Survivalism Skills to Learn

If you are new to prepping, feel free to read this first: How to Frugally Prep. If you have just started prepping or in the middle of it, I am so proud of you for taking these steps. While prepping is greatly misunderstood, I want to assure you that you are doing the right thing. Most especially if you know what the real essence of being a prepper is. I think that the pandemic had brought a lot of people into the world of prepping, you will meet different kinds of preppers. Remember to keep your views open because you will learn so much from other people as well. On that note, you also need to keep in mind to be gracious when "newbies" ask you for advice on how to start or where to begin. Sometimes, we tend to push our strong convictions on what's essential on prepping or survivalism.

NEXT READ: Water Storage and Treatment

It is great that you have a fully stocked prepper pantry and a working pantry. You get the concept of rotation and the difference of hoarding from prepping. And now..what? Being prepared does not only entail physical goods but knowledge is very critical as well. I have read on a group that I am in wherein a prepper has all the goods a prepper can wish for but failed on knowing how to cook dehydrated meals. You may have all the beans and rice, bought them in bulk but do you know how to properly store them that will make them last for years to come? What if the power goes down? How are you going to cook? There are so many things that you can learn! I am talking about the skills necessary to survive during an emergency or natural disaster. Or just when the things that used to readily available is suddenly not available anymore.

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Here are a few of the skills that I personally think that is very crucial when it comes to being prepared. Adjust when it fits and this list is not all-encompassing. If there is a skill that I missed, feel free to leave a comment!

1. Bushcraft Skills - These are a set of skills that will help you survive the outdoors. It is not just for camping and enjoying the wilderness but about learning how to use the resources available to you in the great outdoors. Under these skills are several handy primitive skills such as:

learning how to make a fire without a lighter or any commercially made fire starters.
building a shelter
hunting and fishing- gathering food
navigation
protecting yourself from natural elements and wild animals
cooking-off grid
finding water and purification.

The list above is not exhaustive. There are fully comprehensive bushcraft skills that you can tap into and all you have to do is to find a learning course or an excellent bushcraft book. You can even find videos on YouTube.

2. Foraging- Some would qualify this as a part of bushcraft skills but I thought it deserved its own category since food along with water is imperative. Foraging is gathering wiild food. This is not just a skill our ancestors learned but it is a way of life. Think of finding rosehips in the wild and making it into honey or blackberries? Fresh, organic, and free. Just like the bushcraft skills, there are several books that you can purchase to familiarize yourself with what to forage and what you can not.

3. First-aid skills- I am sure that a first-aid kit made it to your must-have list when you were prepping. You have antibiotic cream, band-aids, bandages, pain relievers, and gauze pads. But think about survival and emergency situations. Do you know how to perform CPR? Do you know how to clean and dress a wound without the risk of infection? How to stop bleeding? How to attend to a person having seizures or a shock? Make a splint or sling? These are all paramount to survival not just in times of a disaster but as well as our day to day living.

4. Self-defense skills- Aside from being able to defend yourself from wild animals, this particular skill is tricky to discuss. Whether you are a proponent of our Second Amendment Rights or not, you need to be able to protect your family. Recent riots made it clear to some people how important it is for them to own firearms. I know some people who are adamant about not owning one and have strong feelings against it. And I truly get it, this broken world made it so hard to trust and love on people even though Jesus called us to unconditionally love and forgive. However, there are other ways to protecting our family such as keeping your preps under the radar. You do not have the obligation to show it off and share its whereabouts.

5. Household and Handyman Skills- Remember the story I shared above? Your stocks will do you no good if you do not know how to properly store your food and cook them. Handyman skills are essentials too! Think of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and even basic plumbing skills that can help you during a disaster?

6. Attitude and Mental Skills- When it comes to our lives, it all boils down to your faith and attitude. The right attitude and stable psychological state will take you in and out of situations- can be good and can be catastrophic. Being able to stay calm is paramount to survival. Your will power, adaptability, and situational awareness will serve you well during an emergency. The opposite of calm will hinder you from strategically thinking and will lead to one bad decision after another. I mentioned faith, this is very important as well. Knowing that you have God at your side, you are not alone, and that his provisions will always reach you will alter your heart and attitude.