It’s back to school time with the yellow school buses rolling again, the coffee shops stocked with pumpkin-flavored everything, and mums and corn stalks abound!
But as the kiddos head back to class with their sharpened pencils and fresh notebooks, it got me thinking—why should they have all the fun? Okay, maybe “fun” is a stretch. But the learning part? That’s where we preppers come in. Because the truth is, fall is the perfect time for a refresher. The weather’s cooling, the bugs are retreating (yeah), and the holiday chaos hasn’t hit just yet. That means it’s prime time to brush up on some skills that could come in mighty handy—whether disaster strikes or your sourdough starter finally does.
So, in the spirit of back-to-school, here’s Pepper’s Fall Course Catalog of Prepper Musts:
1. Wilderness First Aid 101
You never know when you’ll need to splint a sprain with sticks and duct tape. (Been there. Done that. Still not over the poison ivy.)
2. Basic Sewing for the Stubborn and the Buttonless
If you can’t sew a patch, stitch a tear, or reattach a button, it’s time. You don’t want to end up in a winter storm with your coat flapping like a superhero cape.
3. Fire Starting: The Art and Science of Not Freezing
Try it when it’s damp and windy. Now try it when Mo is knocking over your kindling pile. That’s the real test.
4. Map Reading & Compass Use
GPS is great… until it isn’t. Knowing how to orient yourself the old-fashioned way is still gold.
5. Tool Use Refresher
Can you swing a hammer without breaking a toe? Do you know your flathead from your Phillips? Time to find out.
6. Sanitation in an Off-Grid Situation
Less glamorous, more vital. Trust me—you never want to run out of toilet paper and know nothing about alternatives.
Whether it’s an in-person workshop, an online course, or just a how-to video you watch while stirring chili, the goal is the same… keep learning. Because the more we know, the less we panic. And the less we panic, the more likely we are to remember where we put a favorite cooking tool.
This fall, let’s sharpen more than pencils—let’s sharpen our skills.
Stay prepped and prepared,
Pepper
