How to survive in the forest without food. How to survive in the forest: useful tips just in case

The forest is one of the most beautiful natural resources, enchanting with its splendor and grandeur.

That's why so many people go to the forest every year to light a fire, cook food over an open fire and just breathe fresh air. forest air and enjoy the wild nature.

But for a person who is not familiar with the area, such a rapprochement with nature may not end as joyfully as it began.

Therefore, before going on a hike, it will be useful to familiarize yourself with basic rules behavior in wild conditions in case you get lost in the forest.

So, you just realized that you are lost in the forest. Around majestic trees, bushes, tall grass, birds chirping and not a single human soul or a hint of civilization. The first thing you need to do is to set yourself in a positive mood and firmly believe that they will definitely find you, or you will be able to get out of here on your own. In the meantime, you need to stop, collect your thoughts, look around and, with a cool head, develop a plan for your next actions. Here's what you should do:

1. Try to retrace your steps.

2. Find a source of drinking water.

3. Light a fire.

4. Build/find a shelter before it gets dark.

5. Build weapons for your own safety.

6. Get food.

7. Move in one direction during the daytime.

Let's look at each of the points of the action plan in more detail.

1. Try to retrace your steps:

First, look around and try to remember which direction you came from. Probably some rotten stump or hill will seem familiar to you. Determine if you can, guided by any signs, return back to the path that will lead you out of this wilderness. If, to your regret, this cannot be done, then we move on to the next stage of self-survival in wildlife.

2. Find a source of drinking water:

The most important thing to do if you get lost is to provide yourself with enough water. Remember that a person can live without water for only 3-4 days.

Sources of water can be:

stream/river/lake:
Consider yourself incredibly lucky if you find a river. But, even if the water in it seems crystal clear, it still needs to be boiled in order to kill all the bacteria it contains. A tin or aluminum can is perfect for this.
rainwater:

If it rains, you have good opportunity collect some water. The main thing is to quickly select a container, and from large sheet you can build a funnel.

solar water collector:

If you are unable to find a stream/river/lake, or there is no sign of rain, you can build a solar water collector. All you need is some plastic sheet and a container to catch the water.

How to make a solar water collector:

Step 1: Dig a hole in the ground.
Step 2: Place a container in the center of the hole to collect water.
Step 3: Fill the space around the container with something raw, such as wet leaves.
Step 4: Cover the hole with a plastic sheet and place rocks around the edges.
Step 5: Place a small stone in the center of the leaf directly above the water collection container.
Step 6: Condensed water will accumulate on the inside of the sheet and move towards its center, filling the container with distilled drinking water.

3. Build a fire:

It is important to maintain body heat so as not to aggravate an already critical situation. And for this you will need to light a fire, with which you can not only cook food, but also dry wet clothes.

First of all, we need material for combustion - brushwood, dry twigs, tree bark, with which we will build a small wigwam.

Now it’s the turn to light this entire structure. If you have glasses, binoculars, or a camera, then use a lens to try to focus the sun's rays on dry brushwood. When it starts smoking, blow intensely on it, providing a good flow of air to the starting fire. If you don’t have any lenses at hand, or the sun is covered with thick clouds, you can use the following method:

Step 1: Find a piece of soft wood and cut a groove in the base.

Step 2: Place some kindling at one end for ignition.

Step 3: Using a hard stick, begin rubbing up and down the groove.

Step 4: When you notice a little smoke, blow on the smoldering firewood to catch the fire.

Step 5: When you see a fire, give it more branches and sticks to “eat” so that it grows into a full-fledged fire.

It is equally important in the wild to find or independently build a shelter that will save you from rain and wind and serve as your overnight stay.

If you are lucky enough to find a cave, then it may well become a temporary shelter, but first make sure that no one lives in it. Otherwise, you will be able to build your own shelter:

Step 1: Find a large branch and lean it against the tree.

Step 2: Place the smaller branches at a 45-degree angle along the entire length of the larger branch on both sides.

Step 3: Cover the structure with foliage.

