Trail Sense

Android User Guide Book GitHub

6 - Food

Food gives you energy but is a low priority in most survival situations since you can go weeks without it. If you haven't eaten in a while, focus on foraging for bugs, shellfish, and aggregate berries.

Be prepared

Gear

Necessities:

Optional:

Knowledge and skills

Start by learning how to do the following:

Once you have mastered these skills, you should learn how to do the following:

Food essentials

Caloric and nutritional needs

The average person needs around 2,000 calories per day. Balance carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals in your diet.

Storage

Food should be stored in airtight containers to prevent spoilage and contamination. Do not pack foods that spoil quickly or require refrigeration. If you bring zipper storage bags, you can also use them for water procurement.

Rationing

If you are in a survival situation, ration your food to make it last longer. Eat two-thirds of your food in the first half of your survival situation (about 2-3 days after your expected return date) and the remaining third in the following days. Eating food will give you the energy to construct a shelter and plan.

Starvation

Starvation occurs when the body does not receive enough nutrients to function correctly. Symptoms include loss of body fat, difficulty breathing, feeling colder, fatigue, and increased healing times.

Plants and mushrooms

Plants typically have fewer calories than animals but can be easier to obtain if you can identify them. If you can't identify which plants are safe, just focus on bugs and shellfish. You should also avoid mushrooms unless you are experienced in foraging, since many can make you sick. Familiarize yourself with local plants and mushrooms before your trip.

Foraging

The safest plant to forage is aggregate berries, such as raspberries and blackberries, since they have a distinctive look and are generally edible. Nuts and seeds are higher in calories than leafy greens, but some nuts, such as acorns, require multiple batches of boiling. Also, just because you see an animal eating a plant doesn't mean it is safe for human consumption. Never eat a plant you aren't certain is edible; even if you are certain, only eat a small amount and be on the lookout for side effects.

The following should be avoided as the risk isn't worth the calories:

Preparation

All plants you gather should be washed and cooked. Many can be eaten raw, but if you have the means to cook them, it will be safer to avoid the risk of contamination.

Insects

Insects are a good source of protein but need to be gathered in large numbers to provide a substantial meal. If you don't want to eat insects, you can use them as bait for fishing or trapping.

Collection

Good places to find insects include rotting logs, under rocks, and in grassy fields. If you are looking for earthworms, you can use a stick to dig small holes in the ground, check the surface after rain or at night, or clear the leaf litter out of an area. At night, many flying insects can be attracted to a light source. Common edible bugs include ants, termites, locusts, grasshoppers, crickets, dragonflies, grubs, and worms.

Do not eat the following:

Preparation

To prepare bugs for cooking, remove any stingers and optionally the legs, wings, and head before eating. You should cook all bugs before eating them. Worms can be placed in water for 15 minutes to purge their digestive tracts before cooking.

Shellfish and crustaceans

Shellfish and crustaceans are good sources of protein and can be found in both freshwater and saltwater. They are relatively easy to catch, making them good survival food sources.

Collection

Search shallow waters, tide pools, and rocky areas for shellfish and crustaceans. Snails and limpets are often attached to rocks, which may be easier to access during low tide. Crayfish, lobsters, and crabs can be found under and around stones, in soft mud or sand, and may be more active at night. Crustaceans can be caught by attaching bait onto a line (no hook required, they'll grab it), baiting the shoreline and waiting for them to leave the water, or using a fish trap with bait.

Some shellfish may be poisonous, and be especially cautious of mussels in tropical waters during the summer, any shellfish within three days of a red tide, or shellfish not covered by water during high tide.

Preparation

You should cook all shellfish and crustaceans before eating. You can cook them in their shells.

Fish

If you are in a longer-term survival situation or have access to fishing gear, fish can be a good source of protein and nutrients. Most fish are edible, but research which fish may be dangerous in your area.

Fishing

Fish are most active before a storm, near rocks or logs, and under overhanging brush.

Hook and line

Fishing with a hook and line is likely your most familiar technique. You will need to secure a hook onto a line and optionally tie it to a pole. You can use the following knot to tie the hook to the line. Use a wet finger to help tighten it to the hook.

Hooks with barbs are more effective than barbless hooks at keeping fish on the line. For best results, bait the hooks using insects, worms, or pieces of food. Make sure that any bait on the hook is securely attached; if using a worm, thread the hook through the worm's body.

If you need to craft a hook, go with a gorge hook since it is easy to make and doesn't need to be set manually. One downside is that any fish caught with a gorge hook will almost certainly die if released. To carve a gorge hook, sharpen both sides of a small section of wood or bone and taper it at the center. Place the hook into the bait.

If you do not have fishing line, you can make it from plant fibers, inner strands of paracord (using a bend knot to join them together), or other strong cordage.

If you do not have a fishing pole, you can tie the line to both the base and tip of a sturdy stick - try to mimic what an actual fishing pole looks like. You can also wrap the line around a short stick and use it as a hand line. An easier technique may be to tie the line to a tree branch so you can do other things and check it frequently.

Traps

Traps are a passive way to catch small fish or crustaceans with little effort required. Be sure to check your traps every few hours.

You can construct a bottle fish trap by cutting off the cap and top quarter of a spare water bottle. Bait the trap with food and use a small rock to weight it down. Place the top inverted into the rest of the bottle and place it in shallow water. If needed, you can tie a string to the bottle to allow for easy access.

Alternatively, you can construct an M-shaped funnel trap by hammering sticks into the water to form a small entrance and walls. This can be built using the shore as a back wall to reduce effort. Small fish will swim into the trap and be unable to find their way out.

