Please note that all these tips were gathered from my experience during my outdoor activities. Some of my tips might sound bizarre, but I suppose in isolated places people will do unthinkable things. If you like to comment or add more tips, feel free to sent it to me. I really appreciate any feedback.
| Tip 1 To Gore-Tex or not to Gore-Tex. Well, this is a question most travellers would ask before coming to Malaysia to do some hiking. Yes, rain is a common thing here throughout the year. It becomes more frequent and heavy in the Monsoon season (December to February). But personally, I think that Gore-Tex fabrics are not designed for use in a country where there is high humidity like in Malaysia. So, save your money. Buy cotton T-shirts. It will keep you cool in the hot weather. This goes the same with boots. Use a pair of non-leather trekking boots.You'll probably be crossing rivers that is a knee deep. If not, the heavy rain will soak your boots and your socks. You can use gaiters with your boots, but I would not recommend it because personally, I think it is impractical. |
Lata Berkoh, Pahang National Park |
| Tip 2 Minimise minimise. Plates are round. Plates are big. You won't find any backpack which have a dedicated compartment for them. But sometimes you have to bring them with you. Rather than bringing them, why not try aluminium foil for a change. You can make it like a plate, you can make it like a barrier to protect the flame from the wind when you are cooking. Or you can make it like a soap holder. Anyway, at the end of the day, it can be folded to a smaller size. |
Tip 3 Water. Always bring extra water when venturing in the jungle because you won't know where the next water spot will be. Ask the locals where can you find water source throughout your journey. If you're not confident with the cleanness of the water, bring some water purifier tablet with you. I've never use any of them, thankfully I've never been struck by any sickness related to the water I drank. But make sure you take the water from a running source. NEVER drink water from a still source. |
Kinabalu National Park |
Tip 4 Torchlight and sandals. Two simple things that differentiate between a journey filled with joy and a disastrous one. Remember, in the jungle, you won't be able to see your own hand in the dark and it becomes dark early, so you should set your tent by 6 p.m. the latest. A torchlight is very important because it is your eyes during the night. Your feet needs to rest after a long walk, especially after its been soaking wet throughout the day. You won't get frostbite here, so where sandals whenever it is possible. I would not recommend that you use sandals for trekking because boots are meant to protect your feet/ankle. |
| Tip 5 Sleeping mat. Try to put the polyester foam mat inside the backpack if you are travelling through dense trail/forest. Some people usually place their mat either on top of their sac or at the bottom. Not only will it get stuck to the exposing branches/thorns, it will also spoil your sleeping mat. |
Tip 6 Avoid the highway. Large animal, especially elephants, have their own trail in the jungle. Avoid camping in areas where you've seen these animal faeces because it could be in the middle of their trail. They won't stop herding through their trail even if they see a nice tent in the middle of their way. |
En-route to Nuang. A view from the Rock Station |
Tip 7 Leeches, a trekkers best friend here in Malaysia. Ugly little thing are they. But sometimes it amazes you how this tiny wiggly blood sucker can sometimes find its way right up to your thigh. Well, this thing can sense vibration when your walking. So, if you are travelling in a group, the probability of these leeches attaching itself to you is lower if you are the first person in the line. They usually go to the next person. Did the leeches made a meal of you ? Ran out of medical plaster to stop that oozing blood ? Worry not, burn a small piece of paper and use the ashes to plug that nasty wound. |
| Tip 8 Hip/Waist belt. The waist belt on the backpack is there to be used. It distributes the weight to the hip therefore helps to ease the burden to your shoulder. Not only that, it prevents the pack from swinging which can cause such a hassle when you are travelling through a narrow trail. You can also get tired easily if your bag keeps swinging throughout your journey. |
Tip 9 Nails Make sure your fingernails and toenails are short. Why ? Trust me, the last thing you'll want is unknown substance lying under your nails. When you are doing mountain climbing here, you'll be pulling yourself throughout the journey. You'll be holding to anything that your hand can reach, trees, soil etc. Another thing is, you can easily hurt your feet/toe during your decent from the mountains if you have long toenails. |
| Tip 10 Waterproof your stuff and Save the forest If your backpack is not waterproof, put all your things in a plastic bag before putting it in your bag. I find that the black garbage bag is quite convenient. By doing this, not only you can avoid your stuff from being wet, you can also make separate compartment for your clothes, food stuff and other utilities using few plastic bags. A good 'backpack' keeping helps when you are always in a hurry. I suppose that going through ALL your stuff just to find a small can of sardines in the middle of the night when you are dead starving won't be a good thing to remember. Finally, you can use the plastic bag to put all the garbage before taking it out from the campsite before disposing it at a proper place. Help make the forest you love clean. |
Lake cruise at Temenggur |
| Tip 11 Underground Caves
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Through the floods in Gua Itik. (Duck Cave) |
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