There are certain realities that some Preppers and others may not be dealing with or refuse to deal with. One reality that everyone needs to deal with, and change, is thinking that “things” can be handled as they come up. Some truly believe they will know what to do when the time comes. How is this possible if you have never had to deal with it either in training or in a real life scenario?
The reality is that you only rise to the occasion if you have been trained, in other words, you only rise to the level of your training. Frankly, there is no such thing as a survival instinct anymore it has been stifled for so long it is essentially non-existent. Instinctive actions only come from repetitive training.
Once the SHTF you cannot expect to run out the back door and start shooting animals for food for example, unless you have put in the time and training to be a successful hunter. If not you will go to bed hungry.
Additionally, hunting will become more difficult once everyone else decides to start banging around in the woods. This is when skill that only comes from countless hours of practice enters the picture, and it will determine how successful you are, and possibly whether you can survive or not.
Just because you can surf around the Internet and find the answers does not mean you have the answers. Past articles have rallied against dependency on technology, and for good reason. Technology has made everyone more dependent, more dependent on technology and less dependent on skill sets that should be taught and passed along, but are no longer so.
First Determine What You Need To Know
Obviously, you cannot know everything. For example, if your car breaks down along the highway, you probably do not have the skills to overhaul the engine alongside the road, and you do not really need those skills, in today’s world. You do know someone that can fix your car however, so that is life in today’s world.
When planning for a crisis you have to determine what is most likely and then work your way down to not likely at all. This allows you to identify the knowledge and skills that are most relevant. You gather knowledge and information needed to get you through life, as you know it to be now. Then you gather information and knowledge to get you through how it will possibly be during a crisis.
In a crisis, you will not be able to pick up your phone if you are stranded along the highway. Planning for the unknown means you breakdown and identify the essentials and the essential knowledge needed to sustain life.
Skills You Only Think You Have But Do Not Without Training and Practice
Home defense during a crisis may turn into perimeter defense, group or team defense or become defense of a small community. You may have to up your game, train more with your weapons and learn the tactics needed to defend more than just your home.
Tactics would include fields of fire, and how to set up listening posts (LP’s) and observation posts (OP’s). How to advance forward without shooting each other in the back of the head and how to seek cover and concealment in an area you do not know well.
Therefore we are back to the original premise if you have never had to set up a perimeter defense then how could you possibly know how when the time comes, unless of course you train and practice now.
For those ready to comment that perimeter defense is self-explanatory would not live through the night. Making a mistake in setting up a perimeter defense, in some cases, means that guards and other shooters defending the camp are shooting at each other when a firefight starts.
This means you may accidentally shoot a family member because no one knows what to do when the shooting starts, you never learned what you needed. No one established a field of fire or did not do it correctly, or in reality, no one thought, or realized they needed one in the first place.
There are things that you think might be easy when in fact they are not unless you have practiced and trained, so it does look easy to those observing. There are no substitutes for experience.
How to Practice Safely
Have opposing teams equipped with paintball guns. Each team will have a different color paint ball. One team sets up and defends and area, a perimeter, and have the other team advance on the area with the intent of taking it over. Engage for a timed period and then see if members of the same team have colored splatters from their own team member’s weapon. You may find that they do.
Another Skill You Only Think You Have Map What Map
You know how to get to Denver, for example, from where you live, quite easily in fact. You punch in some information and the gizmo on your dash does all the rest, or you may even crack open a road atlas and plot the course. You decide which Interstate highways seem the most logical and off you go.
The power grid is down, GPS systems are not operational and someone reveals the location of a secluded lake, water you desperately need. The lake is so far untouched by the desperate masses taking to the streets and highways. The directions are 25 miles NW of where you are currently. Use your map says your source.
Use your topographical map if you have one, but wait, did you know you needed one. A road atlas is no help and without more information, your GPS would be useless even if the satellites were still orbiting.
A topographical map will show prominent landmarks such as rivers, lakes and streams but to get there from here you need a compass, and the ability to read a map and plot a course. In a SHTF situation, you may have to set off across country to get anywhere. You cannot just start wandering however. You need a course to follow, get your bearings if you will.
If you do not know how to read a topographical map, or do not even know what one is, get started now, practice, and then apply what you know by getting out in the great outdoors.
There is a lot you need to know to survive, some of it is common sense and much also depends on the type of crisis you are facing. Stop and think, and then plan before you start making moves.
There are things that if you do not know now, you will never know because you are dead from a mistake. Take nothing for granted and never assume you can handle it when it comes up. If you do not know it now, you will not know it when you need to.
Other useful resources:
Blackout USA (EMP survival and preparedness)
Conquering the coming collapse (Financial advice and preparedness )
Liberty Generator (Easy DIY to build your own off-grid energy source)
Backyard Liberty (Easy and cheap DIY Aquaponic system to grow your organic and living food bank)
Source: prepforshtf.com