Knowledge: The lightest thing to store and carry

P psychology (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The main concern in any survival situation is to be prepared before something happens so you can mitigate the risks. One thing that people really need to start doing more to prepare for any kind of survival or disaster situation is to learn more. I don't mean learning which stuff to pack away or which gun to carry (although these can be very important too). I'm saying people need to learn more applicable knowledge that can really help them out in an emergency situation. Too often people rely on technology and public systems to support them, and are then completely confused as to what to do when those things aren't there to help. Just think about all the different things that you could learn to provide for yourself in better ways. Would you need a GPS in hand at all times if you already knew the area like the back of your hand? Would you need to carry that book on edible plants if you were already familiar with the local plants and where to find them? There are numerous things that one could teach themselves (or take a class on) to better prepare themselves. Think of lock-picking, hunting, camping, fire making, foraging, building a shelter, social engineering, fishing, gardening, land and sea navigation, first aid, cooking, marksmanship, and self-defense as some of the helpful skills you could acquire. You could go out and find actual classes that are presented in your area or you can just learn on your own with trial and error (don't eat any suspicious plants). I'll post a few book recommendations if I find some that are helpful in this quest for knowledge.


SAS Survival Handbook, Revised Edition: For Any Climate, in Any Situation

Primitive Skills and Crafts: An Outdoorsman's Guide to Shelters, Tools, Weapons, Tracking, Survival, and More 

How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times