There are seven essential skills for survival. If you have these 7 skills down and practice it on a regular basis, you will be able to survive for a very long time. That being said, you need to practice often like more than once a year. I recommend camping in a remote location (not glamping or car camping) and test these skills 4 times a year at minimum.
- Fire building – Build a camp fire with at least 4 methods of fire starting
- Shelter building – Build a primitive shelter or at least set up your tent
- Water procurement and treatment – Procure water from a questionable source and treat it for potability
- Food procurement and preparation – Hunt, trap, fish and/or forage and prepare a meal
- Navigation and orienteering – Use a compass and map, other methods of orienteering, and your GPS
- First aid and emergency response – Practice applying a bandage, making a sling, making a splint, and take a First Aid class every two years
- Communication and signaling – Learn to use your communication gear and practice with family/friends, learn morse code (at least a few letters to signal at bare minimum SOS), and various signals for help
