I guess for most of us time is a scarce resource!
Which is why we must really choose and pick the type of information/education we're seeking for survival/preparedness purposes.
So where are you spending your preparedness/educational gold tokens? What are you training in? And how much time are you allocating to this monthly?

I'm pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Nursing - does that count?

I'm also attempting small-scale in-apartment gardening, and hoping to take both a wilderness first responder and whitewater rescue course this summer. Up until the past couple years, I had very little interest in the outdoors, so I'm also working on basic skills - I'm currently focusing on fire-building and knot-tying.

I already know all there is to know about everything so I will just post things on the Internet to impress people with my expertise.

I already know all there is to know about everything so I will just post things on the Internet to impress people with my expertise.
_________________________
Warning - I am not an expert on anything having to do with this forum, but that won't stop me from saying what I think.

Sounds like an oxymoron!! I am about dumb as a hammer when it comes to primitive survival!! so dont worry if i upset you!

Caring for people and animals in disasters.

Primitive living skills.

Personal well-being skills

Gee! And I thought I was the only one left!!:-)

I've been diddling on my truck for a bit, so maybe that falls under "fiscal solvability" and personal/financial survival?

No free time for much lately. Occasianlly review some pages in survival manuals, or tear apart my BOB for kicks.

Oh, I did snag almost a full case of MREs from training last week. I didn't realize at the time, but folks on active duty can bring back several checked items without paying on the airlines. If i get the chance again, I'm bringing back several CASES of MRE's!

Self Sufficiency.

Just completed the county CERT training and got re-certified in CPR at a safety conference

Gearing up for the upcoming hiking season. This entails going over all the equipment, fixing/replacing any thing that needs it and also picking up a few new items. This weekend will be a 2 day / 1 night shakedown hike to get any glitches both equipment and body wise squared away.

For vacation this summer, thinking of being a volunteer host in a remote northern fly in park for 3 weeks. This depends on several family factors that need to be ironed out first. The deadline for the application is fast approaching so need to get more focused on this.

I read, research, and learn a lot. Stockpile stuff. Etc.

But when I think of "training", I think of repetitive practice to make a skill second nature and hone it to as near perfection as possible. Along those lines, my "training" includes:

(1) Map & Compass & GPS
(2) Firearms and marksmanship skills
(3) Piano practice - not needed for raw survival, but if you want to "survive with style..." :-)

I have ordered several books on the Great Depression. I just got one in the mail yesterday and I'm starting it tonight. You might say I'm learning to predict the future.

Getting in shape, losing weight, eating healthy. If I can accomplish that in 2010, then I'll be able to do anything.

Wild edible/medicinal plants and gardening.

-Blast

Based on the definition above (repetitive practice etc.) I must be training in patience. My kids and my job have both been giving me lots of repetitive practice on keeping my cool lately. I might also qualify as training on surviving a sleep deficit.

- Eric

At first glance, "training for survival" struck me as a bit of an odd concept. I fortunately been able to spend a fair amount of time outdoors pursuing both my career (archaeology) and my hobby interests (mountaineering, caving, and scuba primarily). One very soon realizes the need for preparation for unusual events and emergencies - everything from injuries to bad weather and back again.

Probably the thing that taught me the most about survival was several years of active participation in mountain search and rescue in Southern Arizona. That got me further into first aid and emergency care than anything else I have done. SAR provided many "practical exercises" and examples both bad and good.

I think that almost anyone who is at all thoughtful about life will pay some heed to survival preparation, wherever one may be living and whatever one may be doing.

Amen

I enjoy being fit. Everything in life is better when you are in good shape. I love watching the people who brag about being survival experts gasp for breath as soon as they put that BOB they have been going on and on about forever on their back and actually trying to walk with it.

Anyone can read books on survival. Not everyone has the physical ability to go the extra mile when the SHTF though.

>I love watching the people who brag about being survival >experts gasp for breath as soon as they put that BOB they have >been going on and on about forever on their back and actually >trying to walk with it.

