Knives, Swords & Blades

What Would You Eat in the Wild?

Do you have any bushcraft skills? If you were lost in the wild would you be able to build a shelter, find water or start a fire? And would you be able to recognise what is safe to eat?

Living in the modern world we have lost touch with the sources of our food. Today, children grow up in cities and many have no idea where their food comes from. I once knew 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 you might be surprised to find that there are no all night supermarkets. You would need to be able to recognize what is safe and healthy to eat. You may have seen Bear Grylls surviving in some of the most inhospitable locations on the planet where he always finds and eats whatever he can find. 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. But there are many berries which can be deadly poisonous.

Yew berries, for instance, are the cause of a high number of poisonings every year. They are very bright scarlet in colour with an indentation at the base, about 8 to 10mm in diameter. The berries are produced in September and they look deceptively appetizing which leads many young children to eat them.

Deadly Nightshade is another of the berries which puts people in hospital every year. The clue is in the name, not in the appearance. Also known as Belladonna this plant also produces berries in September and they taste quite sweet, making them attractive to young children.

A potential source of protein, although somewhat distasteful to many, are insects. It may seem surprising but most insects are actually edible. Most insect species are actually very low in fat and high in protein, a very healthy form of food.Grasshoppers, crickets, wood grubs and mealworms are all a safe bet for eating. You will find that most insects taste better when barbecued and you can even grind them up to make an insect flour.

Birds, rabbits and other small animals are all generally good to eat, but not so easy to catch. This is particularly true if you are lost in the wilderness without any form of weapon. In these circumstances some form of trap will possibly provide the best chance of catching an animal.

You’d be excused for thinking that you will never find yourself lost in the wild, seriously thinking about a supper of insects and berries. But this 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.