If you are not mentally, physically and spiritually prepared to deal with survival situations all your supplies will only help you temporarily, if at all! Sociologists have researched human behavior in disaster situations and have found that immediately after an event 75% are in a daze, 10% are even worse, crying and wailing, while only 15% start working on a solution to alleviate suffering and provide for human needs. Not surprisingly they found that these 15% were also the ones that were trained and had practiced what to do and how to deal with survival issues (shelter-food-water). In other words, they had participated in some form of war game prior to the event they were thrust into. Preparation time is never wasted time.
My War Games consists of testing your personal readiness to deal with the physical and mental challenges we might face in the future. I’m talking about testing your readiness to deal with off-grid living by regularly practicing those skills and preparing your body physically by wilderness backpacking. Preparation time is never wasted time. I’m talking about backpacking into wilderness areas as if you were “bugging out” and using the things you would use, both hardware things and skill things. You will learn what things you can live without and therefore lightening your BOB and also you’ll learn what things you really need to have. Just like when you started collecting your cache of prepping supplies you will learn slowly at first and grow in wisdom and ability, with time you will find out where your weaknesses are and also your strengths. Backpacking as a recreation is not only a good war game to test your survival supplies and skills but you will be preparing physically for the challenges of post calamity survival, whether its days or weeks without power because FEMA is inept or even longer because of political, financial or petrol disaster on a nationwide or worldwide basis. Surviving off grid will take skill, will take good preparation and will require a person to be healthy and fit. I suggest that backpacking not only tests your ability and resources but also helps you continue to improve and prepare in all these areas.
