Making a survival shelter, starting a fire in the rain, hunting for food, identifying edible plants… These are just some of the many outdoor survival skills that everyone should know. But how – and where – are you supposed to start learning them?
Have you ever heard of Orienteering? It is a sport where you run through the woods with a map and a quality compass. The goal is to get to all the points on the map in the shortest time.
Buy a good field guide to the plants in your local area. Then go for a walk with your family and try to identify the plants you see. You aren’t be able to memorize the entire field guide at once, nor do you want to flip through pages while on your walk.
If you have woods nearby, then go out and build a fort. If you don’t have kids and do this, people will probably think you are weird – but who cares!
Yes, hosting a BBQ does prepare you for survival. Of course, I’m not talking about a BBQ on a fancy gas-powered grill. Try building an old-school BBQ pit and roasting all sorts of foods over it. You can also try these methods of off-grid cooking.
Games can be a bit costly to play but trust me; they are worth it! Aside from being loads of fun for the entire family (and good exercise), you will learn valuable hunting and self-defense skills. You will also learn how to evade attackers and stay calm under pressure.
You can find a first aid course here through the Red Cross. There also may be many free first aid courses in your local area.