A section in Chapter 4 of the book:
Prep Lists for Camping, Hiking, and Backpacking

When camping, where you sleep depends on so many conditions, like temperature, weather, terrain, resources at hand, and more. Here are some basics to consider for your planning.

Tents

Whether you are purchasing a tent or building a make-shift tent-line shelter, these construction and design elements can be useful.

Tent Type Selection

Selecting the best tent for your needs can be quite a challenge. Consider the following to help in your decision-making process.

• Ridge Tent: classic triangle with cross-pole
• PROS: Stable, quick and easy, best for sleeping only
• CONS: Low height, small space for moving around
• TIPS: Build yourself with a branch and a tarp or rain poncho

Click here to see pictures, styles, pricing, and reviews for ridge tents

• Dome (Umbrella) Tent: flexible poles in a hemisphere
• PROS: Stable, quick and easy, lightweight, more room
• CONS: Large ones less stable in wind & more difficult to set up
• TIPS: Build yourself by tying saplings together

Click here to see pictures, styles, pricing, and reviews for dome tents

• Frame Tent: rigid poles
• PROS: Sturdy, large
• CONS: Heavy, bulky, more difficult to set up
• TIPS: Bring your truck

Click here to see pictures, styles, pricing, and reviews for frame tents

• Quick-Pitch or Instant Tent: spring-loaded or coiled frame
• PROS: Quick and easy
• CONS: Often more of a toy than a serious camping tent
• TIPS: Avoid in rough weather. Consider for keeping gear dry.

Click here to see pictures, styles, pricing, and reviews for quick-pitch tents

• Geodesic and Semi-Geodesic Tent: criss-cross poles
• PROS: Very sturdy in harsh, windy conditions
• CONS: Expensive
• TIPS: Probably overkill for most leisurely camping

Click here to see pictures, styles, pricing, and reviews for geodesic tents

• Inflatable Tent: compressed air
• PROS: Fun to set up
• CONS: Heavy and bulky, requires air compressor
• TIPS: Use next to your truck or car

Click here to see pictures, styles, pricing, and reviews for inflatable tents

• Family or Cabin Tent: huge, multiple rooms
• PROS: Large size for lots of people and lots of gear
• CONS: More expensive, sometimes unreliable
• TIPS: Coordinate smaller tents to meet under a canopy

Click here to see pictures, styles, pricing, and reviews for family cabin tents

• Tunnel Tent: dome tents side-by-side
• PROS: Expandable for families or groups
• CONS: Limited applications, heavy and bulky
• TIPS: Often more functional than family tents

Click here to see pictures, styles, pricing, and reviews for tunnel tents

• Pod Tent: arranged like spokes around central living space
• PROS: Great for separation and compartmentalization
• CONS: Requires large, flat ground surface
• TIPS: Consider a set up using only some of the pods

Click here to see pictures, styles, pricing, and reviews for pod tents

Tent Pitching Prep

Remember these tips before pitching or setting up your tent.

• If it’s been a while since you used the tent, set it up at home first
• Make sure you have all the pieces and all stakes
• Make sure it does not have mold or mildew
• Make sure you remember how to set it up (in daylight)
• Make sure there is no damage that needs repair
• Consider a fresh coat of rain-proofing spray
• Before you go, decide what to take
• Determine if you need a groundsheet under or inside it
• Decide if you need a sleeping pad, air mattress, or other support
• Consider a door mat or throw rug for wiping wet shoes, collecting dirt, comfort, warmth, etc.
• Consider reducing your pack weight by changing or eliminating something like metal stakes or a rainfly. Maybe all you need is the rainfly.
• Depending on tent condition and length of trip, would a tent repair kit (or silicone spray) be wise to take with you?
• Before pitching the tent:
• Note of how the tent is packed (cell phone photos?) so that you can return it to this condition when it’s time to pack up again.
• Select position and door direction: relative to campfire, the wind, the trail, the sun, or desired privacy.
• Clear the area of all rocks, sticks, acorns, etc. to avoid a lumpy bed. Build and use a rake to make this easier.
• Consider piling extra leaves or grass under the tent like a mattress for extra comfort and warmth. Build and use a rake to make this easier.

