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into its back, and rubbed the notch rapidly up and down against the edge of another piece of split bamboo. Some tinder is held inside the notched piece, in contact with the notch, and the heat generated by friction causes the tinder to ignite. Mel not only cut and split the bamboo, but had a fire going in less time than it takes for some people to reach for a cigarette lighter.
We were also shown how to make bamboo "pressure cookers" from green bamboo, bamboo towls, spoons, forks and chopsticks—all the comforts of home. Now, I thought, if we only had something to eat with these utensils. My stomach rumbled. The stuffed bat was starting to sound much more palatable.
Night Shelters-We hiked farther into the jungle and, toward evening, Mel selected a site for our overnight camp. We set to work building our sleeping shelters, which were to be 18 inches off the ground and have hardwood corner posts, plus a bamboo sleeping platform and an A-frame support for ponchos to create the roof. The entire shelter was to be tied together with vines—no rope, no fishing line, no boot laces allowed.
I elected to soften my bed with all the trimmings from the bamboo I had cut in order to build my sleeping platform. Being a 6-footer, and weighing a little over 200 pounds, I decided to use the biggest and sturdiest materials I could find to build my "hooch." Because of its size and extrava¬gance of padded sleeping platform, my fel¬low JESTers referred to it as the "Olono-gapo Hilton." Be that as it may, from the moans and groans I heard during the night, I'd say the added trouble to make a browse mattress was well worth the effort.
I've spent enough nights outside to know that anything you do to make yourself more comfortable is a bargain in the long run. Anyone who has ever awakened tired and sore after a night of being gouged by rocks or branches knows exactly what I mean.
That Bat-
After we completed our hooches, we practiced skills we had learned. We set snares, built fires, and made eating utensils. I was beginning to wonder, though, whether we'd ever get the chance to use our bowls and chopsticks. That bat back in the classroom was looking even more appetizing.
A little later, the Negritos used spears made of bamboo to gather fish for our dinner. They filled a stringer with pan-sized fish in a matter of minutes. My stomach felt a little better. As the sun set, we put the fish into our bamboo pressure cookers, along with potatos and onions and rice that the Negritos had brought along.
In about 20 minutes we were feasting on
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74 May/1985 American Survival Guide
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