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In these days of increased violence, you might want to learn some martial arts techniques for self-defense to keep you and your loved ones safe. Although violence should be avoided, sometimes you can be trapped in situations where you can’t avoid it. You might be attacked by muggers or bad people on the street when defending yourself would be a priority. But, how are you going to save yourself (or your dear ones) if you don’t know how to fight? In this perilous time, it’s essential to learn some useful self-defense techniques to save yourself.

Martial arts is one of the best self-defense techniques out there, as it will teach you the moves that will help you fight the attackers while protecting yourself. Learning different martial art techniques can be extremely helpful as some of them are more effective than others in defending violent attacks.

Martial Arts Techniques

In this article, you’ll get a basic idea about some popular martial art techniques that might save you one day.

Let’s continue.

1. Karate

Remember the movie The Karate Kid? There was hardly anyone found that time who didn’t want to learn karate under Mr. Miyagi.

Developed in Okinawa, karate is considered one of the best martial art techniques for self-defense. Due to its sheer solid nature, karate is widely practiced around the world. You will have to learn kicks, blocks, punches, and even grappling as part of its syllabus.

Learning karate will let you develop strong strikes both in kicking and punching. It’s a solid way of defending yourself. The good news is, it’s going to be officially included in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics games.

2. Keysi fighting method

If you’re impressed by Batman’s fighting style in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy, then the Keysi fighting method is for you. Created by Andy Norman and Justo Dieguez, this technique focuses on moves that can easily defend multiple attackers.

Keysi emphasizes on using your body as a weapon. What makes it unique that there are no kicks involved; instead, you will attack with sharp elbow strikes, hammer fists, and head-butts. Considering getting attacked by multiple people, these techniques can be more lethal and useful than kicks and punches.

3. Defence Lab

Another creation of Andy Norman, Defence Lab is a modified version of the Keysi fighting method. As the name

Image by patrickbrassard0 from Pixabay

suggests, this method is entirely focused on self-defense against both armed and unarmed situations.

In the DL method, you will have to use your elbows and ‘shapes’ using your arms to create a fearsome style. With its growing technique range, you can also fend off MMA style attacks.

4. Krav Maga

Krav Maga is one of the most effective martial arts techniques. Created by Imi Lichtenfeld, it’s the official self-defense system of the Israeli Defense Forces.

The word “krav maga” means contact fighting. It’s a reality-based training where your main goal will be neutralizing your opponent as soon as possible. This technique is a combination of moves from several other martial art techniques, such as karate kicks and knees, punches from western boxing, BJJ’s ground fighting, and bursting from Wing Chun.

5. Muay Thai

This ruthless martial art technique is considered as an effective self-defense system. Also known as Thai boxing, this system is a mixture of punching, kicking, elbows, and knee strikes.

Muay Thai emphasizes on effectively injure or attack the opponent, making room for a faster gateway. You will learn to deliver some of the powerful leg kicks that are vital for defending yourself.

6. Judo

Judo was founded by Jigoro Kano from Japan and is popular for its amazing grappling techniques. It has been a part of the Olympic Games since 1964, with some very strict rules now.

You may consider judo as a poor self-defense technique as it’s all about throwing, pinning, choking, and arm-locking the opponent. But, what makes it good is that it comes with a single-minded approach to throwing your opponent on the ground. A throw on the ground can actually cause serious injury to your opponent.

7. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a hybrid between judo and Japanese jujutsu. This technique focuses completely on the ground. This key to BJJ is to gain control and positioning over the opponent using locks, chocks, holds, and joint manipulations.

Although an amazing self-defense technique, BJJ isn’t a good choice when it comes to group attacks and weapon defense.

8. Boxing

Boxing is the simplest yet effective way of self-defense. Although it involves just a few types of punches, it takes years to master boxing.

In this technique, you will have to deliver different types of punches from various ranges with precision. It will emphasize body conditioning and help to sharpen your awareness.

9. Aikido

Aikido is a useful martial art technique if you need to fight against aggressive people. It’s an interesting art that is most effective when you’re looking for self-defense and survival.

Aikido doesn’t involve any punching or kicking; instead, it focuses on using the opponent’s energy and aggressiveness to gain control over them and throw them away from you.

This technique is a good fit for police officers and security officers whose job requires controlling the arms and using wrist locks.

10. Personal Protective Measures

Developed by Dai Shihan Philip Legare, Personal Protective Measures or PPM is a self-defense technique that will help you to increase your survivability during any dangerous situation. It’s a modern version of Bujinkan martial arts that will enable you to deal with modern weapons.

Personal protective measures technique has two parts-PPM Part 1 and PPM AST. In PPM Part 1, you will learn the basic defense, including ground defense, handling grabs and chokes, blunt weapons, firearms, as well as multiple attackers. Once you complete the PPM Part 1, you can go for the advanced training. In PPM AST, you will learn how to deal with the real-world attack in a challenging environment.

Wrapping Up

Using martial arts techniques for self-defense should be the primary concern when you are attacked by bad people. There’s no shame in defending yourself and your family. So, a few lessons on martial art can have a positive impact on your fitness, as well as your safety. So think carefully before choosing which technique you’re going to master in the near future to defend yourself from any unexpected situation.

Author Bio:

Chris Freeman has been writing articles and web content for more than four years. As a regular content contributor on the web, he usually writes about topics on sustainable living, self-improvement, modern lifestyle, media & technologies, and community issues. Find his recent works at Neutrino Burst blog and follow him on Twitter @chrisfree208

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When it comes to smart self-defense, you need to make sure that your action is truly necessary before you pull the trigger.

Anyone who carries has to face the reality that someday they might find themselves needing to use their gun. Sadly, there are some who never fully think this through. They managed to get their concealed carry license because they felt they needed it. Nevertheless, they don’t practice and they don’t really think about what it will mean to actually use their gun in self-defense.

The reality is that any use of a firearm in self-defense is risky. While it does allow the use of deadly force when necessary to defend yourself or defend others, there’s a huge caveat. That is, the courts must agree that your actions were both necessary and reasonable. Otherwise, someone can still accuse you of murder.

Granted, being accused of murder is better than being the victim of a murder. However, if you’re going to be the one who is pulling the trigger, you want to make sure that your action is truly necessary. The less wiggle room you can give a prosecutor to show that you acted angrily or irrationally, the less chance there will be that you end up in court defending your actions.

Smart Self-Defense: What Are You Thinking?

I want to ask you something: what are you thinking with respect to carrying a gun? Are you thinking that you are safe because you have it? Do you think that you can outshoot a bad guy? Are you thinking that the key to surviving a shootout is to draw fast and shoot straight? Do you look forward to the opportunity to prove yourself where the rubber meets the road?

The reality is that there are some prosecutors who will try to prove that you were looking for the opportunity to use your gun to kill someone even if it was done in self-defense. They will use your membership in the NRA and signs in your window with themes like “Protected by Smith & Wesson” as an indication that you were merely awaiting the opportunity to legally kill someone. If they can create that idea in the minds of the jury, you could end up facing a murder conviction. Remarkably, it doesn’t matter if that perception is true or not.

