The number one prep you should be working on is the one most neglect. You need to get outdoors and move. That’s it, simple. Put on your Get Home Bag and start walking while carrying a load.
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
Proverbs 31:17
Developing the ability to walk, carrying a laod, over rough terrain is vitally important. I’ve met a lot of folks into preparedness in my journey. They all like to show me all their very cool gear and their stocks of food preps, but every time we hold events, there are people who learn that they can’t move with all their gear. You need to be able to.
If you drive a significant distance to work or school, have you tried walking that distance while carrying your Get Home Bag? Portions of it? 3 miles? If you haven’t, get started.
The good news is that it is easy to get better at it. Start with short walks and build the distance over time. Don’t focus on speed, just focus on distance. If you are completely sedentary, start without a bag and build yourself into carrying a bag.
Not only are you doing something practical, you are building your muscles and your cardiovascular endurance.
You will also learn what in your gear set up is good and what needs to be changed. We’ve seen people arrive on day one of a 6 day patrolling class with every piece of kit they own strapped on, but by day 2, they’re stripping parts off and lightening the load. Only carry what you will actually use.
Proponents of rucking will tell you to aim for 15 minute miles or 4 miles an hour, but that’s not actually realistic for survival settting. Sure, for a large military unit moving along a secured route, you really need to step it up. But, that’s not what we are training for. We are training for the ability to move quietly and undetected. Slow down.
Another common thing in rucking is the carrying of weight plates. You should be working with your actual gear, because the plates or bags don’t ride the same as your gear will in your ruck. Pack that bag like it’s for real and start working on it.
Once you’ve built up your basic ability, move off-road. Start with established trails and then cross-country. As someone surviving, you’ll be off the roads & trails and sticking to the bush.
If you don’t, and the first time you try to do this is during a real-world event or crisis, you will fail miserably. It’s better to find out I need to work on fitness when the stakes aren’t life and death. This enables us to tip the scales in our favor.
Come out to classes like NC Scout’s Scout or Recce Course, my Fieldcraft course, or, for the truly brave, a Combat Studies Group course (you will truly learn about your cardio fitness in one of K’s courses). We have many stories (including myself) of people who came to these classes and tried real-world movement or tasks in their gear, learning that they needed to do some work. They always come back and perform better, simply by getting out and moving. You’ll also meet a lot of great people who will motivate you and help you.
Get out and get moving.
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