Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Walking in a swamp, bog or swamp can be challenging, so it is important to be able to understand the terrain and determine how to navigate effectively. While you are likely to have to cross the swamp on foot due to some emergency, there are other recreational reasons. For example, hiking, hunting, searching for rare species, camping or crossing. In this article, you will learn about the types of swamps and methods, even self-rescue from them.

Steps

1. 1 Identify your swamp, swamp or quagmire. Not all swamps, marshes, or bogs are the same, and some are more dangerous than others to try to get across. Points to consider include depth, animals lurking in the swamp, plants (roots can confuse or drop you), and other potential issues. Some typical marshes and marshes include:
   • Mangrove swamps and swamps are found in tropical coastal areas. This swamp, usually composed of soft mud, is found near river mouths, deltas, bays and along shallow inlets of small islands. Mangroves grow very close to each other and are usually surrounded by stagnant water.Their roots are extremely slippery, steep and curved, and many mangroves create impenetrable root masses. In general, you will find these places difficult to walk and the risk of slipping on root formations is also very high. If the water level is high, you will also not be able to get through this type of swamp. Use a small boat to cross this type of swamp, but remember that you will still have difficulty navigating.
   • The jungle in the swamp or swamp is filled with a large number of hard and thick reeds, which can reach 5 meters in height in areas with high water content. Walking in swampy jungle involves limited visibility from ground level to a few meters up, and the footing will be much less secure than any other jungle surface.
   • The freshwater swamp reaches a depth of half a meter to two meters. In the United States, the largest freshwater lakes are found in the Florida Everglades.
   • Salt bogs form in arid areas and can turn into lakes during the rainy seasons. Due to their salinity, some plants grow in them. They are easily crossed when dry and hard, but during periods of moisture, they can become impenetrable, deep and sticky mud.
   • The swamp is formed by the tide and has a high salt level. They are located on the seashore, in river deltas and tidal zones. They are often covered with grass-like plants rather than shrubs or trees. The main problem of crossing such a swamp is the grass cover. Some of these bogs can be traversed on the surface if they are dense enough. It is similar to walking on a trampoline because the water is below the vegetation. On the other bolts, you need to stretch apart or crawl on your stomach. Salty or brackish swamps are found in the southern United States — anywhere in alligators and water snakes. In order to scare them away, it is necessary to create a lot of noise. If a snake bites you in this area, in some cases your salvation will be almost impossible. This is due to the slow movement in such terrain. Be careful when crossing open water, you may be caught by the tide. Then you will have to swim back, in this case, try to avoid discontinuous currents, strong currents or ebb tides.
   • Sphagnum bog: The source of peat bogs is sphagnum moss. While these bogs appear shallow at the surface, the decay below creates layers of mud into which the traveler not worth hitting. When sphagnum moss covers the entire pond, it is called a "quivering bog". This quagmire trembles and shakes under the feet of the traveler. If you get stuck in a shaking quagmire and sink below the mud, "salvation is nearly impossible." If the water below the bog is very deep and there is only sphagnum on the surface, you will not be able to grab onto anything to pull yourself out. The peat bogs contain the remains of animals and even people who have fallen into them, preserved in an impeccable condition for centuries, thanks to the acids of the bog. Know how to identify this type of swamp and stay away from it!
2. 2 Be aware that you can drown in swamps, bogs and swamps as easily as in any other body of water, even if it is shallow. This is due to the soft nature of the silt beneath the water formations, which can get very deep if you start sinking into it. In addition, bogs may appear harmless, but hide deep water under layers of peat.
3. 3 Know the animals that can lurk in swamps, bogs and swamps. If you are in a country with a lot of snakes, be careful. Most likely, these snakes use swamps and swamps to move. Swamps, swamps and bogs also attract insects. Be sure to stock up on plenty of insect repellent and practice good personal hygiene so that body odor does not accumulate, which can attract insects.To prevent leeches from reaching your body, tie the bottom of your legs with belts.
   • And prepare carefully to know if there are alligators or crocodiles in this water! Some bodies of water are too dangerous due to the local wildlife to pass them.
4. 4 Dress for a walk in the swamp. There are several options for footwear for the swamp, ranging from bare feet to boots or boots; the choice will depend on the type of swamp and security needs. You will also need a hat to protect your head from the sun, and if there are a lot of insects, you will need a head net for protection.
   • Wear a loose shirt with long sleeves, buttons at the collar and cuffs.
   • Paul Tawrell, author of the great book Camping & Wilderness Survival, recommends wearing Vietnamese jungle boots when walking in the swamp. ... He says this type of boot is lightweight, durable, and has a mesh opening for water that gets inside.
   • You can walk barefoot, but only if you know the depth of the swamp, the presence of dangerous animals, insects, tangles, etc. Any roots, reeds, or debris (including old fencing) are dangerous to the barefoot hiker, as are snakes, leeches, worms (in flooded areas of the world) and even some fish. If you are walking barefoot, it is much easier to dislocate your ankle or break your toe, entangled in root formations.
   • Follow the example of duck hunters. Wear thigh-high boots or waders down to your chest as you cross the swamp. You do not mustbut it will be better that way.
   • If the weather is warm enough, you can wear jeans and an old pair of sneakers, but not what you plan to wear on your next date!