Tent Takedown Planning

Consider the following when taking down your tent.

• Use a whisk broom or towel to clean out all dirt, leaves, etc.
• Make a note of any repairs needed for when you get home.
• Get the tent as dry as possible. If it is damp when packed out, remember to set it up at home to air out as soon as possible.
• Consider rolling up rain fly and ground tarp together with tent.
• Consider rolling tent around the poles to wrap more tightly.

Visit PrepListsBooks.com for links to more information,
like “how-to” articles and demonstration videos.

Ground

Sleeping on the ground can take many forms. From the simplest laying on the grass under the stars, to building a make-shift shelter out of nearby vegetation, or using a bivvy bag to keep rain off, sleeping on the ground can be made comfortable, warm, and dry.

A sleeping pad (or platform) is a layer of protection under you when sleeping—adding warmth, dryness, or comfort. It can be used by itself or combined with a sleeping bag, hammock, or tent.

Packed

Consider packing one of these sleeping platform ideas to go under your sleeping bag or blankets.

• Foam Pad: rolls up tightly for packing
• Self-Inflating Pad: draws in air when unrolled
• Air Pad: inflate yourself
• Air Mattress: inflate with a pump
• Cot: purchased or home-made
• Extra Blankets: or an old bedspread comforter

Some insulated sleeping pads can be inserted into your sleeping bag
with straps or sleeves to avoid rolling off of it during the night.

Improvised

Improvise a mattress by covering any of the following with a tarp, blanket, coat, rain poncho, etc.

• Pile of Leaves: easier with a Bushcraft rake
• Bed of Pine Needles: under or next to a grove of evergreens
• Long Grass: cut or standing
• Clothing: stacked and spread out
• Visor: Reflective Car Sun Visor: also sitting or changing clothes
• Cot with blanket: build in the woods
• Packed and formed snow: shape to your body
• Bedroll: wrap blankets and padding inside a tarp

Sleeping Bag

When buying (or borrowing) a sleeping bag, consider these options and features to be best prepared.

Categories

• Three-Season: for temperatures above 15 degrees
  > Moderate weight and size; may include extra warmth features
• Winter: for temperatures below 15 degrees
  > Heavier and larger, complete with hoods, draft collars, foot box, pad sleeves or straps, baffling, stash pocket, etc.
• Summer: for temperatures above 32 degrees
  > Lighter, smaller, easier, limited features

For warm nights, consider lightweight sheets or blankets
instead of a heavy sleeping bag.

Features

• Temperature Ratings: helpful, but limited standardization
• Shell: Waterproof (more expensive) or not (typical)
• Shape: Rectangle (roomy and inexpensive), semi-rectangle (allowing some movement), mummy (max warmth and min size)
• Insulation: Down (best quality), synthetic (often best value, especially if it might get wet), or a combination

Remember to store your sleeping bag either open and hanging
or in a larger bag, rather than compressed into a stuff sack.
This will improve the insulation value by keeping the filling lofted.

Bags lose loft with use, so launder sleeping bags after 30 nights of use.

• Weight: Balance your personal needs between low weight or size (for backpacking), and roominess or comfort (for quality sleep)
• Try before You Buy: Get in, move around, cinch it up, use the zipper, consider any additions like a liner or pad to go inside

More expert advice about sleeping bags is available at the REI website.

Pillows

Don’t underestimate the value of a good headrest while you are sleeping—especially for long trips. Consider these alternatives to the standard pillow that you use at home every night.

See It Online: Camping Pillows

• Camp pillow: inflated, stuffed, etc.
• Travel pillow
• Inflatable pillow
• Inflatable headrest (like those used on airplanes)
• Large zip-tight plastic bag (or multiple bags) in a cloth sack or wrapped in a T-Shirt {Link TBD}
• Roll any of these into a log or stuff into a sack or plastic bag
• Sweatshirt
• T-Shirts
• Towels
• Blankets
• Fill trash bag with these and stuff in a sleeping bag sack or shirt
• Leaves
• Grass
• Sand
• Dirt

Hammocks

Using a hammock is a favorite of mine for the following reasons.

