advice for planning a 'survival' hike/ expedition?

[scott8]

ok im new here, but just looking for some advice on going on a sort of mini expedition in England. me and a couple of mates have been hiking twice together this year (longer one being 6 days), but we'd now like more of a challenge and want to have a go at a hike whilst also getting our own food along the way (probably 5-7 days). to some on here this probably wouldnt be that difficult but as i havent done it before im looking for advice on planning. the uk has so many different rules and regulations in this area aswell so it just adds to the confusion.

so the first thing to decide would be where to do it? anywhere in england is fine, i was thinking lake district would be a good bet as i assume the rivers are less polluted (could be wrong). in whichever place is best (mainly based on what can be caught/ foraged), where specifically would be a good place to hike to and from, and where am i allowed to camp? and in the area, what food can be caught/ foraged - both in terms of feasibility and it being legal? i should probably mention i would obviously bring some food as a backup.

those two things would be the first and main things to figure out. i plan on doing it some time between march and august 2015 so i have plenty of time to prepare (as i currently know very little). can anyone give me some pointers?

 

[Quixoticgeek]

ok im new here, but just looking for some advice on going on a sort of mini expedition in England. me and a couple of mates have been hiking twice together this year (longer one being 6 days), but we'd now like more of a challenge and want to have a go at a hike whilst also getting our own food along the way (probably 5-7 days). to some on here this probably wouldnt be that difficult but as i havent done it before im looking for advice on planning. the uk has so many different rules and regulations in this area aswell so it just adds to the confusion.

When it comes to food from the land, on all land in England that is not Access Land, you have the right to the four F's. Fungi, Fruit, Foliage and Flowers where it is growing wild. Note, roots are not included. It has to be growing wild, you can't walk into an orchard and help yourselves to the apples, but you can help yourself to the blackberries that are growing in the hedge along the side of the orchard. There are some other restrictions, pertaining to protected species, tho I can't think of any off the top of my head that are edible and protected...

Personally I have a few wild foods that I know, and trust and can easily find, Primroses in Spring (Whole plant is edible), Broom flowers in spring, Blackberries in summer, Sweet Chestnuts in Autumn, and the roots of Bullrushes pretty much year round. These are my starting points, from there I am working on discovering what else I can eat, and where, and when.

In terms of food from the water, oh wow, that's a whole different kettle of fish... Erm, can I rephrase?

Fishing rights for freshwater vary depending on the season, the water course, and all sorts. Check locally where you want to fish for the exact rules.

One thing that is invariant with fishing rules in the UK in freshwater is that you *MUST* use a rod. I've seen talk that the rod must be at least 3ft long, but I've yet to find where that is codified. What this translates as, is you can't use a hobo fishing kit, unless you attach it to a stick. You also aren't allowed to leave a line unattended, so no setting night lines, and going to bed waiting to see what you find in the morning.

In the sea, the rules appear to be that anything goes. No doubt someone will be along shortly to elaborate on the exact rules for sea fishing.

This all said, please don't just take the word of some geek on an internet forum, check the local rules and bylaws before you head out.

so the first thing to decide would be where to do it? anywhere in england is fine, i was thinking lake district would be a good bet as i assume the rivers are less polluted (could be wrong). in whichever place is best (mainly based on what can be caught/ foraged), where specifically would be a good place to hike to and from, and where am i allowed to camp? and in the area, what food can be caught/ foraged - both in terms of feasibility and it being legal? i should probably mention i would obviously bring some food as a backup.

If I was to do this, I think I would head for either the west coast of Scotland (yes I know that isn't England), or somewhere on the south west coast path in Cornwall/Devon. The latter may lack some of the wilderness feel of the far north, but I think it may have a suitable balance of wild forage, and also pubs you can escape to when you are fed up of blackberries... Maybe the North coast of Devon around Exmoor... Damn now you have me planning yet more trips...

those two things would be the first and main things to figure out. i plan on doing it some time between march and august 2015 so i have plenty of time to prepare (as i currently know very little). can anyone give me some pointers?