5. 5 Explore. If you do not need to urgently cross a swamp or bog in an emergency, take your time and study the swamp you intend to pass. Find local people and ask them what they know about this swamp. Ask anyone else who has crossed this swamp what advice they can give you. If it is often used, for example, for hunting, then you will find many people who have dealt with it.
   • Search the Internet for more information about a bog, bog, or swamp. If it is a swamp series, check out travel books or guidebooks that include methods for crossing them.
   • If you are in a national park or any other state-owned nature reserve, a corporation is a non-profit organization, their messages, maps, advice and warnings. They will know the area better than you and will be able to quickly bring you up to speed.
   • Ask your local tourism club for information on crossing the swamp. They may have reseeded it on their hikes or have warnings about it.
   • Find a detailed map of the area and see how the terrain is changing. It would be nice to have a compass with you.
   • Take your guide with you. What better way than discovering a new swamp or quagmire with a guide that knows how to cross it?
6. 6 Take advantage of the boardwalk. If there are boardwalks, stay on them as you walk through the swamps. There are several good reasons to use them - to protect you and your camping equipment, to protect fragile plants growing in swamps, marshes and bogs, and to direct pedestrian traffic in a way that will cause minimal overall impact.
7. 7 Go with a buddy. All fun on the water is safer with a friend. You may be in trouble if something goes wrong with your solitary outdoor activity. Take a companion or several with you and share your knowledge with them.
8. 8 Know how to check depth. If you do not know the depth of the water, use any means at hand, such as a cane, branch, or any other element that will at least allow you to determine the depth of the water. Naturally, if the depth is more than human height, you should abandon the crossing on foot.
9. 9 Remember to always study the terrain you are walking. If there is a body of water near the marsh, you can be sure that there will be solid soil on the ridge of the bank, although it can also be muddy. Land on the shore opposite a lake, bay or stream usually holds water and is often soft.
   • Step on vegetation and root pods while walking. They will not be able to hold you for long and will begin to dive, but they will be able to hold you until your next step.
   • Avoid muddy soil if you haven't tested it. It is often a sandy base, but in many tidal areas it practically becomes free-flowing sand.
   • Inspect areas that have cattail or common reeds, as they usually help the person moving through the area.
   • Be aware that when crossing ditches and streams in swamps where water flows, you will find that the center of the stream is very stable. Most of the time they will have sandy or gravel bottoms. The challenge is to determine how deep the soft edges of the silt stream are before you get to the firm middle. The opposite side of the firm middle usually reflects the soft side you just passed through. If you make it to the middle, you will most likely successfully cross the entire swamp.
10. 10 Use the right hiking technology. The secret of passing the swamp, besides reading the terrain, lies in the correct technology:
    • Take your second step before you will complete the first, almost as if you are sliding instead of walking. If you try to walk on the bolt in the same way as on the ground, then you will try to take steps and wait until you reach the lowest point of the swamp and only then step again, waiting for a stable foundation. Then, as you try to lift your first leg, you will realize that you are sucked in and you cannot pull the leg out. In fact, you have shifted too much weight on one leg while walking, and when you try to reach your other leg, you realize that it is stuck too. Ultimately, you will be able to reach your legs and move on, but this kind of walking is very exhausting.
    • So, remember to take the second step before the first step reaches its lowest point. As the second step starts to descend, raise the first. Repeat the process. It takes a little skill and leg fitness, but if you don't have that, what the hell are you doing on a hike through the swamp?
11. 11 Use natural markers. After you've discussed the swamp, use natural markers such as trees to mark passable areas. After a while, you will get used to it and will travel through the swamps like traveling on land.
12. 12 Know what to do if you start drowning in a swamp. Rescuing a drowning person in a swamp, swamp or quagmire is the same as drowning in quicksand - in fact, contrary to popular belief, quicksand is rarely found in desert areas, they are found mainly in swamps or near rivers and lakes. ... Here's what to do if you're caught in quicksand, sinking into mud or swamp:
    • Do not panic, do not fight or spin. All these actions are guaranteed to pull you to the bottom even faster.
    • Do not try to lift one leg, as your body weight will shift to the other and you will begin to sink even deeper.
    • Fall on your hands and knees. Sure, you will be wet and muddy, but this is better than the alternative to being hopelessly stuck or sinking into mud or quicksand. The surface area created by your hands, knees, and feet will help distribute the weight more evenly across the surface of the swamp, as this area is much wider than just your feet. If you feel that the dirt beneath you is too soft and you are still sinking even after falling to a crawl position, lie down completely and be prepared to move only one part of your body at a time.The human body is less dense than quicksand, so by striving to be a "float" you reduce danger to trouble. ref> David Borgenicht and Trey Popp, The Worst-Case Scenario Almanac: Great Outdoors, p. 57, (2007), ISBN 0-8118-5827-8 / ref>
    • Imagine that you are a snake and make snake-like movements to try to "swim" out of the sinking swamp area. Go back to where you came from.
13. 13 Know how to remove a leech and get tested on other aquatic animals. When you come out of a swamp, swamp or quagmire, you may have some guests on you. Perform a quick body check to remove the leeches. If you are walking in an area known for disease vectors, know what to do to remove them or prevent them from sticking to your body (ask local doctors before walking or read related information).