• More comfortable sleep
• Lightweight for backpacking
• Easier to find a suitable campsite in rocky or hilly terrain
• Multi-functional for camp seating
• Usually warmer than in a tent
• More versatile for different weather and activities

See It Online: Trek Light Gear – Hammock Camping 101:
5 Reasons Why You Should Switch from a Tent to a Hammock

Hammock gear depends mostly on temperate and precipitation.

• If it’s a warm, dry night then all you need is the hammock itself—rolled up into a jacket pocket or fanny pack.
• If you need to escape from bugs or mosquitos, use a hammock with a screen—it zips up like a suspended tent.
• If you expect rain, pack a rain fly or small tarp.
• If it will be cold, consider a mix & match of the following.
• Hammock: with straps
• Sleeping bag: over quilt
• Fleece liner or flannel sheet: inside sleeping bag
• Car shade visor pad: under sleeping bag (doubles as seat pad and changing mat)
• Small utility bag: clipped inside hammock (with pillow, extra clothing, gloves, and head gear—like knit hat, balaclava, neck gaiter, hood, etc.)
• Under Quilt (or sleeping bag): attach to hammock straps
• Under Wrap (emergency Mylar blanket): attach cinched ends to carabiners on hammock straps
• Tarp rain fly, stakes, ridge poles, strapping, cording, sticks

See It Online: Shugemery – Hammock Hangin’ How-To Videos

This is a winter hammock quick reference for SETUP SEQUENCE.

• First, attach hammock and ridge pole to trees
  —using nylon straps at 6 to 7 feet above the ground
• Next, set up each of the following OPTIONAL components:
• Attach lower ridge paracord in carabiners at 4 to 5 feet high
• Attach bug netting to lower ridge
• Cinch under quilt and attach to lower ridge
• Cinch under wrap and attach to carabiners
• Insert reflective car sun shade visor pad for extra warmth
• Insert sleeping bag or over quilt
• Insert fleece blanket or flannel sheet for extra warmth or a lighter sleeping bag
• Attach utility or ditty bag inside hammock for quick access
• Set up rain fly or rain tarp using the upper ridge pole

See Photos Online: Waterproof Hammock Rain Fly for Camping

See Setup Diagram Online: Hammock Under Quilt

See Photos Online: Hammock & Mosquito Net

Sleeping Accessories

Consider the following for greatest comfort and warmth while sleeping.

• Pillow or Headrest
• Ear Plugs
• Water Bottle
• Urine Bottle/Bag
• Flashlight
• Bug repellent

Sleeping Warm

Often the biggest challenge for sleeping outdoors is keeping warm. Think about a combination of these options to stay comfortable on a chilly night.

Key Principles

• Insulate yourself to retain heat
• Keep as dry as possible

Head & Neck

• Knit hat – or any hat, lid, hood, stocking cap, or head covering
• Make-shift hat made from a handkerchief, shirt, bag, or towel
• Hooded sweatshirt – with hood cinched closed
• Scarf around your neck
• Balaclava – versatile for fine-tuning adjustments

In the Bag

• Change into clean, dry clothes (and underwear) when you get into bed to avoid moisture and improve insulation value
• Wear gloves, mittens, or anything wrapped around hands
• Wear long underwear and fresh, dry socks
• Wear loose-fitting clothing for air pockets and better circulation
• Wrap your feet in a sweatshirt to keep them warm and dry
• Fluff up your sleeping bag as soon as you arrive to improve the loft and insulation value OR keep sleeping bag rolled up until bedtime, to avoid getting damp DEPENDING on humidity
• Any sort of insulating barrier between you and the cold ground
• Stuff dry clothing into your sleeping bag for extra insulation
• Use layers of insulation to control moisture and avoid frost
• Breathe outside of sleeping bag to prevent dampness inside
• If too hot, allow bag to air out to avoid sweaty dampness
• Consider a “sleeping suit” of dry clothing kept in sleeping bag
• Allow sleeping bag to fully dry in the morning before rolling up—turn inside out and drape over tent to dry quickly

