In a world intoxicated with convenience and technology, preppers are taking the reins in reviving forgotten survival skills nearly lost to time.
These 10 trends, once deeply rooted in our history, now bind together survival enthusiasts who aren’t just regaining lost arts but shaping a new narrative of resilience and self-sufficiency for the future.
1. Pickling Frenzy
When you’ve got a survival garden, you also need a way to preserve your bounty. Enter the DIY pickling craze, which preppers are trailblazing.
Whether it’s traditional lacto-fermentation or vinegar pickling, these avant-garde survivalists are preserving their edibles with probiotic flair, creating a gastronomic arsenal with a shelf life that rivals the ages.
2. Ancient Navigation Techniques
Bid farewell to GPS! Preppers are embracing the art of ancient navigation. Whether it’s making sure they always have a paper map in case their phone dies or knowing how to find north without a compass, preppers are making sure they know how to find their way regardless of the circumstances.
3. Primitive Shelter-Building
Making shelters is something that allowed our earliest ancestors to survive in an inhospitable, dangerous world. This essential knowledge was lost over time as people outsourced their habitats to suburban developers and city planners. Not for preppers, though! They consider shelter-making one of the most essential survival skills should they ever need to bug out.
4. Ethnobotany Mastery
Forget traditional foraging; preppers are delving deep into ethnobotany. Whether it’s making glue from pine sap or painkillers out of garden weeds, they’ve unearthed the forgotten uses of indigenous plants.
5. Aquaponics Alchemy
Over 1,000 years ago, the ancient Aztecs mastered the art of aquaponics by cultivating symbiotic relationships between fish and plants. Now preppers have brought this back so they can create self-sustaining ecosystems that yield nourishment.
6. Wild Yeast Crafting
In a time before commercial yeast packets, bakers harnessed the magic of wild yeast. Preppers are reviving this lost art, fermenting doughs and concocting sourdough starters with an alchemical touch that modern baking has almost forgotten.
7. Canning: A Lost Culinary Art
Our great-grandparents relied on canning to preserve the bounty of the harvest. Preppers are reviving this tradition, shunning store-bought convenience for the satisfaction of preserving their own fruits and vegetables in jars—a skill nearly lost to the aisles of the modern supermarket.
8. Handcrafted Survival Tools
In the age of mass production, the art of crafting one’s tools was nearly forgotten. Preppers are rediscovering the satisfaction of handcrafting survival tools, from knives and bows to traps and fishing gear.
Embracing the self-sufficiency of their forebearers, these enthusiasts are ensuring they have the skills to fashion the tools needed for their survival in any situation.
9. Forgotten Herbal Remedies
Long before pharmacies and over-the-counter medications, our ancestors relied on the healing properties of herbs. Preppers are resurrecting this ancient wisdom, exploring herbal remedies for everything from common ailments to first aid essentials. As modern medicine advances, preppers look to the past for natural alternatives that could be lifesaving in a survival scenario.
10. Community Resurgence
In times when community meant survival, people banded together. Preppers are rekindling the flame of communal living, forging tight-knit groups where knowledge, skills, and support are shared. What was once the bedrock of society is now the foundation of prepper resilience.
