TORONTO - If you're a city slicker lost this long weekend in the wilderness with no food or water, not to worry: There are more than enough leaves to lick and bugs to barbeque until you find your way back to paved civilization.
That's the advice of Rich Swift, an expert outdoorsman and owner of outdoor adventure store Algonquin Outfitters in Huntsville, Ont., who is bracing for a weekend rush of visitors to Ontario's pristine Algonquin Park wilderness in the heart of cottage country.
Swift doesn't typically recommend that people seek out insects to snack on, but in a serious moment of desperation, he said a lost camper should know which bugs can be protein-rich - and often quite tasty.
"My usual rule of thumb is any insect under an inch is safe to eat, anything over an inch I'd usually like to cook up a little bit so it gets rid of the bitterness," Swift said.
"With worms, they're kind of mushy, but if you put them over a rock on a nice sunny day they dry out and they'll actually almost be like a jerky."
Fried worms can also be quite nice, Swift insisted, and are an amazing source of protein if there's little else to eat.
"Worms are one of the highest sources of protein along with ants, ants pound for pound have more than most food sources you can find."
Berries are probably a little more palatable to most, although there's always the danger of picking one of the poisonous variety.
Swift also recommends doing some research before heading into the bush about which berries to avoid; almost all white and yellow berries aren't worth taking the chance.
"If you take those and put them right up to your lips, if it's tingling or it has a bitter taste to it, 90 per cent of the time it could be poisonous."
Even more important than finding food, said Swift, is finding water, since most people can't go any longer than three days without fluids.
Morning dew is drinkable, depending on where it collects, and a small but good source for a little sip is leaves from trees, he said.
Garbage bags or clean tarps can also be hung out over night to collect dew or rain.
You can also try looking downhill for a stream or a lake, although drinking out of either is risky and should only be done in an emergency situation.
"If you're in an extreme situation for survival, you're better off drinking water even if it potentially might have some parasites in it," he said.
But if you have a fire going - and of course Swift has some tips on how to easily start one - water should be boiled first to make sure it's safe to drink.
Magnesium strips can be purchased at most outdoors stores and make starting a fire much easier than rubbing two sticks together, he said.
Dryer lint or old-fashioned film canisters loaded with cotton balls and petroleum jelly also take the stress out of making a fire.
Another method - that only works with plenty of sun - is to use a pair of glasses, a piece of broken glass or a mirror to reflect the sunlight into some kindling, which should spark.
There's also the ever-present threat of bears in the wilderness, which Swift said are rarely a threat if treated with respect and distance.
"Less than one per cent of the people I ever send out on a canoe trip in Algonquin Park even see a bear, so if you do see a bear, first enjoy the experience - bears are really fascinating creatures," he said.
