Candy Corn Survival

How can candy corn help you in a survival situation?

You left the office Halloween party early to take a quick hike around the lake but at some point you made a wrong turn.  You start to panic, heading deeper into the woods until you admit to yourself that you are lost.  With the sun about to set, you think it would be safest to stay the night and hope for some clearer direction in the morning.  
You find an upturned tree that will offer shelter and you empty your pockets looking for gear that will get you through the long night.  Unfortunately, you weren't carrying the ten essentials but you have excellent improvisation skills.  As you search your pockets for survival gear you find a first full of candy corn that you grabbed just before heading out.  "At least I have something to eat," you think.  However, what other survival priorities can you satisfy with this orange sugary goodness?  

Fishing Lure

Candy corn on a fish hook.

Whether you have a few fishhooks stashed in your kit or have fashioned one from scavenged materials, candy corn may make an excellent lure for fishing. The bright colors attract fish in the murkiest water and a sideways piece of candy is generally minnow shaped. Best of all, candy corn doesn't dissolve in water as quickly as other sugary sweets.

Trap Bait

Candy corn in a trigger stick on a deadfall trap.  

If angling isn't your thing, you can also use candy corn for trapping.  I recently observed squirrels stuffing their cheeks with this orange striped candy, so small mammals seem to be attracted to it.  It seems that no one can resist the call of candy corn.  Wedge this Halloween treat into the split end of a trigger stick on your deadfall trap.  

Leave Trail Messages 

Signaling for help with candy corn.  

A pocket full of candy corn may also be helpful for leaving trail messages and directing others for needed assistance.  If you happened to be hiking with a 50-gallon drum of candy, you could probably construct a visually striking ground to air distress signal.  As stated above though, animals love candy corn so your messages may be very temporary.  

Entertainment 

With several experiments, I've found that candy corn would not be a good fire starter.  It does however melt and contort as exposed to heat and that is kind of amusing.  As we all know, a positive mental attitude goes a long way in a survival situation.  Keeping your mind busy watching the heated and oozing candy corn may strengthen your will to survive.  

Subsistence 

Candy corn as a survival meal.  

When it all comes down to it, candy corn is food (well kind of).  Only a mere thirteen pieces will power your body with 140 calories.  Now, I can't recommend a diet comprised solely of candy corn but as a pretty dense snack, especially in a survival situation it isn't bad.  It resists heat, is pretty tasty and has an excellent calorie to weight ratio.