Hone Your Foraging Skills!
There’s an awful lot of information going around these days about prepping, survival and SHTF scenarios. I’ve heard and read from many people who just love to talk about their plans and what they would do in a possible societal-collapse situation. Most of them, however, would have trouble surviving in the wild, even in an excellent location where resources are plentiful! It’s one thing to read books and blogs about survival, but living off the land is not something you should want to walk into without any real-world experience! I’ve spent a few years of my life alone in the forests and woods of Northeastern North America, over time- and I’ll tell you straight up: I would be scared if my situation were suddenly survive-or-die, from now on.
The bottom line is: It’s very easy to make plans, but it’s harder to put those plans to use when you really need them. As with so many things, PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!
I came up with a little challenge-type of game to play with the family, since we go camping and hiking often. The intention here is to sharpen your plant identification skills and build confidence in the wild, should any of us ever be stuck in a real survival situation.
The game is simple: Find Food. In the immediate area, we all look around for edibles we could use, if we were stranded in that very spot with no supplies. We don’t typically eat the edibles we find; since there’s no actual need to harvest these wild edibles, we don’t want to impact the environment unnecessarily by consuming those resources. It’s extremely valuable however to practice identification, recognize where certain plants are growing, what’s available at different times of the year, etc. Usually, we play this while camping, and there’s literally ALWAYS useful things to be found in the immediate area. We’ve also expanded the game to include non-food items, like good firestarting, fishing or trapping materials. In all, it’s just a simple and fun way to learn from each other and from Nature.
What follows is an illustrated set of examples found during one of these games, as well as some tips for where to look for certain things. The local environment, weather and season of the year are variables to keep in mind of course, and the availability of edibles in the wild will differ accordingly! These are just examples, from Northern Delaware, in mid-July (with mentions of other edibles that aren’t in season at this time).
The first noticeable thing is, right across from the campsite is a stand of pine trees.
*The inner bark (cambium layer) of pines is edible! Carefully shave the outer bark from a square of tree trunk, and use a knife to peel the inner fibrous bark away from the living wood in strips. Do so in 6” square patches, on different trees- this minimizes any negative impact to the trees’ health (peeling bark all the way around a tree will kill it!). The cambium can be eaten raw, but it’s best toasted over a fire. Some thin pieces will toast to a pleasant crispness.
*Pine seeds (nuts) still in the cones. Pine seeds are generally tiny, except for a few specific species. The tiny seeds can be a pain to collect- and definitely a chore if you want to get a decent serving! Lots of work for little reward might save your life though, so it’s still a good thing to know.
*Fallen trees and logs that are not freshly dead are likely to be riddled with grubs. Gross, I know- but proteins that can’t eat YOU are too valuable to overlook in a survival situation. Breaking apart soft rotten wood isn’t very hard work, and grubs are full of proteins your body will need if you’re in a survival situation! Some cultures eat grubs on a regular basis as part of their diet, but their taste is not likely to win many fans in North America. Cut the heads off and swallow the rest whole- if it keeps you alive, it’s worth the effort.
*Especially in low-lying, humid and wet environments, you’ll often find ferns around the bottom of pine trees. Look along streambanks in shady areas, too. Fiddleheads, or the new shoots of ferns (still curled in a spiral), are delicious! At this young stage, they’re tender and super-nutritious too! You can cook them like other greens, but they’re great raw with other wild foods.
*Plantain- yes, the weed that grows everywhere! The leaves and seed stalks are both edible. A relative of spinach, young leaves are likewise good raw and older leaves are best cooked. Seed stalks can also be boiled, much like pod beans or asparagus.
*Along the dirt road leading to the camp spot, there’s patches of raspberry canes. In June and July, when raspberries are in season, the berries are an obvious treat; but from Spring into the Autumn, young leaves can also be steeped for tea. In addition to trace minerals and vitamin content, hot tea is also a comforting factor; the psychological benefit is worth much when you’re stranded and alone.
*Blackberry-These can be found along the railroad tracks and similar areas, fruiting from mid to late summer.
*Hickory nuts (Autumn)- you’ll need to work to get these suckers open, as the hulls are quite solid and hard. Keep safety in mind when attempting to open hard-shelled nuts of any sort; don’t use a knife to try and split or chop them. Crack them between rock surfaces, or against rock with a hammer, the back side of an axe- you get the idea. The nutmeats will also have to be picked out in pieces with a small screwdriver.
