So you may have spent a great deal of time doing everything you can to prepare for a disaster. By now you may have begun to learn many critical survival skills and of course stocked up on all the necessary emergency supplies that you may need. The question is not do have all right supplies and knowledge, however, but what if this you were actually forced to survive this way in real life? Could you do it? The only way to really know for sure is to put yourself and your family to the test. You’ll have to create a real-life situation (with safety measures in place of course) where you’ll all be forced to work together and survive. There are two great ways accomplish this:
Plan a Backpacking Expedition
If you’re up to a real challenge, and especially putting your survival skills to the test in the wild you might try a backpacking expedition for the whole family. Leave behind almost all you’re electronic devices and home amenities and take a trip into the wild to see how you’d fear.
In this scenarios you will be carrying everything you need right on your backs. For this reason you’ll want to pack light while still packing everything you absolutely need. You’ll also want to create a plan that distributes supplies evenly or at least in a manner where no one person is carrying too much weight. Divide the load the make an easier trip. The following supplies are a must
• First aid kit, both light and basic
• Toilet paper
• Food
• Fresh water and ideally portable water filters
• A map to navigate
• GPS device (just in case)
• Compass (optional)
• Clothing
• Tent
• Sturdy backpacking
• Camp Stove
If you are bringing children remember to prepare for the trip ahead of time and keep them quiet in the woods, especially at night as their cries may attract preying animals. Take plan frequent breaks into your trip for plenty of rest. Plan for anything, and finally make it a fun trip for the whole family and work together.
Home disaster Simulation
Another great way to put your family’s survival skills to the test is to simulate a scenario in which a disaster strikes. So first let’s think? If disaster struck in your community what would that look like? First electronic devices and communications would be just about useless, so you’ll want to take those away. Secondly you would not be able to enjoy trips to the store for basic supplies so you’ll be forced live on what you have stocked up. All utilities would be shut down so while you will want to forego their uses as much as possible (you can’t shut down your gas, but you can simply avoid using gas stoves, etc.). You’ll also be limited in your access to cash and banking services.
Over all you’ll just want to cut yourselves off from the amenities you enjoy in better times, and you want to be able to go anywhere for additional supplies. Before you do this it’s best to call a family meeting to get everyone on board and on the same page. For the kids, make it like a game or a pretend adventure. It doesn’t have to be a scary thing but a fun event for the whole family.
Once it’s all said and done determine what you’ve learned. Where were you strong in your survival as a family and where could you improve? This might even become useful as a regular routine, maybe once or twice a year if you can afford it. The more you practice now, the more you will be prepared when the real disasters strike.
