Basic survival - Insects and surviving on insects

Author: Best.Korea

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#1
Best.Korea
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I feel like insects deserve one more thread, since they are so common in nature.

They can ensure survival, if you focus on big insects.

Insects can provide you with over 2000 calories

You could get over 2000 calories feeding on insects daily, and over 300 grams of protein.

Catching 3000 grasshoppers daily is possible in some areas like grasslands. They are high in protein and high in calories.
One grasshopper has about 1 calorie. So catching 3000 would give you lots of calories, about 3000 calories.
You can catch them by hand. Its easy to catch some. To catch 3000, it will take most of the day but it will ensure survival.

Eat and gather for winter

Your strategy should be to eat as much insects as possible during the period of spring, summer and fall.
During winter, you wont find many insects. Instead, you will rely on reserves in your body and food in the storage.

Your diet can be made out of insects, wild edible green plants, berries and nuts.
This diet can ensure survival and doesnt require some special skills to catch the food.
Wild edible plants can be dried and stored for winter. During winter, you will lose weight. Once the spring comes, you will start gaining weight again eating all the insects that appear.

Important notice
Dont search for insects that have no nutritional value. For example, ants are too small and almost weightless. They will not provide you with much.
Also, learn which insects are edible and common.
#2
K_Michael
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If you have access to fire or heat, you can also bake insects and crush them into a powder, which can be added to more appetizing foods, as well as making it easier to digest.
Most circumstances should also make it viable to capture and breed the insects (such as crickets) with little more than a container, water, and some plant material for food.
As with any food, this does not provide complete nutrition, and is best supplemented with other available foods.
#3
Intelligence_06
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@Best.Korea
Because we think eating insects is a good idea, we became anteaters...no, this sounds meh on paper and entirely impractical if you don't live anywhere near a concentrated area of plants.
#4
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@K_Michael
"Appetizing", is an acquired state of mind.
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#5
Best.Korea
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"Most circumstances should also make it viable to capture and breed the insects (such as crickets) with little more than a container, water, and some plant material for food."

This is a great way of producing your own food. I never tried breeding insects in a container, but if this is as easy as it sounds, people should give it a try.
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#6
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@Intelligence_06
"entirely impractical if you don't live anywhere near a concentrated area of plants."

This sentence is correct. If there are no plants, then there will be much less insects and much less animals.

Usually, in survival, you should focus on that which is in abundance.

If there is plenty of insects, eat insects.

If there is plenty of berries, eat berries.

If there is plenty of fish, eat fish.

If there is plenty of birds, eat birds.

If there is plenty of nuts, eat nuts.

Focus on searching for that which there is plenty of, and you will get plenty of it.
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#7
Best.Korea
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@zedvictor4
""Appetizing", is an acquired state of mind."

This is true. I have seen people eat the most disgusting things with more joy than I have when eating chocolate.

There is the "disgusting" barrier in our minds. Once crossed, it stops existing.
#8
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@Best.Korea
Oh well, as if anyone with the degree of development enough to read this on an electronic device still needs to gather insects for food. Most people nowadays buy food from the market, and some of them grow their own food, plants or animals. Hunter gatherers are massively out of date as of this moment.

I am not trying to bash you, it is just that I don't think anyone will incoporate insects as an integral part of their meal plan even if certain apocalyptic events were to actually take place.
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#9
Best.Korea
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@Intelligence_06
as if anyone with the degree of development enough to read this on an electronic device still needs to gather insects for food.
Is a correct claim. It is assumed that if one has money to buy a device, he likely has enough money for food. Insects are free and demand no money, only time to catch them. Price of meat is high, and catching 300 grasshoppers is free and takes 1 hour.

some of them grow their own food, plants or animals
Is a correct claim. We already had threads where farming was mentioned, I believe chicken farm was encouraged over other types. Growing plants can take more time than gathering plants. We will deal with basic ways of growing plants in our next thread. Growing animals is demanding and costs lots of money. Animals need shelter, water and food. Insects are free and if there is an abundance of them, then they could be less time consuming too.

Hunter gatherers are massively out of date as of this moment.
Is a correct claim. Most people are not hunter gatherers. What most people do does not mean it is the best thing to do what they do. In fact, being more self-sufficient and getting stuff for free can save you money as opposed to paying to get something. "Pay to get" is largely a capitalist culture that might not be very good for mentality of humans, but history will show if its good or bad.

 it is just that I don't think anyone will incoporate insects as an integral part of their meal plan
Is not an entirely correct claim. Most people dont eat insects. But some people do eat them. The main difficulty in eating insects is that if you have no time to catch them, they could be expensive to buy.
#10
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@Best.Korea
Is not an entirely correct claim. Most people dont eat insects. But some people do eat them. The main difficulty in eating insects is that if you have no time to catch them, they could be expensive to buy.
In this case, this series of posting is intended for not people that desperately need to eat insects to survive(which the set is incredibly small), but for people that want to eat insects, huh.

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#11
Best.Korea
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@Intelligence_06
this series of posting is intended for not people that desperately need to eat insects to survive(which the set is incredibly small)
Could be a correct claim. My intention was to spread the knowledge to the people that dont need insects to survive. People that dont currently need insects to survive might experience a change in their situation. They could end up in a situation where insects are their only option. People who dont need insects to survive could raise awareness among others about insect eating, and knowledge could eventually reach those in need. It could reach those who really need insects, but are not eating them due to lack of knowledge. It could reach those who will end up in situation where they need insects. It could reach those that want to be more self-sufficient or improve their survival skills.

but for people that want to eat insects
Is a correct claim. However, it is also to convince those that dont want to.
#12
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@Best.Korea
Quite true.

It's the same with veganism, which is just a developed state of mind relative to a concept that assumes killing is somehow wrong. 

Completely overlooking the fact that killing is essential for survival.

Eating a plate of locusts is not different to eating a plate of beans. Chew, swallow, digest and defecate.
#13
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@Best.Korea
I like steak. 
#14
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@zedvictor4
@Intelligence_06
.." There are more than 15,700 named species and subspecies of ants, and many others not yet named by science. Ants' high degree of social organization has enabled them to colonize nearly all ecosystems and regions around the globe.

..."we conservatively estimate 20 × 1015 (20 quadrillion) ants on Earth, with a total biomass of 12 megatons of dry carbon. This exceeds the combined biomass of wild birds and mammals and equals 20% of human biomass. "..

..." Our research provides an approximate answer. We conservatively estimate our planet harbors about 20 quadrillion ants. That's 20 thousand million millions, or in numerical form, 20,000,000,000,000,000 (20 with 15 zeros). "...

 Grass hopper farming for protein is whole other chapter Ive not posted about recently


#15
sadolite
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At my age, if having to eat insects and just surviving are my only options left, I'm just gonna self check out, that aint living.