The Peruvian Amazon Jungle with its abundant plant life, wildlife, and harsh elements proved to be an ideal location for ASD’s outdoor lifestyles section to make its first stop. A demanding mission trip provided a great opportunity to test some of the latest high tech apparel and gear. Combining scouting's motto "Be Prepared" and the slogan "Do a Good Turn Daily," ASD conducted an extensive gear review, while teaming up with Amazon Medical Missions to help bring clean drinking water to the villagers of the rainforest. Read on to discover how you can be prepared to do a good turn daily.

The Gear – "Be Prepared"

In extreme weather conditions it becomes a necessity to pack gear that will serve you well. Lightweight quick-drying clothing and protection from the sun were my primary concerns for my day to day outfits. The following apparel and gear are ASD’s top picks for this environment.

We could not wait to test Exofficio’s BUZZ OFF™ line to see if it would ward off the monster-sized mosquitoes we encountered. This was a difficult thing to test, and my plan was to wear the Exofficio BUZZ OFF™ clothing without the use of bug spray. BUZZ OFF™ worked well with the big guys. Each time a mosquito landed on the sleeve of my shirt all eyes were on the critter to see if BUZZ OFF™ would "buzz him off." All was well regarding insect repellency until we arrived at Berlin, which was later dubbed Chiggerville by the crew. In Chiggerville, BUZZ OFF™ needed a little help with the noseeums so I broke down and slipped on my Bug Bands™. These wristbands look like the popular Lance Armstrong wristbands and repel insects through a combination of Geraniol, mint, and rosemary. They are Deet-free and a safe choice for scouts. I went all out in Chiggerville - I had the bands on my ankles and wrists, and would have loved one to go around my neck like a flea collar. Once outfitted with the Bug Bands™ and BUZZ OFF™, I was thoroughly protected.

Columbia Sportswear Silver Ridge™ convertible pants, and UPF 30+™ shirt and Booney hat became our jungle gear in less mosquito-infested situations. Mike Dempsey, founder of Amazon Medical Missions, made Columbia his official outfit. After seven years being in the backwoods, so to speak, Mike has learned to make do with what is available for apparel. There aren’t too many Outdoor Retailers that serve this area. A little hesitant, Mike appeared the first day in his Columbia head to toe. He was pleased with the sun protection as well as the design of the apparel, including the zip-off pants, lightweight long sleeves, and numerous pockets. He loved Columbia so much he wore it exclusively, and I don’t know if he ever washed his outfits during the trip.

Royal Robbins became our jungle dinner attire. The Royal Robbins line certainly performs as well technically as the others – it just seamed too nice to wear in the jungle. Its quick-drying features and stylish design made a perfect outfit for nights on the deck of the 72-foot boat that served as our home, dinning hall, and transportation as we traveled 200 miles up the Amazon and its tributaries. The Royal Robbins line also was the perfect crossover attire from the Lima and Iquitos airports to the jungle.

Does it rain in the rainforest? It rains daily! There are always clouds on the horizon and normally you’ll see a shower of rain, especially in the afternoon. Mountain Hardware’s Epic Jacket, with its Conduit™ Silk, helped me weather the daily showers. I was really pleased with its performance. I have since used it in high wind conditions and it is excellent for that purpose as well. As you might imagine, in 95-degree humid weather a rain suit could be quite uncomfortable and hot, but the combination of lightness, durability, waterproofness, and breathability provided maximum performance at minimum weight. I never felt uncomfortable in the Epic Jacket even as the humidity was at a peak after the afternoon showers.

I took two pairs of coverings for my feet. My Dunham Waffle Stompers were used tromping thru the mud to the villages along the Amazon. My pair was red and matched my Mountain Hardware jacket, so I was quite pleased to be so color-coordinated in that neck of the woods. Mike was insistent that we did not bring jungle mud and gunk aboard the mission boat, so my Teva Rydeckers functioned well on board. The Rydecker makes a great boat shoe, though it’s designed more for river sports such as kayaking and canoeing. It is a true hybrid that provides the surefooted traction of a shoe, as well as the 360 degree drainage system of a sandal. Fox River was kind enough to provide all my boot socks for the trip.

