We all talk about gathering prep’s and building BOB’s but how often do you put your skills to the test? I nominally use and hone my first aid skills by re-certifying in first responder first aid and CPR every year. I then step it up a notch by working on my Trauma injury care by attending hands on certified Trauma courses and then up-dating my kits with the best possible gear.
So to work on another skill and utilizing the PA small game season I have the perfect opportunity to refine my skills of concealment, stalking and waiting for the shot by going squirrel hunting with a .22LR rifle and CCI CB Longs.
Wild squirrel are some observant critters and putting on a good stalk with terrain matching camo to close within shooting distance of a CB long which is roughly 25yds and to wait for that perfect head shot takes some serious work.
Some may say how would squirrel hunting help me during a SHTF event? Well think of it this way if your able to refine your skills of concealment, stalking and precision shooting just think how that would help you if a hostile is moving about your property taking precision shots trying to slim down your numbers over time?
Now if this hostile has any skills he will pick apart any organized group who goes out on a hunting party trying to locate him. Your best chance to locate and get off a neutralizing shot maybe using those squirrel hunting skills to hunt the hunter.
Does anyone else have a annual ritual to help keep the skills sharp?
I have a colleague that we have talked about making day trips at some camp grounds or the like to hone our fire building skills and other such wilderness skill sets. We live in a densely populated area and with fire bans in place due to our drought we are limited at what we can due on the home front.
My local REI holds weekly classes on everything from compass/gps land navigating to proper packing method. The wife and I are planning on attending several of these free classes.
I would love to attend some wound care and trauma classes.
My friends and I have been avid campers for the past 8 years, so while we are doing it more for pleasure than practice, I guess it serves a dual purpose.
I’m also required with my job to keep my Basic First Aid and CPR certs up to date, so again indirectly that’s keeping me up on that stuff.
I also kill the power to the house every 3-4 months and run the house off the generator for the day. Thats really not practice at all though since nothing in the house changes, I just want to exercise the generator
fortunately i have had more than my fair share of outdoor experience but my family has not,so getting them up to speed has been one of my winter priorities.Deer season is a good time to go out and unpack the BOB and use the gear up here,we generally have cold weather,snow(not every year during deer season),rain,wind,generally miserable sometimes but it’s a good tme to show them that the the thermal blankets do work,the fire starting gear works,they can eat warm food,purify water.I use to pack MREs so they got to prepare and eat those.Then from our little base camp we will go out and hunt deer,that adds killing,gutting,dragging into the mix.2 days and one night of this each year and the kids talk about it all year,they are 13 and 16 years old.The wife does not camp,she has no problem with anything else and is very supportive,but overnight in a tent in the winter is not for her:)
It has been a good time to fine tune the gear,each member has their own kit,and gets to add/subtract to it.This year i am adding navigation lessons as they are both interested in that now.
I am the asst. scoutmaster of a very active troop. We are transitioning the boys to primitive camping only. As such I continue to use these trips to maintain and hone my field craft skills. For the medical side I have the wife teaching me everything she can.