5. Build a weapon for your own safety:

If you are lost in the forest, you should not lose sight of the fact that it is inhabited by forest inhabitants, primarily predators, who can pose a high danger.

Therefore, you should arm yourself with something for your own safety. The most indispensable tool will, of course, be a knife, which will not only protect you from predatory animals, but will also be needed for almost any purpose when you are in the wild.

Although, if you don’t have such a weapon, you can build it yourself.
How to make a stone knife:

Step 1: The most important thing is to find a durable stone that has a glass-like surface.

Step 2: Take a larger stone and use it to trim the intended knife.

Step 3: Gradually the surface will become sharper, like a real knife.

A spear, which can also be useful for hunting, fishing, and cooking over an open fire, is also a good safety device.

How to make a spear:

Step 1: Find a strong branch. The stronger it is, the better.

Step 2: Make sure the wide part is comfortable enough for your hand to grip.

Step 3: Sharpen its other end with a knife or sharp object.

6. Get food:

The forest will provide you with two sources of food: plants and animals. It’s great if you know which plants, berries and mushrooms are poisonous and which are not. If you are not strong in this area, here are some tips to prevent you from getting poisoned.
Distinctive features of poisonous plants:

berries are white or yellow;
plants with thorns;
if you are not confident in your knowledge about mushrooms, it is better to exclude all mushrooms;
bitter or soap-like taste;
light/shiny leaves;
umbrella-shaped flowers;
milky juice;
almond smell.

Don't try to hunt animals if your hunting skill level is low, as you need to conserve as much of your energy as possible. The best way traps will be set for you.
How to make a trap:

Step 1: Find three branches and a heavy stone.

Step 2: Make some notches on the sticks like in the picture below.

Step 3: Hold the stone with your hand while installing sticks “A” and “C”.

Step 4: When the stone has been supported with sticks “A” and “C”, install the trigger stick “B”.

Step 5: Carefully release the structure.

Step 6: When a bird or small animal tries to take the bait, the trigger stick will fall and the stone will hit the victim with a fatal blow.

7. Movement/Rest

If, while going into the forest, you notified someone about this, then in the near future your loved ones will discover your absence and begin to look for you. In this case, it is better to stay in one place, at least in the same area, so that it is easier for rescuers to find you.

If you are not sure that it is worth waiting for salvation from civilization, you will have to place this mission on your shoulders. First, distribute your time - spend the day moving around, the evening and night resting in a safe shelter. Secondly, one of effective ways is to follow the river downstream. Third, try to walk in one direction until you find a stream or river.

Perhaps the most important advice on how to survive in the wild is simple prudence and caution, which will not allow you to become a victim of such a critical situation.

Hello comrades! This is my first “licking” from a third-party resource, but summer is coming and I think it would be nice to refresh my memory, and for someone to find out useful information. We all believe that nothing can happen to us. That our train will never go off the rails, the car will never stop in the middle of the road with a broken tire, and the trip for mushrooms will end successfully and the path will lead straight to the house. Usually, in 99.9% of cases, this is exactly what happens. However, every thousandth person is still unlucky. If you think about this constantly, it’s easier to sit at home and not stick your nose out the door, saying goodbye to hiking and traveling.

Although in order to safely get out of such a jam, in fact, you need very little: take with you a map of the area, a spare tire and a repair kit when you go on the road, matches and a knife when you go mushroom hunting. The rules on how not to get lost are very simple. Surviving when lost is also not difficult - so much so that even girls from high school, falling behind the group, are able to spend several days in the forest and safely wait until rescuers find them.

Our ancestors looked with surprise at people who did not know how to survive in the forest - a place that from time immemorial fed people. But today the vast majority of tourists who find themselves in extreme conditions, is capable of dying of hunger, passing by a richly laid table of forest delicacies. In fact, the most nutritious and simple protein food is right under any traveler’s feet. And you don’t need a gun or a knife to catch her. A shovel or, at worst, a digging stick is enough. Because this rich in proteins food - earthworms.

