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Vegetarian Survival Skills

AngusVW

AngusVW

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Hi all, I’m totally new to this and am very interested in getting a bit more wilderness survival being an avid rambler and general outdoor lover.

I’ve been looking for a weekend course I can go on in the UK (and preferably in Scotland) to learn some more about it but as a vegetarian I’ve found everything I’ve looked at to be a bit cop-out for vegetarian catering (i.e. you can bring your own food with you and watch us skinn rabbits!)

So with this in mind I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for places or courses that might have a wider dietary focus that could teach about foraging and surviving with an ethical perspective?

Don’t get me wrong, if a nuclear apocalypse comes I’ll be the first person to start chomping bunnies but since I’m more learning for my own enjoyment of the countryside I don’t think it’s necessary.

Cheers!
 
AngusVW said:
Hi all, I’m totally new to this and am very interested in getting a bit more wilderness survival being an avid rambler and general outdoor lover.

I’ve been looking for a weekend course I can go on in the UK (and preferably in Scotland) to learn some more about it but as a vegetarian I’ve found everything I’ve looked at to be a bit cop-out for vegetarian catering (i.e. you can bring your own food with you and watch us skinn rabbits!)

So with this in mind I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for places or courses that might have a wider dietary focus that could teach about foraging and surviving with an ethical perspective?

Don’t get me wrong, if a nuclear apocalypse comes I’ll be the first person to start chomping bunnies but since I’m more learning for my own enjoyment of the countryside I don’t think it’s necessary.

Cheers!
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:welcome: to the madhouse Angus, I don't now of any vegetarian courses on offer but we have a member called Rathswulven who is an expert forager so he might be the best person to give you advice
 
Some time ago I discussed the question with my brother. He thinks it would be possible to survive in Germany by foraging over the summer time.
He produces vegetables and sells foraged food too, so he isn't so far away from being an expert.

Doesn't Paul Kirtley offer foraging courses too? Perhaps you should ask him or have a look at the homepage of frontier bushcraft.

Some time ago we had here a foraging calendar. Perhaps somebody could set the link???
 
Well here I am, hi. :rofl:
You might want to look at this:


I want to mention that this is just one out of many possibilities - if you really want to learn about foraging, let me tell you fair and straight that you will need time and someone to guide you. Let me also tell you that outdoors, different rules apply. If I am in civilisation, I live a predominantly vegetarian lifestyle but do fish and trap when being outdoors. Simply because I believe in ethical treatment of animals and my personal responsibility for a killing - so when fishing or being out with friends of mine that hunt, we are doing the "whole thing" if that makes sense, rather than being ignorant and trying to blank out the hunt and killing of a being (as many in our society do). That said, you simply cannot fully thrive on a vegetarian diet, especially throughout winter spending longer out in the open. If you are lucky, you simply might prolong your life a little, but you certainly won't prosper.

I do not know if you have specific questions - but feel free to reach out alright?
 
Certainly so. Also because there still are countless myths and half-truths spread in the community. Kind of like the "Hey, let's make a salad from dandelion and survive this winter"-thing. Good luck. :rofl:
 
I am not so sure about it.

My brother lived for a longer time more or less alone on his farm. There he ate more and more salad and vegetables. In the end he was often to lazy to drive to the bakers shop or the supermarket.
He could survive from salad and vegetables.
And because he hadn't so many heavy tools in this time, he became incredible strong.


In the same time I discovered in my garden, that I was always hungry when I tried to live only from my vegetables and salads.

I spoke about that with my brother and he told me, that it took him half a year to train the body to survive only with vegetarian food excluding bread.

I think, that my brother would have no problem to survive by foraging weeds.
I would become surely very weak in the same time with the same diet, because my body is used to high energetic food like bread, cheese, sausage and chocolate.

I think, it is a question of training!
 
"I spoke about that with my brother and he told me, that it took him half a year to train the body to survive only with vegetarian food excluding bread "

Its not about training your body, its about getting energy into your body. If you have an ample source of some root vegetables such as potato and Steckrübe and carrot you might have a chance but living on salads you will die in the winter.
 
38thfoot said:
Effectively your brother survived because he farmed not foraged.....

38
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Yep. It is not possible to thrive on greenery only as most plants are predominantly consisting of fibres. And even if we take roots, potatoes and such into consideration, we are (in 99% of all cases) merely taking in carbohydrates. With a little luck you manage to obtain a couple of fats and in very few cases a too low amount of protein. That's the reason so many vegetarians need to add nuts, seeds (quinoa or so), milk, cheese, eggs or other comparable protein-sources to their diet.

The human body, at a point, reaches a limit of his ability to be trained for low-kcal-intake and generally lack of nutrients. One way or another this will become an issue on the long run. An example: Years ago I travelled the Stara planina and spent almost 5 weeks in solitude up in the mountains. Back then I was kind of radical in my vegetarianism and did neither trap nor fish for ethical reasons. Anyway: Bottom line is that, despite carrying rations (incl. powdered milk, nuts, etc.) and foraging effectively I almost lost 10kg and - after a medical checkup - realized that both muscle tissue as well as bone substance were affected by the constant physical activity combined with a lack of nutrients as such. Could go in details about the roles of calcium and certain mineral agents, but I'll spare you.

I also want to add that training yourself to feel less of a sensation of hunger is not equal to giving your body enough sustenance. That is also why folks really need to understand that there is a difference between emergency food and a proper diet. As well as survival is not equal to living (in the sence of "living a good and healthy life").
 
Yes, Ok.

I have the impression that you really informed your self.

My brother lived very long mainly from vegetables. BUT he ate meat from time to time. He isn't a vegetarian.

And when I think about, I discover, that he always had eggs!
Oh, oh! I forgot about this point!

;0)

Are eggs foraging or hunting???

If I ask her, she just looks very strange at me.
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I'm a semi vegetarian as I still eat fish,get in contact with Leon at wildwood bushcraft I'll bet he could sort something out for you he's a real good guy and reall knows his stuff. I've been on a few of his courses and I highly recommend them he's based up near mallaig.
 
Unfortunately the Boy Scout movement in Britain is not what it once was, also there were several generations who missed out on scouting. The old scout masters retired after getting sick of being accused of being paedophiles and were replaced by clueless middle aged ladies that don't have the knowledge.
Boy Scouts of America has just gone into receivership as it is pretty much bankrupt, the kids aren't interested enough. ☹️
 
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