[awmiscool]

I have alot of spare time on my hands. Without going into detail.. Let's talk things you can do. DIY projects? Water proofing matches with clear nail polish? Planning bug out route with maps? Things like that are what I need. I've:

Hiked with full BOB for quite some time.
Read alot of "guides" (eh)
Camped with just my BOB gear

Nothing that costs too much money please! Thanks for helping. I check the DIY section but not too much applies to this, atleast IMHO.

 

[Wheelgunner]

Knives

I have alot of spare time on my hands. Without going into detail.. Let's talk things you can do. DIY projects? Water proofing matches with clear nail polish? Planning bug out route with maps? Things like that are what I need. I've:

Hiked with full BOB for quite some time.
Read alot of "guides" (eh)
Camped with just my BOB gear

Nothing that costs too much money please! Thanks for helping. I check the DIY section but not too much applies to this, atleast IMHO.

Sharpen knives.

 

[awmiscool]

I do that alot already. Thanks though!

 

[W.Lynn]

Besides basic camping and moving around in the woods, learn low-tech and no-tech skills. Knot tying, rope/cord making, hand sewing, sewing leather, spinning, weaving, felting, knitting, crochet, crafting with wire and small pieces of metal, tool making.

 

[Vasbyt]

People watch.

A great game to play: go to a mall or store (Walmart works great), and walk down an aisle or lane. Count the people you pass and make a quick mental note about each one. When you get to the end of the aisle go over your list. i.e. person one: red shirt/hat/looking at box in left hand. person two: white shirt/shorts/talking to worker etc etc. Keep going until you can't remember enough details anymore. Great for working on your situational awareness skills.

 

[Crystal401]

Learn martial arts

Learn martial arts

Muay Thai, Boxing, BJJ or any other
combat sport that is closer to actual hand to hand combat

* Keeps you fit
* Has a competitive element to it, so will keep you
mentally sharp and focused
* More practical/functional than to just lift weights
* Practical even if SHTF does not happen soon
improves health, mental agility
* If SHTF, the fighter attitude developed during training
will help with everyday life ....
this can not be learned in a few months.

 

[dhawk]

Read the DIY section again. There are over 120 threads with awesome information.

Mabe find some that you are interested in and print them out. Make a binder with everything that you would thing would be valuable to your situation. I love to print information from this board and make notebooks so I have them as a hard copy and at my fingertips.

 

[AmericanPatriot121]

Modify your rifles and shotguns. All sorts of creative modifications you can do.

 

[Grumpy]

Modify your rifles and shotguns. All sorts of creative modifications you can do.

+2 on this one.

Learn your firearms inside and out.
Your buddy's guns too.
Learn as many different types of firearm platforms as you can, you might find one at a gun show, pawn shop, etc. for an "I just couldn't pass it up" price that needs a little work.

Post apocolypse, I seriously doubt that gunsmiths will still advertize.

Hands on is the best way to learn this.

 

[wallydog]

learn your hand tools/carpentry math skills, no calculators . learn how to use pulleys/come alongs, inspect cables for wear(a good habit)

 

[ULTRAMAGNUM]

Free time on your hands and not extra cash laying around?

Go get a second job and use the extra income to pay down your debt and boost your preps.

 

[Odessa]

I look for back up places to go while on my way to work and on the way home incase Im caught in the middle of something or heading in its direction. I take note of all vet locations for if times turn dark I know where to get fresh antibiotics if it comes down to a literal world gone mad and laws no longer apply. I practice knots without looking at what Im doing, only after to check my results, practicing for pitch black scenarios, I load magazines in the dark with a pile of various ammunition so I can recognize what ammunition is needed for what magazine.

Ill do whats called "Snapping In" with my weapons, Ill practice picking them up and one or two handed aims at people on tv, pulling the trigger from both double action and single action. Israeli police pistol defense techniques, draws, draws from holster and non holstered concealment.

Depends on my mood really, I have a pad and pen on the coffee table I tend to carry around and when ideas come about I jot them down from needs , to wants, to things to research on the internet and so forth. As I obtain, or find out what Im looking for online or make a purchase I check them off. I do many things but these are the main things I do in my spare time to keep my edge.

 

[KCChimneyman]

Spend time with family members going over emergency plans, and adjusting them according to current conditions.
Make survival folders for each family member (all the information they might need to identify themselves,survival tips, maps etc.)
Teach family members new skills or have them teach you.

 

[tpinpaisley]

There are many things you can do to improve your survival skills. I think the best thing you can do to learn is to read, watch dvd's, tv shows and movies that may give you things to think about. If you learn 1 thing, then your time was not wasted. Then think some more.
The more you know, the more you can visualize how a particular scenario will affect you. There are so many types of threats that you could face. The better understanding you have, the better you will be able to tailor your preps and plans.
As far as other stuff goes you can; make your own ghillie suit, make survival tins, shake out your gear, make lists of things you need (for bob, bol, bov...),search for "6 ways in and 12 ways out" of your area, try to optimize every piece of gear you own and work on your survival library and printed info.

 

[ash1978]

YouTube vids are a great resource and a great waste of time. The challenge will be finding the ones that will actually give you accurate, clear, and understandable information. I've used youtube vids for everything from Blacksmithing to repairing Xbox 360s, and can vouch that even though you have to sift through alot of crap there are some gems out there that will be helpful.

Also right now I just started reading Alas Babylon by Pat Frank. Since I'm only a few pages into it I haven't hit much more than verbose descriptions of townspeople and the small town drama. But I've read reviews that it gives situational descriptions that can help guide you more into the survival mindset.

Hope this helps.

-Ash

 

[toolman]

I have alot of spare time on my hands. Without going into detail.. Let's talk things you can do. DIY projects? Water proofing matches with clear nail polish? Planning bug out route with maps? Things like that are what I need. I've:

Hiked with full BOB for quite some time.
Read alot of "guides" (eh)
Camped with just my BOB gear

Nothing that costs too much money please! Thanks for helping. I check the DIY section but not too much applies to this, atleast IMHO.

Think about some water storage and do something about it. The average prson only lives about 3 days withot water.

 

[vigilant20]

Besides basic camping and moving around in the woods, learn low-tech and no-tech skills. Knot tying, rope/cord making, hand sewing, sewing leather, spinning, weaving, felting, knitting, crochet, crafting with wire and small pieces of metal, tool making.

I'm with Lynn, nearly everything I do these days is homesteading related...and self-sufficiency is survival. Cook from preps, work in the garden, cook from the garden, dehydrate those veggies, learn to can them, get some critters, build shelters for them, learn to raise animals for meat/eggs/fiber/whatever, keep an eye out for sales on food storage items, hang out at used book stores looking for deals on reference books, read the danged books, rummage or shop for some some useful items like hand powered gadgets, canning jars, and hand tools, start using um in everyday tasks, sew items you need, make your own home furnishings to save money and practice sewing/woodworking/craft skills, etc.

 

[awmiscool]

Thanks alot guys. I'll have my hands busy for the next few days atleast on some of the simpler stuff.

 

[kev]

Go fishing
Organize your tackle box
Make up some trot lines
Make up some jug lines / noodles

 

[NoFlyZone]

Learn a skill or two that don't require electricity that would be handy should the worse come to pass.
Then practice that skill until you get good enough to make a few bucks with it.
I chose bee keeping and blacksmithing.
After a collapse, honey will be a yummy barter item and a blacksmith can make all kinds of things out of scrap metal.
Skills like these could come in handy.