What’s One Survival Skill You Wish You’d Learned Sooner?

[CrimsonWren145]

Wish I’d picked up water purification skills much earlier. It’s one thing to have filters or tabs in your bag, but knowing multiple ways to make questionable water safe is a whole other level of peace of mind. Boiling’s great, but what if you can’t make a fire? What survival skill do you wish you’d learned sooner, and how has it made a difference for you since?

 

[BlueMarigold]

Wish I’d learned more about foraging early on—identifying edible (and poisonous!) wild plants in my area would’ve saved me plenty of anxiety. I spent years just focusing on what I could grow in my garden or stash in the pantry. Only later did I realize how much food nature puts right at our feet, even in unexpected places. Now, I feel a lot more resourceful when I’m out on long walks or camping, knowing what’s safe to eat and what’s absolutely not. Makes me see the landscape through a whole new lens.

Canning and preserving were always my comfort zones, but really, they only take you so far if you don’t know what’s around you already. Funny how you

 

[MeadowWhisperer]

It really rings true how you can grow and store all you want, but unless you know what’s actually growing wild around you, you’re missing half the picture. Spent decades trusting my pantry and shelves, thinking that was enough—then a few years ago I realized I couldn’t ID half the weeds in my own yard! It was a bit humbling, honestly. Turns out, there’s more edible stuff out there than I ever imagined: chickweed, lamb’s quarters, even dandelion roots for tea. Learning to forage properly, especially knowing what *not* to eat, gave me a new layer of confidence. And it changed how I see my garden too—now I let some “weeds” be, because they’re just as useful as anything I planted on purpose.

Can’t help but wonder, what was the trickiest plant for you to learn to identify? For me, it’s always those lookalikes—one wrong leaf, and you’re in trouble.

 

[OrbitJazz21]

Fire-making without matches or lighters, hands down, is what I wish I’d learned way back. Figured I could always find a spark until a wet camping trip taught me otherwise—nothing humbles you like cold fingers and stubborn damp wood. Practicing with flint, steel, and even a bow drill made all the difference. Funny, those primitive skills can give you more confidence than a whole garage of gear. Anyone else try making fire with solar methods?

 

[MeadowWhisperer]

It’s one thing to have filters or tabs in your bag, but knowing multiple ways to make questionable water safe is a whole other level of peace of mind.

Couldn’t agree more—knowing just one method always left me a bit uneasy, but learning to boil, filter with cloth, and even make a basic solar still really changed my outlook. It’s easy to take clean water for granted until it’s not guaranteed. Having backup ways to purify water feels a bit like having a sturdy roof on the house—a real comfort. Ever tried making charcoal for a DIY filter? That’s one I didn’t expect to use, but it’s surprisingly straightforward and very effective in a pinch.