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Borneo Blowpipes Part 2: From Rough Bore to Deadly Weapon – Spear Tips, Aiming Sights & Traditional Use
The first part of this article concentrated on the production of the rough blowpipe. The…
Borneo Blowpipes Part 1: Hand-Drilling a Deadly Sumpitan from Ironwood
Borneo blowpipes were for generations the primary hunting weapon in the Bornean interior. If we…
Grasshoppers for food in Vietnam
In October 2023, I spent two weeks living with rice farmers in northern Vietnam. It…
Mentawai - Life in the Forests
The skills and tools described in this book were gathered firsthand from traditionally living families of the Mentawai people on Siberut Island, West Sumatra, Indonesia.
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Hadzabe Survival Skills
The Hadzabe people thrive as some of the world's most resilient and resourceful communities in the heart of Tanzania, nestled between the vast savannahs and ancient woodlands.
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Our topics
Vedda flint & steel fire making
Village and Rock Veddas have used flint and steel to produce fires since the end of the 19th century. My…
Feral donkey trails leading to water
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, many draught animals were released in the wild…
Dangers in the Khao Sok NP in Thailand
About the Khao Sok National Park The Khao Sok National Park is located in the Surat Thani province of Thailand,…
Grasshoppers for food in Vietnam
In October 2023, I spent two weeks living with rice farmers in northern Vietnam. It was in this area that…
Hand-made fishing hooks from Bali
While travelling to the northern coast of Bali/Indonesia, we met the owner of a general store at the Banyuasri Singaraja…
Orang Rimba spring pole snare traps
When we were visiting a band of primitive living Orang Rimba (Kubu) people in Jambi province, Sumatra, Indonesia, each of…
Jengkol seeds
Jengkol (Archidendron jiringa) is a tropical tree that grows up to 20 meters high in the rainforests of Southeast Asia.…
Shrimp pit traps on Sri Lanka’s east coast
Fish, crabs, and shrimp provide the livelihood of small-scale and artisanal fishermen on the east coast of Sri Lanka. Due…
Building the sidewalls of simple Jahai huts
Jahai huts, characteristic of the Semang Orang Asli people, exemplify the widespread use of bamboo as a material for floors…
Determining cardinal points by trees
Determining cardinal points by trees in Southern African savannas (Southern Hemisphere) is a standard procedure. It is helpful in case…
Jungle footwear for Southeast Asia, Part 3
As the topic of jungle footwear is quite an extensive one, it was split up into three articles. The first…
Borneo Blowpipes Part 2: From Rough Bore to Deadly Weapon – Spear Tips, Aiming Sights & Traditional Use
The first part of this article concentrated on the production of the rough blowpipe. The second part describes how to…
Soapbush – a versatile junglecraft plant
Soapbush (Miconia crenata) is also called Koster’s curse, or, due to its former scientific name (Clidemia hirta), Hairy clidemia in…
Bubble Green Seaweed on tropical coastlines
On many tropical seashores, green, jelly-filled bubbles can be found. They are either single bubbles or club-shaped bubbles originating from…
