New and already asking questions!

[cassiopeiablack]

Hi everybody! I only recently found this wonderful comm through the spotlight feature on the main page.  And it happened to be right when I came across a giant gorge in my story's path in the form of a food problem

Comments

[laura_holt_pi]

Try these:
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/plants-1.php
http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/survival_zone/plants_and_animals/edible_plants/index.shtml (Downloadable PDF)
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2069924/Survival-Edible-Medicinal-Plants

surviving, or living?

[mickeymiller101]

if it's a matter of your character surviving, there wouldn't be a lot of options in the wilderness that is edible without some kind of processing. as a former boyscout, the best thing to do to survive would be to look for roots with plenty of moisture for hydration, and you would get enough vitamins/minerals to sustain yourself. with roots, the only thing you would have to steer clear of would be that of vines, specifically those of the poisonous variety. even roots from pine trees are acceptable. and, if you never thought pine could be edible, take a look at gin, made from juniper...a pine product. hope this was helpful. if you need any other ideas, let me know. i'll do what i can to help...scout's honor.

Re: surviving, or living?

[laura_holt_pi]

Juniper isn't a pine. It's not even a conifer (gin is made from its berries). I'd also be very cautious with all manner of roots. Hemlock root won't be very good, whereas the superficially similar pignut and wild carrot are both edible.

Sorry. Medicinal plants have been important to me since I gave up on doctors in 1985.

Re: surviving, or living?

[mickeymiller101]

juniper berry does come from a kind of pine, and pine nuts are used in cooking, and of all the roots that you can find in a forest, you come up with hemlock? ok, w. s., tell romeo and juliet, stay away from the woods. you are talking medicinal? that's not survival, so much as life and death wounds dressing. i was talking about surviving by eating and sustaining yourself. but, never you mind. stay couped up inside, and shrivel up without sunlight and a little of that air out there that, maybe not so pure, but when you breathe it on a regular basis, you don't tend to get as sick, because you are growing accustomed to your surroundings, and actually adapting to the world, rather than refusing to experience more and be open to change. if you find it necessary to open up dialogue of some kind, again, believe me, i'll be ignoring you. good day.

Re: surviving, or living?

[corvideye]

Although mickymiller101's response to your comment seems waaay over the top, juniper is in fact a conifer of the cypress family.

[tephralynn]

Hmm, there was a big thread on this for a similar region on little_details a couple years back... probably around NaNoWriMo.

Found it! Here.

Other than region time of year matters a lot. What plants can find to eat will depend a lot on season.

If they come across a pond or other water that contains fish they should try fishing, with a stream they could actually dam part of it off to cut off the escape routes. Also, frogs are edible, and not that hard to catch.

[pdlloyd]

Hi Cassi, I don't have any helpful information about survival in that locations (I'm a desert rat, mostly), but if your character doesn't understand wilderness survival then they may stumble right past the edible stuff and try eating something that will make them sick. Which might make for some interesting plot/character development.

Good luck with your story. Hope to see you in print, one of these days.

[longlongwaytogo]

I can't help you sorry, but welcome!