This article will give you a good run down of all the essential skills you need to live an off grid life. Being able to survive any situation is key for a successful life. Find out what you should know!

Starting a Fire

While other parents were telling their kids not to play with matches, my dad was teaching me how to make a fire. That’s because he knew what an important survival skill this is to have. You probably know how to make a fire by making a teepee out of dry sticks and lighting a bit of paper underneath.

Vegetation Recognition

You are in the woods and go to take a dump. Since your survival kit is all out of toilet paper, you grab a handful of leaves. Little did you know that those leaves were actually stinging nettles, and now you’ve got an itchy painful rash on your rear to deal with!

This is just one example of why it is so important to be able to recognize local plants in your area. The other obvious reason is that a lot of plants are edible (including stinging nettles). It is a lot easier to master the edible wild plants guide than it is to master the art of hunting with nothing but a snare line and survival knife!

First Aid

In wilderness survival situations, you are likely to come across medical problems like fractures, burns, sprained ankles, dislocated limbs, diarrhea, and blisters. Take a first aid class so you learn how to handle all of these problems.

Self Defense

In an End Of The World situation, you are more likely to encounter dangerous people than dangerous animals. So you better be prepared to defend yourself from attacks. Simply having a gun or other weapon doesn’t count as self defense. You’ve also got to know how to use it! Master self defense tactics if you expect to survive outdoors!

Acquiring Food

This survival tactic goes along with the one above, because a lot of plants in nature are edible. Since it is hard to identify every single plant in the wild, I recommend learning the Universal Edibility test, which has you put a small piece of unknown plant first on your lips, and then in your mouth, and then finally eating a small bit. This method takes time, but will allow you to forage food.
Making a Shelter

A prepared person would have a tent and sleeping bag in their Bug Out Bag. But what if you get caught in the wilderness without a tent? Would you know how to make a survival shelter? This is by far one of the most important outdoor survival tactics to learn. Practice making different types of shelters, such as debris shelters, tarp shelters, teepees, A frame shelters, and 90 degree shelters.

These skills are incredibly useful and are a must for any kind of off grid life. Whether you're prepping for SHTF or would rather live off the grid, these skills will help you thrive.

For more information on essential survival skills, check out Homesteading.