Preparation

  1. Once you catch a fish, bring it away from the shoreline. Do not hold or place it near the water before killing it, as it may flop back in.
  2. Stun the fish by hitting it hard on the head with a club or rock. Then use a knife to cut the gills or pierce the brain to ensure it is dead.
  3. (Optional) Remove scales by scraping them off with a knife (tail to head).
  4. Cut open the belly and remove the entrails. You can also cut off the head and tail to make this easier.
  5. (Optional) Cut the fish into usable pieces or fillet it.
  6. Cook the fish.

Cutting pattern to remove entrails (red line):

Other animals

In a survival situation, it's best to focus on easier-to-catch animals like insects, shellfish, crustaceans, and fish. But if you have the means to catch other animals, they can provide a good source of protein and nutrients. Unless you are a hunter with proper gear, do not try to hunt large animals.

Hunting

Clubs

A club can be as simple as a stick with a heavy end. This can kill or stun fish or other small animals with a quick, forceful blow to the head.

Spears

A spear can be made by sharpening a stick. Unless you have experience, it's best to stab with the spear rather than throw it. To make it easier to hit your target, you can construct multiple spear points using a forked branch.

Throwing sticks and rocks

In a pinch, you can throw a heavy stick or rock to kill or stun small animals. Aim for the head to ensure a quick kill.

Trapping

Traps allow for the passive capture of small animals. They can be set up and left alone while you perform other tasks. Check them every few hours. Look for signs of animal activity like tracks, droppings, or chewed vegetation. Set up traps in areas where animals are likely to pass through. You can construct funnels or walls to guide animals into them. Baiting the traps can increase their effectiveness. Smoking the traps can help mask your scent.

Deadfalls

Deadfall traps work by dropping a heavy object on the animal when it triggers the trap. The trigger mechanism can be made from a stick and a bait stick. The trigger is released when the animal takes the bait, causing the heavy object to fall. Place one or more of these traps near your shelter to catch mice.

To avoid getting injured while setting the trap, support the rock/log using your knee or free hand until the trap is set. Be ready to quickly pull your hand away if it begins to fall.

  1. Support stick (front / side)
  2. Release stick (front / side)
  3. Bait stick (front / side)
  4. Bait
  5. Rock

Birds

Birds are most easily caught at night when roosting, or you can eat eggs from nests. Use a club, throwing stick, or rock to kill or stun the bird.

To prepare a bird for cooking:

  1. Pluck feathers. To make this easier, place the bird in boiling water. Optionally, you can skin the bird, but that removes some fat.
  2. Cut open the body cavity and remove the entrails.
  3. For larger birds, cut off the feet and separate the bird into usable pieces along the joints.
  4. Cook the bird.

If you catch a seabird, skin it instead of plucking the feathers to remove the oil glands. If you catch a scavenger bird like a vulture, boil it for at least 20 minutes to kill parasites.

Reptiles and amphibians

Reptiles and amphibians are easier to catch than mammals and birds. Many can be found basking in open ground, on logs, or at the water's edge. Use a multi-pointed spear or pin them down with a stick behind the head.

Always wash your hands after handling reptiles and amphibians, as they can carry salmonella. Cook the meat thoroughly.

Do not eat the following:

Small mammals

Small mammals can be caught using traps, clubs, throwing sticks, or rocks.

To prepare a small mammal for cooking:

  1. Make cuts down the insides of the back legs.
  2. Pull the skin off the body like a glove. You'll need to sever the head and front feet to remove the skin.
  3. Cut open the abdominal cavity and remove the entrails. Be careful not to puncture the intestines.

This guide does not cover the preparation of large mammals, as they are challenging to catch and require a lot of energy to process.

Cooking

Do not try to preserve the food you catch; just cook and eat it.

Stoves

Portable stoves are convenient ways to cook food. They can be fueled by wood, alcohol, or gas. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for use. You'll most likely use this to boil water rather than cook the food directly on the flame. Be sure to let the stove cool down before packing it away.

Boiling

Boiling preserves the most nutrients in food and is the safest cooking method. A metal container filled with water can be suspended over a fire or placed onto hot coals. See the Water chapter for more information on boiling water.

Roasting

Roasting is a quick and easy cooking method, but the food is less nutritious. You can roast food on a stick over a fire or place it on hot coals.

Baking

You can wrap food in leaves or clay and place it in the coals of a fire to bake it. This method is slower than roasting but preserves more nutrients. Do not skin fish or birds packed with clay; the skin will stick to the clay and can be removed after cooking.

Utensils

If you are packing utensils, a spork is a good option. Otherwise, you can handle food with a stick or your hands. Be sure to wash your hands before and after eating.

Protection

You may need to protect your food from animals. Here are some methods to keep your food safe:

Bear bags

A bear bag is a bag of food hoisted into a tree to keep it out of reach of bears and other animals. Find a tree with a branch about 20 feet (6 meters) off the ground and thick enough to support the weight of your food at about 10 feet (3 meters) from the trunk.

  1. Place food in a bag.
  2. Tie a rope to the bag.
  3. Throw the other end of the rope over a branch. To give the line weight, attach a short stick to the end of it. Secure the stick with a clove hitch or jam knot.
  4. Hoist the bag about 15 feet (4.5 meters) above the ground.
  5. Tie the rope to a tree to keep the bag elevated. Use either a hitch or bowline knot.

See the Shelter and Clothing chapter for details on how to tie knots.

Bear canisters

A bear canister is a rigid plastic container used to store food. It is bear-proof and can be left on the ground. Some campsites may provide a bear box, a large metal box used to store food.