What you and I should be thinking is that our guns are a tool of last resort. In other words, we should try to avoid a shootout if we can. Then, if we have no choice but to use deadly force in self-defense or in the defense of others, we will know that we did everything we could to avoid killing another person.

Smart Self-Defense: Avoiding Violence

Before drawing a gun, it makes sense to try avoiding a situation altogether. While that isn’t always possible, there are plenty of situations that can be avoided simply by not going where violence is occurring or by leaving when it looks like something is going to go down.

Now I know the temptation is there to be the hero of the moment. I feel that same temptation too. But that doesn’t mean that I should be the hero. First of all, that’s not my responsibility. I am not charged by society to protect them, but the police are. While it is possible that I could defend someone and keep them from harm, I have to ask myself, “At what price?”

There is always a price associated with taking the life of someone, even if the courts declare you not guilty. The human mind has a way of torturing itself for killing another. That’s a much harder price to pay than the justice that the courts mete out.

Smart Self-Defense: It’s Time To Go

So, how can you avoid this kind of predicament?

First off, if you are maintaining your situational awareness, then you should have a pretty good idea that something is about to happen. Once you have a feel for this, you need to make an important decision. Do you stay and see it out or do you leave before it can happen? Most of us would stay when in reality we should leave before anything can escalate.

Think about that for a moment. There is nothing that says you have a responsibility to defend society. What you do have a responsibility to do is defend yourself and your family. So do your best to do that, not necessarily by shooting, but by getting your family out of there before the shooting starts.

Granted, if you leave a store or restaurant every time you think something is likely to go down, you’re going to be leaving for nothing a majority of the time. But that’s okay since you’re accomplishing your goal and protecting your family. You can always go back after it’s clear that it is safe.

Smart Self-Defense: Don’t Go There At All

You can say the same thing when hearing news that something is happening or about to happen. If there’s a demonstration scheduled downtown, then avoid downtown. You’re not part of that demonstration anyway, so there’s really no reason for you to be there. If you want to find out what happens, watch the news.

The same can be said for many other potentially dangerous situations, such as being in a bad area of town. Unless you have a legitimate reason to be there, why go? Find somewhere else to buy what you need or another route to take so you can avoid problems. Don’t put yourself unnecessarily in danger.

Smart Self-Defense: Diffusing The Situation

Even when trying your best to avoid a violent situation, you may find yourself in one notwithstanding. A classic example is someone getting mad in a bar or night club. Take some guy catching you looking at his girlfriend for an example. If he’s the violent type or has been drinking too much, he may decide to confront you for that imagined slight. What do you do?

In most cases, it is fairly easy to diffuse such a situation by turning their negative comment back into a positive one. In the situation mentioned above, the accusation of, “Hey, are you looking at my girl?” is intended to get a rise out of you. Responding by saying, “Yes I am, she’s beautiful. You’re a very lucky man” is the exact opposite of what he is expecting. By not rising to the situation with a snarky comment but instead complimenting him, you end his desire to cause trouble.

Of course, if that doesn’t work, you can always run away. If he’s really been drinking, he may not be able to keep up. There’s nothing that you can lose by running except your pride. But you really don’t need that to survive anyway, so there should be no problem with letting it go, right?

Smart Self-Defense: When It’s Time To Draw

When all else fails, it’s time to draw; but the point I’m hoping you’re seeing here is that you don’t want to draw until you’ve exhausted other possibilities. If someone walks into the restaurant you’re eating at and opens fire, you don’t have other options. Nonetheless, if they are trying to start trouble, you do. Take advantage of those possibilities when you can.

But when it’s clear that you must use your gun, don’t hesitate to do so. At least, don’t hesitate any longer than tactically necessary. Remember, as long as you conceal your gun, you have the element of surprise on your side. Consequently, don’t draw until you are ready. If you can, take the time to move into a good tactical position where you have cover and the bad guys are flanked before drawing.

Smart Self-Defense: Give Them A Chance To Run

The old saying is, “Don’t draw your gun unless you intend to use it and don’t use it unless you are shooting to kill.” On the whole, I agree with that. But I also agree with the statistic which says that in 70% of the cases where a concealed gun is used in self-defense, merely presenting the gun is enough to cause the bad guys to flee. For this reason, give them the chance to flee before pulling the trigger.

This is exactly why you want to flank them if you can. You can catch them in a way where you have the advantage and it may give you an extra second or two before they are able to respond. This strategy might help tip their decision towards fleeing instead of fighting. It also might give you the second you need to get your sight ready if they decide to shoot it out. Altogether, you’ve got to use whatever you can to your advantage.

You may also enjoy reading an additional Off The Grid News article: 9 ‘Survival Guns’ That Will Keep You Alive In Any Situation

Or download our free 29-page report that discusses how to legally carry firearms (almost) anywhere, anytime: Stick To Your Guns

Do you have any more tips or suggestions on smart self-defense with a firearm? Let us know in the comments below.

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The best self defense rifle should be a weapon that you can easily carry in your bug out bag and use with limited defensive capabilities.

Let’s talk about these so-called self defense rifles. When I say self defense rifle, I am not talking about your main battle rifle. Your AR-15 is a good all-around rifle, but it’s best if you use it for self-defense. A self defense rifle in this sense is one that you can easily carry in your bug out bag and use for general survival measures with limited defensive capabilities.

These rifles are almost exclusively.22 long rifles, and while this limits defensive capability, it does still have considerable capability. The .22 long rifle is an excellent survival caliber for a lot of reasons. First off, there’s the sheer amount of ammunition you can carry. You can throw a 500-round brick in your backpack without a huge difference in weight, and it hardly takes up any room. The .22  rifle is often very cheap and common, except for the occasional ammo scare that dries up the supply. Because the rounds are cheap and easy to find, a person can get a lot of practice with their .22 rifle. These rifles are not only handy in a SHTF situation, but in any outdoor hunting and hiking situation.

These rifles will not replace your main battle rifle, but they will serve to complement your primary weapon. These weapons are designed to become very compact and disappear into a pack, making them very handy and very convenient to carry.

So, we will define these self defense rifles for the sake of this article as small, concealable, shoulder-fired, small caliber rifles. These rifles will be general-purpose rifles or even more like “jack of all trades” rifles.

Henry AR-7

We will start with an original rifle—a very unique, very odd looking little rifle. The Henry AR-7 was designed for Air Force pilots all the way back in 1959. Since then, developers have slightly upgraded the weapon throughout the years and it has become a camper’s best friend.

The AR-7 is a semi-automatic rifle that fires from an eight-round box magazine and comes with two magazines. The rifle is a takedown rifle and conveniently breaks down into three components. The rifle breaks down into the barrel, receiver, and buttstock. In addition, the barrel and receiver both fit inside the hollow buttstock. The buttstock is water resistant and has the ability to float (should it find its way into water), and if it takes a fall, it is impact resistant. The rifle only weighs three and a half pounds and is less than seventeen inches long when packed into the buttstock.

