Living the prepper lifestyle is not limited to just certain times of the year, since at any given moment a human-caused or natural disaster can strike. Whether it’s an act of war, political turmoil, a tornado or massive flood, we should always be ready to respond to any emergency.

But generally speaking, the weather is better and less extreme in spring and summer, and that gives more of us an opportunity to get outside and practice the skills we’re going to need in order ensure peak readiness and fitness.

So with that in mind, here are several things you should do to take advantage of warmer weather, in order to hone your prepping skills:

— Growing food: While we can (and should) grow certain kinds and amounts of food indoors during the fall and winter months, spring’s arrival means the outdoor growing season has arrived. Gardening is one of those prepper skills that takes a lot of time and practice to learn. You can’t just put seeds and seedlings into the ground; learning how to prepare the soil, keep your plants properly hydrated throughout the growing season, and keeping weeds and critters to a minimum requires practice and education. If you haven’t ever considered growing a garden, do so this year. (Related: Here Are 8 Seeds That Are Great For Long Term Storage.)

— Practicing basic survival skills: Granted, honing basic survival skills can and should be performed throughout the year, but summertime provides unique opportunities to both learn new skills in a more comfortable environment and get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Plus, it’s much easier to master skills when you’re not soaking wet or freezing to death.

Plan a camping trip and while you’re out, practice the various means of lighting a fire, building a shelter, fishing with a simple hook and line, sanitizing water, first aid and other skills. You can even consider building a fighting position for self-defense; killing, cleaning and cooking small game (if in season and you’ve got permission and a license to hunt); rappelling; and hiking.

— Get fit: Having a year-round fitness and exercise program should be a part of any prepper program. In a stuff hits the fan scenario, life as we know it now will come to an abrupt end and just surviving from day to day will become much tougher – physically, mentally and in every other way.

There are substantial differences between working out in a gym and being able to get out of doors to exercise. For example, running on a treadmill is not the same as running outside; the physical characteristics are just different. So, too, is running on a trail versus a flat track, street or highway, and so forth. Adding in some “extreme” exercises like flipping tires, pushing a vehicle, sprints and hitting a heavy bag should definitely be part of your exercise regimen, the idea being improving strength as well as endurance.

And of course, part of being fit is eating right, as in eating clean. Don’t pollute your body with a bunch of toxins and chemicals found in prepackaged, prepared foods; include a lot of organic fruits and vegetables, a clean protein mix/powder, lean meats and low dairy.

Added fitness bonus: Wear a weighted vest or ankle weights when you push-mow your grass, work around the house or do other activities. (Related: Fitter, Healthier People Have A Better Chance To Survive An Apocalypse.)

— Hit the range: Spring and summer weather is perfect for breaking out your various self-defense weapons and heading to the firing range. If you’ve not been in a while, target practice will not only sharpen your shooting skills, but you’ll get in some needed practice cleaning your weapons after use.

— De-clutter your life: Spring is known as a time of renewal, so take the opportunity to de-clutter your life by cleaning out your garage, closets and storage spaces. A good rule of thumb for non-prepping items is that if you haven’t used it in over a year, then it’s a safe bet you don’t really need it. Give items away to friends or charity, have a garage sale, or take items to the dump – whatever you need to do. Just get rid of what you don’t need so you have more room to store items you do need.

Also, now is a good time to see if clothing you have stored to take with you when SHTF still fits. Drag it all out and try it on; replace what doesn’t fit.

This time of year offers plenty of opportunity to renew your soul and spirit while re-focusing yourself on becoming a better prepper, ready for any emergency.

Find more prepping articles on Bugout.news and Survival.news.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

SurvivalistPrepper.com

MensFitnessFocus.com

Bugout.news