Bedtime Preparation

• Consider a sleeping bag that is rated for lower temperatures
• Launder sleeping bag to fluff it up and improve insulation value
• Use a flannel sheet or fleece blanket inside your sleeping bag
• Wrap your sleeping bag in a Mylar emergency blanket
• Eat a big meal before bed – for calories and warmth of digestion
• Take a candy bar to bed with you and eat if you wake up cold
• Drink a hot beverage before climbing into bed
• Drink up during the day, then stop an hour before bedtime—to avoid needing to get out of bed to urinate before morning.
• Do a minute of exercise to warm up before going to sleep
• Avoid getting into bed damp, sweaty, or warm enough to sweat
• Choose a campsite that is out of the wind and above the valley floor, where cold air settles overnight
• Heat dry rocks in campfire, then place under your sleeping area
• Add warm water to a water bottle and hold against your core
• Have a snack ready to eat if you wake in the middle of the night
• Use your backpack or a zipped-up coat as a foot cover for extra insulation while sleeping
• A safely-hung candle lantern in your tent provides warmth and reduces condensation.

CAUTION: If bears may be nearby, do not keep food, empty food wrappers,
or anything that smells like food in your sleeping area.

Staying Warm

• Use a pee bottle to urinate during the night, rather than going out into the cold
• If your sleeping bag has a drawstring, pull it around your face, not around your neck, keeping your mouth and nose exposed
• Eat a midnight snack if you wake cold—something calorie dense
• Consider a safe campfire design that produces long-term heat
• Snuggle up or spoon with someone to share body heat
• Sleep in the fetal position, curled up to better retain core heat
• Keep your next day’s footwear (and clothing) in a plastic bag and place in your sleeping bag to warm up

Sleeping Cool

Getting a good night’s sleep is a challenge when the heat is too much to get comfortable. Consider these ideas to stay cool outdoors.

Bedding

• Instead of a winter sleeping bag, use a lightweight one
• Instead of a sleeping bag, just use sheets or a light blanket

Clothing

• Wear loose, breathable clothing; minimize clothes to vent heat
• Soak bandana, hat, sock, etc. with cool water and place on head or feet
• Start sleep with cool water bottles

Location

• Position tent or rainfly so that breezes enter or pass through
• Look for a shady and breezy campsite to minimize the heat

Remember that if you are exposing yourself to wind to stay cool, it will pull moisture out of you, so stay well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

• When seeking shade, note the direction the sun is moving
• Use large tarp to create a shaded area and block sun’s heat
• Air around and above a moving stream will be cooler

Bedtime Preparation

• Drape a reflective blanket over tent to minimize heat from sun
• Use a reflective blanket or tarp under bedding if ground is hot
• Open tent windows to encourage movement of air
• Consider changing from a tent to a hammock with rainfly
• Stay well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water during the day
• Take an inflatable kiddie pool for you, kids, or pets to play in
• Before bed, remove boots or wear sandals to help cool down
• Wading in a nearby stream or lake will cool your whole body

 

A section in Chapter 4 of the book:
Prep Lists for Camping, Hiking, and Backpacking

When selecting an ideal backcountry location to make camp and set up shelter, there are several factors to consider. Remember that no site will be perfect, so balance your personal priorities with safety, convenience, and what is available.

• Timing: Plan to arrive at your campsite location with one or two hours of daylight for shelter setup, firewood collection, etc.
• Water Access: If you will need water for drinking, cooking, and washing, camp within a short distance of fresh water.
• Waterline: Whether you are near a lake, stream, beach, river, or other body of water, be sure to stay above the waterline—even if it doesn’t rain where you are, rainfall upstream in the mountains may come gushing down on you while you are sleeping. Many parks require that you be at least 200 feet away from any running water to avoid being caught in a flash flood.
• Water Drainage: If it might rain while you are camped, be sure to avoid pitching a tent or building a fire in small valleys or drainage basins that will retain rain water.
• Firewood: Look around to ensure that sufficient amount of quality firewood is available within a short walking distance.
• Bushcraft: If you plan to build anything like a shelter frame, ridgeline, bench, rake, or gadgets—identify suitable materials.
• Minimize Impact: Avoid trampling a pristine meadow, damaging vegetation, or spoiling scenery for others. If you are in a large group, consider dividing into smaller sites.

