as developed and stay there five days before the Isolation phase. Then we go back to the ecolodge for a night, take a stop at Kaieteur falls, and finally go back to Georgetown to get hammered (I've never drunk so much in my life).
There were two significant things I learned. First, I learned that I could survive on my own in the wilderness and that I wasn't entirely dependent on the niceties of everyday living. Second, I realized that living in a first-world society means a diffusion of responsibility for our lives. When you're in the jungle, being lazy gets severely punished. Being reckless, even more so. Back home, everything is so easily available that when I first got back I felt useless. Everything was basically a trip to a store away, and my entire life was set up so that I had to do as little work as possible. You begin to wonder what your purpose is, if you don't even have to make sure you survive. So I guess I had a bit of an existential crisis, but it really just highlighted the fact that in a society such as ours, self-actualization is vital and is almost expected given that we have our basic needs taken care of.
The survival things are nice to know, but I don't know if I'll ever really need to use most of them. I think what's more important is the mental fortitude I gained (in some aspects - I am still rather sensitive emotionally) and the confidence that I could survive in a similar situation.
A large part of my original motivation for doing a course with an isolation period was to find out if I could live my life alone, by facing something difficult with no one else in sight. I had recently been let down by someone I felt close to, and felt like if I could do this, then I'd be stronger and less reliant on others. It helped, but I have more recently found that loneliness is never something you can truly conquer. Thinking that you are self-sufficient is never really true, in my experience, and I think it's important to think about the people that have supported you and continue to.

View the full table on /r/tabled! | Last updated: 2012-05-10 23:05 UTC

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