Something to pack in you bag: Food for Free By Richard Mabey. It's the bible on foraging for food in the UK.

Oh, and even tho you are trying to make it a "survival" or forage trip, you may well want to take a few basics, flour, salt, pepper, mixed herbs, olive oil.

Good luck.

Julia

 

[mountainm]

My advice is to stay coastal. The Sea fishing laws are a lot more relaxed. You can fish with a hobo line and no licence. You can also forage for limpets, mussels, razor clams and seaweed amongst a multitude of other things.

Otherwise I don't think you can easily hike and self sustain. If you're walking you'll need a lot of calories so be prepared to supplement with trail mix or something similar.

Good luck!

 

[Man of Tanith]

I'd agree with mike.
take a few basics chorizo oats pasta rice seasonings and such like and then fish in evenings when set up.

think of the food you forage as supplementary stuff incase you can't catch or forage much you'll still have food to sustain you

 

[scott8]

When it comes to food from the land, on all land in England that is not Access Land, you have the right to the four F's. Fungi, Fruit, Foliage and Flowers where it is growing wild. Note, roots are not included. It has to be growing wild, you can't walk into an orchard and help yourselves to the apples, but you can help yourself to the blackberries that are growing in the hedge along the side of the orchard. There are some other restrictions, pertaining to protected species, tho I can't think of any off the top of my head that are edible and protected...

Personally I have a few wild foods that I know, and trust and can easily find, Primroses in Spring (Whole plant is edible), Broom flowers in spring, Blackberries in summer, Sweet Chestnuts in Autumn, and the roots of Bullrushes pretty much year round. These are my starting points, from there I am working on discovering what else I can eat, and where, and when.

In terms of food from the water, oh wow, that's a whole different kettle of fish... Erm, can I rephrase?

Fishing rights for freshwater vary depending on the season, the water course, and all sorts. Check locally where you want to fish for the exact rules.

One thing that is invariant with fishing rules in the UK in freshwater is that you *MUST* use a rod. I've seen talk that the rod must be at least 3ft long, but I've yet to find where that is codified. What this translates as, is you can't use a hobo fishing kit, unless you attach it to a stick. You also aren't allowed to leave a line unattended, so no setting night lines, and going to bed waiting to see what you find in the morning.

In the sea, the rules appear to be that anything goes. No doubt someone will be along shortly to elaborate on the exact rules for sea fishing.

This all said, please don't just take the word of some geek on an internet forum, check the local rules and bylaws before you head out.



If I was to do this, I think I would head for either the west coast of Scotland (yes I know that isn't England), or somewhere on the south west coast path in Cornwall/Devon. The latter may lack some of the wilderness feel of the far north, but I think it may have a suitable balance of wild forage, and also pubs you can escape to when you are fed up of blackberries... Maybe the North coast of Devon around Exmoor... Damn now you have me planning yet more trips...



Something to pack in you bag: Food for Free By Richard Mabey. It's the bible on foraging for food in the UK.

Oh, and even tho you are trying to make it a "survival" or forage trip, you may well want to take a few basics, flour, salt, pepper, mixed herbs, olive oil.

Good luck.

Julia

brilliant, thanks for that!

i never knew you could only catch fish by rod, why is this? and ill definitely be picking up a copy of that book.

Scotland sounds good, maybe wales aswell, not sure which place would be best. i wont need a place with pubs and that as i think it would defeat the purpose! same goes for bringing basics. i will bring some back up food though (maybe 15000-18000 calories worth), which will give me a couple of days worth of food should i need it - worst comes to worse i use that food for a couple of days and go hungry for a couple or cut the hike short.

 

[scott8]

I'd agree with mike.
take a few basics chorizo oats pasta rice seasonings and such like and then fish in evenings when set up.

think of the food you forage as supplementary stuff incase you can't catch or forage much you'll still have food to sustain you

im gonna bring backup food but dont wanna bring loads as i want it to be more of a challenge

My advice is to stay coastal. The Sea fishing laws are a lot more relaxed. You can fish with a hobo line and no licence. You can also forage for limpets, mussels, razor clams and seaweed amongst a multitude of other things.

