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Bike Touring Food Survival
Hi everyone,
For those who have toured extensively, have you ever lived off the land? The curiosity got to me, so I have to ask. It would be interesting if you depended on your bike for your travels,but in between resting you head out to hunt and manage to find something. if you have hunted while bike touring, what gear do you use? Bow? Self made trap? Fishing supplies? is it even possible to do this kind of thing? I believe in North America it would be more likely, so if you have any unique stories, please share them :) |
Not about bikes but I've read that early man followed the rivers and water due partly to the food they has running in them. I've not read anything I can remember about hunting on a bike tour. There have been those who have gathered plant foods though. I suspect mostly taking from farm fields. My late wife and I had a wonderful freshly caught fish dinner once. But the campground owner had caught it in his stocked ponds just before he released the stock for the season. Andy
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Fishing pole. Look at the back of my rear pannier. This actually became more of a prop than a food getting device. I mailed the tackle home after one month. When traveling alone in rural America I prefer the conversation go towards hunting and fishing than "Boy, you must not have a gahdam thing to do" (this was actually said to me in Chivington, Colorado). Hence, the pole remained with me in a prominent position for even passing cars to see me. 100% prop for 4 months.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...66862eb97a.jpg This book is great although it is the world's heaviest book for it's size by far. The trouble with foraging is that roadside plants are contaminated with car fluids/rubber and state parks generally forbid the removal of plants. And after a long day on the bike, who feels like hunting for edible weeds anyway. I gave the book to a fellow camper after about two weeks carrying it. Never tried trapping anything. Grocery stores and restaurants are much more dependable food sources. Good question though. Didn't work for me. And I am happy with a can of sardines as a pig in slop. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c75b15d2f1.jpg |
I haven’t done it personally, but I think you certainly could if you really wanted to. The main thing these days would probably be your routing. You’d have to make sure to keep on top of hunting laws in each area/season. Things like squirel and fish are pretty readily available all over the U.S. Foraging for fruits and vegetables really isn’t terribly difficult. Most of us these days just don’t realize how much is out there simply because this knowledge has left our culture in favor of the grocery store. There are simple things like dandelion flowers and young leaves that are eatible and fairly common. Nuts, other flowers, berries, etc. Now that very few hunt and gather, there isn’t a whole lot of competition for food if you want to go get it. Personally my choices of weapons would be a fishing pole and sling shot. Both can be very small and compact. No need to bother with a gun. More maintenance and legality issues to deal with if traveling. A semi-skilled hunter can take small game with a sling shot. You won’t be hunting anything larger than a rabit if you’re on the move and have no refrigeration. The biggest thing here I think is the amount of time you’d be dedicating to food. It wouldn’t end up being the 50+mi a day and leisurely camping at night. I’d think you’d have to spend a lot of time hunting and gathering food, maybe alternating days between riding and food gathering. Rough guess, as I’ve never tried this sort of thing, or even tried randomly driving to a new area and scouting for small game right away without knowing the area at all. |
Many states require licenses to hunt or fish. So you have to worry about is it legal season for what you're after, and do you have the proper license.
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I thought about bringing a rod with me through Central and South America, but I don't know much about fishing and in the end I couldn't really figure out what kind of rod and equipment I would need. I met some sport fisherman in Costa Rica who thought it would've been a great idea, but obviously they had more knowledge than I.
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I always take a telescopic rod with me when I tour with spinning reel and lures.
Less to do with "living off the land" as just another tool to offer some relaxing recreation in my off saddle time with the bonus of an occasional free meal. I've had success from both beach fishing and river mouths on an incoming tide, to various degrees. Due to these "various degrees" I always have a backup meal within the panniers. |
Interesting topic.
I live off the land when I tour.... that is I enjoy the local food! :) I think it's more of a romantic notion than a realistic option, given the fact that time taken foraging is less time for travelling and the risk of going hungry, especially if there is no back-up option. There's also the consideration that a lack of proper nutrition does not support a successful tour. Consideration should also be given to where the tour is taking place. Here in Holland, I'll regularly see people stopping by cornfields at harvest time and filling a plastic bag with ripe corn cobs. I'm sure local farmers aren't happy at that, but in other parts of the world a foraging cyclist could well be taking food from local's mouths. There's a good read on a similar subject...including the exploits of optimistic fishermen! :) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...api_tkin_p1_i0 |
Originally Posted by steve0257
(Post 20701032)
Many states require licenses to hunt or fish. So you have to worry about is it legal season for what you're after, and do you have the proper license.
