4 MISC. PUBLICATION 568, U. S. DEP'T. OF AGRICULTUEE 



cited which are used as a protection against cold and rain. An ordinary 

 raincoat would be unsuitable. On the other hand, if one were traveling in 

 the Amazon Basin, in British Guiana, or Surinam an umbrella would be 

 more in keeping with local custom and climate. In most of Latin America 

 one must not expect to need field clothes only, because to be acceptable 

 and presentable while in town one must appear in clean clothes, includ- 

 ing coat and tie, regardless of the weather. Here one must watch carefully 

 to see what the local conventions demand. It might be proper to appear 

 on the street without a coat or tie, but usually one is expected to wear 

 them when partaking of meals, even in small villages. In fact, a waiter 

 may refuse to serve a guest who is improperly garbed according to local 

 standards. 



The choice of headgear will be governed not only by personal prefer- 

 ence but also by local usage. In some parts of Latin America, only the 

 poor people use straw hats; those better off financially wear felt hats. 

 In some places (British Guiana) a sun helmet is inconspicuous, because 

 everybody has one; but the same headgear elsewhere (Amazon) might 

 appear quite ridiculous to the populace. In fact, the use of such a hat 

 might even cause offense on the pretext that the wearer was intimating 

 that the local sun was dangerous to health. 



The question of field shoes also must be decided by the individual. 

 Much depends, again, upon the type of country to be visited. For moun- 

 tainous or rocky terrain, some collectors prefer heavy shoes with hob- 

 nails. The hobnails might, however, prove to be dangerous for climbing- 

 over smooth, or slippery, rocks. In such places, rubber-soled tennis 

 shoes, or high-topped shoes of moccasin type with composition soles, 

 will give better footing. The same advantage can be had with ordinary 

 shoes by nailing small strips of bicycle tire to the soles. Many collectors 

 prefer to wear heavy, laced, or riding, boots, but in humid climates the 

 feet will become hot and uncomfortable in them. 



The food in out-of-the-way places may not always be palatable, and 

 the collector who expects to travel for as long as 8 months, in regions 

 where a balanced diet is impossible, will do well to carry a supply of 

 vitamin tablets in order to prevent deficiency diseases, such as beri beri. 

 Sometimes a wise precaution is to have an emergency stock of concen- 

 trated foods, such as powdered milk, desiccated soup cubes, or pemmican. 



Medical and dental examinations are essential just before leaving on 

 an extended trip. Any special remedies and medicines can then be pre- 

 scribed by the doctor. Certificates to prove recent vaccination against 

 smallpox and inoculations for typhoid are required everywhere, and a 

 number of countries demand similar certificates for yellow fever. Some 

 travelers also take injections against tetanus and typhus. 



The ordinary small first-aid kit will be sufficient for most short trips 

 and should always be carried. A small first-aid manual is also valuable. 

 Additional medicinal supplies and remedies will depend upon the length 

 of the journey, the kind of travel, the nature of the country, and other 

 circumstances. Special chlorine tablets are indispensable when the 

 purity of drinking water is questionable, and some sort of remedy for 

 dysentery should be on hand. If one carries a snake-bite kit, he should 

 make certain that the antivenom is specific for the snakes of the country 

 to be visited. Actually the danger of being bitten by a dangerous snake 

 is remote. The average person thinks of the Tropics as a region swarm- 

 ing with deadly snakes ready to attack the unwary traveler; but, as a 