Putting the weapon together is incredibly easy and quick. The receiver attaches to the stock and the barrel screws into the receiver. Construction and take down is completely toolless. Both the barrel and receiver are coated with ABS plastic and Teflon to completely and absolutely resist corrosion.  Handling the weapon is odd at first, as you lack a forward grip and are forced to either grip the thin barrel or the front of the receiver. However, the light recoiling round makes it easy to control and shoot accurately. One of the key advantages I see for this self defense rifle is the price. In fact, for less than $300, this weapon can be yours.

M6 Scout

Now, this is another odd rifle that has been around for a few decades, but unlike the AR-7, the M6 Scout never made a huge splash in the firearms industry. This is probably due to the weapon’s odd appearance and limited capabilities. The M6 Scout is made by Springfield and has been around since the 1970s. Recently, the rifle has had a bit of a resurgence with the increase in people becoming more prepared for less-than-optimistic situations.

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The M6 Scout has the distinct advantage of being chambered in both .22 long rifle and .410 shotgun rounds. We’ve gone over the .22 long rifle, but the .410 is its own handy cartridge. Like any shotgun shell, there is a variety of different loads that the .410 can hold. The main three are birdshot, buckshot, and slugs. The .410 is capable of taking medium and small game at close range.

The .410 birdshot round is a proven snake destroyer, and the slugs have their place in self-defense and hunting. The M6 has one less than desirable feature: it’s an over-under double-barrel weapon. The top barrel is .22 and the bottom barrel is .410. The advantage of a .410 barrel is that gauge adapters will allow you to fire rounds like 9mm and 38/357 out of your shotgun barrel.

For compactness, the rifle breaks in half at the breech. Consequently, you can store the firearm in a very short package. The rifle is very lightweight and very Spartan. There is almost no furniture on the rifle, and this keeps the weapon lightweight and compact. The stock does open and it allows you to store ammo inside.

This is a very unique firearm that’s quite an interesting weapon to shoot. The ability to fire precision rifle shots or a wide variety of shot is something any backpacker or prepper can appreciate. This weapon may not match the firepower of the AR-7, but it does beat it in versatility.

Ruger 10/22 Takedown

The Ruger 10/22 needs no introduction. This self defense rifle has been the poster gun for all .22 rifles for the last 50 years. The Ruger 10/22 is an incredibly versatile rifle with more accessories than any rifle I’ve ever seen. This is America’s .22 rifle. The newest model combines the well-known Ruger platform with the ability for you to break it down into two pieces.

This rifle is probably the least compact of the three, but it offers the most comfort and reliability. The Ruger is an incredibly reliable weapon, and the amount of accessories available is staggering. The list includes high-capacity magazines, scope mounts, sights, and the ability to switch out the integral parts with easy-to-find match-grade pieces. Take this little .22 and load it with a BX 25 magazine and a red dot sight, and you’re ready to rock and roll all day long.

The weapon is probably easier to strap down than it is to pack. Even so, it’s still plenty easy to transport. Ruger even offers a backpack with Molle straps and a very prominent Ruger logo (not very discreet) that they’ve designed perfectly for carrying the weapon. You can never go wrong with a Ruger 10/22.

Bigger Bore Options

If you are interested in a larger caliber takedown rifle, I have recently come across two that are very interesting. The first is an AR-style carbine chambered in a variety or in pistol rounds. The next rifle is a full-sized Browning hunting rifle. These weapons are larger and heavier but considerably better for defense and hunting.

The Aero Self  Defense Rifle

The Aero survival rifle is designed to resemble the look and feel of an AR, but it is chambered in a pistol caliber. The little carbine accepts Glock magazines, so you know that plenty of high-capacity options will be available. The weapon is chambered in 9mm, .40 caliber, and .45 ACP. Moreover, the ammo can be interchangeable with your sidearm.

The rifle comes apart without tools, and it breaks into less than half its normal length. It drops easily into a backpack, giving you a close-to-medium-range hunting and self-defense weapon. This self defense rifle features some rail space for optics or folding iron sights as well as a flashlight or foregrip. The stock is an M4-style six-position adjustable.

Browning Lever-Action Takedown Rifle

Browning is a very well-known firearms maker of high-quality rifles, handguns, shotguns, safes, and just about everything else in the firearms world. Their lever-action takedown rifle is no different. This rifle is an excellent choice as a hunting rifle, and it even has some excellent defensive capabilities. For those poor folks who live in a less-than-free state like California or New York, this rifle is completely legal in either—for the time being anyway.

The weapon feeds from a detachable box magazine and can chamber full-powered rifle rounds. The weapon can be chambered in fourteen different calibers from 22-250 to .375. These options give you long-range and hard-hitting bullets. The lever action guarantees reliable and quick feeding.

The weapon weighs around seven pounds and is bulky compared to any other survival rifle that we’ve mentioned. Once the Browning is broken down, it still fits in a hiking pack though, and it is relatively easy to strap to the side or top. This rifle is an awesome choice when you need a full-sized and full-powered rifle to take game, especially at longer ranges. Browning has a winner with this rifle. I only wish it was easier to find.

You may also enjoy reading an additional Off The Grid News article: 10 Practice Drills Guaranteed To Make You A Highly Skilled Concealed Carrier

Do you have any other suggestions for survival rifles suitable for self-defense? Let us know in the comments below.

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Having reliable guns to choose from is important when it comes to protecting your family.

Let’s imagine for a moment that the world of tax-funded public safety and well-stocked grocery stores are a thing of the past. Then you, perhaps with a handful of family and friends, must fend for yourself in a tough and hostile environment. Among the considerations for survival are, of course, firearms. Which would you choose?

The most critical consideration for firearms in this scenario would be reliability. Does it go “bang” with every trigger press? Does it cycle the widest possible spectrum of ammo available in that caliber? Is it simple to maintain? What ammunition is likely to be found in the area? It’s a given that one of each major civilian classification of firearms will be needed—a handgun, a rifle, and a shotgun. Our task here is to pick an ideal group of five.

THE TOP THREE RELIABLE GUNS

Handgun

The Glock 17/19 has a long track record of reliability and the other criteria here. While Glock offers a wide variety of calibers and models, the 9mm is a commonly available cartridge worldwide, and less pricey. Like the AR-15, parts are currently ubiquitous, and many are interchangeable between models/calibers.

As a true admirer of the 1911, it’s hard to think of turning my back on that old standby. Indeed, it’s more accurate. But it falls behind, quickly, where ease-of-maintenance and magazine capacity are concerned. Newer models are, in my experience, less reliable than Colt originals

Concealability, which may or may not be a consideration in this scenario, isn’t easy with the G17 but the Glock 19 can bridge this gap effectively.

Carbine

A carbine, with its shorter barrel, offers ease of maneuverability as well as the capability of reaching out to larger game, within limited range, to provide for food. Larger capacity magazines and quick reloading capability may be necessary to defend against attackers of the two-legged variety.

My choice for a long-term carbine partner is the AR-15. The platform is proven as reliable, and most owners have accumulated a supply of spare parts. Ammunition and magazines as of this writing are readily available, but that can change on a moment’s notice, of course!

