Overlooked Survival Skills That Even The Experts Haven’t Mastered

The list of skills that would be useful in a survival situation is a very long one, and it’s nearly impossible for a single human being to be adept at all of them.

But are there really skills that even the most hardcore survivalist hasn’t mastered? Yes.

And to prove it to you, I made a list of some of the hardest skills to master. Are you ready to tackle at least one of them?

1. Crossing a river

I’m starting with this because it’s the “easiest hardest skill” I could find. The last time I crossed a creek was a few days ago, and it was a piece of cake. All I had to do was take off my shoes, my socks, and slowly move through the cold water. But what if you’re in a survival situation and you need to cross a fast, deep river AND take all your gear to the other side? What if you have a spouse or a kid with you who can’t swim?

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Crossing a river is NOT easy. You need to think about the depth, you need to find the right place to do it, you need to worry about the speed of the current, the river bed and so on. It’ll also be useful if you had at least one flotation device on you. Something to consider beforehand when you assemble your survival kit or bug-out bag.

2. Preparing mentally

Even the toughest Navy Seals have trouble keeping it straight when faced with utter chaos. But how can we prepare for something that we’ve never experienced – that even trained military personnel, who train for years, aren’t ready for?

There’s a few things you can do to toughen yourself up and make sure you change the way you react to disastrous events:

• Take self-defense classes (your life won’t be in danger, but at least you’ll experience falling and physical pain).
• Imagine yourself surviving.
• Start going to the gym and set ambitious goals (check with your doctor first, to make sure you can do this, but try to push yourself to the limit. You can even keep a diary if you want, like I used to do so back in college).
• Watch YouTube videos of people caught in flash floods, earthquakes, house fires, etc., and try to put yourself in their shoes. Also, watch survival movies.

3. Making primitive tools

Why would anyone want to make primitive tools and weapons in the first place? Because in a survival situation, they may be the only tools available.

Stone tomahawk

Anyone can make a spear or a primitive hammer with their survival knife, but what about more complex items such as stone tomahawks, grain grinders, spear throwers, or returning boomerangs? These all require practice, and rest assured you won’t be able to do them without someone guiding you. You can find people online teaching such classes, and hopefully there’s someone near you who can help.

4. Medical survival

Most survivalists aren’t doctors, because becoming one involves dedicating your entire life to it. Taking a first-aide course is a good start, but delving even more into it requires not just patience but someone to point you in the right direction. If you have a spouse or a relative who’s a doctor, they might be able to help.

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To get your feet wet, one of the things you can do is to learn about herbal medicine and home remedies. Replacing pills with nature’s medicine is a great way to boost your immunity as well as to learn about making these potions, plant extracts and poultices. It will also teach you to eat healthier and to take care of your body more, thus reducing the odds of coming down with something awful as you age.

5. Working with clay

A major disaster could mean you won’t be able to buy things. This includes pots and pans. The trouble is, making pottery isn’t something you learn in an afternoon. You also need quite a few pottery tools. Still, this can be an enjoyable hobby that will provide real value in day-to-day life.

Related:

10 Survival Skills Your Great-Grandparents Knew (That Most Of Us Have Forgotten)

What skills would you add to this list? Share your ideas in the section below:  

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