In order to survive, you will have to eat them. It is enough to dig up a handful of worms and place them in running water for several hours so that the digested earth comes out of them. It’s almost impossible to look at such food, but it’s quite possible to eat it. They even have a taste - far from exquisite, but still. It’s even better to boil the rinsed and soaked worms - eating them in this form is much more pleasant.

The following forest-meat dish is a frequent guest in restaurants, especially French ones. Of course, our frogs are not nearly as large as those served in France, but you can eat them too, because they taste almost like chicken, and they are quite common in the forest. And it's not difficult to catch them. The main thing is to remove the skin and place the legs on sticks to fry. You can eat it raw, but people are more accustomed to hot and cooked food.

Mice are more difficult to get, but still possible. Observations on polar wolves and subsequent experiments on humans, described by Farley Mowat, showed that a person who eats field mice whole, along with their entrails, receives a complete set of substances necessary for life and may not even suffer from vitamin deficiency.

WITH meat menu figured it out. The second dish necessary for a person is bread. Of course, a tourist may come across an abandoned but sown field or pick up a crust thrown by a magpie, but in fact, it is much easier to get bread in the forest. Especially if you come across a river or lake.

Large white lotus-like flowers, rounded leaves - this is what a water lily or white lily looks like. Now there are not so many of them left in Russian reservoirs, but if we're talking about about human life, you don’t have to choose. The water lily rhizome consists of 49% starch, 8% protein and about 20% sugar. Of course, before gnawing it, you will have to dry it, grind it into flour and soak in running water to remove tannins. But then, after drying, this flour can be used for baking bread or dough strips wound on sticks over a fire, or simply whiten a soup with it for satiety.

By the way, similar flour can be made from acorns and even dandelion roots, an eternal weed and thunderstorm summer cottages. True, they will also have to be dried first, then soaked twice, and only then, having dried again, ground into flour or cereal to create porridge, but when you are hungry, you don’t have to be particularly picky.

Icelandic lichen, which is found in middle lane Russia in pine forests, is also edible. And not just for deer. It contains 44% soluble lechenin starch and about 3% sugar. In order for a person to eat it, it is necessary to deprive the lichen of bitter substances. Therefore, Icelandic moss is soaked with soda or potash for 24 hours. For those who are not used to carrying soda with them industrial scale, we can advise you to pour the Icelandic moss with an infusion of ash. Approximately 2 tablespoons of ash per liter of water, add another two liters of water and you can soak one hundred grams of Icelandic moss. After a day, the moss needs to be washed and soaked in plain water for another day. And then either dry, grind and add to other flour, or boil into jelly and pour jellied meat or jelly from forest berries. In addition, the cunning Swedes distill alcohol from Icelandic lichen. So the forest is not only ready to feed and shelter any lost tourist, but also to give a skilled one the opportunity to have fun and warm up from the inside.

Another green edible plant that is usually forgotten is burdock. Its roots are best collected early spring or late autumn, but even in summer they are quite capable of feeding tourists. They can be eaten raw, boiled, and even better, baked. Completely replaces potatoes, carrots or celery. And if you boil peeled and chopped burdock roots with sorrel or sorrel, you can get excellent sweet and sour jam.

The common and seemingly useless plant chickweed can also be eaten - in salads, soups or even purees. Do the same with sorrel, snytka and “rabbit cabbage”. And youth will completely replace Brussels sprouts in forest green soups or baked as a side dish.

The forest table is not as familiar as our everyday one, but it is much richer than ordinary tourists imagine. When you have canned food and cereals with you, you can neglect them, but you still need to know about them. And only then, in extreme situation decide: is it worth dying of hunger next to such gourmet dishes.

I also think that sorrel and cattail are not deservedly not mentioned (the first is eaten entirely from the second, the peeled, lower part of the stem). Read, share your experience. I think it will be useful for everyone. I almost forgot cattail (it is also mistakenly called reed) grows along the banks stagnant bodies of water and looks like a large hunting match with a brown head. If you fluff it up and dry it, you get excellent kindling (well, just like cotton wool).