The .223/.556 cartridge is admittedly not the most ideal for down-range energy. Thanks to the other virtues named here, though, it garners top billing on the list. I have personally taken deer-sized game with the .223/.556.

Shotgun

This was the easiest choice for a reliable gun. A shotgun in general has nearly endless applications based on the variety of loads available. This is  especially true if one has reloading equipment. The Remington 870 pump action, chambered in 12-gauge, has endured as one of the most reliable guns in history. It’s inexpensive, made for utility, and rugged. Semi-auto shotguns abound on the market today, but none have the track record of reliability and simplicity as does the 870. The gauge selection is due to the wide range of loads available in 12-gauge.

The Mossberg 500 was a close runner-up, but the 870 edged it out thanks to personal experience both in the field and in law enforcement. It’s capable of earning its keep by obtaining large and small game and is an effective defense weapon.

Traditional hunting models are probably the most common 870s in civilian homes. The police model, with its shorter 18-inch barrel and larger magazine capacity, offers more practicality. Either one will serve the owner well, with greater reliability than most semi-auto shotguns. I have taken everything from birds to varmints to big game with a 12-gauge 870. Not to mention the shotgun is an effective deterrent against two legged pests.

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TWO MORE OPTIONS

Now imagine for a moment that we have the luxury of two other guns at our disposal. To me, the ideal ones are—

A Bolt-Action Rifle

As with the AR-15, the brand and model are less important as there are many choices of this reliable gun, with legendary track records. It’s comforting to know that, with the assistance of an optic, the little arsenal includes something that can be effective and at long distances for most game and any precision shooting needs. The ideal caliber could be the .270, .308 or 30-06, all of which are more or less commonly available. All can effectively take any game in North America and, of course, provide greater long-range precision capabilities.

Rate of fire and weight are potential drawbacks with this firearm. In comparison to others here, this platform requires greater knowledge and time investment on the part of the operator to accomplish the long-range feats it’s capable of.

A .22 Rimfire

There’ll be plenty of nay-sayers for this cartridge as a final choice, but the .22 has been a reliable ballistic tool of choice for hunters, assassins, farmers and housewives for over a century. It’s eliminated countless barnyard varmints and more good and bad guys than I care to count. If we as consumers discount the memory of the days when .22 was three cents per round, the cost and availability factors aren’t as dire as it once was just a mere year ago.

Notice there’s no make and model named in the subheading—that’s a reflection of how difficult it is to choose among the many candidates. In the end, utility is king. Some of my favorites are the Ruger 10-22 Takedown, Ruger 22 Bearcat and S&W Model 17 Revolvers or the KelTec PMR and CMR 30 in 22 Magnum (if you have a good supply of 22 mag ammo). Choices in this category are endless and should boil down to what you have experience and confidence in. Another consideration: 500 rounds of .22 is portable in comparison to the same amount in other calibers.

Many will likely argue that a .22 rifle is preferable to a .22 handgun. And I’d not argue back much, especially when discussing a firearm for a beginner to use effectively. In a world where the return on investment of both resources and calories may be critical, perhaps a .22 should be at the top of this list of reliable guns.

Bottom line: I want a “survival” gun that is reliable, simple to operate (including maintenance issues), in a caliber that ammunition can easily been obtained and that I have confidence and ability with. The picks listed here are one person’s opinion … but the choices are endless.

What would you put on your list? Share your thoughts in the section below:

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I received this over the Memorial Day weekend and found it a short, inspirational story of determination. One worth sharing. I am sure such stories happen often everywhere, they renew our beliefs in each other.

I have posted it below unedited, as I don’t see any way to improve upon it.

14-year Old Boy Climbs a Mountain Alongside Adventure App Creator

April 24, 2019 – At 6:15 am on Easter Sunday, 14-year old Getúlio Felipe, who has cerebral palsy, began climbing the highest mountain in the Dolomites, Italy to prove that anything is possible and that the outdoors are accessible to everyone. After nine straight hours of battling deep snowpack, cold weather and physical exhaustion, Getúlio reached the top of the Punta Penia peak, a glacier reaching 3,343-meters (10,968 feet).

Accompanying Getúlio on this journey were Pedro McCardell, creator of the Lyfx app, an app for that conects travelers to local guides, Alessio Nardellotto, an experienced climber from the Dolomites, Alberto Benchimol and Stefano Fabris, who worked as a separate support team for safety and image capture.

The desire to climb a mountain came a few years ago when Pedro McCardell, mountaineer and creator of the Lyfx application, a kind of “Uber of Adventure,” which allows local guides in various parts of the world to connect with travelers in search of adventure and unique, personalized experiences, challenged him to climb a mountain.

Getúlio, who was only nine years old at the time and did not really know what kind of challenge awaited him, accepted it, and then the preparations began. Getúlio divided his time between studies, daily and physical activities, preparing his body and mind for the great adventure that awaited him.

The young man has been overcoming challenges since he was born. After a cardiorespiratory arrest at birth (which caused cerebral palsy), doctors believed that Getulio could never walk. Contrary to all the diagnoses, Getúlio began to take his first steps at age 7, and from that moment on he didn’t stop anymore. He learned to play soccer, choosing the position of goalkeeper and integrating the school team, and even met his great idol: the German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

His most recent achievement, the climb of Marmolada, the highest mountain of the Dolomites in Italy, was only possible thanks to the union of Pedro McCardell, Alessio Nardellotto, experienced mountaineer of the region and leader of the expedition, the Unesco Education, Science and Culture) and the “Razões Para Viver” website (Reasons to Live, on a loose translation).

After 9 hours of climbing, and with several stops to check the health conditions of Getúlio, as well as some attempts to make him give up (all in vain), the team arrived at the top of the mountain, where Getulio sat looking at the view and said “what a good life”. No doubt this was a unique experience, not only for Getúlio, but also for Pedro McCardell, Alessio and all the others involved.

The whole adventure was documented, and the images will be used as part of a film about Getulio’s story, produced by Lyfx.

About Lyfx

Lyfx is an adventure platform that connects adventurers with local outdoor experts. The company is the brainchild of Pedro McCardell, an adventurer, filmmaker and entrepreneur, who saw the need to make the outdoors more accessible to everyone. Follow on Instagram @lyfx or visit lyfx.co.

Thanks, Rangel Jesuíno

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A Survivalists Insight Into Family Preparedness Introduction to Family Preparedness

Last week, James “Dr. Prepper” Stevens shared with us his thoughts on creating a spiritual foundation for family preparedness. (Check out that article here.)

This week, he’s back to give us some tips on forming the founding principles of your family preparedness plan. Read on to learn more.

You may also wish to consider creating a family paradigm – a written belief statement that unites your family in your effort.

Let me share my family’s model as an example. This helps our family to share a common perspective and thus know our objectives in terms of our preparedness efforts:

We hope for the best; We fear for the worst; and We prepare to deal with what happens!

Building a Family Preparedness Lifestyle

There are three important reasons to start working toward an immersive family preparedness lifestyle:

We have been advised to be prepared… (Remember the story of Noah, Joseph in Egypt, and the parable of the Ten Virgins?) You would be prudent and wise to be prepared – providential things happen as a result of being prepared. As the head of your family (patriarchal or matriarchal) responsibility, all reason demands you protect your family.