You are dead right on that Mac! Like when I did karate and you'd hear people say "I'd give a flying scissor kick to the head..."
Then you'd see them put on a pair of jeans so tight they could barely walk in them. Or when our team was in a light contact tornament we were all too nervous to eat breakfast. Just how realistic was it to expect us to actually USE what we knew?
Try it to see if it works. Making lists of gear and planning are no substitute for doing it.
The Socki

At the beginning of the year I started running. I just completed a Couch To 5K program http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml, I'm signed up for a 5K race, and I'm running three times every week (this week I'll be lucky to get two runs in). I'm not fast and I can't yet run continuously more than about three miles, but I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to run faster than YOU.

For several years I've been shooting pistol competitively in a local league, and taking advantage of marksmanship and pistol combat training. This is by far the most fun that I have with clothes on. More recently I've started to compete a bit with rifle (just a few matches per year) and take some rifle training as well.

My league also offers a one-day trauma first-aid class that I haven't yet been able to attend, but it's on my to-do list. I'd like to take a full wilderness first aid class, but I don't know when I'll be able to take that much time off from work.

I signed up for my local CERT team. Training starts soon.

Finally, I read a lot. In addition to fiction, I read survival, marksmanship, pistol combatives, and first aid books. I don't confuse reading a book with training, but the knowledge gained from the books lets me plan out my training objectives and sometimes helps me get more out of the classes I take.

I read your link and it sounded pretty cool. Keept it up! You won't regret it. I won't be able to run for a while (bad knees, too much weight) but the philosophy carries over in other workout programs. Right now, I'm beginning a weightlifting program with exercise bike/walking for the cardio.

For everyone: Please don't wait until your 40's to start back up. I wish I had been this motivated when I was 10 years younger.

In order of what I started:

- volunteering at the local chapter of the Red Cross, opening shelters and responding to local disasters (house and apt fires), helping people when they're down. We recently had a full blown exercise where we opened a mock shelter and trained 40 new volunteers on dealing with people, setting up cots; with people coming in and playing shelter clients; and it also involved all the other groups at RC who do health services, mental health, emergency comms, etc. The exercise was mostly my baby, and a good time was had by all. We're now planning a bigger exercise in June where we open 3 concurrent shelters and simulate a mass disaster response. This is the most rewarding work I've done in a long time.

- I'm doing a regular diet and exercise program through my day job, and so far I'm down 35 pounds since mid-January. Like BrianEagle, I would encourage you do get out and do this now, there's no reason to wait until you're 48, but at least at 48 I have the mental attitude to ride out the rough patches and make some life changes.

- Most of my waking hours are taken up with my wife, who is battling an inoperable and incurable brain tumor, she starts radiation and chemo therapy today. Nothing ever equipped me for this fight, except maybe my undying love for her. Survival has to be counted in months and maybe years, there is no rosy end of the scenario where we come walking out of the woods to safety. Success will come if we can continue the laughter and living that she and I now see as being the most precious gift you can ever get. I am still figuring this out. All I know, hug your wife, husband, boy or girlfriends today, and your kids, and remind them how much you love them.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your wife.

Pete

For the last 6 years or so I've been taking classes in various primitive skills and wilderness survival from several different instructors and schools.

I've been an avid hiker and camper for a little more than a decade now, and now that I am near some serious bodies of water I will start canoeing and/or kayaking.

I started laying up food and medical supplies quite some time ago and now have several years worth, just in case.

I've been studying simple technologies that can be utilized to great effectiveness in long term emergency situations and have started collecting hand tools that don't require electricity.

As for specific time allotments it varies from month to month depending on a number of outside influences.

I would like to study lifesaving skills, but I'm not sure where to start with this.

My thoughts and prayers are also with you and your family.

over 10 hours per week, if you include fiscal preparedness, planning, education/training, and supplies.

May God give you and your wife the strength to cope with this trial.

I've got bad knees and a bad back. My knees are getting better; by following the program I've been able to build up slowly. My back is getting better too, but I think that's more because I've been doing core workouts than because of the running. Running on the treadmill hurts my back more than running outside for some reason.

