How to Survive With Eating off the Land

Wilderness survival is made possible by living efficiently off the land.

Surviving with the bare essentials can be difficult if you do not know how to live off the land. Whether you are roughing it in the outdoors for an adventure or you want to live more economically, you can survive with foraging and other techniques. Learning how to survive while living off the land gives you wilderness training and an instinct for survival and perseverance.

Things You'll Need

• Edible plant guides
• Foraging tools
• Gardening tools
• Plastic barrels

Instructions

1. Refer to a region-appropriate guide for edible plants, roots and mushrooms. This helps you locate natural materials that are safe to eat while foraging in the wild. You can collect edible grasses such as "wild rice," roots, edible puff mushrooms and a myriad of berries, herbs and flowers by referring to these guides.

2. Place open plastic barrels below your roof to catch water runoff. Also put some in other areas to catch rainwater. These homemade "cisterns" capture falling water that is not suitable for drinking but is useful in your garden.

3. Gather seeds from the foods you have foraged in the wilderness and sow them around your property. This not only allows you to give back what you have eaten in the wild but also offers you closer access to plants that help you live off the land. Water your survivalist garden with the water from your barrel cisterns.

Tips & Warnings

• Never eat berries, plants or mushrooms in the wild without thoroughly identifying them with a reputable resource. Some wild plants and mushrooms are so toxic that it is fatal to consume them.

References

• Greenspun: How to Survive Hard Times
• Saint John's University: Tips for Foragers and Survivalists

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish