Eating and Foraging for Survival

It is easy to become lost and disoriented in the deep woods, especially if unfamiliar with the terrain. Even if you can request assistance (personal locator beacon, cellphone {iffy at best}, smoke signals, etc, it might be days before help can arrive. The three day hike with enough food and water to last for four days is now growing thin.

This is when basic survival training comes in play. The military likes to teach it during SEAR (Search, Evade And Rescue) training. There many edible sources of food in the wilderness. There are also many things that can make you very ill or even kill you. Knowing even the most basic information can keep you alive that extra 12-, 24-, 36- hours for assistance to arrive. As gross as it might sound, worms and grubs available by using a survival tool in the ground are a good source of protein and energy. But you want to be careful about which ones you eat and even where you dig them up.

You will also needs drinkable water. That is discussed in more detail in the section Water and Proper Hydration, so please read more on that page.

Wilderness Survival Books and References
The following books and references have not all been personally reviewed. Based on reviews by others, you should consider one or more as a study guide.

Wilderness Survival Tools and Equipment

One item that might be useful in a survival situation is Automatic Fishing Lines/Hooks. A word of caution, before using these in any situation that is not life & death, check local regulations. These may be illegal statewide or just in the park/recreation area you are in. And obey all local laws and regulations. Automatic Fishing is in some areas considered unfair gamesmanship and have stiff penalties if caught using – or maybe being in the possession of the equipment. These are provided only as a reference for information and research.