Otherwise I don't think you can easily hike and self sustain. If you're walking you'll need a lot of calories so be prepared to supplement with trail mix or something similar.

Good luck!

yeah i was thinking to make it part coastal. maybe i could do it 50/50, so half the hike near the coast, the other hike further in land. then if i cant forage much from rivers and forests, ive still got my backup food. quixoticgeek suggested a book for me to read on foraging, but is getting anything remotely edible from rivers really that hard (based on feasibility, location and laws)?

 

[mountainm]

im gonna bring backup food but dont wanna bring loads as i want it to be more of a challenge



yeah i was thinking to make it part coastal. maybe i could do it 50/50, so half the hike near the coast, the other hike further in land. then if i cant forage much from rivers and forests, ive still got my backup food. quixoticgeek suggested a book for me to read on foraging, but is getting anything remotely edible from rivers really that hard (based on feasibility, location and laws)?

bare in mind that foraging enough food to sustain you is a full time occupation - you won't be able to hike at the same time. You may spend 4 hrs trying to catch a fish and end up with just a handful of seaweed as a meal. It'll certainly be a challenge. I'd go with the mindset that the foraging is the fun part and not rely on it. However if you do manage it all credit to you!

 

[Quixoticgeek]

yeah i was thinking to make it part coastal. maybe i could do it 50/50, so half the hike near the coast, the other hike further in land. then if i cant forage much from rivers and forests, ive still got my backup food. quixoticgeek suggested a book for me to read on foraging, but is getting anything remotely edible from rivers really that hard (based on feasibility, location and laws)?

It depends. A lot of it is based on who owns the fishing rights.

Take my local river for example. The Kentish Stour. From just west of Canterbury, to the city centre, I can't fish it without a day permit from an angling club. Through the centre of the city to a mill on the edge, I can fish for free, from the Mill, to the next village down there is now bank access, then from there onwards, I need a ticket from the local angling club...

It's a very complicated and complex setup that varies from river to river, along the same bits of river, and it's even more complex if it's a lake/loch/water/meer/other water body.

To consider if you can a) find somewhere that allows you, b) get a license c) get a suitable trap, then American signal Cray fish are easy to catch, numerous, and tasty.

The big hurdle you will actually find is carbohydrate. In the UK, the only two native carb sources that I am aware of (I would love to be wrong on this one) are Primrose roots, and Bullrush roots. Both of which don't really fall under the 4 F's...

J

 

[scott8]

bare in mind that foraging enough food to sustain you is a full time occupation - you won't be able to hike at the same time. You may spend 4 hrs trying to catch a fish and end up with just a handful of seaweed as a meal. It'll certainly be a challenge. I'd go with the mindset that the foraging is the fun part and not rely on it. However if you do manage it all credit to you!

no doubt it will be hard, but i will factor it in to the time and distance of the hike to allow ourselves time to forage. if we end up with no food after a day of hiking and foraging its not too bad as we will have backup

It depends. A lot of it is based on who owns the fishing rights.

Take my local river for example. The Kentish Stour. From just west of Canterbury, to the city centre, I can't fish it without a day permit from an angling club. Through the centre of the city to a mill on the edge, I can fish for free, from the Mill, to the next village down there is now bank access, then from there onwards, I need a ticket from the local angling club...

It's a very complicated and complex setup that varies from river to river, along the same bits of river, and it's even more complex if it's a lake/loch/water/meer/other water body.

To consider if you can a) find somewhere that allows you, b) get a license c) get a suitable trap, then American signal Cray fish are easy to catch, numerous, and tasty.

The big hurdle you will actually find is carbohydrate. In the UK, the only two native carb sources that I am aware of (I would love to be wrong on this one) are Primrose roots, and Bullrush roots. Both of which don't really fall under the 4 F's...

