Developing Your Prepper Skills

You might well be committed to prepping but what is it exactly that makes you a successful prepper?

You’ve been laying down stores of food and water, you’ve packed your bug out bag, and if only you had a little more money, you’d soon be able to equip yourself with the newest, shiniest survival kit.

You’d likely be pulled up with a start, therefore, if you realised that the most valuable, absolutely indispensable piece of prepping kit you can lay your hands on is completely free, has an indefinite, non-perishable shelf-life, and is so portable you can carry it without feeling any weight at all.

As the Provident Prepper reveals, that piece of kit is none other than yourself – your knowledge, your skills, and the experience you have gained in learning all about the art and science of prepping.

When we remind people that it’s what you know and how you can use it rather than owning masses of kit that makes you a successful prepper, we like to draw the parallel with the would-be martial arts fanatic – you can read the book, you can buy the uniform, but only when you’ve practised the skills, trained for many years’ and perfected the moves can you call yourself a martial artist.

How do you do it?

How do you acquire that knowledge and those skills that might make you a successful prepper? The answer is simple and straight forward – you learn, and you practice.

Look, listen and learn

when you are hoping to learn any new skill – especially one that may have life-saving implications – you want to learn from the best;

so, be prepared to search out the experts – there are quite a few of them around – listen to what they have to say, in their books, magazines, or online, and learn from the lessons they offer;

A prepper’s library

so you can keep all that expert knowledge up together in one place and refer to it as and when the need arises, consider making your own survival library, suggests the website Survive UK;

that means not just books and magazines, of course, but videos – like the DVD made by the UK’s Survival School, for example – and any number of online resources;

Theory and practice

while a library is a good start and store of valuable advice and expert knowledge, you cannot ignore the importance of practice;

one of the easiest – and perhaps least painful – ways of getting that particular ball rolling is to enrol in one or two online courses (or physical classes once lockdown is over);

The acid test

a steadily expanding volume of knowledge coupled with your developing prepper’s mindset should set you up for a regime in which you are constantly practising what you have learned;

practice – then practice some more – and all the while give yourself practical feedback by making notes, in your own words, about your actual experience in gaining new skills.

While developing that prepper’s attitude, approach, and mindset, you are almost certain to discover that knowledge and understanding, developed through testing yourself practically, regular practice, and the continued honing of your skills, will beat any amount of physical kit or equipment.

Along the way, don’t be afraid to ask questions and be still less afraid of making mistakes – mistakes made during practice are probably one of the greatest practical sources of knowledge and the route to developing your skills.

About The Author

Article by the Prepper Weekly editor. Prepper Weekly covers practical, UK-focused preparedness – from emergency planning, power cuts and flooding to food, water, kit and outdoor skills – without the fear-mongering. Find out more about Prepper Weekly.