Hobbies And Interests
Instructions
Drink plenty of water before eating anything. If you don't have water and are dehydrated, don't eat. Eating requires your body to use more water, further dehydrating you. You can survive a lot longer without food than you can without water.
Use the universal edibility test for plants to determine if it is safe to eat. Separate the plant into its most basic components, such as leaves, roots, stems and flowers. Smell the food for pungent odors and test for contact poisoning by holding each part on the inside of your elbow or wrist for about 15 minutes. Place the piece of plant against your tongue for about 15 minutes to test for a reaction. Chew it without swallowing for about 15 minutes. If everything is fine, swallow the small piece of plant and wait 8 hours to see if there are any ill effects. If you're still feeling alright, eat about 1/4 cup of the plant and wait 8 hours again. The plant is safe to eat if there are no ill effects after this.
Forage for bugs, which are high in protein. Break open rotten logs to find grubs, or look between pieces of bark for crawling insects. You can eat most insects raw, but it is best to cook them first.
Use a hook, line, rod and weight to go angling in a nearby pond or creek. Improvise hooks from safety pins or pieces of bone from animals if you don't have these items. Use bait that is native to the surrounding area, as fish are more likely to be familiar with it. Change bait if it isn't working.
Trap animals rather than hunt them if you aren't experienced, as hunting uses up a lot of energy. Create simple traps like the deadfall or the snare to catch small animals, using only a few materials. Find trails that small animals use and set your traps up in their path.
Hunt for bird eggs, which are rich in nutrients and generally safe to eat when cooked. Look in the trees for bird nests. Birds also lay their eggs in holes, so look for them there as well.