J

so i guess i should pick places based on the criteria that im actually allowed to fish there, then plan a route that avoids privately owned sections, and then obtain the relevant licenses (which as far as im aware is just sending off a form and fee?). so i guess the question would be, what areas in the uk have rivers with fairly easy to catch edible fish, with atleast some parts not privately owned, and where i can obtain a license to be allowed to fish there? where would be the places i could catch aamerican cray fish?

as far as carbs go, i could just bring a big bag of rice as a sort of 'cheat', and supplement it with a few things i find. even then i doubt anyone would care if i picked up a couple of roots! carbs arent essential though so in my eyes its not a big hurdle

 

[janso]

If you're good with your plant id, Cornwall might be worth aiming for. I live down the bottom end close to Lands End and the coastal footpath has an abundance of edibles. There also the option of beach and cliff casting for fish on many areas. As others have said, finding carbs may be an issue unless you factor in some 'exercise artificiality' and cache some grains or potatoes!The downside is the 'wild' factor; it may feel wild but it's always a stones throw from a road or lane! However some beaches, even on high tide, can still offer places to offer shelter.


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[janso]

Maybe do an internet recce on the Lizard peninsula for an area to use as it can be quite desolate through winter


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[bambodoggy]

Hi Scott and welcome to the forum.

I've started this reply and deleted it several times so far.....the trouble I'm having is trying to explain to you the enormity, complexity and down right difficulty of your chosen endeavour without patronising you or putting you off asking for further advise I'm struggling so I'm just going to say it and hope it comes across as helpful and not negative.

If you want my honest opinion, then forget the plan you have. Either carry on with a hiking trip and maybe do a spot of foraging along the way for fun and practice not for sustanance or pick an area where you have permission to be and stay there the whole week practicing your foraging.
But trying to do both, as a beginner in foraging, is simply folly and at best will end with a miserable trip and at worst....pick the wrong plant by a river bank (water hemlock for example) and it'll be the last trip you ever make my friend.

You mention that carbs aren't needed that much....but I don't agree, if you are hiking then i think they are very important. As well as the primrose and bull rush roots (cats tails) you could also seek out burdock as its hard to confuse with anything else.

You may find with the fishing on inland waters that even with the correct permits to fish, you may not be allowed to keep the fish for food.
Coastal foraging is generally much more reliable than inland unless you have very great plant knowledge. American crayfish can be trapped and eaten but you will need an EA licence as well as the water owners permission and it will involve an over night stay as they are most active at night.

If you are really hell bent on doing this then don't over look the insect kingdom as a lot of people do....it's plentiful, easy to collect and high in protein and most often overlooked due to human squeamishness.

The very best advise I can give you is to get yourself onto a course with a reputable bushcraft school to learn foraging from an expert....books are good but nothing is better than personal face to face tuition. Or failing that...look at the meet up threads on here, join your local meet group and spend a weekend with them and learning from them. I would also say that a very good place to spend a week learning about wild foods would be the BCUK Bush Moots that are held each year...they are very reasonably priced and packed full of skilled and experienced people that will be happy to help you.

At very least, go to your local woods for the weekend.....take no food with you whatsoever and see how you get on. You won't starve to death in two days but it will show you, far better than I can explain, just how unrealistic your plan is. Then on the Sunday afternoon (assuming you haven't cheated and taken food with you or nipped to a local shop or pub) do a local walk...4 or 5 miles should be enough to show you how hard it is when you've burned off all your stored carb energy...I suspect after not eating anything you haven't caught or found since you left home on Friday lunchtime, you won't fancy the walk

I really hope the above doesn't sound negative, I wish you the very best of luck but you have asked for honest advice and I think I have given it......don't run before you walk

Hope that helps,

Bam.

 

[scott8]

I'd agree with mike.
take a few basics chorizo oats pasta rice seasonings and such like and then fish in evenings when set up.

think of the food you forage as supplementary stuff incase you can't catch or forage much you'll still have food to sustain you

bare in mind that foraging enough food to sustain you is a full time occupation - you won't be able to hike at the same time. You may spend 4 hrs trying to catch a fish and end up with just a handful of seaweed as a meal. It'll certainly be a challenge. I'd go with the mindset that the foraging is the fun part and not rely on it. However if you do manage it all credit to you!