We all believe that nothing can happen to us. That our train will never go off the rails, the car will never stop in the middle of the road with a broken tire, and the trip for mushrooms will end successfully and the path will lead straight to the house. Usually, in 99.9% of cases, this is exactly what happens. However, every thousandth person is still unlucky. If you think about this constantly, it’s easier to sit at home and not stick your nose out the door, saying goodbye to hiking and traveling.

Our ancestors looked with surprise at people who did not know how to survive in the forest - a place that from time immemorial fed people. But today, the vast majority of tourists who find themselves in extreme conditions are capable of starving to death while passing by a richly laid table of forest delicacies. In fact, the most nutritious and simple protein food is right under any traveler's feet. And you don’t need a gun or a knife to catch her. A shovel or, at worst, a digging stick is enough. Because this protein-rich food is earthworms.

A creeping storehouse of protein and vitamins

In order to survive, you will have to eat them. It is enough to dig up the worms and place them in running water for several hours so that the digested earth comes out of them. It’s almost impossible to look at such food, but it’s quite possible to eat it. They even have a taste - far from exquisite, but still. It’s even better to boil the rinsed and soaked worms - eating them in this form is much more pleasant.

Green and bouncy

Mice are more difficult to get, but still possible. Observations of polar wolves and subsequent experiments on humans, described by Farley Mowat, showed that a person who eats field mice whole, along with their entrails, receives a complete set of substances necessary for life and may not even suffer from vitamin deficiency.

We've sorted out the meat menu. The second dish necessary for a person is bread. Of course, a tourist may come across an abandoned but sown field or pick up a crust thrown by a magpie, but in fact, it is much easier to get bread in the forest. Especially if you come across a river or lake.

White lily flower. She's Water Lily

Large white lotus-like flowers, rounded leaves - this is what a water lily or white lily looks like. Now there are not so many of them left in Russian reservoirs, but when it comes to human life, there is no choice. The water lily rhizome consists of 49% starch, 8% protein and about 20% sugar. Of course, before gnawing it, you will have to dry it, grind it into flour and soak in running water to remove tannins. But then, after drying, this flour can be used for baking bread or dough strips wound on sticks over a fire, or simply whiten a soup with it for satiety.

By the way, similar flour can be made from acorns and even dandelion roots, an eternal weed and a thunderstorm of summer cottages. True, they will also have to be dried first, then soaked twice, and only then, having dried again, ground into flour or cereal to create porridge, but when you are hungry, you don’t have to be particularly picky.

The same Rogoz

The rhizome of the cattail is also good for flour - the same one from which the children make spears, calling it reed. Moreover, you don’t have to soak its root, just cut it into pieces, dry it, grind it and bake it and cook it as much as you want. And if you fry pieces of roots, you can also make a coffee drink from them. Not Arabica, of course, but it invigorates you on a hike, and what more could you want from reeds? You can also collect young shoots, boil them and serve them with frog legs - the taste of the shoots is reminiscent of asparagus. From a distance, of course. But the menu for the forest “French” restaurant is almost ready.

Icelandic lichen

Icelandic lichen, which is found in central Russia in pine forests, is also edible. And not just for deer. It contains 44% soluble lechenin starch and about 3% sugar. In order for a person to eat it, it is necessary to deprive the lichen of bitter substances. Therefore, Icelandic moss is soaked with soda or potash for 24 hours. For those who are not used to carrying baking soda with them on an industrial scale, we can advise pouring ash infusion over Icelandic moss. Approximately 2 tablespoons of ash per liter of water, add another two liters of water and you can soak one hundred grams of Icelandic moss. After a day, the moss needs to be washed and soaked in plain water for another day. And then either dry, grind and add to other flour, or boil into jelly and pour in jellied meat or jelly from wild berries. In addition, the cunning Swedes distill alcohol from Icelandic lichen. So the forest is not only ready to feed and shelter any lost tourist, but also to give a skilled one the opportunity to have fun and warm up from the inside.

