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Know What Edible Plants Are Safe for Outdoor Survival
Outdoor survival is possible for weeks, without food, as long as you have clean, healthy water to drink, but knowing what to eat could certainly be helpful along the way. There are numerous edible plants in the wild. Learn how to identify these edible plants to ensure safety. Discovering the value of edible plants for nutrition is also a good idea.
You can learn about edible plants in the region where you will be traveling. There are so many edible plants in the world that it would be nearly impossible to memorize them all. Familiarize yourself with some basic varieties that are most likely to be abundant in your area. This will make your task simpler and less tedious.
Research edible plants by reading books or taking a course about edible plants in the wild. Be cautious because some plants are edible and safe for many individuals, but can bring about allergic reactions for others. Fiddlehead ferns are a great example of such a plant. This plant is available in health food stores, but for certain people, the plant can be dangerous. Before ingesting any new plant, experiment and study it. Do your best to determine if you are susceptible to a reaction from the plant before ingesting it into your system.
Some parts of a plant may be safe to eat while others are not. Remember that not all parts of the same plant are edible. Do not assume that just because the flower is safe, this does not directly indicate that the roots and leaves are edible, as well.
Slowly examine the plant. Do you have a reaction to the plant by touching it to your skin, wrist, or lip? Learning what plants, and parts of plants, are safe and edible, takes time.
You may want to take a hike with an experienced guide. Let him or her teach you the ins and outs of edible plants in the area. Learn from their experiences rather than simply from your own. No book or internet site, for instance, can compare to an actual trek through the wilderness. Enjoy a gathering hike with an experienced guide to examine first-hand the plants in their natural environment.
Trying new edible plants will allow you to quickly learn what you are willing to ingest, and what you must stay away from. If you are flying solo in this endeavor, practice your survival skill on a day hike, close to home. To be on the safe side, you will want to be near help in the event of a negative reactionto a plant.
Do not take chances with your health and your life. If you are unsure of the safety of a plant, do not eat it. A human can survive without food for weeks. Staying hydrated in an outdoor survival situation is most important. Although the outdoors is filled with numerous edible plants, there are also several varieties of dangerous plants in the wild. Way the risks and the benefits of plants to your survival before consuming any new plant.
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