Hi Scott and welcome to the forum.

I've started this reply and deleted it several times so far.....the trouble I'm having is trying to explain to you the enormity, complexity and down right difficulty of your chosen endeavour without patronising you or putting you off asking for further advise I'm struggling so I'm just going to say it and hope it comes across as helpful and not negative.

If you want my honest opinion, then forget the plan you have. Either carry on with a hiking trip and maybe do a spot of foraging along the way for fun and practice not for sustanance or pick an area where you have permission to be and stay there the whole week practicing your foraging.
But trying to do both, as a beginner in foraging, is simply folly and at best will end with a miserable trip and at worst....pick the wrong plant by a river bank (water hemlock for example) and it'll be the last trip you ever make my friend.

You mention that carbs aren't needed that much....but I don't agree, if you are hiking then i think they are very important. As well as the primrose and bull rush roots (cats tails) you could also seek out burdock as its hard to confuse with anything else.

You may find with the fishing on inland waters that even with the correct permits to fish, you may not be allowed to keep the fish for food.
Coastal foraging is generally much more reliable than inland unless you have very great plant knowledge. American crayfish can be trapped and eaten but you will need an EA licence as well as the water owners permission and it will involve an over night stay as they are most active at night.

If you are really hell bent on doing this then don't over look the insect kingdom as a lot of people do....it's plentiful, easy to collect and high in protein and most often overlooked due to human squeamishness.

The very best advise I can give you is to get yourself onto a course with a reputable bushcraft school to learn foraging from an expert....books are good but nothing is better than personal face to face tuition. Or failing that...look at the meet up threads on here, join your local meet group and spend a weekend with them and learning from them. I would also say that a very good place to spend a week learning about wild foods would be the BCUK Bush Moots that are held each year...they are very reasonably priced and packed full of skilled and experienced people that will be happy to help you.

At very least, go to your local woods for the weekend.....take no food with you whatsoever and see how you get on. You won't starve to death in two days but it will show you, far better than I can explain, just how unrealistic your plan is. Then on the Sunday afternoon (assuming you haven't cheated and taken food with you or nipped to a local shop or pub) do a local walk...4 or 5 miles should be enough to show you how hard it is when you've burned off all your stored carb energy...I suspect after not eating anything you haven't caught or found since you left home on Friday lunchtime, you won't fancy the walk

I really hope the above doesn't sound negative, I wish you the very best of luck but you have asked for honest advice and I think I have given it......don't run before you walk

Hope that helps,

Bam.

grateful for the advice, tbh i fully expected for atleast one person to tell me its a stupid idea!

I forgot to mention, but i planned on going on a foraging/ survival course before doing it myself, but i thought it would of been a better idea to do the course in the place i plan to hike, but I first need to pick a good place to do it.

as for carbs, the food i had for the longer hike i went on before didnt consist of that much carbs (in terms of percentage of total calories) as they were too bulky compared to calories i could get from fat. i also valued protein over carbs because its muscle sparing (and essential), and if needed can be converted to glucose to use as energy with the fat. i dont know the numbers exactly but my calorie intake was around 60/20/20 f/p/c. the hike was fine with that diet so i dont think ill need loads and loads of carbs, although i do think it would be good to bring something like rice or oats to supplement a little.

I have no problem eating bugs, just no ones mentioned it yet whats good to eat?

in terms of where to go and the laws around fishing, would it not be alot more feasible if it was well planned through in advice, and the route was mapped out in advance to pass non private sections of rivers where you are allowed to take what you catch, and obtain the licenses necessary for that part? that would surely take the guess work out and would mean i would be free to fish

as for going up to local woods... thats a little difficult. i live in london, and there isnt really any woods near me! theres small patches here and there, but its either private, very small, and/ or maintained (so not alot of 'wild' things available). the only river available is the thames and i wouldnt want anything from there as its filthy...

 

[bambodoggy]

grateful for the advice, tbh i fully expected for atleast one person to tell me its a stupid idea!.

