Every now and then, it does our city-dwelling souls some good to go outdoors and take a hike, or go exploring in one of our many lush forests. However, these two men took jungle trekking to a whole other unnecessarily extreme level, when they decided to attempt ‘surviving’ in a Kuantan rainforest for three weeks… naked.
According to Daily Mail, two Caucasian males in their 20s – Daniel Olifi and James Moynihan – wanted to see if they could conquer the ‘challenge’ of living in ‘rural Malaysia’, and to up the stakes, they decided to go without a stitch of clothing as well. Together on the count of 3…2…1… *facepalm*.
Source: LADbible
The challenge kicked off in October last year (2018), after the duo got inspired by watching TV survival programmes. The only necessities they took with them were a flint rock, machete, mosquito net, metal water pot and first aid kit.
With little to no preparation prior to entering the rainforest, the pair ran out of water within hours, and weren’t able to find much in the way of food. They were also constantly bitten by mosquitoes, and suffered from hypothermia and dehydration as well. Talk about sendiri cari pasal…
Moynihan and Olifi eating worms | Source: LADbible
In video diaries recorded over the span of the adventure, Olifi said: “It was scary at times. Going to sleep at night, for all you know a snake might get in your shelter and you might not wake up the next morning. You can really step on a snake at any point and not know it, or hypothermia can get you. You realise ‘Damn! This is how idiots die in the wild and are never found’. ”
He added that they did it without clothes, to “show that it can be done”, and that they wanted to show that anybody can “push themselves to the limit to a point beyond giving up in a primal situation”. We would personally call it a death wish, but hey, free will right?
During the time they ran out of water, the duo had to be separated temporarily so that Moynihan could look for water while Olifi stayed behind to build a shelter that could shield them from an impending thunderstorm. However, he tumbled down a ravine, and sliced his hand open with a machete, which he then tried to seal with – (get this) – superglue. To no one’s surprise whatsoever, the wound got increasingly painful, and by the next morning they were forced to leave the wilderness to hitch a ride to a nearby hospital.
Source: LADbible
You’d think that would convince anyone else in their sane mind to give up this quest, but instead Olifi and Moynihan returned to the rainforest. For the next 18 days, they subsisted on bugs and berries, which caused them to eventually lose a combined total of 20kg. Along the way, the condition of Olifi’s hand worsened, and began to rot. As for Moynihan, he showed signs of early on-set hypothermia, as there would sometimes be nightly thunderstorms that left them soaked and shivering.
The shelter | Source: LADbible
On their final day, the men left the rainforest through a stream and were able to trek for a few miles on a dirt path, before their legs gave out on them. Luckily for them, they were able to find a passing car that gave them a lift to a village nearby. Before returning to England, they spent a few days in Kuala Lumpur binging on chips, cookies, pizzas and burgers while they recovered from their ‘ordeal’.
Despite the experiences they endured, Moynihan did not regret the experience, saying, “Everyone will face life-and-death situations, but it’s normally not planned. And most people wouldn’t choose to put themselves in that situation. I have, and I can tell you that Malaysia was the most rewarding gamble I’ve ever taken because now I can say I’ve felt what it’s like to have lived.”
Source: GIPHY
We have quite a lot of thoughts about these two young men’s adventure, but we’d rather sit back and let you guys sound off in the comments below! What do you think of this, and would you ever try something similar yourself?
Also read: UK Scientists Accused of Smuggling Blue Tarantula Species From Sarawak & M’sians Are Angry
