Quote Originally Posted by Averageman View Post
I am actually in the Philippines now and unless you have experienced jungle like this it's hard to imagine.
Bamboo has joints every six inches or so, the slightest breeze and it starts rubbing together and it will confuse you as you move.
Every Farm has barking Dogs and crowing Roosters that I would put up against any modern security system.
Off the paths and trails there are no end of plants grabbing at your clothing and giving you a heck of a rash similar to poison ivy.
No way anyone could patrol here unnoticed.
You could take the cities, but beyond that it's a fight you don't want.
I did see some old newspapers here in Antipolo reporting on the war. Very interesting.
God Bless the poor bastards that fought here in wool uniforms.Today,Dec 10th was 94 degrees with at least 70% humidity.
Yep, 3 years in Panama in an Infantry unit. It is an inhospitable environment for sure. Everything either wants to sting, bite, or kill you! NEVER just plop down on the ground.....poke around with the barrel of your rifle or a stick to ensure you're not sitting on anything that might do one of the previous things!

You're right, movement is a bitch. Usually there was a point man who would be hacking a narrow trail for the others to follow. Had to rotate that guy out every so often as the heat and humidity would wear your ass out quick. Of course this is for an Infantry unit moving through a given area, not a small recon team who relied on stealth for their survival, as that hacking was s-l-o-w and noisy. Those sneaky-petes generally picked their way (slowly) through the vegetation, making as little noise as possible.