It’s unfortunate that food storage gets such a bad rap in this Nation. When I lived out of the U.S., I was able to see that whoever controlled the food supply controlled the people

We’ve been advised to save for the future––so many times for so long…

What if you shift your thinking to another level, away from the mentally and physically tiring activity of food storage?

What you achieve bit-by-bit is to comprehend the concept of accumulating a supply of food, clothing, and shelter as a way of everyday life––a preparedness lifestyle––and suddenly it’s neither so daunting nor so burdensome.

You’ll actually get the attitude it doesn’t matter what others say or do!

What is a preparedness lifestyle? To become self-reliant––to be able to live providently regardless of external conditions!

May I suggest serious consideration that you make some Paradigm Shifts about your family preparedness responsibilities?

My Three Family Preparedness Principles

We spent many years in the activity of trying to stay prepared as we raised our six children. Here are the guiding principles that ultimately govern our family preparedness activities:

1. We’ll Bloom Where We’re Planted

We made a conscious decision to live on a rocky hilltop. When those below us may need to evacuate due to flooding, we plan to stay in our home.

We have reduced and continue to reduce our belongings so as not to be owned by allegiance to our material things. If moving in the future seems important, fewer possessions will make it easier for us to move on.

Planning Action Item: We chose to build our house on the rock! 2. Our Home Will Be Our Personal Convenience Store

We’ve created and continue to maintain a very selective mini-grocery store––an in-home convenience store––stocked with the things we like to eat and know we can enjoy during a crisis situation––no matter how long it lasts!

We set it up where we have unique access to it and can utilize it as our family needs it!

Faith Action Item: As others may do without, we can continue to eat––and be able to give help to others in their afflictions!

RELATED: Preparedness Tips for Those with Elderly Family Members

3. Our Family Will Be Able to Camp Out Within the Walls of Our Home

In case of a disaster or emergency situation, our family will be able to maintain an acceptable level of comfort within our house and on our property. We’re prepared now to be able to live within our comfort zone in the future when others can’t live in theirs. We have equipment that will allow us to continue to function regardless of the status of the normal utilities that we depend on normally.

Works Action Item: We got the gear and lost the fear! 4. Get Out of Debt

The only allowable debts are for purposes of education, our home, or a sound business venture to produce income for the family. My father was very wise about most things––he often told me: “Jimmy, there are only two kinds of people, those who earn interest, and those who pay it!” Grow your savings, not your stuff!

Paradigm Action Item: We can sustain our lifestyle without too much further reduction of “creature comforts.”

There’s a popular national talk radio show host, Dave Ramsey, who proclaims with vigor:

“Live now like no one else, and in the future, you can live like no one else!”

Spot on, Dave!

If you fail to prepare adequately now for the unknown future, you will eventually pay the price for your disobedience! Benjamin Franklin (and a lot of others, also) said, “If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.”

5. Go on a Survival Shopping Now

Remember: you can’t buy insurance on a wrecked car, a burning barn, or a sinking ship.

We are so fortunate to have the capability to buy any products we want in this great country! There is no excuse for not being or becoming a self-reliant family.

There is no shortage of products and services to aid us in becoming self-reliant. Truly, in this country, “…there is plenty, and to spare…”

There are no emergencies for those who are truly self-reliant! If you are truly self-reliant, you have no need to fear!

This video from City Prepping will show you how to build Bug out Bags for the family:

Disaster preparedness kit for the family? Check! Emergency communication plan for families? Check! Disaster recovery plan? Check!

These are your checklist to family preparedness. From the material, physical, emotional, and spiritual preparedness, all these factors will all play into yours and your family’s survival.

How are you going about with your family preparedness plans? Tell us about it as well as your thoughts on this article in the comments section below!

Up Next:

Prepping Your Spouse for a Preparedness Lifestyle Preparedness Tips: A Mother’s Wisdom Proven DIY Home Security Tips To Protect Your Family

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**Disclaimer: All content on this site is for informational purposes only. Please read our full disclaimer here**

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on December 18, 2014, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

Read more: survivallife.com

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Preppers can reap some big rewards by applying some of the habits of successful market gardeners and small farmers to our home gardens.

See, they have an eye on profit, which means an eye on efficiency. Most preppers aren’t looking at cash income from the garden, and scale matters even in for-profit growing, so there are some common practices we should actively avoid, but there are plenty that can save us time and resources.

That’s precious enough for now, and will be even more so any time our spending power is limited.

Establishing a Market

Before planting, successful market growers tend to have established their markets. It could be farmer’s markets, tailgate sales, roadside stands, restaurants, grocery outlets, or an ag professional who compiles orders for those latter from numerous local farms. Each market requires figuring total produce needed, and working backwards to planting dates so they can be served. The growers who wing it without either step tend to make less profit.

We want to emulate the first group.

We don’t have to worry about diversification or coolers of product that didn’t move because restaurants went under or weather kept the public from shopping, but it’s the same general concept.

We want to start out with an idea of our end goals in types of produce – how much we want for fresh eating and preserving – and from there work backwards to harvest goals, and have an idea of when we’ll be harvesting.

Covers

One thing almost all market growers do, from tiny backyard operations to folks cultivating in excess of 2-5 acres, is invest in row covers.

Usually, there are several in play – a mesh or cloth cover used to prevent insect access, which can also function as frost protection, and plastic sheeting used for cold protection.

Those covers add too much time to the period when a cultivated plot can remain in production for most professional growers to skip the investment. They may start small and add to it incrementally, but they get them.

In addition to plant covers, market gardeners also regularly cover their soil during dormant periods.

That patch we were just growing in is precious. We want to keep as many nutrients and soil amendments in place as possible, and prevent as many weed seeds as possible now that we’ve spent hours a day/week/month weeding and conditioning it. However long it will be between plantings, especially the smaller ag operations get it covered.

Pros are mostly going to go to poly silage tarps sooner or later.

For home growers, anything goes. Baby pools, straw, cardboard, a cover crops, salvaged wall paneling, leaves, heavy-duty curtains, thick blankets, wood chips, newspaper weighted with sticks – anything that doesn’t run away fast enough. Flip the wheelbarrow over a patch, park the mowers at the ends, whatever it takes to cover as much as we can, best as we can.

Really. Whatever it takes.

Hedge Seeding/Planting

Whether they’re direct sowing or transplanting, growers regularly start an extra set of seed to fill in any gaps that appear. It gives a uniform harvest and makes the best use of space.

This video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyNacaaUWsI demonstrates market garden practices for beets that applies to preppers, to include extra seed sets. The indicator crop demo’d with radishes is also a biggie – and on most home scales can be harvested for spicy sprouts or spaced out more for the roots.

Exceptions also apply here.

For a super small gardens and those feeding even 5-8 people, the predictable, consistent yields and turns from a whole vegetable bed at once isn’t as vital. Having a 2’x3’ or even a 30”x25’ patch at different stages of development doesn’t affecting our harvest efficiency or totals that much.