Some campsites are closed due to site abuse. Many parks are completely closed to any type of camping because of carelessness. Please leave it as you found it.

• Pests: Avoid areas that have nearby wasp nests; bee hives; ant hills; stagnant water breeding mosquitos; tall grass harboring mice, ticks, chiggers, and ants; deadfalls or rocky terrain that may be home to snakes; or nearby caves that might have bears.
• Plants: Avoid camping around poison ivy, poison oak, nettles, or similar plants to which you may have an allergic reaction.
• Overhead Hazards: Do not camp near dead trees or tree limbs that are still hanging above ground, beneath cliffs with loose rocks that may fall, or anything else that may fall with wind in the night. These are called widow makers.
• Surface: If tenting, you will need a flat, level surface at least the size of your tent floor for comfortable sleeping. Avoid bumps, slopes, or uneven ground. If you are using a hammock, this is far less important. Remember to clear away any fire hazards.
• Wind Block: To avoid a bitter cold breeze, camp next to a natural wind barrier like dense trees, large rocks, or thick brush.
• Breeze: A clearing in the woods or on a hillside that encourages a warm breeze may help keep away bugs, bees, and mosquitos.
• Bear Bag: Keep animals out of your food by camping where you can hang your food in a bear bag 100 yards downwind.
• Buffer Zone: Keep at least 200 feet away from any hiking trails, rivers, streams, lakes, or other campsites. Also avoid game trails to minimize animals bumping into you during the night.
• Avoid Overcrowding: Do your best to not camp too close to others, spoiling their view, being noisy, or limiting trail access.
• Waste Management: Plan ahead for where (and how) to “go to the bathroom” to avoid contamination or embarrassment.
• Land Usage: Remember to respect private property and any park rules for your type of camping.
• Hunting Seasons: Remember to make yourself visible during any local hunting seasons, typically with bright orange.
• Bearings: When circling around and settling into your site, be sure that you remember how to return to where you came from.
• Communication: Do you need cell phone reception in case of emergency? A nearby hilltop may help pick up a cell signal.

 

 

A section in Chapter 3 of the book:
Prep Lists for Camping, Hiking, and Backpacking

When you are hungry in the woods, you might first think of vegetation like fruits and greens, or you might think of meats for protein and fat. If you hunger for protein, then harvesting fresh meat may be very rewarding for you. Of course, check to be sure that hunting game and harvesting protected animals is legal and in season for your location.

Near the Water

Fishing

• Fish: Confirm seasons for each species
• Consider angling, netting, spearing, trapping, or noodling
• Use fish guts as bait to catch more fish or larger fish
• Frogs: Requires a fishing license in many U.S. states
• Consider a net, a spear gig, or a fish hook with red yarn
• Use frog guts as bait to catch fish

Trapping & Gathering

A variety of shellfish are often available—not only along the seashore, but also along many freshwater waterways. If you are new to eating foraged shellfish, avoid late spring and summer to prevent possible toxic poisoning.

• Shorelines: Mussels, scallops, oysters, cockles, winkles, whelks
• Various Locations: Crayfish, crabs, shrimp, clams, turtles

In the Field

The key to harvesting wild animals is the tools you currently have available. Do you have weapons, traps, snares, or the skills and materials needed to create these?

Remember, most game animals are protected and require licensing to harvest.
Trapping and snaring might only be legal if needed for survival.

Small Animals

• Game: rabbit, hare, squirrel, prairie dog, opossum, snake
• Non-Game: turtle, gopher, beaver, martin, mink, weasel, otter
• Survival: coyote, fox, musk rat, raccoon, porcupine, armadillo, mice, chipmunk, packrat, mole, woodchuck
• Birds: turkey, pheasant, quail, grouse, partridge, woodcock, dove, ducks, geese, waterfowl, crow, songbirds

The quality of the meat you harvest may depend on how hungry you are.

Consider the following methods or devices for harvesting small animals. Some are only allowed when used for survival.

