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Tropical rain forest clothes (2 Viewers)

katsunori

Active member
Tropical rainforest clothes

Hi! What do you wear in the tropical rain forest?

1.Baseball cap or hat?
2.T-shirts or long sleeve shirts?
3.Goatex rainwear or umbrella?
4.Waistcoat or no waistcoat
5.Shorts or trousers?
6.Sandals,jogging shoes or trail shoes?

I wear
1.hat 2.t-shirts 3.poncho 4.no 5.shorts 6.sandals

I am okay most of the times but sometimes I am not comfortable such as when you are in the bush/mud or when there is too many mosquito.

Thank you

Katsu
 
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katsunori said:
Hi! What do you wear in the tropical rain forest?
1.Baseball cap or hat? --- Wide-brim wicking hat if sunny, otherwise "baseball cap"
2.T-shirts or long sleeve shirts? --- Always wicking t-shirts.
3.Goatex rainwear or umbrella? --- Neither - I'd rather be rain-soaked than sweat-soaked. I carry a tarp poncho for emergencies.
4.Waistcoat or no waistcoat? --- Not sure what that is...jacket? see above
5.Shorts or trousers? --- Thin polyester hiking shorts.
6.Sandals,jogging shoes or trail shoes? --- Tough waterproof leather boots! (are you kidding?)

Fortunately very few mosquitoes here.
 
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I use:

1. No hat at all, if the canopy is thick enough to keep the sun out. However, I will always carry a cap with flap over the neck in my bag just in case.
2. T-shirt, unless the bugs are particularly bad, such as at dusk.
3. Folding umbrella or nothing, as any rain coat just makes you sweat like a pig.
4. No waistcoat, because it makes it too hot.
5. Shorts, except in extreme cases with lots of thorny undergrowth or bugs.
6. Sports shoes, or walking boots for long journeys or rough terrain.

Tom
 
Thank you for the reply.

Isn't boots too hot? Sandals are comfortable as long as they are not wet but usualy they became wet very soon.
I will try boots next time.

Katsu
 
Real tropical rain forest. Depends on who's after my blood. Usually a hat but sometimes a cap. Always light long pants and never shorts (if doing climbing, heavier long pants) with leech socks if need be. A shirt (often long sleeves to protect the forearms) and a vest. Always boots! Other footware wouldn't be up to it. Sandals never because of snakes, mosquitoes, leeches, thorns and nettles etc. Some of the grasses that one passes through in clearings would cut your feet to bits if you are in sandals. Dressing in shorts, T-shirt and sandals to try and remain cool isn't really an option. Raincoat or poncho and folding umbrella. I only use the raincoat or poncho in very heavy rain as you do sweat a lot in one.
 
It depends a lot on where you are. In Central America we don't have leeches, which is a big advantage. As Mark says, some grasses and other undergrowth can be terrible. We have a grasslike plant in the hills here that has little hooks on the underside that cut neat lines through your skin (locally its called something like lenguitasso, but I don't know the name in English or Latin) and in such locations I would always wear long trousers (pants). However, in sweaty conditions I find it almost unbearable to walk in long trousers and I will happily take a few scratches for the added comfort. I only prefer boots in tough terrain, where you might sprain an ankle when you are several days from civilization, or in areas with lots of snakes (though any decent sized snake will chew a pair of walking boots to pieces). There are so many biting ants in Central America that you wouldn't last 5 minutes in sandles.

Tom
 
tomjenner said:
It depends a lot on where you are. In Central America we don't have leeches, which is a big advantage. As Mark says, some grasses and other undergrowth can be terrible.

Sometimes I need to wear gaiters or my wool socks will load up with all sorts of sticky or barbed plant seeds.
 
katsunori said:
Isn't boots too hot?

I worry infinitely more about my head or neck being too hot than my feet. Boots are the only acceptable off-road footwear for me - maybe it's a personal thing. If it's wet they have to be waterproof.
 
Thank you for your reply. I think I am just a casual bider. I like birdig,diving and star watching.
I go birdig near the hotel between diving and at night I do binocular star gazing.
So I didn't need boots. Next year I plan to go birding to Borneo or Thai for just birdig. I'm sure I will wearing long sleeve shirts,trousers and boots on that trip!

By the way,bkrownd, your home town,Hilo town is my dream town. It is a one of the best site for star gazing(of course you know) and you can dive too. Someday I want to live there.

Regard,Katsu
 
katsunori said:
Hi! What do you wear in the tropical rain forest?

1.Baseball cap or hat?
2.T-shirts or long sleeve shirts?
3.Goatex rainwear or umbrella?
4.Waistcoat or no waistcoat
5.Shorts or trousers?
6.Sandals,jogging shoes or trail shoes?

I wear
1.hat 2.t-shirts 3.poncho 4.no 5.shorts 6.sandals

I am okay most of the times but sometimes I am not comfortable such as when you are in the bush/mud or when there is too many mosquito.