There are also plants that will basically catch back up, especially if we have more than 100 days to our growing seasons. Indeterminate squash and pole or bush beans are examples where even if they don’t reach the same total yield, replacing a non-starter with seed with a 10-21 day gap instead of having same-age transplants doesn’t greatly affect our harvest or space use.

There are also cases where, due to stronger light and warmer soils, fill-in-the-gap direct-sown seeds will catch up to buddies that were started under cold frames or planted as soon as the soil was warm enough.

It’s typically the crops like salads and small tubers and roots, that are both densely planted and faster-growing (35-65-day harvest ranges), where we’ll want to have backups to transplant if there are holes. Otherwise, we’re potentially “losing” the yields that empty space would have produced.

Big-time commercial growers will accept losses – like expecting a certain ratio of blanks in a corn field. Smaller growers, even the professionals, can’t afford it.

Avoid Thinning

Now, there are absolutely exceptions and scale totally matters on this one, but… Thinning is wasteful. Market growers and preppers in a busy world or in a world with reduced or nonexistent outside resource and are in lockstep on waste – we want to minimize loss wherever we can.

Both daily hours and seed are finite resources. For most of us, so is both growing space and growing season.

If we’re thinning, we’ve spent time and resources planting unnecessary amounts. Then we spent more time (and possibly additional resources) pulling them out to avoid overcrowding.

We also “spent” soil fertility on them (we’re moving homemade compost or manure around, or are buying and spreading fertilizers, which those seedlings may have started sucking up). We may have pumped extra water for them. That’s additional time and resources used for something we’re pulling out at 1-12”.

Especially if the trimmings are laying in a field, hitting compost, or represent such a low fresh feed amount we’re not adjusting anything for livestock … that’s not making use of a byproduct. It’s just extra work and resource waste.

There are exceptions. Planting schemes that make it fast and easy to harvest edible seedlings for human or livestock consumption works for most small-scale growers. Gardeners with truly limited growing season and who are super-crunched on space but have the time and copious seed are also exceptions.

High seeding rates for plants with low germination is a given – that’s not waste at all. If they’re doing the job of a cover, where having denser plantings actually lets us save time and improves our harvest because it limits weed competition, that’s different, too.

Business Analysis

Any good organization tracks expenditures and results, sports teams to charities to production and services. It’s easier for us than market growers, here, too, though. We’re just going to cruise our pantry stocks and make notes (actual notes).

If we ran out of tomatoes, we want to plant more and-or trial some alternatives and-or increase types to avoid a big shortage if it’s a bad season. If we have more left from the previous season than we want when we start canning/drying again, we assess how many extras we have, and decrease.

 (If I want to reduce pantry stock by 30% next year, I’d only decrease planting for a 20-25% reduction in case it’s a bad year. I’d rather decrease again the year after than run short.)

If we still have a few as we’re canning/drying more, we’re on the money and trials will be solely about increasing variety, efficiency, or productivity.

Professional growers must spend additional time tracking and crunching numbers on whether a crop type is worth growing or not, outlay in pest control and fertilizer and water, labor hours, and planning ahead for infrastructure maintenance.

Ideally we’d do the same there, as well. We just have a different baseline for profitability.

Seed is a cost they factor as well, especially since the pros aren’t keeping back their own seed. Yields by variety and finding the ideal seeding rate can hugely affect their business. That’s one we want to dial in, too, as much as possible.

We also both consider packing and packaging, just differently. Our other infrastructure and skills will affect where we most want to concentrate on post-harvest processing and storage.

Ask For Help

It’s a great time to be a market grower. Small urban and suburban farming is exploding right now. Those growers have a lot riding on their success. Since they can’t risk repeatedly failing, they ask for help.

And, the climate being what it is, usually they find it. Like us, they have to cull through a lot of information, find answers from people growing in the same environmental conditions and styles they are, but it’s largely a supportive community.

Small-Farm Market Grower Strategies

In this golden internet age, we can easily find blogs, Facebook groups, and YouTube channels produced by market gardeners. Some of them are especially useful for preppers with tight land limits as urban and suburban ag continue to enjoy increased attention.

Remember, though, that while many of the tricks of the trade apply to balconies and backyards, our bottom line is different – they need dollars and cents, and we’re trying to maximize food value. That means that especially what we grow, and how much of it, is going to be significantly different.

Also bear in mind there are also planting styles, medias, and schemes that can be very efficient and profitable at a small scale that wouldn’t work for market growers.

Mostly, though, we share a focus on making our efforts profitable. That makes professional-level strategies an excellent study while practicing our survival gardens.

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Let’s get right into another controversial, uncomfortable, but necessary topic for female preppers:

BIRTH CONTROL

The obvious answer is this problem is to stockpile prophylactics like condoms.  But these have a shelf life and become less effective with age, so having a stockpile of 20-year-old condoms won’t do you a whole lot of good! Another option that isn’t as easy seems like it would be oh-so-simple on the surface. Just stock up on contraceptives. However, most contraceptives are only available by prescription and that makes it almost impossible to stockpile.  Not only that, you will run into the same problem as you do with stockpiling condoms – if you do manage to store a year’s worth of birth control pills, their effectiveness will lessen as time goes on eventually making you vulnerable to pregnancy.

That doesn’t mean if you CAN store some pills and condoms that you shouldn’t, you definitely could and if it eases your mind, go for it!  But you should also consider using another method to protect yourself when using older birth control pills, or when those condoms run out or expire. Fortunately, there is a natural way to prevent pregnancy that could be useful during an apocalyptic event – whether you’ve stockpiled contraceptives or not.

NOTE: This advice is for the female preppers who have a partner and are looking to avoid pregnancy during and after the SHTF. This guide could also possibly be useful to those looking for a more natural way to prevent pregnancy as opposed to taking a pill every day.

The easiest way to use a natural birth control method may be the “thermometer” method.  As far as we know, thermometers can be stockpiled pretty easily! (I only say that because I am really good at dropping and breaking things and having a backup or two might be a good idea if you are as clumsy as I am.)  And, all joking aside, many women do use this as their only method of birth control choosing to go fully natural and stay away from the hormone-altering contraceptives.

The thermometer method (also often called the BBT or Basal Body Temperature method) works by using the temperature of your body upon waking in the morning.  It’s important to take your temperature at the same time every day, and right when you wake up for the utmost accuracy. Don’t check your phone first or get up to use to the bathroom.  Hold it for a few seconds so you can get an accurate reading if at all possible. The better you are at taking your temperature at the same time before doing ANYTHING else, the more accurate you will be and the more effective this method becomes.

After taking your temperature, you need to record it on a chart. You can buy some charts, print some for free off the internet, make your own, or use a smartphone app. (Obviously, you’ll want to know how to track your cycle on paper too and have extra charts available in case there is no way to power your smartphone.) There are books available to help you understand where to begin and how to read your charts. [Click here for free printable charts]

The changes in your temperature will be really small, tenths of a degree, in fact, so get a special large-scale basal thermometer. Some basal thermometers are used in your mouth, and others are used in your rectum (butt). Rectal thermometers are usually more accurate and reliable however they are also more uncomfortable and take longer to clean.  You’ll need to take extra care to disinfect a rectal thermometer, so bear that in mind.

