Prioritizing skill development

[psy-ops]

There are so many skills one needs to truly survive on this planet. I am not going to list them all here. However, here are some basics.(not in order of priority) Others might include different skills. That could be an interesting discussion in and of itself. What I would like to find out is how fellow preparedness people balance their time?


1. Fitness
2. Food procurement
3. Shelter building
4. Firemaking
5. Self defense (empty & weapon)
6. First Aid
7. People skills
8. Orientation

I spend alot of time developing self defense skills and I often overlook food procurement. That said, some skills interface togther e.g. weapons training and tools usage which bleeds into shelter making. Your fitness can also be your self defense. I try to be efficient and kill 2 birds with one stone but that doesn't always work. I seem to overlook some important ones.

 

[Shotgun]

Are we talking wilderness skills or general? Also, do you want this thread to go in the direction of a prioritized list of skills or a prioritzed list of the skills you mention?

 

[psy-ops]

Shotgun, Thanks for the great question. It will help focus my thread.

The direction I would like to go in...is since we do not know what kind of situation we are likely to face, how do we prioritze our skill development. I spend alot of time developing self defensive skills but I could get lost during an accident or something. Someone else might be a great wilderness guy but is in terrbile shape or doesn't work on SD skills.

Sure, I know mindset is A#1 but having some good solid training eases the stress on the mind. I also know that we live in certain areas and we train for those but we also travel to different places where a different skill set is needed.

 

[beckerhead]

Bearing in mind that first and foremost one should have the unyielding will to survive, and either have, or diligently work toward an ability to think out of the box. With that in place I would off the top of my head list them something like this:
1. Water procurement & purification
2. Building and/or utilizing shelter
3. Fire making skills
4. Identifying and obtaining food
5. Rudimentary 1st aid skills
6. Basic navigation utilizing the sun, stars, compass, etc.
7. A basic knowledge of how to assist rescuers in locating you, and conversely, a knowledge of evasion & escape if in hostile scenario. (I lump these together because to me they involve alot of the same skills, just used differently)
In my tiny opinion the above skills developed to a consistent and moderately competent level should allow one to survive with only the most basic of resources, for quite some time. Darn it, I left out "willingness to become a cannibal"

 

[Shotgun]

Wilderness skills: (If I'm injured first aid is obviously #1)
Orientation, because there is no threat if I know how to get out of it.
Shelter building, a good one negates fire in most circumstances.
Fire
First Aid
Fitness
Food, I would add water after fire though
Self defense
People skills, hell if I could offer tea to the rescuers HoozaaH!

Real world:
People skills, if you need it or want it this is your bread and butter
First aid
Self defense, although if your first is strong this is less needed unless a random act occurs
Fitness, gotta look good for the ladies
Shelter, food, water, fire, all fall under the category of having a job but water would be the main focus in a natural/man made disaster so that would be my focus.
Orientation is last because I know just sitting here that North is to my left.

 

[Quirt]

The priorities shift according to the circumstances...everything on your list is important and we need to be building and working on them all! if you're stranded in your car for a day or two in a snow bank on a mountain pass it is one set of priorities, if you're lost on a backpacking trip it is another...if you're broke your leg on a day hike it is a nu'ther set of priorities...if your in a survival situation during a potential or actual hostile situation (such as bird flu, a flood (Katrina), or other disaster and many people are hostile then things all change again.

Keep in mind any time you're in the wilderness these days you run the risk of coming into contact with either four legged or two legged preditors.

In recent years there have been some changes that potentially effect us...first in the Pac NorthWet we've outlawed hunting bear and mtn lion by dog...so the lions in particular are becoming more abundant, aggressive and brazen around people becoming our #1 threat in the woods. Bizarre attacks that once were unheard of are now becoming more frequent.

Also we've passed these 3 strikes and your out laws...what this has done is drive many felons who cook meth, harvest grasses, or mushrooms, or grow mary jane into the wilderness to do their dirty deeds. Many live in the wild now to hide from authorities - especially in heavily wooded regions like the Pac NW. Some of these people are on their second strike and if they come into contact with us they go to bubba's big house for keeps and they have nothing to lose...well you can put 2 & 2 together... the times are 'a chang'n in the wild.