Thank you

Katsu


hio katsunori,


everytime when i do birding i'll be wearing;

1.wide brim hat
2.short sleeves shirt made from polyester (sometimes called dry-fit) or long sleeve to avoid spiky plants like rattan and mosquitos.
3.i use poncho cost about RM5 hehehe and small umbrella in my waistbag
4.never wear it in the forest :)
5.long pants is better (good with goretex because it's breathable)
6.leather boots (and i bring along silica gel for fast drying in case the shoes get wet inside as well for my bins and scope)

by the way, which area in borneo you will be visiting ?
 
horukuru said:
by the way, which area in borneo you will be visiting ?
Hi,horukuru

I plan to go to Mt.Kinabalu. Because a book"A FG to the Birds of Borneo Sumatra,Java and Bali by MacKinnon & Phillipps" suggest so.
I have not researched the borneo yet. Do you have any recomedation about what month, what location and so on?
I can have just 7 days to 10 days vacation.

Thanks,Katsu
 
nice to visit the mountain any time of the year and mind you, it's rain everyday now because the weather patterns has changed a lot in the past few years so can't really say which month is the best to visit the Kinabalu National Park.

usually we target the endemic species such as the borneo treepie, mountain barbet(mostly heard but nice with the aid of spotting scope), golden-naped barbet, chustnet-crested yuhina, black-breasted fruit-hunter as well the new separated endemic species, the sunda whistling thrush :eek:

we spend few nites at the Park HQ at the elevation of 1500m from the sea level and then go to the substation namely Poring hotspring where nice for lowland species birds especially the hose's broadbill and also the crested jay. but we need a bit of luck to see those bird within 7 days.

temperature stays around 22 degree at the HQ and will drop below 10 in the midnight and for Poring, it is the same like the city, 32 degree celcius.

accomodations is available in the HQ and Poring but required few days or weeks booking in advance (www.sabahtravelguide.com).

birding can be done around the road and in the nature trails for both places.

when u come, drop me an email and i'll help you to get good prices for the accomodations as well transportions ok :eek:


cheers :)
 
horukuru

Thank you for the info. I will e-mail you when I visit Borneo.
I'm going to start saving money for the trip!

Regards,Katsu
 
My tropical clothing of preference is:

Long sleeved shirts that have 'pit zips and button up arms. I find the Trespass brand excellent, tried and tested in SE Asia and Aus'

I personally like to wear a cotton vest too. Despite the humidity and temperature of the tropics a vest seemes to regulate my body temp' well. Plus its an extra later of protection against the mozzies

Trousers are loose, cotton variety. I prefer a slightly elasticated waist.

I always wear a broad rimmed canvas type hat with ventilation holes in the crown. Make sure it is broad enough to cover your face and neck too.

I always wear boots and good socks. Sandals are a no no because of snakes etc and trainers offer poor support when walking over uneven ground.

Oh and factor 30+ sun protection and an insect repellant spray for your hands and if you sweat, your shirt back; the mozzies will get you, trust me!

Lastly, I know you do not wear it as such but do take more water with you than you think you will need. Those Camelback things are quite good for carrying water I find
 
I do most of my birding in Tropical rain foret, but do not always wear the same stuff. I would probably look something like this:

1.Baseball cap or hat? I absolutely hate Baseball caps, if anything I'd wear a wide-brimmed hat. I am pretty oblivious to sun, I am more likely to wear it if I expect heavy rain, or if I am stalking something.
2.T-shirts or long sleeve shirts? I prefer short-sleeved Shirt (T-shirts have no pockets), but will wear long-sleeved if I expect a lot of black flies.
3.Goatex rainwear or umbrella? No rainwear usually, too bloody hot!
4.Waistcoat or no waistcoat. If you mean one of those "Great White Hunter" vests, yes quite often. They are practical for stowing away a lot of gear.
5.Shorts or trousers? Again, I prefer shorts, they make leeches easier to spot, but if I expect black flies, it'll be trousers.
6.Sandals,jogging shoes or trail shoes? Boots all the way, unless I know that the ground is very level, in which case I will wear Teva-style sandals. I just prefer the extra stability and grip I get from boots, not a good idea to twist or break your ankle miles into the forest.

Other things to take: Deet-based insect repellent, 30% strenght to keep away leeches. A Leatherman tool. Small first aid kit. Lots and lots of water (estimate how much water you think you will need, than double the amount). Scarf or handkerchief to wipe away sweat, tie around your head to keep out sweat. Ohhh, and binoculars obviously (o)<
 
Thank you, rainbowpitta, Hanno and Chris D.

Your replies helped me a lots. I think I'm going to get a pair of goretex-boots and a poncho.

By the way,Hanno,I saw your web-site. I like it. I want to go there someday.

Regards,Katsu
 
Ditto on the website. Your wife is beautiful. To Katsunori ---- if insects permit, try to dress as light and comfortable as possible. Many a time I've seen people suffering immensely from too much clothing. It's always best to be safe, but also up-to-date on what threats there are in your area. Also, there have been a few times that we've spent much time in places always wet and muddy. Here we've always brought inexpensive mid knee rubber "Milking" boots. Then we give them to local people when we leave. Your feet are never wet and there's no hiking boots perpetually wet, rotting, and stinking. Chris
 
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