Source: Fertility Friend

The basic idea is to find out when you ovulate and avoid sexual intercourse during those days to prevent pregnancy. This method is incredibly accurate if you can learn it, use it religiously, and get really in tune with your body and your charts. If you want to implement this birth control method, it is suggested that you wait for three months before going off contraceptives just to make sure you have 3 charts to reference. The more you can learn about your own body, the better and more effective this method becomes.  It does get easier too, so don’t freak out if your first few weeks are rough.

BIRTH CONTROL DEVICES

This one is pretty simple – we just aren’t going to suggest any of these for the female prepper. Internal Uterine Devices (IUDs) fall into this category.  They could work and be effective, but they need to be administered and removed by a doctor which isn’t helpful during a catastrophe or shortage of doctors.  They also come with side effects and complications that could make your life miserable without a SHTF situation taking place.  If you decide one of these is right for you, do your research and understand the possibilities, risks, and effectiveness.

The thermometer method has zero side effects (unless you eat the thermometer, please don’t) and for that reason, we will stick with that as our suggestion.

Learning how to naturally provide birth control for yourself could be an invaluable tool! You will still be able to be intimate with your husband or partner while having some peace of mind during a highly stressful situation. This is TRUELY the essence of prepping because you need to learn how to use this method before things go bad and implement the system beforehand to make sure it’s effective and will work for you!

As female preppers, we can do anything! If you are a female prepper and have any advice about birth control after the SHTF, please let your fellow women preppers know in the comments!

*Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes ONLY! This article should not be misconstrued to be a political or religious statement of any kind.  This is simply a guide for women who would like to prevent pregnancy during an apocalyptic situation or use a natural pregnancy prevention method currently.

Read more: readynutrition.com

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In the prepper world, we hear “two is one, one is none”. We don’t want to get carried away with it when we’re packing a rucksack, but it provides positive redundancy for our preparations. If something happens to the primary – from a plan to a tangible item – we have a backup right there, already on hand.

There’s a difference between an alternative and a backup, though. It’s subtle, but significant enough to hugely affect how well we navigate upsets.

We see backups in all areas of preparedness and the self-reliant lifestyles many try to cultivate.

If our pressure canner uses rubber rings, we try to keep an extra on hand.

We stock seeds in case we can’t buy more or buy food in a supermarket, and if we’re frugal we stock multiple years’ seeds separately in case there’s a problem with the last-purchased or last-harvested seed supply.

We map out multiple routes for our vehicles, in case one is blocked.

We keep a light and a speed loader, stripper clip, or spare mag with our EDC or creak-in-the-night firearms.

If we’re into tactical load outs, we carry a primary rifle or carbine, with reloads, and have a sidearm on our waist, leg, or chest where it’s handy if our primary runs dry or goes down at a really bad time. I might even have backups for both primary and sidearm back home.

Right There with Backups, is Having alternates

Alternates are somewhat different from “just” a backup. A backup is the same thing, or nearly the same thing, which functions the same way. An alternate is different, largely or entirely.

Following the examples above…

In addition to my pressure canner – and grid-down ways to bring it to and keep it at pressure – I might also make plans to preserve foods by dehydrating, cold smoking, or salt packing.

I might not only have backup seeds, I might have alternates – faster-growing hybrids of the same type, as well as foreign domesticated crops and-or wild edibles.

I might maintain lists of bus and subway/train schedules, stations, and stops, and cash/tokens for them, a bike, and an ATV to get around suburban and rural obstacles. I might also have packs or small carts for my animals and myself so we can flee on foot.

Instead of planning to repel all borders with direct confrontation if our retreat is noticed, we might have made plans to make the house look already-hit, create passive discomforts, make it difficult to reach, and have actual booby traps as our last line.

Instead of a rifle/carbine, some situations might call for me or a partner to carry a shotgun – which are themselves loaded with alternate options.

I might also keep one specifically loaded with rubber shot, rock salt, bean bags, net, or some other less-than-lethal option for chasing pests out of my garden or breaking up a dog fight.

Instead of or with a gun, I might have a souped-up flashlight that functions like a mini baseball bat.  Other alternatives to an EDC pistol might be a taser bug, retractable asp, or a coin roll in a hanky.

Alternatives as Well as Backups Apply Across all of Preparedness

If we flip the switch and there’s no power, we might have solar-charged and standard battery lamps to go with candles and oil lamps for light. We might augment solar and standard batteries with hand-cranked radios or lanterns, which can also function as chargers for other battery devices, or have a generator – and, upping the game of alternatives, a gennie that runs on multiple fuels.

We might have squeeze-activated ice packs we can blow a battery-operated fan across to combat heat stress, and plan for canopy beds and grown-up blanket forts to help reduce the amount of heat we need to stay warm.

We might have dark bags and solar ovens, propane stoves and grills, and various candle stoves for cooking.

We might have Pepto for whatever our water and food storage does to our guts, Imodium and Dulcolax as a backup, as well as some alternative maintenance and treatments for minor cases like prunes, tea/coffee, and dates, and mild farina/rice cereals, applesauce, and protein drink mix.

In our bags, vehicles, and homes we store not only water that’s ready to consume, but also chemical treatments and filters, and vessels we can fill if our primary springs a leak.

Super Sources

Hunting is one area ripe with alternatives for our plans and supplies. There’s already wide evidence and experience for us to weigh according to our own priorities, with gear and techniques full of alternatives just waiting to redeploy by preppers.

There’s that trusty standard shotgun, and all its options, but many hunters have a deer or pig rifle – sometimes instead, but regularly in addition to that shotgun.

Some have both a short, heavy-hitting, stable-flight brush gun and something designed to reach out across ridges, prairies, desert, or pasture. Others choose middle-road calibers that offer cartridge variety to cover multiple bases.

Some have a bow or crossbow for archery seasons. Others hunt very effectively with rim fires and airguns.

Some of those give us alternatives to big booms with a silent, effective killer and all the benefits they can have for a homesteader, hunter, and anyone else trying to avoid attention. Some give us alternatives to a shoulder-thumping Recoil Beast or expensive-ammo eater, giving us options for training and limited shooters.

Some use a handgun as primary for hunts, scoped or iron sights, both small game and large. Some carry a finishing gun along with their primary hunting tool.

Others carry close-range handguns or super-shorty shotguns for bears or self-defense – to include other outdoors-men like fishermen, bikers, hikers, and campers.

Those Outdoors Hobbyists, too, Give us Backups and Alternatives we can Apply

Some gear serves as-is, not only for wilderness bug-outs and survival, but any power-outage and grid-down or off-grid situation. Some gear is seen re-purposed by other interest groups as often as it is in its original field, or is used as an alternative until a field catches up to the interest.

BMX elbow and knee pads, rappelling helmets, and motorcycle knuckle-guard gloves improved tactical load outs, with official military gear catching up, not leading the way. It’s not singular (sadly). Personally acquired “other” gear and tactics are pretty commonly deployed long before it becomes regular issue.

