1.

Plant Edibility
a. Some edible plants: chonta heart of palm, fruits of the yarina palm tree, the uvilla, or wild grape tree, and cocona fruit, which grows on low bushes. b. How to test if edible: check to see if monkeys, birds or other animals are consuming it first, then follow the Universal Edibility steps: i. Separate: separate it into its five basic parts. These are the leaves, roots, stems, buds and flowers. If worms/parasites are found, use another. Contact: Crush only one of the plant parts and rub it on the inside of your wrist or elbow for 15 minutes. Wait eight hours. If burning sensation, redness, welts, and/or bumps, they are all bad signs. Continue if no reaction. Cook: Boil plant and set it against your lip for 3 minutes. If any reaction, use another part. If no reaction, continue. Taste: Pop the same part in your mouth and hold it on your tongue for another 15 minutes. Look for any reaction. Might taste bad, but not toxic. Continue if good. Chew: Hold the piece of plant on your tongue for 15 minutes with no bad reaction, chew it thoroughly and hold it in your mouth for another 15 minutes. Don't swallow. If good, move on to next step. Swallow: Swallow and wait for 8 hours - you can drink water, but cant eat. Chow: Gather roughly one quarter cup of the exact same part of the same plant and prepare it in the same way you did in step three. Eat the plant and wait another eight hours. If everything good, the plant is edible.

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(HowStuffWorks.com)

Water: Drink lots of water to keep hydrated. There are water in water vines & streams/lakes. You can also use the large leaves of tropical plants to collect rainwater. Find way to boil. Another approach: make a water filter by: 2.
a. Find a 2-liter bottle or container that has an opening a. Use a napkin or paper towel to cover the opening. a. Layer inside the bottle with sand first, cotton balls, then gravel. a. Pour dirty water & collect the water a. Boil the water - now theres clean water!

3. Fire: Gather pieces of wood & stack them in shape of a pyramid - lean pieces of wood
against each other - When wood ready, place leaves/grass inside the pyramid. Then rub sticks together or strike a stone against flint to create a spark.

4. Shelter: Build shelter during afternoon. Best places for shelter are high, elevated areas, far
away from swamps & riverbeds to minimize exposure to mosquitoes. Another alternative is building a lean-to by weaving materials such as saplings against a diagonal tree branch touching the ground, or use a tarp if you have one.

5.

First-Aid Kit: Make sure to buy a first-aid kit that includes the following:

a.

Elastic bandages Non-adhesive sterile bandages

Moleskin and Blister pads Benadryl tabs Lomotil tabs

Anti-fungal cream Ibuprofen tabs Tiger balm

 Insect sting relief Adhesive tape (water resistant) Sterile scalpel Surgical gloves Sterile saline solution Iodine wipes Antibiotic ointment Vaseline gel Scissors

Motion sickness tabs Sterile eyewash and eye pads Safety pins Syringe and needle Membrane dressing Cotton balls and swabs Superglue Small knife Survival blanket

6. Dangerous Animals:
First aid for snake bites: a. Have the victim lie down and rest quietly; b. Immobilize the affected part by splinting it as if it were fractured and keep it lower than the heart; c. Remove all jewelry (including from unaffected limbs); d. NO ONE SHOULD ATTEMPT TO KILL OR CATCH THE SNAKE (dead snakes and severed heads have been known to bite up to several hours post-mortem)
e. If necessary, proceed to suck out the venom with your mouth and spit it out.

7. Sun Precaution & Proper Clothing: 1. Sun injury precautions. Sun exposure can be intense. Sun glasses, widebrimmed hats, long sleeves and trousers, and liberal use of sunscreen (SPF 30 or greater) and lip balm are recommended precautions. Sunscreen should be applied to all sun-exposed skin (especially if taking Doxycycline to protect against malaria) approximately 30 minutes after applying. 2. Clothing:
a. Lightweight all-weather jacket b. Hooded sweatshirt or fleece c. Knit hat and gloves d. Swimsuit (one-piece and very sturdy) e. Bandannas or handkerchiefs f. Baseball cap or straw hat for sun protection g. Good-quality lightweight raincoat and heavy-duty poncho h. Quick-drying shorts for biking

i.

Sneakers and/or hiking boots (at least two pairs of shoes)

8. Impt items: knife, umbrella, rope, compact sleeping bag for cold weather
9. River

Crossing. Only cross IF you MUST. Use another alternative if possible.

a. Look for a place with good footing on both sides. It must be easy to get in and to get out. a. Look for stepping stones or river islets that divide the watercourse. These are usually signs of an ideal place to cross. a. Once youve chosen your crossing place, undress and put your clothing in a backpack, preferably within a plastic bag. Keep your shoes on. a. Unhitch your backpack so that it is resting over one shoulder onlythe one facing downstream. This may seem counter-intuitive, but the truth is that if you get caught uncontrollably in a strong current, you dont want your pack to drag you down. Rather, you want to be able to dispose of it immediately. a. Find a long, sturdy walking stick. When you cross, you can use this to feel for depth and as a brace against the current.

a. Slowly but steadily enter the water, crossing at a 45-degree angle into the
current.

10. Surviving a Cyclone: Stay in a very strong part of your shelter or hide in a ditch

Bryant, Charles W.. "What is the universal edibility test?" 21 April 2008. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/universal-edibility-test.htm> 14 October 2011.

Cornell, Scott. "Tips on How People Survive in the Rainforest Read more: Tips on How People Survive in the Rainforest | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_6862305_tipspeople-survive-rainforest.html#ixzz1alhRRQUo." eHow.com. Demand Media, Inc., 1999. Web. 10 Oct. 14. <http://www.ehow.com/list_6862305_tips-people-surviverainforest.html>.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2242569_survive-rainforest.html

http://www.nature-escapes-kuala-lumpur.com/wilderness-first-aid-kit.html http://www.ehow.com/how_2343591_cross-river.html http://www.wildmadagascar.org/overview/army_health.html http://www.peacecorpswiki.org/Packing_list_for_Madagascar http://wikitravel.org/en/Madagascar#b