Wild Berry

How Would You Survive?

Do you have any bushcraft skills? If you were to become lost in the wild do you have the skills necessary to erect a shelter, start a fire, locate some water and find some nutritious food? And would you be able to recognise what is safe to eat?

Living, as we do, in our supermarket served modern world many people have lost touch with the sources of their food. Some children grow up in our modern cities without any hands-on experience of where their food actually comes from. I once met a young man who had no idea that burgers were made from beef. I can’t imagine what he thought they were made from.

If you are lost in the wild there are no all-night supermarkets selling soda and snacks. It’s a useful skill to be able to recognise what is safe to eat and what is potentially harmful. If you are a fan of the Bear Grylls survival television programs you will be familiar with how he makes a point of catching and eating whatever is available wherever he finds himself. Something you may have noticed is that Bear is never without his bushcraft knife, an essential survival tool.

Wild berries can be a valuable form of food. Our ancient ancestors would have gathered nuts, berries and grain when in season and eaten these routinely. There are many wild berries which are actually deadly poisonous.

For example, Yew berries are the cause of the greatest percentage of berry poisonings each year. They are bright scarlet in color, about 8 to 10mm in diameter with an indentation at the base. The berries look deceptively appetising which has resulted in many young children being taken to the emergency room.

Another berry that results in many visits to the hospital emergency room each year is Deadly Nightshade. The clue is in the name, not in the appearance. This plant is also commonly known as Belladonna, producing sweet berries that can be irresistibly attractive to young children.

Insects can be a valuable source of energy, but many find the thought of eating them distasteful. You may be surprised to hear that most insects are actually edible. Most insect species are actually very low in fat and high in protein, a very healthy form of food.Wood grubs, mealworms, grasshoppers and crickets are all a safe bet for supper. Most insects taste better when barbecued and you can even grind them up into a flour like powder.

Birds, rabbits and other small animals are all generally good to eat, but not so easy to catch. This especially true if you are lost in the wild without any form of weapon. Without a weapon you will possibly need to construct some sort of trap if you really want to catch an animal.

You may be thinking that this will never happen to you and you will never be forced to eat grasshoppers for dinner. But it really could happen to you. All you have to do is stray from the main path through a forest, as I once did, and before you know it you are disoriented and lost. That’s when you’ll wish you’d paid more attention to Ray Mears Extreme Survival.

Picking Wild Berries