While  talking amongst our crew, we were shocked that a third of us were not self reliant when it comes to cooking. Granted those who didn't know had never learned to turn on a grill. But these are essential things survivors need to know. See how important it is to talk with your friends? If they don't know how to do something that you're good at, teach them. It's the best way to learn.

Cooking Skills: The ability to cook a meal from scratch.

Learning how to cook from scratch, with basic ingredients that don’t get poured out of a can, is one of the most important self-reliant skills you can have. If you’re serious about preparedness, especially if you’re in the process of getting started with emergency food storage, learning how to cook from scratch is something you cannot afford to ignore

Healthcare Skills: The ability to care for yourself and your family without a doctor.
These days’ people seem to go to the doctor for every little thing that’s wrong. A stuffed up nose; head to the doctor. Stubbed your toe; trip to the emergency room. Have a headache; time for some high power painkillers.
Unfortunately, our society has become dependent on doctors, high-power medications, and trips to the local pharmacy. But a couple generations ago, most people knew how to take care of themselves; they knew how to get better without rushing out to the doctor, or pumping themselves full of drugs that often create more side effects than the actual condition.

Mental Skills: The ability to control your emotions.

Over 70 million Americans are now taking at least one mind-altering medication to control their emotions. While some of these problems are indeed very serious, something that I’m not trying to make light of, I believe most of them come from a culture of dependency, and a society that likes to take the easy way out.

Preparedness Skills: The ability to respond to tough times, disasters and crisis.

Prepping is nothing new; unfortunately, today’s society sees it as some sort of side show attraction, performed by tin-foil hat wearing, Doomsday Preppers who are waiting in their bunker for the end of the world to come. Although the mainstream media has helped feed that stereotype, nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, a couple generations ago it wasn’t called prepping; it was just a way of life.

Past generations understood the need to prepare; the need to save; the need to be ready for the rough times.

Regarding the Mental Skills section listed above, we know and understand mental illness is not a choice and people suffering from severe mental illness should be taking the medication they need as prescribed by their doctor. What we'd like people to focus on is mentally being prepped for survival. When the going gets tough, you need to be confident in your ability to stay calm and levelheaded. In many situations, people could be relying on you to be their rock, especially your family. And sometimes that means swallowing any physical signs of fear and putting your brave face on.

For the complete self reliant list and additional resources for the headlines listed above, visit Off Grid Survival. 

Is There Something Important That We Didn't Include In Our List?

If so, tell us about it and why you feel its important for people to practice or incorporate it into their lives. Any and all submissions of information is greatly appreciated by the survivalist community. Where we go one, we go all!