Outdoorsy Skills Everyone Should Learn
What kind of adventures are you fit to have? You might think that the sky is the limit but, sometimes, you can be your own limit. This is especially true if you want to enjoy exploratory camping trips and wilderness retreats that really get you far away from your own home. If you want to make sure that you’re able to take care of yourself out in the wild, here are a few skills you should work to learn.
Making sure you have drinking water
When you bring a supply of water, you might be surprised how quickly it disappears after a long day of walking. Similarly, water can spill and spoil. As such, Kinetico Water Systems can teach you a variety of ways to purify water so that you can always ensure there’s something to drink, so long as you can find a safe source to purify.
Mastering the fire
Although often credited as being the discovery that allowed humans to thrive as the scientifically-minded species we are, starting a fire can be more difficult than you might think. You can make sure you have a portable stove and fuel, but if you don’t, then you have to learn how to acquire and dry fuels like wood, twigs, and sticks, as well as how to kindle and nurture a fire. For instance, a magnifying glass is always a handy tool because aside from burning ants, it’s great for creating an ember, too.
Never go hungry
You might be perfectly fine with bringing all the food you need on your wilderness retreats. However, it’s good to have an idea of how to forage for your own food if you need to. Getting equipped and learning how to fish with resources like Tailored Tackle is likely to be your most reliable source of wild protein. However, being able to identify edible flora for the purpose of foraging can be of great benefit, too.
Finding your way
Not getting lost might sound simple but, in the woods, it can be anything but. Having a compass and a map is always going to help, but when they’re not available, you can rely on natural navigation techniques as taught at Nature Mentoring, too. This includes learning to better study your surroundings, exploring responsibly, and how to be able to find what direction you’re traveling at any time.
Taking care of boo-boos
Injuries do happen and, out in the woods, you may not always be able to immediately go to the store to buy some band-aids. As such, first aid kits are vital equipment you should always bring while camping. Furthermore, you should know how to wash and dress a wound, as well as knowing the symptoms of some common camping related illnesses like food sickness so you know how to handle the situation more quickly.
You don’t need to become a wild woman to enjoy a camping holiday. However, improving your basic outdoorsy skills can help you get a much deeper sense of enjoyment and accomplishment when you need a break from modern life.
