PD Army Museum 19March2011

If there is one place you must visit in PD, it is the Army Museum.

It has been some time since our last visit and this time around we were accompanied by 40 children from Kapar Kidz.

Choo...chooo...chuggg...chugg....The train even had smoke billowing out for added effect. The train's whistle and chugging was so real that Ean refused to go anywhere near it.

We were pleasantly surprised to see booths set up and soldiers manning them. A week long exhibition was being held during the school break, what luck!

The boys didn't expect the guns to be so heavy.

Han, the one that makes guns out of anything from branches to drift wood and rocks, held the real rifle for a moment and quickly placed it back and ran off to the next exhibit.

Firefighting gear.

Fai noticed that the harness and accessories were similar to the ones used for rock climbing. He had gone rock climbing a few days earlier during the hot-air balloon carnival in Putrajaya.

A few nights ago, during Ean's daily dose of Maisy's Fire Engine, one of his must-reads, he said that he wanted to go on the fire engine - looks like another visit to the fire station.

I liked this display of knots.

Army food in mesh tin to sample (left) Have a look at their menu (right).

JY found their rations interesting, especially the sardines as she could feel the fish inside

We were given two horseshoes as souveniers.

Ean who likes to say "Neigh, I want some hay" could see what real hay looked like.

Minesweeper with one arm blown off.

What a treat it was to go for an armour joy ride on a Armoured Personnel Carrier. We paid RM1 per person, went into the APC, climbed up to the top and was taken for a ride around the barracks. It was bumpy and fast. We enjoyed every moment of it.

Setting up a trap for larger animals such as deer.

Smaller animals such as squirrels and jungle fowl had loops that snared their neck or feet rather than being impaled by spikes. All rather brutal but the kids now had an idea what was required to survive in the jungle.

A python and a frog.

Using a blade and a rock to start a fire. It took quite a while and a lot of effort. The hardest rock is required for the job. The hardest rock is usually found at the bottom of the riverbed.

A whitish wool-like substance was scrapped off the bark of a palm tree to use as a fire starter.

Smoked meat can keep for months.

Smoked monkey anyone?

Next to the monkey is the white wool-like substance used as a firestarter and above it, a more palatable chicken and fish.

When setting base in the jungle, look out for tiger or elephant tracks. If detected, sleep on a high-rise condo style. The tiger is sure to pay you a visit the moment it detects your foreign odour...the soldier sniffed his armpits as he said this.

The rattan ring that was used to secure the 2 pieces of wood was similar to the ring that JY bought in Miri, Sarawak.

JY was surprised to see her ring being used on a trap.

The traps demonstrated were similar to the ones we had seen before in the Orang Asli Museum. Seeing the traps in use by the army was eye-opening.

This outreach programme by the Malaysian Armed Forces was very educational and enjoyable.