Then the family eats directly below the tree and takes home the rest. Adults carry up to 30 kg of durians in baskets made from rattan. Sometime they carry such a load for 5 hours, walking in deep mud through dense vegetation. During the dry season, the fruits become sparse and Mentawai men hunt monkeys, deers, birds, frogs and wild boars to supplement their diet of sago pit and taro. Trapping is also used for all but monkeys.
Women fish the rivers with small nets.
They usually catch small fish and delicious fresh water shrimps. Sometimes the jungle is almost impenetrable. The vegetation is thick, and walking into thigh deep mud isn't uncommon. The rivers even if not navigable by boat offer the best trails to cover long distances between jungle houses. In this environment, walking with shoes is impossible due to the mud.