We also see a lot of crossover in foods. Military to camping/backpacking to endurance athletes, one innovates and the others apply it. Then they’re catching up and expanding, or innovating anew, and it goes back the other way.

Preppers with crossover interests apply them, and they gain increased attention within that fold, further increasing the backups and alternatives we can apply. (Fad foods, too.)

It goes far beyond gunners and rations, though.

Bivy sleepers of both the sleeping bag and mini pup-tent types can offer us an alternative to more common tents and tarps shelters, or create additional layers of insulation and moisture protection when combined with them – or create even more layers of insulation and warmth indoors.

Netted hammocks and bug net around our hats help keep mosquitoes and biting flies at bay – in the garden and for front-porch sleeping in hot weather as well as out on the water or trails. Those mesh shields crossover with hunters’ turkey and duck mesh for the face and head.

Hunter’s camo options give us an alternative to military patterns, sweltering heat or frigid cold, across a wide variety of terrains.

Increased interest from outdoors types means pack rafts and inflatable kayaks (it’s a canoe) are much more compact, reliable, and affordable now.

They give us vehicle and home options for all sorts of things, be it a fishing platform, icy-pond and deep-mud rescue platform, dryer (-er, not dry) crossing of waterways, and options if we’re caught in high water from a hurricane, main break, dam spillway, or some other flood.

That gives us one more way to keep loved ones safe and get them out of harm’s way across a wide array of emergencies.

Rain gear, protective gear for bikes and ATV’ers, lightweight and compact tools of all sorts, off-roading vehicle upgrades, compact fishing kits, big-wheeled bikes and lightweight tow carts, eating habits, backwoods wheelchairs, speedy-refuel cans, comms devices and chargers – many apply to preppers, whether they’re urban or rural, whether they’re inclined toward either shelter-in-place or bugout survival.

Good-Better-Best

We regularly want a backup – specifically a backup, one that does the same job exactly or nearly the same way. Conditions ebb and flow, though, especially at crunch times. Alternatives that provide entirely different options add to our resilience and self-reliance in times of need.

Having both is the best of all worlds, making for more well-rounded preps all around. Happily, we have whole realms of possibilities that makes it pretty easy to accomplish both backups and alternatives.

Outdoor pursuits may have a lion’s share to offer, but we can find alternatives and backups pretty much anywhere. Sports of all types, permaculture, the re-purpose/up-cycle/re-use-it crowds, bio-mimicry in urban planning, and emergency response techs, shelters, and CnC cells are particular goldmines for techniques and tools.

History and the rest of the world are also excellent sources to apply to all arms of preparedness, both in terms of things that could derail our primary and backup plans, and coping mechanisms for when “normal” has left the building.

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Editor’s Comment: Another guest submission from Scott Huntington to The Prepper Journal. A subject we have talked about in the past and with the Summer break coming some food for thought.

We all love the great outdoors, and it’s a great way to spend time bonding with your family. If you go out hiking as a family, do your kids know what to do if they get separated from the group? What about other survival situations — would your little ones know how to stay alive until help arrives? Everyone should know some basic survival skills, regardless of their age. Here are some easy ways to teach your children about survival skills.

Be Stealth About It

This is the best tip we can probably offer you. Be sneaky about teaching them survival skills, the “wax on, wax off” method per say. Don’t walk up to your kids — especially younger ones — all doom and gloom and tell them that you’re teaching them how to survive in case the world ends.

All you’ll manage to do is scare them to death, and they won’t remember anything you try to teach. Instead, be sneaky about it. Take notice of what interests your kids and play into their interests. Approach it as a game, if it helps.

Don’t — “Hey, let’s learn how to build a fire in case you’re stranded in the woods all alone.”

Do — “Hey, wanna learn how to build a fire?”

Don’t put the focus on survival. Instead, shift the focus to learning new skills. If your kids are ever alone in a survival situation, they’ll thank you for these comprehensive lessons.

Focus on the Rule of 3

This isn’t some mystical voodoo — just a simple rule to help your kids remember what they need to focus on in a survival situation.

Remind them that they can live:

Three weeks without food Three days without water Three minutes without air Three seconds without the right mindset.

From there, know your priorities — first, don’t panic. If you’re not swimming, you can skip the second one, focusing on water and food.

These aren’t the only things you need in the wilderness — fire, and shelter being among the most important — but reciting the rule a few times can help you get into a survival mindset.

One rule you should reinforce as often as possible is the Lost rule — if you get lost, you don’t move. You stay put and wait for someone to find you. Staying in one place makes it easier for search and rescue teams to find you, and could potentially save your life.

Get Out There

Kids aren’t going to learn how to survive in the wilderness if they spend all of their time sitting in front of video game consoles or televisions.

GET OUT THERE!

Take the family hiking or camping, and give your kids a practical application for all the skills they’ve learned. You should be there to supervise, especially if they’re trying their hands at foraging or fire building, but having a possible outlet for these new skills can help reinforce them in their young brains.

Make sure you have plenty of supplies on hand for these excursions, especially if you have younger children who aren’t up to building a fire or fishing for their dinner — or if the kid’s attempt to catch dinner falls through. Children of any age can benefit from regular camping excursions. Getting them used to the woods helps make it familiar territory and prevents panic if they ever end up out there alone.

Skills They Should Know

What survival skill should your kids know? That depends on their age — you don’t want to trust that a toddler can tell the difference between nightshade and blueberries — but most older children should know these basic skills.

How to build a shelter — This is vital in areas where it gets cold at night. Even a basic shelter could mean the difference between a successful night vs. the wild and/or hypothermia. How to build a fire — You need a fire to cook food, boil water and stay warm in cold climates. In addition to creating a fire, your kids should know how to protect it for the night and how to keep it contained, so they don’t accidentally start a wildfire. How to purify natural water sources — Rivers and streams might look clean, but they could hide dangerous bacteria that could make you ill. Boiling or otherwise purifying water could save your life. How to forage for food — While you can survive for three weeks without food, a lack of calories makes it harder to sustain because you won’t have the energy to continue moving forward. This is a tricky lesson because there are so many plants that look edible and are fatal — a handful of pokeberries could easily kill an adult, even though they look edible. Learning how to set snares can also help them stay full in the woods. How to defend themselves — Self-defense is as much a survival skill as anything else listed. Even if they never need to use it, self-defense classes can be life-saving. Learning how to create makeshift weapons can also be a valuable skill. How to perform first aid — Take a family trip to your local Red Cross or fire station and take a first aid class. It’s a lot harder to deal with a skinned knee or a broken bone if you can’t holler for mom or dad’s help. How to navigate — A cell phone with GPS won’t always work if you’re out in the wilderness. Teach your children how to read a map and navigate using a compass. This can be a fun skill to learn — set up a scavenger hunt with prizes at specific coordinates.

There are plenty of other skills they’ll pick up along the way, but these seven can save their lives if they’re ever alone in a survival situation.

Closing Thoughts — Don’t Scare Them

While learning survival skills is important, your kids won’t learn anything if you scare them instead of teaching. Children will learn from everything you do, so show them the basics and let them run it with them. You’ll be surprised how quickly they pick them up!

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