So You Want to Go Foraging

If you have been with us for some time or even if you're just joining us, you should know that forging for plants and herbs is one of our favorite activities to do. We have been doing so since we first started our journey and absolutely love it. Some people, however, don't like to do so, and we believe it is because they are not equipped with the right tools to do so. Trust and believe me when I say we came up with this list through trials and errors of our own journeys, and with it, we are always better prepared and have a better foraging experience. Before I get into the list, I want to remind you to always be environmentally friendly. Never leave any garbage or plastic around, take with you everything that you brought with you, always ask permission of the forest, plants, and trees before cutting away, never take more than you need, DO NOT light candles in places that could be considered dangerous and watch them burn for the entire duration.

Now that we have gotten those fundamental rules out of the way let's begin with the first item on our list, which I think is the most important and most overlooked item on the list. Comfortable footwear and wardrobe are a must, but primarily comfy footwear, it is so important to not have swollen feet be the reason a foraging session was cut short. It always amazes me how people think that flip-flops and sandals are enough when you are foraging and walking around for what can be miles sometimes. Making sure that you are appropriately dressed will ensure that you are comfortable and safe. If you don't want to learn the lessons the hard way, take note of this because I have hit my toes, stepped in mud, almost got my feet squished between rocks, and have stepped on thorns and sharp stones. It is not fun. Once we have what we will wear out the way, it's time to make sure that we have everything we need for a fun and productive day out.

The first thing you'll need is to make sure your phone is fully charged, or you have an extra battery. When you're out foraging and in the forest, your phone just seems to deplete faster for some reason, even when you're not using it so much. Thirdly is to make sure you have a bag. Now the bag is super important because this is where you'll be carrying most of your items. The bag should be medium to large because small just won't cut it. It can be a book bag or a large tote bag. Make sure it is large enough to hold all the items you are carrying and comfy if you will be wearing it.

The first thing you need to make sure is in the bag is your water or drinks, snacks, and food. Sandwiches are ideal for foraging. Making sure that you have something to eat can be a big game-changer, especially when you're running low on energy. Next are paper bags, plastic bags, zip lock bags, big bags, small bags, tiny bags, bags of all sizes. These bags will be used to gather plants, herbs, and other things you might collect along the way from rocks, twigs and branches, and even bones. Make sure you have at least a few bags before starting your journey.

After we have gathered that up in the bag should be some type of cutting tool, a knife, a pair of scissors, a saw, and an ax, something that will allow you to cut the plants with ease and cut any branches or woods you might see. The worst is when you get to a plant that is super difficult to break, and you have no way to cut it. So be sure to have some type of sharp cutters.

Other items that you should make sure to have with you when foraging are small bottles or jars. These items will help you collect any small specimens or creatures, collect water, or put fragile things that you don't want to break. We have come across many different plants; some are more fragile than others, and you don't necessarily want them to get squished, squashed, or flattened. The next item on the list are tags which are super crucial for remembering what you forged for. Sometimes we'll come across a plant or herb that we recognize and, after a long day of foraging, looks unrecognizable. Making sure you have tags to identify what you got can really help.

But how do you plan to hold all these plants and herbs? Well, that comes to the next item on our list twists, ties, rubber bands, or some type of twine or string. Which would be very useful in tying things up and keeping them together. Especially if you are going to be foraging for items in bulk. The bags do come in handy, but sometimes if you do not have enough of them, you have to add more than one specimen to a bag which can get confusing hence the rope and tags. Now while this may seem like a lot, it's still not the end of our list.

Another item to have that is super useful, especially when foraging, is gloves. They can be plastic gloves or gardening gloves. Now, these are super important because we will often come across things we don't want to touch with a hand; also, some plants are poisonous and so shouldn't be touched barehanded. Having gloves on you is a great way to stay safe and avoid injuries.

If you have space, this next time can have multiple purposes, and it is a blanket. A blanket can be used to lay down when we need a moment to rest and relax, but it can also be used to provide shade and help collect plants or flowers. Now the first two uses seem reasonable, but how can a blanket help you gather plants and flowers? Let me explain. Have you ever been under a tree shaking it and all the leaves and other plant matter falls away, and you cannot collect most of it? Using a blanket is a great way to gather this falling treasure. But our list is still not done.

The next and one of the most essential items on the list is a small first aid kit which is super affordable and can really come in handy. The number of times I have gotten cut, scratched, or somehow found myself bleeding is more often than I'd like to admit, and I always find that having a first aid kit helps. Second to the last item on the list, if possible, a wagon. A wagon can help take the burden off your shoulders and allow you to forge for more things while leaving your hands free. If you can bring a wagon, I'm sure your forging experience will be that much more pleasurable, but not that you necessarily need one.

The final item on my list, which I think is the most needed item, is the company a friend, a family member, a significant other not only do they provide extra hands and eyes, but they make the forging experience that much more enjoyable.