What to take mushroom picking

As you’ll be spending time out-of-doors it’s worth ensuring have the proper outdoor clothing. Stout boots and a waterproof coat are necessary in mushroom environments. A would-be mushroom collector should also consider taking the following kit with them.

• basket - keeping mushrooms in plastic bags makes them sweat and degrade very quickly
• knife - for removing mushrooms growing on wood; for checking for maggots and for removing damaged or dirty sections before adding mushrooms to your basket.
• brush - to clean dirt, grass, leaves from your mushrooms
• field guide - this should be small enough to fit in your pocket
• hand lens (optional) - may be useful for subtle points of identification
• compass & map - if you’re wandering randomly around a wood looking at the ground, its very easy to get lost!
• walking stick - doubles as a bracken mover and suspicious fungi turner.