Another green edible plant that is usually forgotten is burdock. Its roots are best collected in early spring or late autumn, but even in summer they are quite capable of feeding a tourist. They can be eaten raw, boiled, and even better, baked. Completely replaces potatoes, carrots or celery. And if you boil peeled and chopped burdock roots with sorrel or sorrel, you can get excellent sweet and sour jam.

The common and seemingly useless plant chickweed can also be eaten - in salads, soups or even purees. Do the same with sorrel, snytka and “rabbit cabbage”. And young ones can completely replace Brussels sprouts in forest green soups or baked as a side dish.

The forest table is not as familiar as our everyday one, but it is much richer than ordinary tourists imagine. When you have canned food and cereals with you, you can neglect them, but you still need to know about them. And only then, in an extreme situation, decide whether it is worth dying of hunger next to such delicious dishes.

Have you ever been on a hike, admiring the forest flowers, looking at the treetops - and suddenly realizing that you are completely alone and lost? What would have happened to you if you had not found your way back and returned safe and sound? While getting lost in the woods can be a terrifying experience, surviving alone in the wild is generally a matter of common sense, patience and wise use of nature's bounty. If you want to learn how to survive in the forest, follow these instructions.

Steps

Preparing for the hike

Do your research first. Don't rush headlong into the wilderness; Scout your environment thoroughly. Study the map of the territory where you will go, and be sure to take it with you - all this will significantly reduce the risk of losing your way. Familiarize yourself with the flora and fauna of the area you are exploring. Knowing about local plants and animals can save your life.

One of the most accurate books on this topic is “Bushcraft – Wilderness Survival Course and Skills” by Morse Kochansky.

Make sure someone in your family knows where you are going and for how long. Don't make the mistake of James Franco on 127, the survival film is based on real events– make sure someone knows exactly where and when you are going. This way, this person will understand that you are missing, quickly call rescuers and tell you where to start the search.