Lol nobody said it was a "stupid idea", this is a bushcraft forum....this sort of thing is right up most of our streets, I think we were just suggesting that it was possibly just a little over ambitious for a first foraging trip.

Its great that you're planning on doing a course first and yes it makes sense to do the course near to were you plan to explore

I understand your point about local woods and of course I cannot condone so called "stealth camping" so maybe join the Sussex or Kent meet up group and go out to their sites....you get a double whammy of a site to play in and great/skilled help on hand if you want it

Hope it all goes well,

Bam.

 

[scott8]

Lol nobody said it was a "stupid idea", this is a bushcraft forum....this sort of thing is right up most of our streets, I think we were just suggesting that it was possibly just a little over ambitious for a first foraging trip.

Its great that you're planning on doing a course first and yes it makes sense to do the course near to were you plan to explore

I understand your point about local woods and of course I cannot condone so called "stealth camping" so maybe join the Sussex or Kent meet up group and go out to their sites....you get a double whammy of a site to play in and great/skilled help on hand if you want it

Hope it all goes well,

Bam.

yeah its definitely over ambitious, i still think its doable though!

so for the course, i first need to decide on a place and a time of year before i can book something in. the thing is i cant do too much practice, as i work monday to saturday and get 4 weeks holiday a year. so its either i sort of go in at the deep end or just dont do it!

 

[Quixoticgeek]

grateful for the advice, tbh i fully expected for atleast one person to tell me its a stupid idea!

I forgot to mention, but i planned on going on a foraging/ survival course before doing it myself, but i thought it would of been a better idea to do the course in the place i plan to hike, but I first need to pick a good place to do it.

Good, there are a lot of plants out there that will kill you, and just as many that will make you wish they had.

as for carbs, the food i had for the longer hike i went on before didnt consist of that much carbs (in terms of percentage of total calories) as they were too bulky compared to calories i could get from fat. i also valued protein over carbs because its muscle sparing (and essential), and if needed can be converted to glucose to use as energy with the fat. i dont know the numbers exactly but my calorie intake was around 60/20/20 f/p/c. the hike was fine with that diet so i dont think ill need loads and loads of carbs, although i do think it would be good to bring something like rice or oats to supplement a little.

Ok, challenge for you, 1 minute, no googling: List 5 natural plant based sources of fat. Go.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

I have no problem eating bugs, just no ones mentioned it yet whats good to eat?

Yes. Ant larva is the canonical example, tho not easy when on the move, the technique is to lay your basha out, fold over the edges, then throw an ants nest on the middle. Wait a few hours for the ants to move the larva to the dark under the folds, dine. Problem: yes it's rich in protein, but there aren't going to be many of them for you to eat in a nest. Secondly, if you are planning to hike, this is the sort of thing where you have to lay the tarp down and leave the ants to it for hours, not minutes, not ideal if you are trying to hike at the same time.

Not a bug, but don't forget snails. You will want to purge them (how you do that on the trail is a good question).

Those are the ones off the top of my head, there are probably others. Note: many insects are endangered, so don't go wiping out a species.

in terms of where to go and the laws around fishing, would it not be alot more feasible if it was well planned through in advice, and the route was mapped out in advance to pass non private sections of rivers where you are allowed to take what you catch, and obtain the licenses necessary for that part? that would surely take the guess work out and would mean i would be free to fish

Yes and no, the fish don't know your plan, so you can't say "walk 5 miles, fish for 3 hours, eat fish" as the fish doesn't know it was supposed to be caught and you may spend 3 times as long to catch something barely big enough to stave off hunger for an hour.

as for going up to local woods... thats a little difficult. i live in london, and there isnt really any woods near me! theres small patches here and there, but its either private, very small, and/ or maintained (so not alot of 'wild' things available). the only river available is the thames and i wouldnt want anything from there as its filthy...

Get to Charing Cross station, get a train to Wye, walk roughly North east to the Kings wood. Spend 2 days there, then on the Sunday walk back to the Tickled Trout in Wye for a meal before you get your train home. Problem solved.

