Years ago, I spent a lot of time learning skills as a young boy scout. First aid, camping, knots, the list is quite extensive. While some of the skills have stayed fresh and usable, others have faded away.
The human mind can only retain so much active memory. And as time passes, skills you are not actively using start to fade away. This inevitably means things you learned in the past will be forgotten, or at a minimum hard to recall.
For everyday life this might not be a problem. But when it comes to homesteading and preparedness, some of these skills might be needed someday. An example of these could be advanced first aid skills, or as a HAM radio operator, how to program your radio without a computer.
The key to retaining knowledge that could be valuable on your homestead, or when crap hits the fan, is to use the skills.
There is a reason that front line personnel and military spend so much time training. Eventually with enough training the skill becomes second nature. The whole adage of ‘just like riding a bike’ comes into play. Once you have done something long enough, the path is permanently carved into your brain.
If you have lived at your house for any length of time, this effect can be felt when you can find your way to the bathroom or kitchen in the dark. Unless of course you have kids and are fearful of toy landmines…
Homesteading and preparedness require a lot of skills. Don’t just read a book and assume you can do it. Practice it again and again until the critical skills are stuck in your mind. Until you are ready to do them in your sleep.
Because that is when you will truly master them and be ready. No matter what happens.