Tips

• Consider getting around the swamp if there are reasonable alternatives. For the most part, if you are not familiar with the swamp and the swamp crossing method, it is probably best to find a path that avoids the swamp. Naturally, this is not always possible, but look for this opportunity before you decide to cross the swamp.
• Some places offer guides for crossing the marshes so that you can see rare species of plants and animals. If you are a beginner, this can be a good way to learn about the nature of the swamp and the specific techniques required.
• Anything you carry through the swamp should be wrapped in waterproof bags or covers. This is especially important if you are going to camp so that your tent, sleeping bags and other fishing gear do not get wet if they accidentally fall into the swamp.

Warnings

• Don't do it alone, never. Always have at least one companion with you. It is advisable that one of you has knowledge of outdoor activities and safety.
• Swamp water can be polluted. Try not to drink it. If you eat beavers downstream, the water can be contaminated from their urine, which can transmit tularemia.
• Swamp walking can be very dangerous. We have alerted you to the possible dangers described above. You need to know what you are doing and have a good outdoor experience before you go hiking through the swamp.

What do you need

• Boots, waders, matching clothing.
• Insect repellent, mesh, hat.
• Measuring instruments (cane, branch, etc.)
• Waterproofing for devices
• Compass / GPS (optional, but important if you are hiking or staying off the beaten track)
• Companion