Bring rescue gear with you. Main protective equipment are: knife, flint (metal match), regular matches (in a waterproof box), rope (550 paracord is the best), whistle, spare blanket, signal mirror, water purification tablets and a compass, which can be crucial. If you are going on a day hike, take everything you need with you.
- Having all this equipment means absolutely nothing if you don’t know how to use it for its intended purpose. Practice repeatedly in a safe environment before you venture into the wilderness.
- Don't forget to take a first aid kit. It should contain an adhesive plaster, an antiseptic, and tweezers to remove debris that could cause infection.
- If you need any medicine or injections, put them in your first aid kit, even if you won't be leaving for a long time.
- Before setting off, learn how to use a compass. If you have a map and can recognize known landscapes on it, you can use a compass to compare your location and decide where to go next.
- When you choose a spare cover (made from lightweight, thin, reflective Mylar fabric), spend a little more money to purchase a wider and more durable model. The blanket protects from wind, rain and hypothermia. If there is a fire burning behind you, cover your back with a blanket - it will reflect the heat of the fire. However, if the fabric is too small or breaks as soon as you unpack it, you won't expect the same protective properties from the cover.
Bring communications equipment with you. Mobile phone with a spare battery or a portable CB radio - the most quick ways to escape if you are lost or injured. Cellular signal is only available from a hill or tree, but it's still better than nothing. Experienced backpackers purchase personal location-finding beacons such as SPOT Messenger for long, dangerous and long-distance travel.
- SPOT Messenger is a satellite communicator that lets you contact emergency services, maintain personal contact for help in non-emergency situations, or simply check that your friends and family are okay while you're on a hike. Maintenance is paid and is not cheap.
Survival in the forest
1. Don't panic if you get lost. Panic is far more dangerous than anything else, because it obscures reason, which is the single best, most useful and universal means of salvation. The moment you realize you are lost, stop. Take a deep breath and remain calm. Before you act, follow the tenet of the STOP acronym:
  - S = sit down
  - T = now think
  - O = Look around the area
  - P = prepare for rescue by gathering materials
2. Get your bearings. The place where you are will become your “zero point”. Mark this area with a piece of clothing, a pile of rocks, a piece of paper, or anything else visible from a distance. Decide on the cardinal directions - the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Use these directions by adjusting your compass (clockwise from the 12:00 apex) to north, east, south, west.
  - For example, if it is late afternoon and the sun is to the right, then you are facing north.
  - If you know how to find the North Star in the night sky in your backyard, this skill will prove invaluable.
3. Stay in one place. Not only does this increase your chances of being found, but it also conserves your body's energy by consuming less of the water and food you need to maintain it. Squat down and stay still. There is a chance that they have already started looking for you, especially if you told someone about your plans. Also, if you are with someone else, don't separate. Your strength is in numbers.
  - If it is sunny, try to search in the shade - this will reduce the risk of dehydration and burns. Don't be tempted to take off your clothes because doing so will actually increase the risk.
4. Light a fire. Build a fire pit with enough coal to keep it warm for a few hours, and make sure you have plenty of firewood. Start a fire before you need it, even if it's warm in the woods. It is better to start a fire in a calm state, not in a panicked state when the sun goes down. Not to mention, you'll feel comfortable and safe when you're near a fire that identifies your location.
  - An excellent rule of thumb is to collect wood until you are sure you have enough for the night. Then collect three more identical piles of wood, which may be enough for the night.
  - You must retrieve brushwood from the underbrush under the forest canopy. You can also use bark or dry droppings. If your fire does not heat up enough, throw fresh branches, bushes or tree branches into it so that the resulting smoke will serve as a fire signal.
  - The best wood for making a fire is dead wood. You can pull it away from a healthy tree. No matter what type of forest you are in, there is dry brush everywhere.
  - Remember: a small fire is easier to maintain than a large one, if only because it requires less fuel. When you have enough glowing coals, keep the fire at a moderate size so you don't have to waste time searching for fuel.
  - Don't light a fire in dangerous places. Your fire should be far from flammable trees and bushes, preferably in a clearing. Be careful with fire. When you want to add fuel to it, don't overdo it. Consider the weather and other factors, and remember that to escape forest fire much more difficult than getting out of the forest when you get lost!
5. Mark your location. Whistle, shout, sing, or bang rocks to create noise. If possible, highlight your location so that it can be seen from above. If you're in a mountain meadow, arrange three piles of dark leaves and twigs in a triangle shape. In sandy areas, make a triangle in the sand. Such a triangle is considered a standard distress signal in the wild.
  - You can use a fire to send a distress signal. The universal distress signal is a straight line of three fires or three fires forming a triangle.
  - You can also blow three whistles, or fire three shots into the air from a gun, if you have one, or signal three times with a mirror, having caught sun rays.
6. Scout your area. Although you can't go too far, you should explore the surrounding areas to find anything useful. You may find items left behind by someone, be it a tin can or a pocket lighter, which can be useful for signaling. Make sure you can always find your way to your zero point while you're looking for water, shelter, or your way home.
7. Find a good source of water. In a survival situation, you can go three days without water, but by the end of the second day you will be out of shape, so you need to quickly find a body of water. The best source of water is a spring, but the chances of finding one are slim. Also pay attention to birds because they often fly over fresh bodies of water. Drink the remaining water, but in portions, not all at once.
  - Running Brook is also excellent option. The flow of water reduces sediment. Be aware that stream water can be dangerous due to the presence of pathogenic bacteria. But when it’s a matter of life or death, the risk of getting sick should fade into the background, because you will then be cured.
  - If you're desperate and there's dew on the grass, collect it in your clothes and then suck the moisture out of the fabric.
  - You can also look for water in rock crevices.
