10 Essential Preparedness Skills Honed by Camping
Packing and checking our gear.
On this trip, my goal was to test the collapsable wagon we would use to bring extra supplies if we had to leave our vehicle on foot in an emergency.
Camping and preparedness are intrinsically linked, both offering valuable lessons and experiences that enhance our ability to cope in emergency situations. The great outdoors serves as the perfect testing ground for our gear and our skillsets, providing an environment where we can challenge ourselves and our equipment under conditions that simulate those we might encounter during a crisis. From developing our skills to deciding which pieces of gear make it into our emergency preparedness kits -
Here are the top 10 ways you can hone your preparedness with camping:
1. Understanding and using your gear - it’s not just about having the equipment; it’s about having the know-how. The only way to become familiar with our gear and its limitations is to use it. Gaining a deep understanding of how our gear works, how to carry it, and how much of it to carry -always balancing utility, usefulness, and weight.
Taking more gear than usual for a backpack-in campsite to facilitate testing the collapsable wagon.
2. Selecting campsites - teaches us to evaluate our surroundings. Identifying potential hazards such as dead trees (widow makers), proximity to water sources, wildlife activity, and the direction of prevailing winds are skills that have direct applications in choosing a safe location during an evacuation or disaster scenario.
3. Land navigation - Getting away from car camping and moving to backpack or paddle-in sites gives you the opportunity to use maps and get familiar with how good your sense of direction is. If you ever find yourself needing to use a paper map to navigate in the event of GPS failure, it won’t be your first time.
This wagon was not designed to be pulled over roots, rocks, and uneven terrain, but it held up and performed great.
This gives me the confidence that it will work in an emergency for pulling supplies down a paved or dirt road.
4. Fire building - The ability to make fire in a multitude of environments will significantly increase your survivability in disaster scenarios. Understand what it takes to start a fire, the best methods to ensure fire while conserving resources, and how much fuel you’ll need to keep the fire going.
Using the same tools and fire-kit that are packed in my bug-out/get-home bag (which is my camping bag - I have one bag for all three scenarios).
5. Shelter Setup - the ability to quickly erect shelters in foul weather will ensure you minimize your exposure to wet and cold, which can be deadly. You don’t want the first time you set up your tent to be when your family is fleeing a disaster.
Become familiar with whatever shelter you would use if you had to make camp somewhere with your family.
When it’s dark, windy, and rainy - you don’t want to be learning how to set up a tent or make a shelter.
6. Camp cooking - is another skill that transitions seamlessly from leisure to necessity. The ability to prepare food without the conveniences of a modern kitchen is indispensable in times of crisis. Whether it's mastering the use of portable gas stoves or getting creative with open-fire cooking, these experiences inform our emergency food preparations.
Learn various methods for preparing food outside of your kitchen and ways to make due with limited supplies.
7. Clothing - is our first line of defense against the elements, and understanding how to layer effectively is crucial. Camping teaches us to adapt our attire to activity levels and conditions, skills that are vital when exposure to the elements is unavoidable. When it’s time to go in a hurry, you should know what clothes you're grabbing.
8. Sleep systems - are a matter of comfort in camping but can be a matter of survival in colder climates. Understanding the limitations of your sleeping bag or ground pad ensures you won’t be caught unawares when temperatures drop unexpectedly.
Camping with a baby presents new challenges for keeping them warm and figuring out your system for carrying gear and a child.
Valuable information if you and your family ever find yourselves having to move somewhere on foot.
9. Utilizing natural materials – learning how to make camp items from natural materials to aid in cooking and other camp tasks. This creativity and adaptability are invaluable when resources are scarce.
10. Understanding nutritional needs - expenditure of energy is a delicate balance that camping helps us calibrate. This knowledge is vital for planning provisions for any excursion or emergency. How much food can we carry, and how far will it get us?
Our preparedness and our hobbies are complimentary.
Camping isn't just for recreation; it's a practice in preparedness. It teaches us to be resourceful, self-sufficient, and adaptable. It allows us to vet our gear in the field, to learn from our experiences, and to discard what doesn't serve us.
If a piece of gear fails you while camping, it has no business in your emergency preparedness kit. Such experiences compel us to refine our gear, ensuring that every item in our preparedness kit has been tested and trusted.
On high ground overlooking the city below. In any disaster scenario, I know I’d rather be up here than down there.
On each camping trip, we can set a goal to evaluate different gear or practice a new skill. For instance, if you start your fire with a starter log and lighter the first time you go, perhaps the next time you can challenge yourself by using only natural materials and a lighter. On the following trip, you could try using natural materials and just one match. The key is to keep challenging yourself no matter where you're at in your preparedness journey.
In conclusion, integrate training and preparation into your camping experiences. As you enjoy nature’s beauty, also consider each trip an investment in your emergency preparedness. This way, should you ever find yourself facing a disaster, you will do so with the confidence of someone who has not only anticipated the challenge but has trained for it. Understanding the limitations of your gear and skillsets will aid you in making informed decisions when it counts.
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