J

 

[scott8]

Good, there are a lot of plants out there that will kill you, and just as many that will make you wish they had.



Ok, challenge for you, 1 minute, no googling: List 5 natural plant based sources of fat. Go.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.




Yes. Ant larva is the canonical example, tho not easy when on the move, the technique is to lay your basha out, fold over the edges, then throw an ants nest on the middle. Wait a few hours for the ants to move the larva to the dark under the folds, dine. Problem: yes it's rich in protein, but there aren't going to be many of them for you to eat in a nest. Secondly, if you are planning to hike, this is the sort of thing where you have to lay the tarp down and leave the ants to it for hours, not minutes, not ideal if you are trying to hike at the same time.

Not a bug, but don't forget snails. You will want to purge them (how you do that on the trail is a good question).

Those are the ones off the top of my head, there are probably others. Note: many insects are endangered, so don't go wiping out a species.



Yes and no, the fish don't know your plan, so you can't say "walk 5 miles, fish for 3 hours, eat fish" as the fish doesn't know it was supposed to be caught and you may spend 3 times as long to catch something barely big enough to stave off hunger for an hour.



Get to Charing Cross station, get a train to Wye, walk roughly North east to the Kings wood. Spend 2 days there, then on the Sunday walk back to the Tickled Trout in Wye for a meal before you get your train home. Problem solved.

J

for natural plant based sources of fat its gonna be mainly nuts and seeds (and all the varieties within them) however i dont know what types we have growing wild in the uk. most animal sources of protein also have fat though

i thought about eating snails, but i heard they have to be purged for a week which would make it pointless. or do they not have to be purged for this long? i didnt think eating bugs would be worth it given the relatively little amount we have in the uk

edit: forgot to add, as i mentioned i work monday to saturday so cant take a weekend to go in to the woods when i feel like it

 

[Quixoticgeek]

for natural plant based sources of fat its gonna be mainly nuts and seeds (and all the varieties within them) however i dont know what types we have growing wild in the uk. most animal sources of protein also have fat though

Yep, that's pretty much it. So, where, and more importantly WHEN, would you find such sources of Fat in the UK?

Hazel nuts... Autumn... Chestnuts... Autumn... Walnuts... Autumn... Can you see where I'm going here?

How do you propose to acquire the animal protein?

i thought about eating snails, but i heard they have to be purged for a week which would make it pointless. or do they not have to be purged for this long? i didnt think eating bugs would be worth it given the relatively little amount we have in the uk

The traditional approach is you put them in a container with a carrot, and when the stuff coming out is orange, then they are purged. Not sure how long that takes tho.

edit: forgot to add, as i mentioned i work monday to saturday so cant take a weekend to go in to the woods when i feel like it

Head out on Saturday after work, couple of nights in a bivvi bag, be at work again on Monday morning, via a cafe for breakfast. No problem...

J

 

[scott8]

Yep, that's pretty much it. So, where, and more importantly WHEN, would you find such sources of Fat in the UK?

Hazel nuts... Autumn... Chestnuts... Autumn... Walnuts... Autumn... Can you see where I'm going here?

How do you propose to acquire the animal protein?



The traditional approach is you put them in a container with a carrot, and when the stuff coming out is orange, then they are purged. Not sure how long that takes tho.



Head out on Saturday after work, couple of nights in a bivvi bag, be at work again on Monday morning, via a cafe for breakfast. No problem...

J

autumn it is then. for animal protein it would of been river food, but given the info in this thread its probably now gonna be mainly things from a coast, so crabs, mussels, cockles etc.

as for a weekend trip.. do you mean go for a couple of nights then basically straight from the forest to the office? i suppose i could go for a saturday night, and possibly the sunday night aswell, i'll see what my mates think of it!

 

[Alreetmiowdmuka]

If I was gonna plan a trip like this it would have too be some coastal part of scotland.the foraging n fishing prospects will be infinitely better.after reading your posts I remembered something I posted a while back n thought would help.its a recipe for a very simple too make flat bread that I think suit your type of trip very well.you could practice at home before you go
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116876


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