Lono,

I can't even begin to imagine what you and your wife are going through.

My thoughts and prayers are with you, and I sincerely hope you and your wife are able to maintain the good attitude about life that you display in your post.

Jesselp

You and your wife will be in my prayers.

Well, I've personally decided that the excuse "but I have two young kids" will no longer cut it with regards to diet and exercise.

I just signed up for a sprint distance triathlon taking place on father's day this year, and I hope to use that to jump-start my fitness program. Goals are always a good thing.

Medium term goal: Lose enough weight to get off my blood pressure and cholesterol medicine. I think it will take about 30 pounds. I should probably join Martin's challenge in another thread.

Here's my training calendar for the balance of 2010:

First Responder (I'll work on my EMT-B on the side, I don't know If I can get it done unless I can take a day a week off from work for a month or so)

Advanced Auto Extrication (Refresher, even though I don't think I need it, I'm taking it again, there's so many hybrids on the road here now)

NIMS something-or-other (700? 1100? Pi? they have so many, I need one more up from where I am)

Emergency Vehicle Operations (re-certify)

Air Medical Evacuation Landing Zone Crew (refresher)

...and a scattered collection of stuff related to my position as Emergency Management Coordinator for the township.

Well I have been researching old 4x4s to buy and fix up as bug out vehicles. Something with only power steering and brakes, at most. But that is just window shopping.

Read a lot on mental preparation and survival situations.

Stockpiling an ever increasing amount of 'beans', bullets and bucks.

Always upgrading and maintaining wilderness/hiking equipment.

Based on some endurance events I have coming up in April and May, this Monday I start the 5 week Special Forces Assessment and Selection training program. Just for fun. It's pretty basic for what I already do but incorporates a lot of forced marches with a ruck sack from 35-50 pounds and going 3-18 miles under time.

Fun!

Lono: My deepest sympathy for what you and your wife are going through. It is a great reminder to us all to make the most out of the available time.

I like Laurence Gonzales ("Deep Survival" - a great book) take on this: Survival training is _*life training*_. You prepare for survival by living your life the way it is meant to be lived (or at least trying to).


On specific survival topics:
- Physical exercise. Any kind. I'm not as fit as I want too. Not really unfit, but still room for improvement.

- Knife sharpening, which has become quite a hobby of mine lately. Not good at it yet, but this is a life long learning curve.

- Comfortable living outdoors. Anything from grilling some sausages with the kids over a fire to spending more nights outside. I'm taking advantage of a "work easter" - the family is sent to my mother-in-law, I will be working - and head for the bush in the evening for an evening and night outside. I'm really looking forward to that...

I lost my girlfriend to Astrocitoma 5 years ago, so I know what you are going through. In our case at least, there was no pain involved. Hang tough and may God give you strength.

Sounds like you have your priorities straight. You'll do what you have to in this test of character.

My wife has Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer on top of having been disabled with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for the last 24 years. Had the massive surgery 6 months ago, now looking into radiation-wack-a-mole for the remaining tumors.

Take care of your wife by also taking care of yourself. Proper exercise, some mental health breaks and appropriate nutrition are important to handle the marathon of caregiving.

I'm learning about footwear and laces and (darn it!) blisters. Trying to get out and hike as often as I can, exercising during the week to enable the hiking. And the hiking clears and enables my mind.

Near as I can tell nobody gets out alive. And nearly everybody suffers along the way one way or another. But keep working the problem - whatever it is.

Lono: I wish your wife a quick and full recovery. Don't lose hope! If I may humbly suggest something, go to your local Borders and look for a book called "Let Every Breath" written by my Systema Teacher Vladimir Vasiliev. I know that our other teacher Mikhail Ryabko has actually cured people through breathing therapies when everything else failed. I have recommended this to other friends going through similar tough times and it helped them a lot.

You can actually get it online too: http://www.LetEveryBreath.com

And for those of you visiting Miami... check out http://www.SystemaMiami.com

Best wishes!