8. Purify your water. One of the crude ways to purify water is to boil it in a handy kettle. To kill bacteria, the water must boil for at least three minutes. You can also pour water into clean plastic bottle and leave it on sunny place for six hours to kill most microorganisms.
  - But if there is a lot of sediment in the water, the sun's rays will not be able to penetrate through it, so this method will not work. Add a pinch of salt to the water so that the sediment sinks to the bottom.
9. Find or make shelter. Without proper shelter you will be exposed to atmospheric phenomena, being exposed to hypothermia or heatstroke, depending on the weather. If you are not dressed appropriately for the conditions, you should definitely find shelter. Luckily, the forest is full of tools and resources to start a fire and build shelter (for warmth, safety, and signaling). Below is a list of things you can use:
  - Look for a fallen or leaning tree. You can create an A-frame shelter by placing branches on either side of a downed tree and then covering it with shrubs, fronds, leaves or other plants.
  - Use shrubs and fresh branches with leaves to protect your home from water, wind and snow, as well as to provide shade. Lock yourself in your shelter from every possible angle.
  - A cave can be an excellent shelter, but you need to check that it is not occupied by bears, large cats, snakes or other animals. Undoubtedly, they know that caves are an excellent refuge, since they are constantly searching, unlike you.
  - If it's snowing, build a shelter out of snow. Snow is an excellent material in which you will feel comfortable.
  - Make sure your place is not too hidden, otherwise you will spend all your time there and no one will find you.
  - Don't waste all your energy on building the perfect shelter, otherwise you will exhaust yourself.
10. - Pay attention to even the smallest cut, as it can lead to infection and death.
  - An equally important part of your rescue gear is having two large, lightweight garbage bags. They take up little space but are useful for many purposes. Fill one of them with water and hide it in your shelter. And use the other one differently. Make a small hole in its corner for the head, and put the rest of it on yourself (and tie it up if necessary). (You should cover your hands if it snows/rains, or if you lose heat and your clothes get wet quickly). Place one bag inside another and fill the space between them with leaves, grass and pine needles and you have a temporary sleeping bag. Orange packages with contactors are the best (they can also be used to signal).
  - If you're going fishing, make a fishing rod out of a stick that's 2 meters (6 feet) long and 2-5 centimeters thick (just bring some fishing hooks). Cut the bark from the stick with a knife or ax, make a notch 5-7 centimeters from the top of the fishing rod. Tie one end of any rope or line to this mark, and then attach a hook to the other end of the rope or line. Make a bait - attach a small piece of meat to the hook, for example, an insect or something else.
  - The sleeves of a waterproof jacket can be used to store water if you tie the ends at one end.
  - At night you are exposed to yourself great risk freeze to death. So don't get wet. Wrap yourself up. Don't sit on the ground. Make a “bed” out of a layer of branches, leaves, twigs - anything - and cover yourself with the same on top. To stay warm at night, you can heat rocks in a fire, cover them with your makeshift bed and sleep on top of them, but this is a very painstaking process; it is much easier to lie down near the fire under a massive object, such as a fallen log, boulder or spare blanket.
  - If you are going on a long journey through difficult and unfamiliar terrain, always have a backup plan. Detailed maps/guides, extra food and water, and signaling devices such as a mirror, flare, or even (depending on the length and location of the hike) a satellite beacon (PLB) can save your life.
  - You can survive several weeks without food, but only a couple of days without water, and in bad times weather conditions without shelter at all, perhaps only a couple of hours. Keep your priorities straight.
  - You can use moss as a dressing. It is easy to find and will help stop bleeding. Basically, it is located near rivers.
  - If you're not entirely sure where you are or how to get back to familiar territory, don't say "I think this the right way"The more you move around once you realize you're lost, the less likely you are to find your way back.
  - One of the most important survival items that most people don't consider is a metal mug. It is difficult to prepare any food without a metal mug.
  - Do not feed wild animals, it can be deadly. Even a small rabbit can attract other animals to your hiding place.
  - Don't waste water.
  - It is very important to remember the acronym "STOP", which means "sit down, now think, look around, prepare for rescue."
  - Attach clothing (jackets, bandanas and even underwear) to the top of the tree to attract attention.
  - Trust your instincts.
  - Rain, snow or dew can be a great source clean water. You can use anything to catch the water, from a cup and waterproof cloth to a large sheet of wood.
  - Don't panic! Try to calm down as quickly as possible, you shouldn't worry too much.
  - If you can't stay put until someone finds you, don't try to just go anywhere, even if you have plenty of supplies. Instead, try going either uphill or downhill. Once you climb the mountain, you will have a good chance of determining your location. Going down, accordingly, you can find water and then follow the flow; in most cases this will lead you to civilization. But you should not travel downstream at night, as this may lead to falling off a cliff. Never go down into the canyon. Even if there is no risk of flooding, the canyon walls may be so steep that the only way out is to follow it all the way to the end. Even worse, if there is a channel in the canyon, it can later turn into a river, which will force you to return back.
  - It's no safer than hiking alone in the desert.
  - For serious wounds, you can cut off the sleeve of your shirt and use it as a bandage. Just remember to tie it around the wound so that one or two fingers can be squeezed between the bandage and the body.
  - Your primary survival knife should be a fixed blade with a solid, sturdy handle; A folding knife should only be used as a backup tool, although it is better than nothing.
  - If it's cold and you're close to hypothermia, make sure you don't fall asleep, it could lead to death.
  - Consider bringing a cane with you. If you don't have one, any suitable stick can replace it. Any mark on the dirt can mark your path no worse than Hansel and Gretel.
  - Firearms have always been an important tool for the forest. A .22 caliber rifle or pistol can serve as a means of obtaining food and protection from people and animals, as well as a signal device.
  - If you don't have a lighter or matches, you'll have to start the fire by hand. If you find enough tinder ( small quantity dry grass, feathers, bark, which easily ignites), then you can usually use the energy of the sun using a magnifying lens, a lens from glasses, a piece broken glass, compass or watch covers or other focusing devices. It is very difficult to make fire by friction; It is best to make fire barriers.
  Warnings
  
