Not that long ago, the skills and food storage we call “prepping” or “preparedness”, was really just the way of life of most Americans. We need to remove this idea that preppers or prepping is some odd thing, outside the mainstream. Our over-reliance on the free flow of electrons to facilitate just in time logistics puts us all at risk.
Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.
Luke 21:36
My parents and grandparents did and taught us many things that we would calling “prepping” today. The whole extended family tended a 2 acre garden up at the cabin. We all learned to till the land, plant, water, weed, and tend the crops until harvest time. We learned about pest control without pesticides and how to keep rabbits (gun) and deer (fence) out of the garden. We learned how to rejuvenate the soil by rotating crops and turning it over after the harvest.
We learned how to preserve food. We canned, froze, and dehydrated everything from vegetables to game. By the way, canned venison stew meat is fantastic 6-8 months down the road.
My grandfather, a survivor of both the USS Arizona and USS Indianapolis sinkings made certain that all the kids knew how to swim and all knew how to handle canoes, rafts, and small boats. I’ll say this agan, your odds of needing to swim are FAR GREATER than your chances of getting into a gunfight, so LEARN TO SWIM.
We all learned to process game animals from a young age, because hunting and fishing were just a part of life. I heard a statistic recently that only 4.7% of Americans consider themselves hunters anymore. This nation was founded by hunters. After I turned 12, I don’t think my dad cleaned a grouse himself until I left for the Marines. You can’t first learn these skills after the lights go out. Fileting a fish properly takes practice.
When I was about 10, my grandpa and my uncles built a two-story garage with bedrooms above. They BUILT it, not had it built. As boys, my cousins and I were up there doing it too. We learned about structural integrity, a good foundation, and roof pitch. We helped pull wire and attach plugs and switches. For us boys, it was big fun, doing the “grown up stuff”, but looking back, I realize it was grandpa teaching us critical skills.
I learned natural navigation from my grandpa and his best friend, John Cook, the man who inspired me to become a US Marine. These two were closer than brothers and the toughest men I’ve met until the day they died. Side note, I wore John Cook’s USMC issue belt from WW2 the day I graduated MCRD. Tradition Matters. They taught us how to find south from the weathering and fading on trees and rocks, how to use the stars, and how to find water from deer paths. They taught us boys how to track like natives.
https://classic.avantlink.com/link.php?merchant_link_id=91e33978-619d-4158-b50f-9904709163c3&affiliate_id=d0ea7454-982c-4956-9842-59b0f0d99b91&website_id=b54d42a2-3e73-4f03-ac0d-a3e7b99eed53But the women taught us too. My mother and grandma made clothes for us and we were fully involved. We learned to follow patterns and make clothes. We learned to sew buttons on and repair holes/cuts in our clothes. By the way, what’s your clothing plan after the lights go out? Have you considered sewing and how you might power a sewing machine? Go to an antique store and find a pedal-powered one.
We all learned to cook and took turns helping. If you’ve never had boiled dinner, you are missing an old-school, Depression-Era classic feast.
When we went on vacations as a kid, we camped in a tent, rather than staying in hotels. Even when we went to Cedar Point (a regional amusement park in Ohio), we camped in tents. We didn’t realize we were missing out, because we weren’t. It was a blast to camp with family. There was no “glamping”.
As far back as I can remember, we cut wood on weekends. We used and learned about chainsaws, bow saws, and axes. My dad made a chair from a piece of wood using a chainsaw to show me how it is done (side note: I am making a throne for myself at the Camp Ponderosa fire pit with a chainsaw). I know that Yogi and Allen here at Camp Ponderosa won’t believe me, but I did already know how to use a chainsaw before I got here.
Last week, I taught Land Navigation at the Swan Mountain Outfitters Guide School. They have extensive programs not just on learning to be a wilderness hunting guide, but also on horse and mule packing (Wrangler Training), woodsmanship (axe and saw), field cooking, wilderness first aid (including equine), tracking, survival, and all sorts of “old time” skills. Being asked to be a member of the instructional staff there has been a great honor for me. In fact, I invited several of the students to come bear hunt here today and made them breakfast. These are skills we ALL should be working on.
I guess the point of this whole thing is to tell you that instead of focusing on stockpiling gear, we need to return to our roots and get out there learning new skills. A great way to do that is to attend Mountain Readiness. The next session will be right here at Camp Ponderosa, and I’m trying to get our friends at Swan Mountain to come on out and do another packing demo (it was well-received last time). Use code WISDOM5 or click this link to get 5% off.
Check out the classes by other instructors, as well as my classes and get to learning. Learn the old ways.
A great way to get outdoors gear at a discount is through my friends at BattlBox. This month, they sent out a Lost Hiker Kit by Brunton and a great water purification bottle (The GeoPress) by Grayl. You get the gear at an average of 40% off retail and they include exclusive discounts on more gear in every box. Click the photo above to sign up. I get the Pro Box (full disclosure – while I may get a commission if you sign up, I pay for my own box).
Normalize preparedness.
Note on the above ad for the Kung Fu grip: Every AR I use has a Kung Fu grip and a Tiger Claw from DFCO on it. Also, their Das Boot for Magpul mags (Gen 3) gives you +2 rounds per mag and gives you an aggressive traction base for using the magazine as a monopod. I swear by their products.
You can support our mission at Camp Ponderosa by making a donation or by buying us items off our wish list. Both of these support on-going outreach to veterans.
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Tactical Wisdom 