Whether you use canned goods or acquire food in the field it’s nice to not need to use your fingers directly in order to cook, serve, or eat food. If you carry flatware such as spoons or forks this isn’t a problem, however, if you forget to pack them or if they are lost or broken here is a simple solution… chopsticks!

Most folks are familiar with them from takeout meals or from restaurants and have acquired the skill for using them. For those who aren’t I would encourage them to become acquainted and develop the skill as they have been used for millennia in other cultures quite successfully. It only takes a little practice and can be held as shown in the photograph.

Those particular sticks were cut from Locust saplings and were straight and strong. Some folks may prefer to remove the bark but they work fine either way.

This is a bushcraft skill that not only uses local resources but also allows for ultralight backpacking. Next time you snack or cook a meal in the woods give it a try and experience the rewarding feeling of self-sufficiency and field expedient improvisation.