Being a Well-Rounded Preparedness Freak

[beezaur]

I got to thinking about the incredible variety of skills that come up on thereads here: backcountry navigation, self defense, disaster preparedness, extreme weather. There is really a little of everything, and always something to learn.

What are some skills that the well-rounded preparedness "freak" should have? Should you know about two-way radio communications and other signaling? Be able to forecast the weather? Should you know how to do rescue and some basics of firefighting? What about operating different types of vehicles and special equipment? Medical knowledge? Welding?

Self defense is an obvious one, but what other things would you require of someone before, say, you gave them a 4-year degree in "Wilderness and Survival Skills?"

Scott

 

[Thomas Linton]

I'll take a bash at it. How about:

1. Survival Psychology
2. Shelter Building
3. Water Gathering
4. Firemanship
5. Food Gathering
6. Wilderness Navigation
7. First Aid (basic and advanced)
8. Cooking
9. Selecting Survival Equipment and Supplies
10. How to Play Solitaire ( )

 

[Sidewinder]

Leadership skills

 

[ACMarina]

Improvisation is very important, I've found. Making things out of nothing, using something in a completely different way than it was intended to be used, that sort of stuff. I've seen it help in a great many situations, and it's something that's easy to practice. .

 

[pipedreams]

excellent thread!

if i may quote robert heinlein:
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying,take orders,give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. specialization is for insects."

todd

 

[cardimon]

Overall, I would say:

(1) the will to live,
(2) a stubborn reluctance to give up,
(3) the ability to improvise,
(4) the ability to stay calm and make decisions in a crisis (without waiting for the authorities or the government to save you)
(5) this is not readily quantifiable, but the ability to listen to that inner part of yourself when it tells you to run. Learn to trust your own instincts.

 

[jokrswylde]

Read "Into THe Wild" By John Krakauer. Follow what Alexander Supertramp did to survive in the Alaska Wilderness. He made some stupid mistakes, but still impressive that he lasted that long. Also some anecdotes about people who made some "Darwin awards" moves like throwing away ammunition while stranded in the backcountry and mistakenly signaling a rescue plane that everything is fine when you are actually dying.

 

[warcow]

gary paulson has MANY great survival stories. Most geared for kids, his best is hatchet and its 3 sequals.

 

[ACMarina]

Ya know, as nerdy as it may sound I've still got all of the Paulson books on my shelf from back in school. All of them are a good read, and even though it might not teach you too much you don't already know it's enjoyable to flip through anyway, as it's easy and quick. .