Daypacks were essential gear since we carried all the items we needed for our days working in the villages. Everything from water, rain gear, lunch snacks, cameras, and Burt’s Beeswax™ lip balm were in our packs. Timberland packs were the choice of the women in the crew. My choice was the 14 ounce Golite Dawn pack for its lightweight durability and extreme stylishness.

The next time you decide to take a trip to an area such as the Peruvian rainforest be sure to pack the best. Many thanks to all the companies that supplied us with gear for this trip. You should be happy to know that your PR dollars are hard at work as the bulk of our gear was left in the rainforest.

The Mission – "To Do a Good Turn Daily"

Three thousand miles away, deep in the Amazon jungle, a six-year-old boy woke up this morning on a dirty floor, put on his only pair of clothes, and climbed into his dugout canoe. Alone, he’ll row about a mile up the piranha-infested Maniti River to cut down some sugarcane for his family. When we met him on such a day, he was almost home, and although we were holding back tears for him, he was content to throw his goods over his shoulder and continue on his way. There are over 300,000 children like him, whose entire lives center around daily survival. Disease and parasites run rampant in countless villages where people drink from the same river they use to bathe and wash clothes. Eighty percent of their health problems are related to drinking water from the Amazon River and its tributaries. None of the villages have access to doctors or medicine.

In the land that has been forgotten by the rest of the world, Mike and Susie Dempsey have devoted their lives to improving the lives of others. Eight and a half years ago, they left their home, family, and friends in Georgia to live in the little town of Nina Rumi in the heart of the Amazon jungle. Together, they founded Amazon Medical Missions, a non-profit organization aimed at improving the health and welfare of the people in over 4,000 villages in northern Peru.

To date, with the help of various churches and organizations, they’ve invested over a million dollars in Amazon Medical Missions. With these funds, they and their 35 employees, as well as volunteer groups, have installed 90 wells, built 35 churches, constructed 12 houses for village pastors, and provided medical care for over 140,000 individuals. They have also opened a school for local children in Nina Rumi on the Mission Harbor Campus where they live. They have never charged anyone for any of these services.

Currently, Amazon Medical Missions operates The Chosen Vessel, a 72-foot river barge which houses up to 20 volunteers and 8 staff. The boat allows groups to reach out to the people in the villages. The group trips help generate income to sustain the mission. A typical mission trip includes five nights and six days deep in the Amazon. Four days are spent in the villages doing construction work, digging wells and providing medical care. Often, the people in the villages have not seen a doctor in months or even over a year.

Mike Dempsey is an innovative genius. He has engineered a process in which a well can be built in a day for $1500. One well can provide clean water for over 100 people. In addition, he has designed a housing model that can be constructed in a few days to shelter an entire family for $2000. The families, in turn, raise money for future housing. Mike started out with a vision but no resources, and what he has done in Peru is amazing. The success of Mike’s grand vision comes from his diligent persistence and pioneering methods, as well as his obedience to God’s call and his tremendous faith. We feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet such an inspiring man, and he is truly a spectacular role model for anyone.

While on our mission trip, we attended the dedication of the Harbor House infirmary on the Mission Harbor Campus. The 8,000-square-foot facility will house an Emergency Room and surgical wards and will be staffed by rotating volunteer doctors. As much of the work as possible will be outpatient care. Currently, the closest hospital is in the city of Iquitos, and most of the villagers cannot afford care even if they could get to the hospital. Most patients will travel to Harbor House by water taxi or on foot.

Future plans include the construction of the Chosen Vessel 2. The new 140-foot boat, which has been purchased and is undergoing renovations, will house up to 40 people, have a 300-mile trip radius, and be capable of excursions up to two months long. With this new endeavor, Amazon Medical Missions will be able to take more people to more remote villages for longer periods of time. Mike and Susie are also expanding the campus at Nina Rumi to include adult agricultural and pastoral education.

As we depart from Peru, we realize that while we are going back to the richest nation in the world, that little six-year-old boy will stay in his village. He will continue to live day to day; each one spent dodging snakes and searching out food. In all likelihood, he will always live in abject poverty, but hopefully with the work of Amazon Medical Missions, he’ll have clean water, access to a doctor when he is sick, and a roof over his head at night. We aren’t in the mission field every day, but we can certainly support the efforts of those who are.

For more information on Amazon Medical Missions, please visit www.amazonmedicalmissions.org.