Practice makes perfect. This simple phrase can be too easily overlooked, especially when it comes to prepping. Keeping sharp on your skills and abilities is important when the time comes that you need to utilize them, and with the “sit and wait” nature of prepping, you might find your memory faded.
What to practice
What you should practice depends on what you’re prepping for exactly. If you’re concerned about disaster scenarios like storms, accidents, and survival, then keeping up with emergency medical procedures holds the most weight. Whether it’s performing CPR on someone in a car wreck or suturing a gash when on a deep-forest retreat, there is little room for uncertain actions. The best way to stay fresh is by taking regular CPR and First Aid classes. Practicing evacuation procedure for areas prone to flooding and earthquakes will also prove useful when the time comes.
Prepping for a world end scenario? Maybe the government has fallen and it’s every man for himself. Fitness and lethality are crucial to survival. Trips to the local shooting range to hone your skills with a gun and determine the outcome of a life or death situation. When unarmed, regular hand-to-hand combat classes will leave you ready for when trouble comes knocking, even if you’re naked. Exercise may not normally be considered “practice,” but it should be treated as a regular activity all the same. It’s the survival of the fittest, after all.
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
The single most important part of practice is repetition. You have to do your routine regularly. Having exceptions and “cheat days” are toxic to developing muscle memory. With consistent practice comes swift reactions to high-pressure scenarios. Figure out what skills you want to practice, set a schedule, and obey that schedule.
Preparedness is more than stocking up on important materials, it means mentally preparing for the worst.