Survival of the fittest.
At some point in life, you have either heard this on television or in real life. You may have planned for the perfect solo trek at a location with more nature than humans. You planned it well but somehow got lost.
In between, you lost your stuff and now have your mind and body! How will you survive?
In general, there is a rule of three that states you can survive for…
- Up to 3 minutes without oxygen
- 3 hours without shelter in extreme conditions
- Approximately three days without water, and
- Three weeks without food!
Whoa!! Hey buddy, everything else is fine but three days without food is taking this too far, don’t you think? Not really. You can actually survive that long, but it’s purely based on your wits and will to live. We hope that you don’t go through such a situation ever.
Hence we will help you with the best survival solution, i.e. ways where you can prepare food in survival situations.
1. Insects become your best friend!
When stuck in the wild, everything around you is a potential food item. Yes, it might not be your regular Burger King with extra cheese and fries, but it will suffice your hunger. Remember that if you can find insects & grasshoppers, you can use them as bait to get fish from the water.
If that doesn’t work, do everyone a favor and eat those yourself. Do not go all “Eww” or “gross”. Yes, this is the only food item on this list that does not need to be cooked and can be eaten raw. Remember, when it comes to survival, it’s better to shed your inhibitions and eat anything you can find rather than starving to death.
2. It is an excellent time to visit wetlands and go fishing
If you’re stuck in the wild for survival, there are majority chances of finding wetlands. Here, apart from fishing for tiny fishes, you get multiple options — frogs, tadpoles, snails, clams, mussels, sea urchins & crabs. You can find them and collect them as much as you wish to.
Then, look for aluminum foils, beer cans, in short anything that can be used as a pan. If you have a foil, get the food within the foil and cover it. Next, place it near wooden logs that are on fire. In a while, this will be cooked and ready for dinner.
3. Desert regions have their own specialities as well
There are few locations in the desert where people often trek or travel. But due to extreme weather, there isn’t much of the human population in deserts. In case you get stuck in this environment, look for insects, lizards, and scorpions. Avoid snakes as you don’t know which one is poisonous.
How can you cook them? It’s simple. Find the insect, clean the outer shell. In cases of a scorpion, get rid of the tail and the stinger, so it doesn’t infect you. Then you can place it on a rock/aluminum foil and cook it under fire. Sometimes you can keep it on a rock and let the extreme heat do its trick. In the end, you’ll have a tasty snack.
4. Valleys and Mountains have an abundance of food
Are you trekking in a location that’s based in valleys and mountains? Then be rest assured that there would be ample food at your disposal. You will find crickets, grasshoppers, slugs, earthworms and tons of insects. These animals thrive within logs and under stones and branches.
You can prepare your lunch/dinner by following these steps: Find as many insects as you can together and place them in clean water. Once they are clean, you have nothing else to wait for! Go ahead and satiate your hunger. Yes, you don’t need to always use fire to cook. Some of these are difficult to be found and easier to eat.
5. Hunting your Prey
Now, this is a tricky and difficult way to capture food. Hunting and catching your prey is exactly what our ancestors did, but they had training, and we don’t. If you’re stuck for a long time in the wild, you can look for wood that can be crafted into an axe/spear. This can be used on hunting wild animals like squirrels, deer, or rabbits.
Once you do get your prey, it would be wise to clear off the skin and then cook it on fire. You can set up sticks on fire in such a way that it resembles a barbecue setup. Cook the meat for a long time and then enjoy your heavy meal!
6. Mother Nature has kept food everywhere!
When you’re stuck in the wild, take a walk! Enjoy the flora fauna and more importantly scan the area. Mother Nature has been kind to humans and animals. There’s food everywhere. You can search for low hanging fruits on trees & vegetables if eating insects seems too much for you.
The best way to prepare fruits will be to simply check if it’s not been bitten by animals. You can wash them with clean water and then eat it. In case you’ve found vegetables, you can clean them with water and then cook them using a tin can, foil on fire. Once cooked for a while, you can enjoy your lunch/dinner.
Conclusion
So these were a few best ways to prepare food in a survival situation. No matter what suggestions we give, there are three things that you must clearly learn:
- The will to survive
- Eat anything that crawls, flies, in short lives!
- Learn to make a fire at least
If you can do these three things, surviving in the wild becomes easier. For those who know how to cook, surviving does become easy. Yes, we did not mention cooking as the options above are the most basic requirements. Once you make a fire, it would take you less than three attempts to understand how to cook.
To avoid all such situations, you must always inform a few people where you’re off to. Carry some food on you and stay smart. With this, you will always be able to find and prepare food no matter where you get stuck.
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