The prepping lifestyle is an adaptable one. You can become a prepper whether you live in a rural area or a busy city – all it takes is some creativity.
Don't let city life deter you from learning valuable survival skills and becoming a self-sufficient prepper. Here are 10 different ways to practice prepping skills right in your apartment. (h/t to ApartmentPrepper.com)
Practicing survival skills at home
If you have to stay at home because of the weather or you have to watch the kids, it's the best time to practice your survival skills. You can start with:
- Double-checking your alarm system and home security.
- Cooking with your food preps.
- Practicing knot-tying.
- Learning how to sew.
- Practicing stitches and mending clothing.
- Practicing sutures on an orange.
- Rotating your food supplies.
- Sharpening your hunting knives.
Create various survival kits
While you're at home, put together kits for your various survival needs:
- Car emergency kit
- Everyday carry kit (EDC kit)
- First aid kit
- Hygiene kit
- Power outage kit
Use the BBQ pit
If you own a BBQ pit or if your apartment complex offers one for residents, you can experiment with your food preps.
Another option is to practice fire-making in the BBQ pit. Start with easy techniques and use a lighter or matches, then up the ante by trying to start a fire using only basic tools like a magnifying glass or flint and steel.
Start a container or indoor garden
You can grow herbs and vegetables right in your balcony or backyard. Maximize the space in your apartment with container or indoor gardening.
These vegetables grow well even in small containers:
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Cabbages
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Eggplants
- Green beans
- Lettuce
- Peppers
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
Read
Enhance your prepping and survival knowledge by reading up on related subjects such as foraging for edible wild plants, food preservation techniques, or navigation skills.
While you're at home, you can also read magazines or blogs about these topics.
Try prepper DIY projects
Save money and become more self-sufficient by making useful DIY projects. Learn how to make the following at home (and for a fraction of the cost of store-bought items):
- Bar soap
- Bread
- Candles
- Firestarters
- Hardtack
- Ration bars
- Shampoo
Practice outdoor survival skills
Most local parks have open space and public grills. Head to open spaces and practice how to set up a shelter, or put your firestarting skills to the test over at the public grills. You can also go on walks and try to identify as many wild edibles as you can.
Check online or ask around and visit a shooting or archery range in your city to practice your marksmanship.
Go for a walk or hike
Your overall health, especially your physical fitness, is crucial to your survival when SHTF. Once you've prepared your bug-out bag (BOB), walk around the block carrying it. Train your body so you don't run out of breath if you need to evacuate at a moment's notice.
You can also bring your BOB while you're on a hike. Try to identify poisonous and edible plants along your path and practice your map- and compass-reading skills.
Go people-watching
Observing others can hone your ability to read body language and facial expressions, which are useful in most situations. Sit down at a bench in the park and watch people.
This is also a good time to practice your situational awareness. Is anyone acting strange? How many clear exits can you access if SHTF? Pay attention to everyone and everything around you.
Go camping
When you have free time, go on a family camping trip. Take advantage of the trip by practicing outdoor survival skills like firestarting, shelter making, and water purification.
Even if you don't live in the countryside, there are various ways to enhance your prepping skills. If there are certain activities that you can't try indoors, like beekeeping or animal husbandry, read about them or take a class to familiarize yourself with the basic concepts.
Be resourceful. Use your creativity to practice your prepping and survival skills indoors so you can become more self-sufficient even if you live in an urban area.
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