New Release: LOST AND BOUND: Surviving in the Wild by Alondra Deltoro
Lost and Bound: A Josephine Stuart Mystery by Joyce Oroz
Will Josephine ever find out what happened to poor Maria and her brother? Josephine Stuart is on the hunt to find out who killed Maria, a woman who was riding the theme park train at Roaring Camp as it completed its annual Halloween night ride up to Bear Mountain. It was during that ride that Maria fell out of the car and her brother who was riding along with her vanished. In order for her to piece together enough evidence to paint the picture of what happened that night, she must locate all the witnesses and ask them about what they saw. Along the way as Jo and her friends look for clues, mysterious pieces of very expensive antique jewelry show up and act as guides that help further the investigation. But the main obstacle that hinders their progress is the fact that Jo and her friends have no access to a phone, have no directions, and are stuck solving the case in the never-ending California wilderness.
Since Jo and her friends are in the wilderness solving this case without a phone, I decided to create this short guide designed to help you survive in the wild.
CRASH COURSE ON HOW TO SURVIVE IN THE WILDERNESS:
WATER, WATER, WATER! Did you know that you can only survive three days without it? Here are different ways to collect water:
Collect dew with your shirt! Press your shirt flat against the ground to soak up any water that has accumulated as a result of condensation building up on the plants because of the change in temperature that has happened overnight. You can wring out any water collected either directly into your mouth to drink or into a container to store for other purposes, such as cooking or bathing.
Follow the ants! If you happen to see a colony of ants climb up a tree, odds are they are going to get a drink of some water! So, that being said, locate any crotch in the tree they are climbing because that is the source of their water. Place your shirt or any piece of fabric you are utilizing, into the crotch to absorb the water. This also works on dead or decaying trees as well as they too can retain water.
Parallel to the mountain! If there is a mountain in sight, walk parallel to it and you should find a stream somewhere along the way. If you collect water this way, be sure to boil it as it is dirty and not sanitary!
GET SHELTERED! One of the very first things you should do is create a shelter. The shelter will keep you dry, warm, and safe.
Find a large enough surface that would be able to both block the wind and keep you hidden from any animals. This could be a fallen tree or a rock outcropping.
After you've located your base, start to look for large branches/sticks that you can use to build the walls to your shelter. With these branches, you are going to arrange them so that they lean onto the base you've already found. After you have enough up so that it looks like a wall, find smaller branches/debris to cover the portions that we're unable to get filled by the branches.
For inside the shelter, gather dry leaves or pin needles to spread on the floor bed. You do not want to be sleeping on wet soil.
FIND FOOD! Being in the wild is no easy task and for that, you are going to have to be energized in order to handle whatever comes your way. How do you get that energy you might ask? Well, the answer is food!
We can’t rule anything out, I mean, you are trying to survive aren't you? So now is not the time to get picky. One of the very first options you have for obtaining your energy source is that of bugs. Yup, BUGS. Yes, I know, sounds absolutely awful BUT they are surprisingly extremely nutritious! They are rich in proteins, healthy fats, iron, calcium, AND low in carbs!
QUICK LIST OF EDIBLE BUGS:
Grasshoppers and crickets- remove wings and legs, must cook before eating as this eliminates the chance of parasite transmission, beware of colorful ones as they are poisonous!
Ants- Capture as many as you can and once captured, place them in water so you can then boil to both kill them and neutralize the acid in their bodies. Although, it is possible to consume without boiling, just make sure they are dead to avoid them biting you.
Termites- Great source of protein, less likely to carry parasites since they live their whole life underground, not being exposed to them. Once captured, put in a dry pan and cook till crispy.
Roly-Poly- Also known as woodlice, aren't actually bugs at all! They are the only terrestrial crustacean in North America. Because of that, they taste similar to shrimp. You must boil them as they carry nematodes!
Earthworms- After collection, place them in a container of damp grass so that the dirt they were in gets cleaned off of them. Best eaten fried!
Wild plants are also another excellent source of nutrition. The only thing is that you must know exactly what you’re eating since plants are such a hit or miss. One wrong mouthful and BAM, you're dead! So it is best to use your senses such as smell to detect what a plant is. Nuts are also a great source of nutrients as well.
START A FIRE! It can help you in so many ways, not only in cooking food. It can scare off any animals, keep you warm and call for help.
Build a pit consisting of dry sticks or pine needles then you surround it with rocks.
Next, construct a bow drill. For this, you’ll need a rock with some sort of divot. Then locate a piece of soft enough wood so that you can put a small hole in with a sharp rock.
For the bow-like piece, identify a green branch that would be sturdy enough. A slight curve in it would be ideal.
With your shoelace, tie the ends of it onto the stick.
Then place the softwood into the makeshift pit you've created and put your bow into the divot of the softwood.
Move the bow back and forth and with enough time, the friction should create some sparks!
That concludes our crash course on how to survive in the wilderness! All this information is thanks to both 5 Steps To Survive In The Wild With Nothing and 12 Edible Bugs That are Safe to Eat and Could Help You Survive.
