Best place to find small stones ?

[xRAGNARx 0]

Just restarted last night after not playing in a while and I didn’t spawn with a stone knife. Looking for an expedient method to get a sharp tool. 

[EzyStriderPS4 191]

Train tracks, trails, and the beach will all spawn small stones, sir.

[xRAGNARx 0]

Thank you kindly

[Holmes109 0]

I've played for over 4 hours, (first time player) and have yet to find a single stone, or a single piece of fruit. I don't understand. This is the type of game I prefer to explore and figure out for myself, and yet even after spoiling it by googling, and even watching VIDEOS, I have yet to find a small stone or fruit (or fruit tree).

One guide I read said both of these things are "everywhere". Just have empty hands and you'll see an option to either "search for stones" or "search for apples". I've never seen this prompt. I read another guide that said you'll find fruit at the base of a tree, I've searched at least 50+ trees of varying shapes and sizes to no avail. This is exactly my type of game, and I'm trying hard to like it, but I'm almost at my wits end. Are these guides out of date? Have they changed the interface, or mechanisms where I'm doing something wrong?

It's one thing for these resources to be less common than before, but to not have found a single instance of one despite looking through a large variety of locations over multiple hours? I just die of hunger, and repeat. The only time I last a little bit longer than usual is if the weather is good, and my hunger goes down more slowly than usual. 

Not only have I never found a stone to make a knife, I've never once found an existing knife in my hours of looking through cities, despite claims that knives were ALSO common. I just don't know what else to do. I can't keep playing if I can't figure out the trick I'm missing. One video showed a different, darker, rocky texture on a path that allowed them to search for stones. I've never seen that texture on any path. 

I've walked miles down what appear to be trails, definitely down train tracks. What exactly am I looking for? Do I need to be crouching? Do I use the "vicinity" feature? Is there a prompt? I promise you I'm an experienced survival game player, and not an idiot, lol. Like WTF. 

Thanks in advance.

Edited December 14, 2019 by Holmes109

[Shawn Caplan 4]

Could be they just not have spawned in.I guess it depends on the server.Livonia I can't not see stones.Damn things are everywhere.Chernarus a little more difficult

[Shawn Caplan 4]

Fruit trees in Chernerus are usually near houses.look on the ground next to them.Sometimes there is fruit.Hope this helps:)

[Tierian 0]

If you are play livonia and cant find stones find a sledge hammer or pick axe.  Got to river and use them on the boulders to make your own stones