*Acorns (Autumn)- these nuts from the many species of oak trees must be processed before consumption. They’re easy to crack, but high tannin levels in the raw nuts as they are will be bitter and inedible. Break each nut into at least two pieces and soak in water for at least a few hours to leach some of the tannins away. *Do not drink the water; toss it away and replace with fresh water every few hours when you taste-test..
*Black Walnuts (Autumn)- As with hickory nuts, these suckers are hard to open. And, as with acorns- they’re quite bitter when raw and fresh. Most recommendations require a drying/curing period in-shell for eating these; but in the case of immediate survival, they can be soaked like acorns until palatable.
*Clover flowers- In Spring and into the Summer, these flowers are a favorite of rabbits, woodchucks and other rodents. Flowers can be eaten raw, added fresh to hot soup with other wild edibles, or prepared as a pleasant tea.
*Mayapple- Fruiting time for these can be from May to late June. A treat beloved by raccoons; they’re a little sour, but they’ll certainly do in a survival situation. Discard the skin and mash the fruit around with your tongue to separate the seeds- spit these out and swallow the fruit pulp.
*Dandelion is an easy identification to make, and you’ll find them almost anywhere! Some other weeds and herbs have similar leaves, but their flowers are obvious and bloom off and on from Spring through Fall. Both flowers and leaves can be eaten, and the root can be brewed into what’s often referred to as a “coffee substitute”. Young leaves can be eaten raw, but older and larger leaves will be bitter and tough. It’s best to cook them as you would greens at home- boiling is not so hard if you have fire and a suitable container for cooking. Dandelion “coffee” is made by roasting the roots and either brewing or infusing as you would tea. Again, tea is a great comfort factor in the wild. There’s no caffeine in this brew, but it will hydrate you and provide trace minerals and vitamins. Every bit will help!
*Chicory is another plant that grows much like the dandelion around here- you can find it almost anywhere. Their pretty light purple-blue flowers are another easy identification to make, blooming in the Summer. From Spring through Autumn, the leaves can be eaten, but they’re all best if cooked. Some outdoorsmen recommend changing the water at least once as they cook to help reduce that bitterness. The roots can also be prepared the same way as dandelion root, for a drink of tea.
*Maple trees can be both a source of food and hydration. In late Summer to early Fall, those classic helicopters will be spinning down to the ground everywhere. The seeds can be eaten raw or cooked. Taste can vary between species and even between individual trees; some may contain too much tannin to be palatable raw (like acorns) and so cooking them and changing the water a few times may be necessary.
Maple syrup might be the first thing that comes to mind with these trees, but the process of making syrup and sugar is a long and tedious one, requiring too much time, energy and resources to be applied practically in a survival situation. You can benefit greatly however, from the raw product maple syrup comes from: Maple Sap! In late Winter, trees can be tapped (this time of year, the trees have an abundance of sap flow) and the resultant fluid needs no boiling or sterilization, provided it was collected into a clean container. In addition to trace minerals and vitamins, a slight sweetness to this maple water makes it a special treat.
That’s 15 food items to be had easily (more or less, anyway), just at one random campsite. Some other ideas to consider here as far as sustenance are:
*Check the trash cans! You probably don’t want to eat anything from the garbage yourself, but you may find bits of food that can be used as bait for a snare or for fishing. The dregs from a bottle of liquor could be enough to clean a nasty cut before it gets badly infected. The thick bottoms of beer bottles can be knapped, stone-age style, into arrowheads. Trash can be treasure.
*Local food sources you’re looking for are also food sources for wildlife. Edible berries and fruits especially will be a favorite of local birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and the like. Any of these would be fantastic sources of protein in a survival situation. I’ve even found turtles beneath patches of raspberries, munching on low-hanging fruits! Set snares around areas with these food sources to catch squirrels and other rodents, and rig up a net trap for birds.
