Skills Every Prepper Should Master

By Tim Gamble

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So, you call yourself a prepper? The essence of prepping is being prepared. Prepared for what? Prepared for whatever may come. Disasters and emergencies are, by their very nature, unpredictable. You cannot predict exactly what will happen and when. That is why preparedness requires a multitude of different strategies, tactics, and skills. 

Every prepper should master the following skills to even begin to be adequately prepared for various emergencies and disasters:

1- Situational Awareness and the OODA Loop: This is much more than just paying attention, but also includes the decision making process. (Article link)

2- First Aid and Trauma Care: Knowledge of basic first aid, CPR, and trauma care can be a life-saver in critical situations. (Affiliate link to Refuge Medical)

3- Personal Financial Management: Budgeting, paying off debt, building emergency savings, having adequate insurance, and saving for long-range goals such as a home purchase or retirement will help you in good times and bad. 

4- Food Storage and Preservation: Learning how to store and preserve food for lean times can help you survive short and mid-term emergencies.  

5- Food Acquisition: Gardening, horticulture, raising chickens, goats, and other livestock, hunting, fishing, trapping, and collecting wild edibles will help ensure a steady supply of nourishment long after the supply lines dry up.

6- Water Purification and Storage: Clean water is essential for survival. (Article link)

7- Fire Starting and Maintenance: Being able to start and maintain a fire for warmth, cooking, and protection is a crucial skill in many survival situations.

8- Self-Defense and Hand-to-Hand Combat: Knowing how to defend oneself and one's family is important for maintaining safety and security. (Article link)

9- Navigation and Landmark Recognition: The ability to navigate using maps, stars, and other natural landmarks can be invaluable when GPS and Google Maps aren't working.

10A- DIY Skills: The ability to do routine maintenance and repairs around your home or on your vehicles could be enormously beneficial during a crisis, and a money-saver during good times. This also includes skills like sewing. 

10B- Knife and Tool Maintenance and Repair: Being able to maintain and repair knives and tools can help keep equipment functioning during challenging times.

11- Emergency Communications: Have a family and group communications plan is essential. (Article link)

12- Mental Resilience and Emotional Coping: Developing mental toughness and emotional resilience can help preppers remain calm and level-headed during stressful situations. EXTREMELY important. (Article link) (Article link)

Of course, there are a multitude of other important skills. This is a good list to get you started on the road to a lifetime of learning.

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