Get off the ground
I've never liked using tents in the jungle, not only are they heavy to carry but if you forget to close the tent flaps don't be surprised if you end up with snakes and scorpions as bed partners! I always use a hammock in the jungle.

Do it before dusk
The sun goes down very quickly in the tropics so make sure you've got your camp set up, your cooking fire alight and gone for a crap before it gets dark.

Check your boots
Shoes, pockets and rucksacks are warm and comfy nests for a number of ugly and venomous creepy-crawlies. Keep your pockets done up and shake out your boots before you put them on.

No mosquito net, no problem!
Even if you lose your mosquito net you can still get through the night without being bitten to bits by insects. Find a termite mound, break off a fist-sized chunk and place it on the hot coals of a fire built near to your sleeping area. The smoke from the burning chunk will keep away any flying bloodsuckers.

Fishing with drugs
Babasco is a plant used by the Huaorani for fishing. They crush the leaves, releasing a chemical that removes oxygen from the water. The fish suffocate and float to the surface. Collect your dinner. Only effective for small isolated pools or sluggish water.

It's a bug's life
Bugs are a (lost) explorer's best friend - grubs, ants, termites and worms are all nutritious and packed with protein. Most people find the idea of eating bugs repulsive, but in a survival situation they are the easiest food to find for the minimum effort. Needless to say - cook to improve flavour. CAUTION: If it's brightly-coloured, excessively hairy, or feeding on a dead animal - best leave it alone. If you're not sure, DON'T eat it. Bugs can be poisonous too.

Sautéed grasshoppers

1. Remove head, wings and legs
2. Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan over a medium flame
3. Add grasshoppers
4. Fry gently for 3-4 minutes
5. Remove from pan and season to taste

What do I do if I'm lost?
Getting lost in the jungle is really easy: it's green and it all looks the same. If you do get lost and other people are looking for you - stay put and make lots of noise. Wandering around will only get you more lost. It is quite possible to walk within yards of another person and not see them at all. Don't compound the problem by being a moving target. However, if rescue is unlikely, pick a direction and walk until you hit a stream. Follow the watercourse downstream until you hit a river. Once you get to a sizeable river, follow it downstream until you find someone. Most communities are located and most transport is conducted on the waterways. The bigger the river the more chance of finding civilisation.

The real killers in the jungle!
Deadfalls. Dead wood falling on people's heads is the leading cause of sudden death for the inexperienced in the jungle. Don't sleep under dead trees, and don't pull on vines if you cannot see what they are attached to. Your Tarzan impression may be your last, unless of course it's your dead person with their head caved in impression, though most of your friends won't find it very funny!

Dehydration and Heat Stroke
Unless you've lived in the jungle, nothing will prepare you for the heat and humidity. Dehydration is when fluid loss is occurring faster than it is being replaced, in other words: sweating more than you're drinking. Heat Stroke is when your body temperature rises above the normal limits to a point were you become ill. Dehydration often precedes heat stroke, and the combination can kill you very quickly. However, both are easily preventable if you follow a few simple rules:

Take it easy
It will take you two to three weeks to acclimatise, so don't push yourself too hard!

Carry on drinking
Always have a full water bottle with you. Drink at least 1/2 pint every hour you are awake, and at least 1 pint every hour if performing any strenuous exercise.

Wear a hat
Protect your head and neck from direct sunlight.

Keep your clothes on
The heat may tempt you to strip off. RESIST. The sun is very hot at the tropics and you'll burn to a crisp in no time at all. Apart from being painful, sunburn will also dehydrate you. Additionally, staying dressed will reduce the number of insect bites you get, not only from bloodsuckers, but also from a multitude of parasites that just love to lay insect eggs under your skin. If you feel faint, light headed or nauseous - sit down in the shade, drink something cool, and pour some water over yourself and fan. Alternatively, take a jump in the river.

Protect yourself against malaria
Malaria has killed more people than all the wars put together. Transmitted by mosquito bites, the only way to protect yourself 100% is to take the correct drugs to prevent it. Insect repellent, eucalyptus oil, B12 vitamins and voodoo charms will not stop you getting bitten, so don't bother. Once you've got malaria, it can only be controlled, not cured - so you'll have it for life.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water!
The river can be a dangerous place, submerged branches can trap you underwater, currents and undertow can sweep you away, and there are dozens of critters that can cause you serious health problems. Here are a few rules to bear in mind:

Don't go alone
Better to have everyone snigger at your lack of lunchbox filling than end up as fish food.

Track watch
Check for alligator/crocodile/caiman tracks where you want to bathe - easy to spot, they look like someone has dragged a tree trunk through the sand with small dinosaur footprints either side of it.

Don't get eaten
Avoid isolated pools and sluggish water - ideal environments for electric eels, anaconda and leeches. On the floodplains, piranha often get trapped in small pools towards the end of the dry season. As oxygen and food get scarce, the piranhas get increasingly aggressive. I don't know how quickly they can reduce a person to a skeleton, but best not to find out!

Beware of sandy bottoms Sandy bottoms are favourite resting places for stingray. Slap the water with the flat of your hand to scare them away. Ideally, its best to wear some kind of footwear when you swim as even crabs and turtles can nip off a pinkie! Actually, thinking about it, it might be wise to keep your shorts on as well lads!

Boil drinking water The water will be full of parasites and interesting diseases; don't drink it unless you have boiled the water for at least 10 minutes.

Carry a knife A big knife is better than a small knife, which is better than no knife at all.

You can contact John Groom at Ridgefellows Outdoor Training (website: http://members.aol.com/ridgefellows/)