Skills are the one survival supply that weighs nothing, never expires and can’t be stolen. They also take time to learn, which is exactly what you will not have once things go wrong. Here are twelve worth starting now, roughly in order of how often they will matter, with a concrete first step for each.
The essentials
1. First aid and CPR. The most valuable skill on this list, because injuries are the most common emergency of all. For an adult in cardiac arrest, hands-only CPR means pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest, about two inches deep at 100 to 120 compressions a minute. Learn it properly, along with how to control serious bleeding and apply a tourniquet. First step: take an in-person first aid and CPR class through the Red Cross or a local hospital.
2. Making fire. Lighters and matches are best, so carry several. Then learn a ferrocerium rod, which throws hot sparks even when wet, and practice building a fire that catches: tinder, then pencil-thin kindling, then larger fuel. Friction methods like the bow drill are worth trying once to learn how hard they are. First step: light a fire with a ferro rod in your backyard or a fire pit, then try again in damp weather.
3. Finding and purifying water. Know where water is near your home and how to make it safe: filter out sediment, then boil it for a minute or use disinfecting tablets. First step: find the nearest creek or pond on a map and figure out how you would get water home from it.
4. Growing food. A garden takes a season or two to learn because every yard has its own soil, light and pests. First step: plant one easy crop this year, such as bush beans or potatoes, and keep notes.
5. Preserving food. Drying, salting, fermenting and canning turn a good harvest into winter meals. Canning comes with one serious rule: low-acid foods like vegetables, beans and meat must be pressure-canned, because a water bath does not get hot enough to prevent botulism. First step: make one batch of refrigerator pickles or dried fruit, then follow a tested recipe from the USDA or the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
The practical
6. Knots. Four knots cover most situations: the bowline (a loop that won’t slip), the clove hitch (tying to a post), the taut-line hitch (an adjustable tent line) and the sheet bend (joining two ropes). First step: practice each one until you can tie it with your eyes closed.
7. Basic vehicle care. Changing a tire, jump-starting a battery, checking the oil and finding a leak will keep you moving. First step: change one of your own tires in the driveway before you ever have to do it on a highway shoulder.
8. Navigation without GPS. Read a paper map, use a compass, and find north at night. In the Northern Hemisphere, follow the two stars at the end of the Big Dipper’s bowl upward to Polaris, the North Star. First step: buy a paper map of your county and find the North Star from your yard.
9. Sewing and mending. Clothes, packs, tents and boots all tear, and new ones may not exist. A needle, strong thread and a few basic stitches will keep gear in service for years. First step: repair the next thing that rips instead of throwing it away.
The obscure
10. Radio. When phones and internet fail, amateur (ham) radio still works, and it is how emergency news travels after major disasters. In the US you need an FCC license to transmit, and the entry-level Technician license is a multiple-choice exam. First step: buy a cheap handheld scanner or emergency radio and listen first.
11. Moving quietly. Whatever you are avoiding, noise gives you away. Walk heel to toe, test the ground before shifting your weight, tape down anything in your pack that rattles, and learn the hand signals your group will use. First step: pack your go-bag and walk around the house without it making a sound.
12. Duct tape repairs. Not glamorous, but duct tape will patch a tarp, splint a broken tent pole, seal a leaky boot and hold a blister bandage in place. First step: wrap a few yards of it around a water bottle or a pencil so it is always in your pack.
Which skill would you add? Tell us in the comments, along with the one you are learning right now.