You may be preparing for super volcanoes, hurricanes, social collapse, economic disaster, EMPs, hostile governments, biohazards, dirty bombs, pandemics, tsunamis, earthquakes or any number of SHTF scenarios.
But as I’ve been working on my preps there is one main thing that seems to be the most important no matter what you are preparing for.
And it’s not what you would think it would be. It’s not the fanciest toughest tactical gear you can find. It’s not even a subterranean bunker stocked up to support you for 100 years.
It’s the simplest, yet most complicated prep anyone can make- and there’s no end to this one.
It’s knowledge.
We all know that knowledge isn’t something that we just came across, picked up and went about our merry way with. We’ve been struggling with knowledge since we were introduced to it… Well most of us anyways.
Think about this.
We went to school for a really long time. Kindergarten through 12th grade- a lot didn’t stop there and spent up to a decade in college.
Take a second and think about what knowledge you retained from that 13 plus years that couldn’t have been condensed into a few years time.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that knowledge isn’t just gained from a classroom. It’s gained by observation and experience. And as a prepper, this is the most important thing I can do to be ready in a survival situation.
Being a student of survival and the world around us will be the best prep you can count on in a SHTF event. If and when things get bad you could loose all your gear, supplies, weapons and even your home. That’s why knowledge is so important. It’s one thing you can’t loose. Well except for really extreme circumstances like brain damage or death- either way you’re screwed there.
With knowledge you can find, scavenge and create what you need to survive. If you can do this then your light years ahead of the preppers who rely completely on what they can stockpile in their basements.
Knowing how to provide for your needs without going to Wal-Mart or Cheaper Than Dirt is what will keep you alive comfortably long-term.
Some really important things to learn and study are:
• Finding Water
• Working with hand tools
• Building emergency shelter
• Hunting and gathering
• Fire building
• Tracking- and hiding (concealment)
• Safety, First aid and natural healing
• Bartering
• Self Defense, and conflict resolution
• Self-control and reliance (confidence)
So now we realize the importance of knowledge in a survival situation. The next issue is who and where do we get our knowledge.
And that’s a really tough question to answer, because only you have the final answer. All I can do is tell you how I get my knowledge and hope that I’m not wrong.
When I want knowledge on a survival technique I always, always find an expert. Not a TV expert, but a real life one. Here are some of the best “expert” resources that I’ve found.
• Boy Scouts of America
• Military Veterans
• Library (lots of survival books)
• Online Survival Blogs
• Common Sense
Remember no matter how you learn survival it’s an important skill that can be forgotten and misunderstood.
Practice your survival skills and spend some time in the woods.
I would like to know how you practice your survival skills. Hop over to our Facebook page FB.com/PrepCabin to let everyone know what survival skills you’re learning and practicing.