Foraging for Beginners

A Practical Guide to Foraging for Survival in the Wild

Craig Jones

© 2021 Craig Jones

All rights reserved.

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Foraging for Beginners

A Practical Guide to Foraging for Survival in the Wild

Craig Jones

Disclaimer

The advice and strategies found within may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that neither the author nor the publisher is held responsible for the results accrued from the advice in this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Content to Expect

Introduction

Chapter 1

Introduction to Foraging for Survival

How Foraging Came To Be

Benefits of Foraging

Hazards of Foraging

Chapter 2

Types of Equipment to Use for Foraging

Protective Gear for You

Common Tools for Harvesting Plants

Storage for Different Plants

Others

Chapter 3

Factors Dealing with Foraging

Best Season to Forage

Chapter 4

Where to Forage

Where not to Forage

Chapter 5

How to Harvest Plants

Chapter 6

What to Forage

Chapter 7

Safety Foraging Precautions

Chapter 8

Universal Edibility Test

Chapter 9

How to Store Foraged Food

Chapter 10

Safety Tips When Foraging

Conclusion

Introduction

Imagine yourself on an island far away from the comfort of your home and far removed from civilization. Imagine that you are there with your friends or your family and you are running out of food with no option to restock, what would you do?

When survival becomes the most critical thing in your life, you will wish you had some foraging skills beforehand rather than having to the dangerous approach of trial by error.

Foraging for survival is a beginner’s guide for anyone who wants to learn how to forage but does not know-how. It is a very important guide to have on your side whether you are foraging for survival as a result of being exposed to danger in the wild or you are just foraging for fun.

One thing every aspiring forager has to know is that not all plants, animals, or mushrooms are safe to eat no matter how inviting they may look or how pleasing they are to the eyes. Some of these plants have been known to cause harm after a long time while some do not waste time at all in creating their negative effects.

You also have to be aware of possible allergies that you may have if you eat certain kinds of plants so that you do not unnecessarily endanger your life while trying to forage. As with other human endeavors, having the right knowledge is very important which is why this book was written with someone like you in mind.

In any case, this book is not all about gloom. It also has various sections that tell you why you should be foraging if you haven’t already considered it or started. There are various compelling reasons why if you have not yet considered it, you would find foraging an interesting experience.

For those who also wonder how foraging came to be, you will find an interesting section that talks about that. You will also be introduced to some of the tools that can make your foraging experience a very interesting one. Having the right foraging equipment can sometimes be the difference between having a pleasant experience or a very nasty one, which is why a lot of effort was put into ensuring that you are shown the most basic tools and sometimes obvious equipment like a knife and other essential or sometimes nice to have foraging gears.

Unlike other books that only show you how to forage, where to forage, when to forage, benefits of foraging, safety precautions to know when foraging and foraging equipment you may need, this book will also show you the various ways you can store the various items you can successfully forage so that they remain fresh or edible for the time you want to consume them.

With this foraging guide, you can quickly get started and start foraging as soon as possible without harboring any more fear.

Chapter 1
Introduction to Foraging for Survival

To understand how survival interplays with foraging, we have to establish what foraging is first. It is in simple terms the hunting of wild food for consumption. Meanwhile, survival will be what all of us are hoping to accomplish–staying alive.

Therefore, foraging for survival is the hunting of wild plants for consumption as a means of sustenance to stay alive. This is as opposed to going to the supermarket to buy groceries. Even if it took an hour-long ride to get there or simply a walk around the block, it is still not going to be classified as foraging. Oh, don't forget going to the farmer's market, that's not foraging either.

Around us, trees, grasses, forests, and various plants exist. Surely our predecessors have narrowed that down to a few choices of leaves as herbs or salads. But out there, we still have many undiscovered edible plants. There are still greens hidden in the wild that are up for the taking. That's what a forager does–discover these undiscovered edible plants.

