Summer creates a fantastic opportunity to sharpen your off-grid survival skills. Natural, man-made, and personal disasters can strike at any time or all at once. Thinking through possible scenarios is essential for mental preparation, but getting outside to learn and maintain your survival skills is critical.

A skill that many Americans had before the 50s was backyard gardening. Before the food revolution began, people used to spend a third of their income on food. Compare that to the seven percent that we spend on food today. When food was this expensive, having a backyard garden was a no-brainer. Anything you could grow and can yourself would save you money that could be spent elsewhere. As inflation looms in the distance rediscovering your gardening skills is critical. Every year for even the most experienced gardener can be a challenge. Mistakes made in the garden give you experience for next year, but you never know what that year will present you with.

Warmer weather also gives you and your family or friends a chance to get out and go camping. You can choose your challenge level. If you feel brave, take your go-bag and go out on the trail for the weekend. This is a fantastic test to learn if your bag is too heavy, what tools you found helpful, and what items you can leave behind. Alternatively, even tailgate camping or taking the trailer out can give you time to practice those off-grid survival skills.

Either way, bring your survival books and foraging guides. When you are out during the day, forage. Practice building a day camp and using your navigation skills. Frequently, skills learned in a book or on a video are not as easy as Hollywood makes them out to be. Try different techniques to build a fire and a shelter. Knowing the type of wood available in your area will dictate what kind of shelter you should create. Do not go big! A survival shelter should be adequate for sleeping and nothing more.

Getting outdoors with the people you plan to team up with during a disaster is a great way to test the relationship. Stress and new situations will cause people to act differently. Leaders and superstar team members emerge. Unfortunately, some people may not react as you thought they would. It’s way better to find that out during a short camping trip before you commit to a long-time experience.