Landscape hikers – “10 essentials” or not?

[Drew Wiley]

Lots of us locals were used to living off the land. Trout is one thing. But my biggest mistake when I was totally out of food and getting really hungry was to stumble
upon a meadow of wild onions. Indians ate them. But I'm not very good with hot food to begin with... and for me, that was a whole other league of hot. Didn't sleep
well that nite. Reminds me of how the Lewis and Clark party survived at one point on camas bulbs given to them by the Nez Perce, and wrote how they would have
almost preferred dying, until their systems got accustomed.

[Drew Bedo]

For me a goal of outdoor activities is to avoid the "survival" situation. If I'm ever forced to cut down a tree, trap a marmot, or eat grubs, I would consider it abject failure.

Couldn't agree more. After reading Gonzales' book, "Deep Survival", I pretty much decided to avoid being another case study by adopting Edward Weston's philosophy.

"Anything more than a hundred yards from the car just isn't that interesting."

[Heroique]

For me a goal of outdoor activities is to avoid the "survival" situation. If I'm ever forced to cut down a tree, trap a marmot, or eat grubs, I would consider it abject failure.

What happened to that great quote you shared?

"Good judgment comes from experience. "Experience" comes from bad judgment."

I'd say a meal of grubs would lead to good judgment. Exceptional judgment!

[paulr]

Ha! I'd rather keep my questionable judgment and a clif bar.

[Drew Wiley]

I sometimes used my ice axe to whack rotten logs apart to look for white grubs - not to eat them, but because trout absolutely can't resist the real deal on a line,
even old and wise trout. Can't stand Clif bars.

[NancyP]

Hey, I had sauteed/fried grubs when I was a kid in 6th grade - ate one on a dare. Tasted "fried, with spices". They were canned, Lord knows where they came from... I also ate chocolate-covered carpenter ants - some 6th grade classmate handed out small oval candies to everyone, waited until most people had started in on chewing it, then said - "chocolate covered ants" - consternation among classmates. Being a slow eater, I bit the remaining candy in half, yes, there was an ant body in there. The ant was flavorless, gave the candy the texture of a chocolate-coated Rice Crispie. It's chocolate, who cares about the ant!

[paulr]

I try to be an adventurous eater, but cultural biases / heebie-jeebies are sometimes too strong. There's no rational reason why crustaceans and shrimp and roe and raw oysters are food to me, but fried ants are vermin. But there it is. I wonder how hungry I'd have to be to eat a grub.

Drew ... re: Clif Bars. No wonder we don't agree on anything.

[ROL]

I've had Clif bars. Grubs have to be better than those.

[Drew Wiley]

Time to go into business: Grub-bars. At least they'd be moist n' chewy, and not chalky like Clif bars.

[tgtaylor]

Couldn't agree more. After reading Gonzales' book, "Deep Survival", I pretty much decided to avoid being another case study by adopting Edward Weston's philosophy.

"Anything more than a hundred yards from the car just isn't that interesting."

Edward Weston at Lake Ediza:

http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/edwa...alifornia-1937

This was taken...maybe 40 or so miles from the car.

Thomas