What is the most important thing that you can possess in a bug out/survival/shtf situation that weighs nothing? I will answer that for you; skills. Skill to me means having the knowledge and know how about methods to achieve your goals. Whether your goal is to start a fire or grow a garden. Having a skill and maintaining it can be the difference between life and death or success and failure. Where do we acquire these skills? Read on and find out.
Our skills are the practical application of possessed knowledge. So in order to have or develope a skill we need knowledge. There are many places to find information. My favorite place is inside books. I talked about the importance of books in my previous post Endangered Knowledge.
Next on the list is getting information from people. People that do whatever task/skill you want to learn on a regular basis. A lot of the time these can be obtained for free depending on your interests. There is a lot of good training offered at volunteer fire departments, volunteer sheriff deputy, search and rescue, and the forest service. Many times this training is free, all you have to do is show up!
Don't overlook the wealth of information that our elders have either. In parts of the country there are still people alive that lived large portions of there life without electricity, indoor plumbing, and having to make the things that they needed themselves. I'm sure that they would love the company as much as you would love the stories.
Another option is attending workshops or schools. The classes these institutions offer are another fantastic way to fill your mental toolbox. Again it all depends on what you are looking for. Home Depot offers free classes on gardening and various forms of home improvement, and they have these a couple times a month. There are also colleges and survival specific schools out there. These can be expensive which can make them less attainable. Keep in mind all the local clubs out there. There are amateur radio clubs, orienteering clubs, blacksmithing clubs, and more! Do a quick google search in your area and the results might surprise you.
Now which skill is more important? Ultimately this is up to you. Here are my personal top three. First off for me is medical. The reason this is at the top of my list because it can be the most critical skill you are missing when things don't go as planned. It is also something that can give you piece of mind, knowing that you have the ability to care for a loved one when they need it most is a good feeling.
Next up is fire starting or firecraft. This sounds easy right? Just whip out my trusty zippo, and light some twigs on fire. What happens if you're out of fluid or your lighter is soaking wet? It's something that you don't think of until you're in that situation. It's important to be familiar and practice all the methods you can find. Do it in all the conditions available to you, bad and good. Learn about the materials in your area. Which ones have the lowest ignition point? Experiment with different kinds of tinder and arrangements. The list goes on, but I think you get the point.
Lastly is gardening/foraging. Now is the time to learn how to grow/find your own food. Not when your life depends on it. For gardening learn what grows well in your area, find out what region you are in, learn about cold frames and other methods to extend your growing season. There are a multitude of places to learn about gardening. Foraging on the other hand can be extremely dangerous. I recommend going to a region specific survival school to learn more on this subject.
So once you become proficient in any me of these skills you can just stop doing it, and still be good at it in six months, right? WRONG!!! Your skills need to be practiced! Always strive for that next level of mastery. There is always room for improvement be it methods or material. I challenge you to be the best you can be at whatever it is you do!
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