*Worms and grubs may not be especially appetizing, but they’ll catch you a bigger prize: Fish! People spend a whole lot of money on these same creepy-crawlies, just to catch a few fish to throw back. A fishing kit in your survival gear is an absolute MUST- a few hooks, line and sinkers at minimum. In most places of the world, fish can be caught at any time of the year. Our extended rules of the game include other useful items for survival situations, like good fire-starting materials. Here’s a few things we found easily, right here at this particular campsite:
*Cedar tree. The outer bark of the cedar tree, and the smaller branches on the trunk, tend to stay dry even in light rain. These make a great fire starter. This particular cedar also has a hole in it, which is full of very dry wood bits- the result of insects or perhaps a rodent making a nest. Always be smart- don’t go sticking your hands into random holes in tree trunks, of course. If any critters are home, you can’t blame them for biting the big grabby hand that’s suddenly in their bedroom!
*Pine resin. At just about any campsite, you’ll find trees with random axe-chop damage to the trunks. Joe Shmoe comes out in the forest with a six pack and thinks he’s Paul Bunyan, I guess? I don’t know why people do things like this, but at least with pine trees, there’s an upside. When pines sustain damage like this to their bark, sap runs out to cover the wound, much like the way a scab will form over a cut or scratch on your skin. This sap will dry over time, making a crumbly white mess called pine resin. Scrape some off with a knife and add it to a firestarting bundle- it will burn fast, and very hot!
*Axe! While this is not a typical find, it would certainly be a lucky day if one were stranded without tools. Even with a broken handle, it could be used to dig up worms and grubs, scrape bark etc. Always keep your eyes open- you really never know what you’ll find!!
*Tent Stakes. We find these nearly every time we go camping. They’re easy to forget, I guess. We find them laying around, or still stuck in the ground. If you don’t need them for their intended purpose, they can be used in other ways. Bang one into a tree to hang your backpack nice and dry, off the ground; or hang your clothes to dry after getting wet. They can be used as components of snares. Use one to make short work of a rotten stump in search of grubs. Sharpen the bottom end and use it for a makeshift spearhead for hunting. With a little ingenuity, something even as simple as a metal tent stake can help save your life.
*Cordage. Another item campers tend to leave behind! Check the ground around tent-pitching areas, as well as the surrounding trees and brush. You’ll often find pieces of paracord or twine several feet long, still tied to tree branches and trunks. I guess it’s easier to just cut the ties instead of untying the knots?
*Silverware. Metal silverware, whether it’s a fork, knife or spoon- can be absolutely useful. Even a butterknife is better than no knife at all! Forks make great scaling tools when cleaning fish, and spoons, well… didn’t everyone dig in the yard with an old spoon when they were a kid?
*Keys. It may be a lengthy process without grinding tools, but I’ve seen housekeys ground down into very respectable arrowheads. Smaller keys can be fashioned into makeshift fishing lures, and hooks made from clips often found on key rings.
If you have the time and opportunity, play this little game of ours- even if you’re alone. It can’t hurt to practice being a little more aware in any given situation, can it? Try different environments, and ponder what alternative uses objects you find could have if you one day find yourself in that most ancient and raw condition: Survival.
*A Word About Campsites In a SHTF or Survival Scenario: With all the hustle and bustle of society and our dependance upon technology, many of us hold a special place in our hearts for getting away on the weekends to a campground. It’s a chance to unplug and reconnect for a short while with the natural world that’s still around us.
Camping, however, is not much like a real survival situation at all. Even so-called “primitive” campsites will often have amenities and conveniences such as bathroom facilities (toilet paper, that wonderful invention), picnic tables, fire rings, cut and dry firewood, running water, etc. There are other people around, and of course, you had plenty of time to plan and pack your fun weekend out with the family. You’ve got food, water, shelter, fire- everything you need to be almost as comfortable as you are at home.
Most campgrounds... would not be ideal for a long-term stay during a SHTF scenario. Most immediately available resources will be used up fairly quickly. Because these places are designed for recreation, most often they are not situated in a way that would be defensible at all to other survivors that want whatever resources you have. Campgrounds might be worth stopping to scavenge, however, if you happen to be passing through. You never know what campers and hikers will drop or forget- cordage, tent stakes, even good tools! If the campground has facilities, there may also be access to tap water, toilet paper, paper towels, etc.
*Always be sure to properly identify wild foods before consumption, and know your own allergic reactions. A survival situation is not the time to discover that you’re allergic to something. All information contained within this book comes from years of hands-on experience and knowledge passed on.
Hope you’ve enjoyed our little book. If the Sh*t ever does Hit The Fan- best of luck to you! -Spiralhawk