Being confident and competent in all areas are neccessary and needed. The priorities will change according to the circumstances. Too many grass eaters lumber off into "nature to enjoy the wilderness" and then end up in trouble with other humans. A case in point is the article in the recent backpacker about a solo women hiking in a National Park in Utah,AZ or someplace down in the SW. Big article about how everyone is shocked. Duh people...when are we going to wake up...bad things happen to really good people or sheeple if we're unprepared.

 

[troutfisher13111]

Heres how I would prioritize skills:

1)shelter building
2)Finding and purifying water
3)fire building
4)first aid
5)navigation
6)signaling
7)knowing food sources

 

[k_estela]

Navigation and awareness are way up on my list. If you know where you are and what you have, you will avoid 99% of emergency situations in the first place. After this, all the other skills are given equal emphasis.

 

[psy-ops]

I guess, I wasn't clear. That wouldn't be the first time.

How do you prioritize your skill development which means trying to break down your training according to your potential needs?

 

[troutfisher13111]

Navigation and awareness are way up on my list. If you know where you are and what you have, you will avoid 99% of emergency situations in the first place. After this, all the other skills are given equal emphasis.

I agree 100%, but its nice to have your skills down just in case.

 

[longbow50]

Physical fitness (weight loss, strength training, cardial and resperatory improvment, improve stamina and agility)

Mental fitness (concentration, alertness, calm in an emergency, knowledge, common sense, etc.)

Orienteering (map, compass, methods of finding direction using sun and stars, etc.)

food procurement (fishing, hunting, weapons training, gathering, stealth, farming, etc.)

First aid (essential gear and proper techniques)

shelter/fire are the same in my book (different tinder sources, ignition sources, primitive methods, cordage, shelter configurations, knots, edged tool skills, etc.)

People skills/self defense are the same. How many really want to meet others that are in the same situation, but do not have the skills, knowledge or forethought to stock up on the essentials? They are the ones that are either dying, or are helping themselves to what others have. In an emergency, my people skills are stealth and evasion until I'm sure of the people through observation. Self defense goes further with essential defense techniques, as well as weapons training, which is included in hunting and edged tool skills development.

 

[Midnight Scout]

Hi everyone,

I agree with Quirt--the skills depend on the situation. I like to do day hikes and I go hunting during deer season. Assuming I am not hurt, I think the priorities are:

Water: I bring plenty of water with me. I figure it is easier to carry a load of water than it is to find a source in the field (I live in South Central Texas)

Navigation: I can get back to the trail head if I know how to figure out where I am. A map and compass go with me each time I go out. During hunting season (or scouting for hunting) I bring along the GPS, but it is to mark off potential hunting areas rather than as a true navigation aid. I would not rely on the GPS for a number of reasons.

Signaling: If I can't find my way out, I want to let people know where I am. Whistles, lights, signaling mirrors, etc., are pretty easy to use, but you have to have the equipment with you in order to capitalize on easy signaling techniques.

Shelter: I figure building a shelter is the next priority if I think that I can't find my way out and it looks as though I am going to spend the night.

Fire: Fire is useful for signaling and for keeping morale up while spending the night in the woods. If I can't get the fire going for some reason (it is wet out and/or my fire making skills are poor--yeah, it happens) at least I have a shelter in place already along with a signal plan (lights and whistles) for people to find my shelter.

Food: I bring food with me too. I think that bringing food along is easier than locating edible fare in the field. Most food found in the wild needs preparation anyway, so if you do not have a fire, might as well wait on locating food until you have decent fire set up.

Shelter, fire, and food locating all require a knife, so I make sure I bring one of those along too.

 

[bikermikearchery]

I've had the fortune to be able to travel a lot. My personal experience is the value of CLEAN water. Both in urban and wilderness areas. I've been to too many deserts and third world country's where water that doesn't have nasties in it is scarce.