Knowledge

There are two things you take with you everywhere, knowledge and tattoos. You can have all the equipment in the world and it will do you no good if something happens when you are not with the stuff. If you try to tattoo everything you need to know on your body you will run out of room or the information you need will be in a location you can not see when you need it. Filling your head with information is in most cases less painful than tattoos and easier to access.

If you do not know who Macgyver is please do not ask. Some of us will feel very old...............

Fundamental concepts and ideas can be the difference should you have an issue. Everyone should know how to change a tire, stop bleeding, dress a wound, pack a backpack, read a compass, purify drinking water etc etc. This knowledge goes everywhere with you. If your car goes off the road being able to stop yourself from bleeding is a good thing or if you end up in a typhoon knowing how to purify water will be invaluable.

A fella I work with was visiting family in the South Pacific. While he was there a typhoon struck the island. The physical damage to the area was bad enough but then he got a bug from drinking contaminated water. Spent several weeks sick and had to be hospitalized. Being curious I asked him how come he did not boil the water he was drinking? His answer...... he did not know how. As we talked he told me how bad the hospital was he had been taken to, it was overwhelmed by patients, unsanitary and just plain scary. Not until he got home did he get the medical care he really needed.

Broaden your knowledge base, learn something new! If you know how to fix a car, learn how to cook a turkey? Try lighting your BBQ without lighter fluid. Grow some tomatoes in your yard. Raise a rabbit. Ask your grandmother to show you how to can food. She doesn't know how? Now you got something you can research and learn with grandma!!! After you two enjoy learning how to can food ask grandma to teach you how to sew! Not only do you make grandma's day you get to broaden your knowledge base!! WIN - WIN!!!!

If you are not learning something you are not living. I read that somewhere and it holds true. On my own I learned how to can food and got to practice treating burns in the process. With the internet there is really no reason you can not learn anything you put your mind to. Even if you only retain a working knowledge of a subject the information is in your head when you need it!!!

Learn to boil water, start a fire, CPR, basic first aid and how to build a simple shelter. Hang out with a Boy Scout and ask questions!! If you have a young man in your life encourage them to become involved in Scouting!! I am always amazed when I realize how much I learned during the few years I was involved.

As always;

Stay Safe!!!