Foraging For Survival: A Necessary Skill
When it comes to foraging in the wild, there are many different reasons to do so, but it could be a matter of life and death.
For example, a post disaster bugout scenario may have caught you off guard and your prepper food supply is not in reach. Or a bugout or evacuation situation may have extended longer than anticipated and your food supply is gone. No matter the reason, learning how to forage is a skill that you might appreciate one day.
Some preppers may have the advantage of being outdoor enthusiasts or naturalists that are already well versed in bushcraft. Perhaps you’ve been camping your entire life and can immediately spot the difference between a toxic mushroom and an edible mushroom. Or maybe you live in a country setting and you are no stranger to farm-to-table food supply. But many preppers don’t know enough about foraging for survival.
What is Foraging?
Foraging is searching for food resources in the wild. And if you don’t currently have any foraging skills, now is a good time to start acquiring the ability.
Learning how to forage is a great way to reconnect with nature and identify food sources that are found in forests, fields, riverbanks, and even in your own backyard. Foraging is not the ability to magically locate wild blueberry bushes, apple trees, and edible flowers. You’re probably more likely stumble upon mushrooms, and not the edible kind if you’re lacking foraging skills.
Where Can I Forage?
Should you be faced with a bugout or evacuation scenario, you most likely would not be heading deep into a forest. Instead, it could be in the wooded areas near your home. However, you must consider that highly trafficed areas like public parks and local hiking trails, may contain pesticides, herbicides, and other pollutants. You wouldn’t want to eat something that had been sprayed, stepped on, or driven over with a car, not to mention frequented by dogs, ducks, or birds.
Ethics When Foraging
When I think of a bugout situation, I think about food scarcity and collecting food sources to save my life and my family. It’s hard to imagine that any would be concerned about the ethical side of foraging during an emergency. However, there may be some reasons to forage ethically.
For example, if an evacuation situation seems to be ongoing, you won’t want to destroy a food source while you forage. You may need to rely on the regrowth of that same food source. It’s very important to forage sustainably, taking the food supply gradually as to not damage the bush or plant.
Depending on the emergency situation and where you are, you may have to take into consideration other people who are simultaneously foraging for food. Remember, desperate searching for food during food scarcity could spark confrontation.
On the flipside, if you’re foraging during a non-emergency situation such as camping or simply practicing your prepper foraging skills, be sure to research the local regulations, restrictions, and laws in your county or local area. Some plants and bushes may be off limits to foraging.
Familiarize Yourself With the Local Plants
One smart step a prepper can make now is to get familiar with the types of plants that you could find in your local area. That way, you know what you may or may not find during an unexpected emergency. Food sources will vary by region in addition to climate, weather patterns, and seasonal growth. Gaining knowledge about local plant availability also lessens the risk of eating something locally grown that’s poisonous.
Developing Foraging Skills
Once a prepper learns about the types of foraging food sources that are typically available in a specific region, the next step would be to develop a set of foraging skills. Researching and studying plants will help a prepper gain valuable plant identification skills that could be critical to recognizing safe, edible food sources in the wild.
The next step would be to learn how to do the foraging. For example, gain skills to efficiently select and pick edible berries. Learn how to clean or prepare the foraged food source. In this prepper step, perhaps you even practice cooking foraged food sources on your bugout stove or wood fire.
Foraging Tools to Add to Your Prepper Supply
As preppers know, you can’t possibly pack every piece of prepper gear in a bugout bag. However, there are some multi-functional foraging tools that can assist you with collecting food sources in the wild.
Here are some foraging tools to consider:
:: Sturdy bag or basket to hold the collected food
:: Plant guidebook to help identify edible/non-edible foraged foods and plants
:: Thick gloves to protect your hands from thorns or toxins
:: Multipurpose knife like a Swiss Army Knife
:: Garden scissors or small garden shears
:: Insect repellent to protect yourself from bites and stings
:: Bear spray for unexpected visitors
:: Hat, poncho, umbrella, and sunscreen
Identifying Edible and Medicinal Food Sources
As a prepper, you need to know, at a glance, what plants may be edible or poisonous. It’s also a good idea to learn which plants may offer medicinal benefits. The general prepper rule is to simply avoid touching or eating any plant or berry that you’re not sure about.
It is highly suggested that you add a foraging app to your mobile device. Apps provide a great source of foraging information that can help you start learning and gaining skills sooner, not later. When you download the app, you should still have access to information without any WIFI connection. However, when your cell phone loses battery power, be sure you have a printed plant guidebook to use as a back-up.
Some of the ways a plant guide will help you identify plants is through factors such as color, texture, and the shape of the leaves. Educate yourself on foraging and plant identification now to ensure the safety and well-being of your family later.
Examples of Foraged Wild Edibles
Depending on your local area, here are some wild edibles that you may find while foraging:
:: Acorns
:: Blackberries
:: Blueberries
:: Chestnuts
:: Clover
:: Dandelion
:: Elderberries
:: Hazelnuts
:: Morels
:: Mulberries
:: Pine nuts
:: Purslane
:: Raspberries
:: Wild garlic
:: Wild grapes
:: Wild herbs
:: Wild mint
:: Wild ramp
:: Wood Sorrel
:: Yarrow
Remember, when you’re unsure whether a foraged food is edible or non-edible, don’t eat it. You should always positively identify the plant, fruit, or mushroom before consuming it. And you should know which foraged foods need special processing to make them edible (like acorns).
Examples of Non-Edibles
Learning what NOT to eat or touch should be a first step to foraging.
Here are just a few non-edibles to avoid when foraging:
:: Death Cap mushroom
:: Destroying Angel mushroom
:: Fly Agaric mushroom
:: Foxglove
:: Holly berries
:: Horse Nettle
:: Jerusalem cherries
:: Lily of the Valley
:: Mistletoe berries
:: Pokeweed berries
:: Poison ivy
:: Yew
If you ingest a poisonous plant, seek medical help immediately. Some toxic reactions can be delayed so don’t assume you’re okay. If you come across a poisonous plant, avoid touching it, but if you do so, wash with water and antiseptic soap as soon as possible.
Examples of Foraged Medicinal Plants
Most of us know the medicinal benefits of an aloe plant but there are medicinal plants and common herbs growing out in the wild as well. Some plants and herbs have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.
Some of the most common medicinal plants include
:: Aloe Vera
:: Basil
:: Chamomile
:: Chicory
:: Chickweed
:: Echinacea
:: Ginger
:: Lavender
:: Lemon
:: Rosemary
:: Turmeric
:: Wild thyme
Developing Harvesting Skills
While it’s important to develop foraging skills, preppers also look to gain self-sufficiency through gardening to grow a healthy food supply such as vegetables and fruit. Having a garden – whether grown in containers or in a yard – could turn out to be a lifesaving decision even if you’re bugging in at home. Gaining gardening skills helps ensure a fresh, nutritious source of food.
Learning to harvest your own food or foraging in the wild can be done by watching tutorial videos, reading books, searching online resources, attending local classes, or even taking a foraging excursion when offered in your area.
