Whether you’re venturing through the lush green jungles of Southeast Asia or through the icy tundra of the far north, you can be sure that as long as you’re not in a desert, you will find a living green carpet of moss on a rock or tree. You may have heard that moss may be used to determine where north is, but this is completely false. Moss can grow all around a rock or a tree, and if you end up trying to use moss like a compass, then you’ll likely end up even more lost than you were to begin with; yet there are other proven ways you can use moss for outdoor survival.
1. Wound Dressing
Sphagnum Moss or peat moss, characterized by its tiny star-shaped leaves and pale green color, is a natural source of iodine. When used as a dressing, it can be very effective in treating rashes and other injuries. Wounded deer are also known to drag their injured limbs into beds of sphagnum moss.
2. Drinking Water
Mosses have acidic properties, which discourages bacterial growth, so scooping up a handful of the green stuff and wringing it into your mouth for you to drink is another way you can use moss for outdoor survival.
3. Fire Tinder
The general rule of fire building is that one needs tinder, kindling and fuel to start a fire. Dry moss happens to make excellent tinder. Use it by itself or in conjunction with dead grass or ferns to make highly flammable tinder.
4. Bedding Insulation
Moss acts as a great insulator. Putting moss and pine needles over your sleeping bag or camping blanket will keep you cool or warm, whichever you need at the time.
5. BONUS
The following varieties of moss can be eaten in an emergency survival situation:
- Spanish moss – A type of moss that hangs from trees, usually very pale green or white in color.
- Reindeer moss – A lightly colored cauliflower-like lichen, found in open, dry areas.
- Iceland moss – Chestnut-colored with the appearance of spinach as well as chard. Grows in and around the Appalachian mountains and the Colorado Rockies.
- Oak moss – Pale green and found on tree branches of oaks but sometimes on pine trees as well. Resembling deer antlers, this moss is also made into medicine used to treat intestinal problems.
Featured Image from Amirreza Mansouri/Unsplash
