Best Foraging Tools
Gear you need to forage ethically & effectively.
Merriwether’s Recommended Foraging Gear
Grim Workshop Pocket Foraging Tool
This wallet-sized, high quality steel tool covers multiple aspects of foraging. It has assorted sizes of leaf strippers, a bark scraper, a berry comb, a mushroom knife, a ruler, a saw, a tweezers, and a wood tick remover. Made in Texas by the small, family business Grim Workshop.
Get a Pocket Foraging Tool Here
Pruning Shears
Use a standard pruning shears to minimize damage to perennials. This reduces the chance of them become infected and killed by a fungus entering the damaged area. A smooth cut from a sharp blade heals more quickly than a jagged tear from ripping parts off a plant.
Hori Hori Knife
Hori hori knives originated in Japan centuries ago as a digging/weeding tool. “Hori” means “to dig” and its repetition in the name is a Japanese onomatopoeia of the sound of digging. This thick, slightly concave blade can dig, pry, saw, and slice through soil and plants. I prefer a carbon steel blade because of their toughness compared to stainless steel ones which have bent when prying in hard, dry soil.
Get a Hori Hori Knife Here
Magnifying Glass
You need to see small, fine details to accurately identify plants and mushrooms. A good magnifying glass is crucial for this task and you can even photograph through them.
Get a Magnifying Glass Here
Notebook
Writing down the location and date along with all the plants you find there is a great way of remembering plants as well as learning when they are available and what wild plants like to grow near each other.
Get a Notebook Here
Ruler
Like the magnifying glass, a ruler is necessary to confirm the size of leaves, flowers, seeds, and other parts of plants & mushrooms. My foraging tool has a 3” ruler but a full 12” helps measure larger features.
Get a Ruler Here
Insect Repellent
Mosquitoes can make a trip into the wild annoying, but wood ticks can leave you with serious health issues. Some sort of insect repellent really is a necessity now days. I prefer one based on natural lemon eucalyptus rather than DEET.
Buy Natural Insect Repellent Here
Satchel
You’ll need a bag to carry your gear and your finds. I prefer strong canvas and durable leather over synthetic materials. This one has assorted small and medium pockets for carrying your foraging tools securely, as well as a big, central space for your wonderful finds.
Buy a Satchel Here