RegionSpecific Clothing Considerations
RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH. Nothing will better prepare you for the dif
ferent types of clothing you’ll need in various parts of the world like check
ing with people who know that area.
Boreal Forests and Arctic Regions
Because of the sometimesdramatic temperature swings in these areas,
the most important consideration is layering. Make sure you have enough
items of various weight to deal with both cold and heat.
Arid Regions, Deserts, and Canyons
You lose much less water from your body if you wear a lightcolored, loose
fitting shirt, which will protect you from the moisturesucking properties
of the wind. It’s not always easy to keep clothing on when the air is so hot,
but remember that it will keep you alive in the long run.
Whenever I’ve underestimated clothing requirements, it’s been in
the world’s hot and dry places. My initial thought would be, “I’m going to
be in a desert, I don’t need much clothing.” But in the Kalahari—where the
temperature on the surface of the sand in the sun hits 150 ̊F (67 ̊C) during
the day—I still found myself cold at night. There can be a 50 ̊F difference
between daytime highs and nighttime lows, and a person’s body doesn’t
handle the great difference in temperatures very well.
Add to this the fact that you might be sleeping on the ground—
which will draw the heat right out of you—and the potential for a cold
wind, and there’s a possibility that you could become chilled and hypo
thermic. And at the very least, the cold will prevent you from sleeping at
night, which will make the rest of your survival experience more miserable
than it needs to be.
Jungles
Clothing in the jungle needs to be protected from the neverending damp
ness. Cotton rots alarmingly quickly in this sort of area. Try to dry clothing
whenever the rain subsides and the sun comes out.
Because there are so many poisonous things to bump into in the
jungle, your clothes should also afford you a layer of protection from them.
Clothing (^) | 297