• Firearms: Rifle, shotgun, handgun, air rifle
• Slings: Archery, slingshot, Bushcraft nun chucks (two rocks tied together by two feet of cording)
• Traps: Cable snares, box traps, nets, Conibear
• Baiting: Food, lures, scents, decoys
• Calling or Driving into a key location, like a trap or killing zone
• Spotlighting at night to locate and target dazed animals
• Tracking, scouting, glassing, and stalking
• Research: Consider reading about how to make your own traps

Quick Set: tether and set 25-cent mouse traps and bait with birdseed.
Good for birds, squirrel, mice, moles, and more.

Near the Ground

Eating insects and tiny animals may seem gross, but you don’t need any permission or license to harvest loads of insects and they can be a great source of nutrition and energy. Remember that in many countries outside the United States, eating arthropods is common as a main dish or side dishes with everyday meals—not just for survival. Common insect flavors include nutty, buttery, and “like chicken.”

Most bugs are fine to eat, but here are some cautions to remember.

• Avoid insects that bite or sting
• Avoid insects with bright colors, especially red, orange, or yellow
• Avoid bugs with hairy or furry bodies
• Avoid disease-carrying bugs like mosquitoes, flies, or ticks
• Avoid insects in urban areas where pesticides may be used
• Avoid insects that smell foul, or are found near foul-smelling carcasses—except for maggots, which are fine to eat

Here are the basics for eating insects.

• Look under fallen logs and dig through rotting wood
• Look in tall, grassy fields
• Remove wings and legs before eating or cooking
• Heads may also be pulled off, often taking guts with them
• Cook whenever possible to kill any possible parasites—roast, fry, or boil for 2 to 5 minutes
• Season with salt (and pepper or other spices)
• Grind cooked bugs into a powder or paste and mix with salad greens, soup, or tea—so you don’t feel like you are eating bugs
• Fat White Grubs found under rotting logs can be eaten raw

Try grilled grasshoppers with salt, chili powder, and lime for a crunchy snack.

Insects to look for include the following.

• Near Grass: Crickets, grasshoppers, cicadas, locusts
• Near Wood: Larvae, grubs, ants, termites, beetles, cockroaches

Packed with calories, a black soldier fly larvae is 35% fat and 42% protein.

Consider the following harvesting methods for these tiny animals.

• Easy: Just use your fingers and a small container—like your hand
• Morning: Insects like grasshoppers are slower in cool mornings
• Flying/Jumping: Netting or a handkerchief or shirt attached to two long sticks
• Ants: Poke a stick into an ant hill; when they climb it, shake into container
• Swatter: A sapling tree branch—like a fly swatter, to stun hoppers and pick them up before they move again
• Traps: Various traps like a baited jar left overnight

Dig: Use a heavy stick to dig into soft dirt under fallen trees

 

 

A section in Chapter 3 of the book:
Prep Lists for Camping, Hiking, and Backpacking

When you are out in nature—especially in the summer, there is typically an abundance of plant life all around you. And much of it is not only edible, it is more nutritious than your candy bar or even your whole-grain, sugar-free, high-fiber breakfast bar! Learn to identify the edible plants in your area—or at least a few of them, so you can take advantage of healthy greens for a snack, to supplement your camp meals, or in case of emergency.

Inedible Plants

First, a warning. In addition to the many wild plants that are edible and tasty, some are quite poisonous. Learn to avoid these categorical plants, which cannot be eaten.

General Warning Signs

• Avoid plants that smell like almonds, which may have cyanide.
• Avoid plants with leaves in clusters of three (like poison ivy).
• Avoid plants with seeds inside a pod.
• Avoid plants with dill, carrot, parsnip, or parsley-like foliage.
• Avoid if it smells particularly strong or unpleasant.
• Avoid grain heads that are black, pink, or purple.
• Do not eat mushrooms—it’s never worth the risk.
• Do not eat plants with sap that is milky or discolored.
• Do not eat plants that have shiny leaves.
• Do not eat plants that have thorns.
• Do not eat plants that have yellow or white berries.
• Do not eat plants that taste bitter or soapy.
• Do not eat umbrella-shaped flowers.

