In the best-case scenario, you have enough food for three days. No? Don't panic—most people can go at least a week without eating. Still, hunger is debilitating and makes you more susceptible to hypothermia. So attend to your food needs once other problems are dealt with.

Catching mammals is extremely difficult for the untrained—not worth the energy expenditure. Fishing is much more effective, especially if you have the right gear. Aside from familiar berries, plants are not a good idea unless you're trained in identifying the edible ones, and even then, they don't provide much nourishment.

The best available supply of nutrients is insects. Your most vital nutritional needs in a survival situation are protein and fat, and most insects are rich in both. Slugs, earthworms, ant eggs—all are good. (Avoid stinging insects and spiders; "six legs or fewer" is a good rule of thumb.)

The best method for collecting ants is to find a nest, disturb it with a stick, allow the ants to climb the stick, and then remove them by dipping the stick into a container of water. Grubs (insect larvae) are easy to find in rotten logs, under the bark of dead trees, and in the ground. Most types of bugs can be eaten raw, though roasting them makes the meal more palatable.

Check out Man Eating Bugs: The Art and Science of Eating Insects (Ten Speed Press, 1998, U.S. $20), by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio.

—Laurence Gonzales

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