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Nutrition

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Brian:
Adi, agreed.  I've been taught the "4 threes:"  you can survive 3 minutes without air;  3 hours in very cold temperatures; 3 days without water; and 3 weeks without food.

We always encourage our people to learn what they need to keep hydrated and to carry lots of water with them (I myself require about twice the amount of water as most folks).

Parenthetically, when I talk to our newbies about wilderness survival, I try to get them thinking about the elements of survival:  that the success of survival is surviving, and comfort is secondary (though the two are not mutually exclusive);  that the will to survive is nice, and that having the right tools is good, but having prepared through trial-and-error and practice of successful techniques is essential.

Rescuerkw:
This post won't take up "mushroom" - but looking for mushrooms can be fun. To be safe don't pick anything unless you are 110% sure you know what you you've got. Get someone who really knows to show you rather than trying to identify from a book where you might make a mistake.

Brian:
Typically, the folks we get called to search for fall into one of several categories. 

One category is that of mushroom hunter. 

Several months ago, we were called to an adjacent county to search for 3 mushroom hunters who were unaccounted for.  They were ultimately found, and had survived a week in which nighttime temperatures were below freezing, with precious little more to keep them going but a little drainage water they were lucky enough to have found.

The importance of water and shelter cannot be overestimated.

adi:
Mushroom hunters and  Foragers have a habit of getting turned around and lost often very close to safety. They are often only wearing normal clothes and no equipment at all. They get so turned around and then try to walk out and get themselves in to worse trouble.

The most important thing when you realise you are lost is to follow this simple rule, STOP.

Stop - stop, sit down have a cigarette, a brew or a snack
Think - after you have taken a couple of mins to allow yourself to calm down, have a think what might have happened and see if you can get yourself out of the situation. If you can't help yourself get out take stoke and don't panic. Stay stopped don't start wondering off in any direction.
Observe - First off Observe your kit see what you have with you take a mental note of your equipment the observe your surroundings taking note place of shelter and of water 
Plan - Plan what you need to do, this can be broken down further to PLAN

Protection - Protection from further danger, don't stay somewhere that is dangerous to you. The Protection from the elements, wind, rain and sun and other environmental hazards in the form of shelter.   
Location - This is your location, set out you signals, whether signal panels or signal fires and make sure you whistle, heliograph, torch and other hand held signal devises are on your person.
Acquisition - of water, setting, fire and  traps that can work for you by collecting food for you allowing you to save energy.
Navigation - Finally if been in a location for around 3 weeks we will have used all the local resources such as fire wood, food and no one has found you it is time to move to a location that may make you more visible to SaR and with new resources. Don't just wonder off in any direction, move down stream. Leave a note saying who you are and where you have gone and mark your route on the ground. 

Ok from the above it becomes clear that life becomes a lot easier when one is dressed for the conditions and carrying some items of kit with them in the form of a survival kit.

It does not need to be too complicated, Just some basic items.
Shelter - a survival blanket can be used as a lean-to tarp which are great in conjunction with a fire as they are good at reflecting heat back at you. A Blizzard survival bag and or a Bothy bag is probably better for a larger variety of locations.
Fire - a fire steel and some tinder
Water - Everyone seems to be mad on saving water with plastic water bottles, although you can boil water in plastic bottles it is not ideal, they don't last long and chemicals leach into the water so metal water bottles are better for boiling and purifying water.
A sturdy knife - you can make life a lot easier if you can make things.
Spare navigation equipment - A compass may allow you to get yourself out of the situation.

Right I am now giving away too much information not found in  books ;)

 

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