Plant Edibility Testing

Plant Parts

To better understand what plants are edible, first understand that different parts of a plant have different components that affect their edibility as well as their taste. So even though one part may be delicious, another part of the same plant may be highly poisonous. This is not only true of wild plants but those found in your grocery store as well. Remember these distinct plant parts.

• Roots
• Stems
• Leaves
• Buds (if available)
• Flowers (if available)

CAUTION: Only use this edibility test on plants that you are already reasonably confident are edible. Do NOT just pick any random plant and start testing; some plants are so poisonous that consuming even a small quantity could make you violently ill or even cause death. Please be careful.

General Observations

• See previous list, above, describing plants to avoid.
• Remove any worms or insects before testing for edibility.
• Avoid if you see many worms or parasites on the plant, as it is likely dead and rotting.

Prepare for Testing

• Test only one part of the plant at a time.
• Ideally, fast for several hours before testing anything.
• Do not eat anything else while testing.
• Be consistent in food preparation, like cooking time & method.

Sensitivity Testing

• Skin Test: Test the plant part on sensitive skin areas, like rubbing it inside elbow or wrist for a few minutes. Wait several hours; if you have no negative reaction, continue to the next step. (Bad signs include burning, itching, bumps, welts, or redness.)
• Prepare: Since some toxic plants become edible after cooked or boiled, consider preparing the plant part as you typically would for eating. For example, boiling leaves like spinach.
• Lips Test: Rub the plant part across your moist lips. If no negative reaction, no bitter or soapy taste, and no burning sensation, continue to the next step.
• Gums Test: Place a very small piece of the plant part in your mouth between your lower lip and gum for several minutes (do not swallow). If no burning or tingling, continue to the next step.
• Tongue Test: Place the same very small piece of the plant part in your mouth and hold it on your tongue for another 15 minutes (do not swallow any). If you do not experience anything unpleasant, continue to the next step. (It may not taste great, but taste alone does not indicate edibility.)
• Chew Test: After holding the plant part on your tongue for 15 minutes, chew it thoroughly and wait another 15 minutes without swallowing. If nothing negative—no burning, no numbness, no tingling, then continue to the next step.
• Swallow Test: Now that you’ve had this soggy mess in your mouth for half an hour, go ahead a swallow it and wait for several hours. Give you stomach time to communicate with you about any sort of negative reactions. If you feel nauseous, try to vomit and drink plenty of water. If you feel fine, continue to the next step. While you wait, you could read a good book—like this one!
• Eating Test: Collect and eat a single serving (a small handful) of the exact same part of the plant that you tested… and wait for several hours to give your body time to react. Also, avoid eating anything else while you are waiting. During this time, you could go fishing, hunting, or gather firewood.
• Enjoy: If all is well at this point, then this part of this plant should be fine to eat. Remember that other parts of the same plant will still need the same sensitivity testing.

Edible Plants

Become very familiar with edible plants before eating them.

• Receive first-hand training from an experienced person
• Watch online videos that make plant identification easy
• Read books that are very detailed in plant descriptions

Berries, Fruits, & Nuts

• Wild Berries: Blackberries, black caps, blueberries, chokeberries, cloudberries, cranberries, dewberries, elderberries, gooseberries, huckleberries, mulberries, muscadine, raspberries, serviceberries (juneberries), wild cherries, wild strawberries, and wild grapes. These are just the basics; there are dozens more in your region.

Avoid all white or yellow berries.

• Feral Fruit Trees: Apple, apricot, cherry, citrus, crabapple, paw paw, peach, pear, plum

Avoid trees with small clusters of berry-sized fruit

• Tree Nuts: Acorns, hazelnuts, hickory nuts, walnuts

Greens

Consider reviewing Pinterest edible plants images or a YouTube video like 36 Wild Edibles to review plants that you already recognize. This may include common plants like Dandelion, Raspberry, Mint, Plantain, Garlic Mustard, Chickweed, Boneset, Trilliums, Violets, Black Eyed Susan, Wild Carrot (Queen Anne’s Lace), Clover, Yarrow, Jewelweed, and more.

The following plants are usually easy to find and easy to identify.

