This might seem like a funny title, but seriously, think about it. Trees are awesome. And when you are fighting for survival, you’ll come to love trees. They provide so much to us, from the air we breathe, to shelter, shade, even food. Here are a couple of reasons why trees are so crucial when you are trying to live off the land, to whatever degree.
Shelter
Trees can provide shelter in a number of ways. They can offer cool shade on a hot day, a shield against strong winds and rains, or can even be a temporary home if you have a hammock or can sleep up in the branches. They can also, of course, provide materials for a built shelter, from their leaves, branches, boughs, and even trunks.
Ecosystem
Trees of course, offer shelter for other critters as well. Another great benefit of trees to humans is that they can be a place to find bird, bugs, and small mammals.
Water
Trees are also a good indication that water is nearby, and can even be tapped for water.
Food
You can, of course, eat many parts of different kind of trees, surprisingly. There is, of course the fruit and nuts that grown on many trees that most of us will already know about, but you can also eat parts of trees you might not know about. Birch, for instance, is an amazing survival tree, and you can eat the inner bark in a pinch. You can also eat spruce tree buds, needles, and stems. We’ll have to do a separate post on this, of course, as not all trees are desirable or safe to consume, but it is very useful to know which parts of which trees you can consume if you are desperate.
Trees are an essential part of life on this earth, from modern, post-industrial communities, to the desperate backpacker stranded in the wilderness. It’s always nice to take a moment and appreciate just how awesome trees are, and survivalists should know this better than anyone!
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