Cattails: Nature's Duct Tape

I was doing a small amount of testing this week with what I believe is nature's miracle plant. The good old Tyfa Latifolia, or in simple English, Cattails. I was on a walk and decided to cut some dead shoots and use them back at my place for some testing and creative brainstorming. Cattails right now are out of season, but are still "around". This means the fully grown ones are standing dead and newer ones will begin to grow soon. The mature Cattail can be identified by the green long stem shoot with a brown "corn dog" looking mass of fluff on the top of the plant. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of uses for the mighty cattail and you could probably write an entire book on it, however the key elements for basic survival are outlined below.

Fire: The fluffy seed pod on the top of a cattail is an outstanding fire starting material. One small spark and it ignites like wildfire and burns for a decent amount of time (if used correctly). If you need dry kindling in a wet Michigan spring thaw the cattail is your ally.

Food: The cattail is more than a pyromaniacs bff, when in season cattails can provide a crazy amount of edible calories per plant. Let's first identify the edible sections.

• Roots: The underground "roots" are packed with carbohydrates, and have a rather starchy taste (very potato-esque). 
• Shoot: When cattails are young and tender, the base of the leaves and shoot can be eaten like any regular vegetable and have a taste similar to a cucumber. This section is also rich in carbohydrates, protein and vitamins
• Seed Pod: I have never done this because it straight up weirds me out but I have read that the seed pod on young plants can be boiled and eaten like corn on the cob...  no thanks, I'll stick with roots and shoots. 

Shelter: The fluffy seed pod section can be used as a liner of insulation for gloves, shirts, shoes etc. in cases of extreme cold and lack of proper cold weather clothes. Essentially that seed pod can give you that warm fuzzy feeling only nature can provide :)

So if you ever find yourself in a pinch out in the great wilderness, the cattail is your best friend!