• Cattails: Found near marshy ponds, cattails are almost entirely edible. Roots can be cooked like potatoes. Stems and leaves can also be eaten raw or cooked. See section Tools: Cattails > Food for more information.
• Chickweed: Found in most Easter U.S. woodlands, chickweed is both nutritious and tasty. Learn to identify chickweed online. Look for clusters of smooth leaves and make sure there are no red spots on the leaf underside (indicating a poisonous look-alike plant).
• Clover: Flowers and leaves of clover can be eaten raw or boiled.
• Dandelion: The yellow flower and green leaves of dandelion are often used in gourmet salads. The roots are also quite nutritious. Leaves may be boiled or eaten raw. The roots are best roasted or boiled.
• Fiddlehead Ferns: Remove the brown scales and cook as you would cook green beans.
• Lamb’s Quarters: Eat both the leaves and seeds of Lamb’s Quarters or “Wild Spinach,” raw or cooked (preferred). For identification, look for waxy, white crystals that can be rubbed off of the broad leaves and ribbed stem. Plants can be several feet tall and each branch node may have a purple mark.
• Lilac: Enjoy the sweet lemon flavor when blooming in the spring.
• Plantain: The round, green leaves of plantain are great raw or cooked, much like spinach. The younger, smaller, lighter colored leaves are more tender and tasty. The seeds can be dried and ground for a flour substitute in pancakes and breads or to thicken soups. The thick veins in this plain can also be used like cording to tie things together.
• Thistle: Skip the spiky parts with the purple flowers, and go for the thistle stems, chopped and cooked.
• Trillium: Enjoy eating the leaves of trillium, raw or cooked.
• Other Wild Edibles that you may already recognize include: amaranth, acorns, bull thistle, chives, curly dock, elder flower, field mustard, fireweed, hibiscus, mallow, pine cone seeds, pigweed, pine needles, sheep sorrel, stinging nettles, sunflower, watercress, wild asparagus, wild mustard, wild onions, wild violets, and wood sorrel.

See More Online: Wild Edibles Identification – YouTube Videos

Get a good edible plants book at Amazon.com

Foraged Teas

Steep these plants in hot water for a delightful hot tea drink in the wild. While the leaves are usually steeped, you may also use flowers, roots, berries, or combinations for optimal taste or medicinal value. Many of these teas will taste better with a bit of sweetener.

Be 100% certain of plant identification before using for tea!

• Acorn and Oak Bark *: high tannic acid
• Birch Sap *: nutritious
• Birch Twigs (Black or Yellow Birch): wintergreen flavor
  > Small handful of cut twigs, steep 20 to 30 minutes, sweeten
• Blackberry Leaf *: high in vitamin C, high tannic acid
• Blueberry Leaf: nutritious
  > Bake leaves at 400 for 30 min, grind to powder, steep 3 minutes
• Chamomile (all varieties) *: immune system booster
• Cleavers (goosegrass, stickywilly, catchweed): springtime
• Cowslip Flowers *: steep 10 minutes
• Dandelion *: flower, leaf, or root
• Elderberry & Elderflower *: use flowers or fruits only
• Lavender Flowers *: rub on skin for a bug repellent
• Lemon Balm *: many medicinal properties
• Mallow *: nutritious
• Milk Thistle *: flower, leaf, or root
• Mint *: nutritious, decongestant
• Mullein (Verbascum thapsus ) *: immune system booster
• Nettle (Stinging Nettle): roast over flame to remove needles
  > Use gloves to avoid being stung by needles
• Pinapple Weed (like Chamomile): tasty
• Pine, Spruce, or Conifer Needle *: high vitamin C
  > Use green needles, trim off brown ends, steep 5 to 10 minutes
• Plantain *: nutritious
• Raspberry Leaf: nutritious
• Red Clover: avoid if pregnant
  > Gather a handful of red/pink blossoms, steep 10 minutes
• Rose: fragrant
• Rosehip *: immune system booster
• Sassafras Roots: avoid if pregnant
  > Wash, cut, dry, peel bark, boil 20 minutes, add sweetener
• Spicebush: use dried twigs with berries in winter
• Wild Ginger: use root
• Willow Bark *: somewhat like Aspirin
• Yarrow: delicious

* These flagged teas have medicinal purposes also