Should SHTF day come, kids may very well have to depend on what you teach them now, as that knowledge may be the only thing that keeps them alive.
Be it only for a short while, as they are separated from you or a prolonged time because of some misfortune that befall you, that knowledge will be one of the most important legacies you can leave them.
As always, you will need to judge the maturity of your own children and teach them age-appropriate skills. This may not be the same for all children, even within the same family. My father gave me my first pocket knife when I was about seven, and I have carried one ever since.
Of course, that was in a time when it was not considered criminal action to take a pocket knife to school. Today, you have to be more careful, as the schools are not as understanding, with their “zero tolerance” policies.
Making Signal Fires
You’ve probably already taught your children how to make a fire, as that is one of the first bushcraft skills most people work on. But do your children know how to use that fire as a signal fire to call for help if they are lost in the woods?
The number three is the international signal for distress. Three blasts on a whistle, three gunshots or three fires indicates that someone needs help. To make the fires visible for a longer distance, it works best if they are smoky fires. All it takes to make smoky fires is to put fresh, green branches on them.
The water in the branch will evaporate as water vapor, giving the appearance of white smoke.
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