In summer and early autumn, a lot of people go to the forest for the gifts of nature. Picked berries and mushrooms bring moral satisfaction, supported by delicious and healthy food. But not everyone knows what items you should definitely have with you, intending to spend time in nature with benefit.
You will need:
Compass, mobile phone, matches, snack, bloodsucker, whistle, bright clothes, knife, drinking water supply.
Tip 1
For orientation in the forest, it is convenient to use the sun. But in cloudy and rainy weather, determining its location is not so easy. The compass will always help. It is advisable to have the device itself, and not a mobile application on a smartphone.
Tip 2
A mobile phone with additional charging when hiking in the forest is a necessary thing. With it, you can contact relatives, provide information about yourself so that they do not worry. If the mushroom picker gets lost, the rescue services will be able to determine the approximate location of the person by geolocation and search faster.
Tip 3
In swampy areas, you can fall into the bog and get wet. If you go far from your house, then you it is better to have dry clothes. To do this, make a fire from dry branches, take off wet clothes one by one and dry them by the flame of a fire. Therefore, each mushroom picker must have matches or a battery flashlight with him without fail. In addition, making a fire can be useful if a mushroom picker gets lost and they are looking for him. In this case, raw branches and leaves must be added to the fire so that the smoke can be seen from afar.
Tip 4
In order to maintain the strength of the body while wandering through the forest, you will need to eat. Chocolate looks like the perfect way to get extra calories. One tile per person is enough.
Tip 5
In summer, hordes of mosquitoes, horseflies, flies and midges await a person in the forest. To protect against their bites, you should have a remedy for blood-sucking insects with you. Use it in accordance with the instructions for the drug.
Tip 6
If two or more people go on a mushroom picking trip, it is highly desirable that everyone has a whistle. Roll-call with a voice can disrupt the vocal cords, with a whistle everything is much easier. The most powerful sound is the pipe of a football fan.
Tip 7
If you go to the forest in group, it is better to dress in bright clothes of yellow, red, pink, blue colors. They are clearly visible against a green background. It will not be difficult to see fellow travelers in similar clothes against the backdrop of foliage.
Tip 8
A knife is an essential attribute of a mushroom picker. With a knife it is convenient to cut the gifts of the forest, leaving the mycelium intact. Or maybe it will come in handy in other situations, for example, for laying a road through a windbreak.
Tip 9
In hot weather or just from fatigue, you will definitely want to drink. When going to the forest, you need to take a bottle of clean cold water with you, because it is extremely dangerous to quench your thirst from forest reservoirs.
When going to the forest for mushrooms or berries, a meeting with wild animals can be especially dangerous. Therefore, you should avoid visiting places where wolves, bears, wolverines can live. Usually these animals are very careful, they avoid people in every possible way, because during the period of the end of summer – the beginning of autumn they are not hungry, wolves in the presence of wolf cubs, stray individuals infected with rabies can pose a danger.
Useful advice
All of these items may not be useful in a single outing into the forest. But still, it’s better to have them with you every time, because no one has canceled the random factor.
Before leaving for the forest:
- Tell someone (a friend, a family member, a dacha neighbor) where you are going and when you plan to return, even if the purpose of the trip is just a bowl of berries for an evening cake.
- If possible, don’t go alone.
- Check the weather forecast.
- Take appropriate clothing with you.
- Charge and take your mobile phone with you.
- Put a big bright garbage bag in your pocket (it can be your protection).
- Wear a whistle around your neck.
- Take water with you (1 liter per day for 1 person) and a supply of food (biscuits, nuts, raisins, dried fruits).
Know what mushrooms you’re looking for and which to avoid. As mushroom cultivation brands know, learning how to store spore syringes, why to avoid eating anything unless you’re certain of identification, and being mindful of storing is key.