Imagine you're on a hike and lose your compass or can't find your way home. How will you survive? Of course, you may hunt for animals, but what if you have no tools for hunting and you do not know how to do that? What's your solution going to be? To forage. The trees and grasses won't skedaddle once they see you coming. So your best bet would be to survive on these until help comes or you decide to be Tarzan.

How Foraging Came To Be

Foraging is not a new fad that is being explored in movies just in case the world system collapses. No, it's been existing since the beginning of time. We can trace foraging back to the hunter-gatherer societies.

They were a nomadic society that moved as the seasons changed, eating whatever food they could find and allowing the wild to provide for them. They remained well-fed and healthy. What this means is that just because you're not eating the typical canned, prepackaged foods doesn't mean you won't be healthy. So don't be afraid to explore the wild.

Natural food is healthy and good for the body. but you'd need to know what to look out for, and that's what this book is about.

Benefits of Foraging

The forager's lifestyle is not an easy one, but it's immensely profitable. No one's going to ship the wild food to your doorstep but going out and getting these foods yourself can have many benefits.

Let's explore them.

1 Foraging is doubly beneficial because you're hiking and finding food at the same time. You're unwittingly exercising.

2 Nothing saves cost like free food and the food of the wild is as free as it gets.

3 It affords a connection with the world. We've built houses that have kept us in, and most people are reluctant to explore the natural world. They feel safer in cities. But going out of our comfort zone allows us to experience the world differently. We learn the unique workings of nature.

4 Today, there are many theories about what causes illnesses. Processed foods have a giant question mark on them because of the processes that get them to that state. Imagine cutting out most of these, which will automatically increase your likelihood of remaining healthy for a long time.

5 The joy of discovery. Finding new things is fun. No wonder kids love to explore. It's about rediscovering that child-like wonder and using that to explore the world.

6 Not only does foraging improve physical health, it also improves our mental health. Being around nature's green, breathing in fresh clean air is therapy.

7 Without debate, foraged foods are highly nutritious and unaffected by processing like store-bought foods.

8 Foraging can also lead to the discovery of different unique tasting foods and flavors that are undiscovered anywhere else.

9 Assuming you get lost or stuck in the wild or the world ends and there are no more ready-made foods, the foragers and their kin may very well survive for longer. This skill can save your life and that of your family. Nature provides sustenance and you can find it.

10 Flowing from the point above, medicinal herbs exist in the wild like the burdock root. Knowing these beneficial roots and plants can save a life, if it ever comes to that.

Hazards of Foraging

Foraging may have many benefits, but dangers also exist. Some problems one may encounter are:

1 Poisoning oneself: This occurs when a person eats a poisonous plant or handles a toxic plant. Therefore, take extra care. Some poisonous plants can cause dizziness, nausea, seizures, and even death. So, though foraging may be fun, it is not a light affair.

2 Destroying the environment: The excitement of foraging may make us forget that the environment thrives on the preservation of these wild plants. Stomping through the wild and destroying plants or harvesting more than necessary or taking the only plant in an area is essentially destroying the environment. Wild animals need some of these plants to survive more than we do. So, we should take care when foraging to carry only what is necessary and leave the rest for other foragers and wild animals.

3 Going against the law: Foraging is a delightful activity but shouldn't contravene any laws. It's easy to trespass or forage on prohibited grounds if one is not careful. This can lead to an arrest or worse, a conviction. So, you need to be sure that where you're foraging is safe ground.

4 Dealing with unusual foods: Depending on the person you are, this may be a welcome challenge. Others will steer clear of the unusual. Wild foods, as with all foods, have their preparation process, and this may involve days or weeks to get the product edible. Do not despair, patience is key when dealing with all things wild.

Chapter 2
Types of Equipment to Use for Foraging

Before you get all excited and start outdoors, let’s talk about your foraging gear. What to wear, what to carry, what to use; we will extensively discuss these.

For our purposes, we’ll divide these types of equipment into four kinds, protective gear for you, tools to assist you with harvesting plants, storage for different plants, and the miscellaneous.

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