heeded warnings that rivers could rise 20 feet (6 m) in a few hours. I tied
my dugout canoe to a spot on a tree 8 feet (2.4 m) off the ground, and still
the force of the flood threatened to snap the tether rope!
In the jungle, don’t assume water levels will remain static for any period of time. I almost
lost my dugout canoe—and my primary mode of travel—to a swollen river.
Ways to Predict Weather and Interpret
Weather Signs
PREDICTING WEATHER OFTEN BOILS DOWN to one basic question: How long is
the good weather going to last? The answer will tell you how long you’ve
got to complete the other tasks important to your survival, particularly if
you’re planning on traveling. Learning some basic forecasting methods
could save you from being caught out in a storm.
Local Guidance
Since weather is so areaspecific, the best way to discover natural predictors
is to talk to locals. They will know the subtle signs in their environment
that are almost impossible to relate in the pages of a book. You may have
someone say to you, “If you notice that all the birds suddenly stop singing
while you’re out there, bad weather is coming.” Listen to the experts.
Weather (^) | 279