  What you will need
  - - Whistle with built-in compass (they are sometimes sold on the parachute ring, if you need it, you can take the cord too)
    - Water container
    - Kindling: matches, lighter, flint/magnesium and iron, magnifying glass or lenses (sometimes on compass cord)
    - Kettle for boiling water/cooking
    - Multi-tool/Swiss army knife
    - Territorial map
    - Fishing hooks and long fishing line. Roll it up and put it in your pocket. Hooks weigh almost nothing and are useful not only in fishing, but in other activities. Tie them together, put them in your wallet, and put them in your back pocket.
    - Three or four protein bars or small portions of vitamin complexes
    - Spare blanket or tent (made of reflective fabric, visible from afar)
    - First aid kit
    - Extra water bottles (don't unseal them before you get lost)
    - Compass
    - Water purification tablets
    - Spare clothes
    - Cotton pads and Vaseline. Vaseline is applied to chapped lips, but more importantly, cotton wool mixed with Vaseline ignites and burns evenly and for a long time. This makes it great for creating torches and starting fires. Do not use Vaseline on burn areas!
    - Rope rope
    - Sewing kit/thread (for repair work and fishing)
    - Olive oil (calories and fire fuel)
    - Ax (to cut down trees and for defensive purposes)

As a rule, our people go to the forest not just to walk along its outskirts, but to fish, most often to pick mushrooms and berries. Consequently, the most fertile time of year is summer (sometimes spring or autumn). It is during these months that it is easiest for a traveler to survive in the forest if he has lost his way and has been wandering in the thicket for more than one day. There is, however, an opportunity to feed yourself in the forest at other times of the year, but more on that next time, and today we’ll talk about how to survive in the forest without food if you get lost in summer or spring.

There are many rules of behavior and ways to survive in the forest. This article will introduce readers to the gastronomic side of the issue. So, what should you look for in the forests and copses if your backpack and pockets are empty, and there is nowhere to wait for help and treats?

Trees

Different parts of some forest trees suitable for human consumption.

Herbaceous plants

Of course, in summer period will be more relevant than anything else edible berries: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, lingonberries, stoneberries, raspberries and others. And if there is a pot or other utensils for use on a fire, then mushrooms.

When going into the forest, everyone should know the basic rules of survival in an extreme situation, including a list of edible gifts of nature. Let's hope that you never get lost, but if this does happen, then you already know how to survive in the forest in the summer without food. We'll talk about how to get water some other time.