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Fruits and berries during season here in New England. I try to be resourceful. And only to top off my food supply.
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Fresh roadkill can be eaten, I’ve heard. If the vultures have arrived, you are probably too late. |
Originally Posted by alan s
(Post 20701460)
Fresh roadkill can be eaten, I’ve heard. If the vultures have arrived, you are probably too late. and I really liked Hobbes's comment on living off local food--pretty much sums up this topic, a topic I know all of us are responding to more out of fun, as living off foraging is not a realistic idea, and I imagine the person posting the question was bored and wanted to see the response from us non-hunterer-gatherers. |
Originally Posted by djb
(Post 20701503)
in that case, you kill one of the birds, nothing like a bit of good carrion eater.
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This..
Originally Posted by steve0257
(Post 20701032)
Many states require licenses to hunt or fish. So you have to worry about is it legal season for what you're after, and do you have the proper license.
because, Like King's realms of old, the fish in the stream were his property.. and not having any fishing gear nor intent to fish did not satisfy him, so I had to move. ... Finland, Sweden and Norway I presume less so , but you have to check that for yourself. ... .... |
Originally Posted by steve0257
(Post 20701032)
Many states require licenses to hunt or fish. So you have to worry about is it legal season for what you're after, and do you have the proper license.
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Originally Posted by JoeyBike
(Post 20701753)
Happy to say I have never been that hungry on any bike tour. And it won't kill you to go a day or two without food. And I know you were just kidding but that is pretty disgusting to think about even field dressing a vulture.
The smell of decaying roadkill is one of those sights and sounds and smells of my last few bike trips, comes with the territory. |
Confronted with the Deli cases in Germany, and the Patisserie cases in France, I did a lot of pointing at food and discovering what it tasted like when I got it..
in Scotland I let the local mycologist folks determine which mushrooms are edible , there.. |
Originally Posted by Leebo
(Post 20701308)
Fruits and berries during season here in New England. I try to be resourceful. And only to top off my food supply.
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Best ever. Pedaling through S New Hampshire I stopped on the edge of hot August peach orchard, the most beautiful smell. I see this older farmer carry some heavy crates. I pitched in and helped him bring 20 or so out to the fruit stand. Just ripe goodness. He offered me 6, I didn't refuse. Made them last 3 days, perfect on morning oatmeal.
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Back when I could still ride up ahead on many group rides I used to fill up on wild blackberries, blueberries, and plums while waiting for the ride to regroup. Good for a little snacking, but really hard to get enough calories to sustain oneself. On tours I've gotten a few complementary fish meals when staying in campgrounds along lakes and rivers. Successful fishermen are frequently generous with their bounty.
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Dumpster diving might be easier.
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On two different occasions, I've taken breaks next to picnic shelters where a large group was having a feeding frenzy. (family reunions, etc..)
Looking as tired and pathetic as possible, people would start walking over and bringing me food and beverage. This seemed to be a good strategy back when a bicycle tourist was more of a curiosity than it is today. |
Originally Posted by boomhauer
(Post 20703012)
On two different occasions, I've taken breaks next to picnic shelters where a large group was having a feeding frenzy. (family reunions, etc..)
Looking as tired and pathetic as possible, people would start walking over and bringing me food and beverage. This seemed to be a good strategy back when a bicycle tourist was more of a curiosity than it is today. |
Hunter/gathering is a time consuming way of life, and hunter/gathering while travelling seems especially difficult. I think it would take a high level of skill and experience to do it.
If there was a route along a fishable river, that would feasible, I think. (I'm not much of an outdoorsman, but I have watched a lot of Les Stroud.) |
Originally Posted by Leebo
(Post 20702085)
Best ever. Pedaling through S New Hampshire I stopped on the edge of hot August peach orchard, the most beautiful smell. I see this older farmer carry some heavy crates. I pitched in and helped him bring 20 or so out to the fruit stand. Just ripe goodness. He offered me 6, I didn't refuse. Made them last 3 days, perfect on morning oatmeal.
In all seriousness...We stopped to pick blueberries in ME on the last day of a X-country tour. |
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