What can you eat in the woods and why? There are several reasons why. First, you may simply want to go light and not carry too much food with you. It’s perfectly feasible to feed yourself or at least supplement your diet with wild edibles. Especially in spring and summer.

Another reason is a survival situation. It’s said that you are very likely to be rescued within 72 hours and food should not be your primary concern because you definitely won’t starve to death in three days. That’s true. You won’t starve. But will you have the strength to carry on walking through ragged terrain, think straight or even retain the will to survive? Have you ever tried to go without food for three days in a row? I haven’t because I’d always get a headache by the end of day one. And that’s at home where everything is smooth and calm and where I don’t have to squeeze through brambles with a 30 pound backpack weighing me down for hours.

There are dozens of edible plants and easily caught wild animals and I think it’d be stupid to just walk away from an easy meal in a life threatening situation.

When it comes to meat, unless it’s a true survival scenario, things are a bit complicated. It’s impossible for me to know every country’s laws regarding this matter but as far as I know, if you take care of the necessary permits, you can catch and eat some wild animals in pretty much any place in the world. In Poland, for example, it’d be roman snails (at least in the short season when it is legal), white-lipped snails (and at least two other similar species), certain fish and numerous insects with their eggs and larvae.

Plants are easier. Just pick the edible ones that aren’t protected and you’re good to go. In this case, we’re gonna try burdock. Or more specifically, its roast roots/tubers.