How to Prepare for a Life Closer to Nature

It can be daunting to think of the many things that allow us to survive, live in nature, or simply live a lifestyle more in tune with our surroundings. Likewise, we don't want to rush into things headlong, without learning the basics to the fullest that we need to survive and thrive.

Whether you want to enjoy camping out in the wild. want to be prepared for a disaster, or are interested in switching to a more natural life, the basics lie in survival. This means being able to get water, food, shelter and fire and thus not die.

This is a harsh truth, but most people who read a few sites, watch some youtube videos and then rush off into the wild are going to find themselves underprepared and possibly in mortal danger.

You want to follow a good instruction course in survival, preferably from a certified trainer, where all these basics are covered. Every country will have their own groups or companies providing these courses. A good rule of thumb is to choose one where the trainer has a wide range of natural interests (ecological living, survival, rafting, hunting, etc.) and experience so that they have anecdotes to share, which contain an equal number of good lessons.

After all, every lesson you learn from someone else is a (potentially fatal) mistake that you can avoid.

Such a course comprises really the basics, and it helps to find one where you will actively spend a day or two with a group out in the wild, camping, and seeing everything being used in action.

The term Bushcraft covers a lot of semi-traditional crafts and techniques used to survive and subsist in natural environments. Often rediscovered or learned from native populations, such techniques cover foraging for food, making more advanced shelters, and crafting equipment from natural sources with natural tools.

Here it can help to join a group or a course on crafting techniques, but here you can actually learn a lot from youtube or online sources - the key here is practice. It can really pay to simply go out camping and find new uses for materials you come across, identify plants and animals, and practice setting snares, carving wood and weaving strands and fibers.

Not only will this pay off in case you ever need to survive for a longer duration, but it can push down a lot of costs you would otherwise make, increasing your day-to-day self sufficiency.

In case of a calamity, loss of network or economical problems, you can rely on having a backup craft such as leatherworking, blacksmithing, agriculture or forestry to allow you a functional (and potentially comfortable) existence.

Another step in being prepared is to know how to hunt and prepare food. This can mean fishing with a fishing kit (a standard in most survival kits) or a self-made fishing spear. It can mean making a bow and arrows to hunt, or learning how to use a hunting rifle.

Make sure that you know how to use such tools ahead of time, don't wait until you are caught out in the wild alone before trying to figure out how to reload a gun or fire a bow. There's good sense in joining a firing range, archery club or going fishing - just to learn the skills to make survival that much easier.

And who knows? This may earn you a new hobby on the side!

When hunting with rifles, you need to be especially aware of the law; many countries do not allow you to hunt without both a firearms and a hunting license. Make sure all of these are in order when you go on a camping expedition and carry your firearms along.

Also make sure you are aware (and trained) in using the proper weapon for the game you expect to hunt:

• Buckshot for birds
• Small rifle (.22) for small game and predators
• Medium rifle (.300, .308) for medium game such as deer and small boar

If you expect to run into moose or bear, most often you are better off avoiding them. If you cannot, expect to need several shots if not using a large caliber weapon, since these are massive and tough beasts.

In all cases, survival is about avoiding danger, not shooting it!

A greener life isn't always about moving out, it can also mean deepening your connection to nature at home. Even a "square foot garden" can already provide you with herbs and vegetables year-round, reducing your spending significantly.

A rule of thumb here is to focus on vegetables that are very expensive in your area, as well as herbs (which are often expensive to buy but cheap to grow). That way you will have fresher food and a better taste, while spending less. There are plenty resources online on how to build a vegetable or herb garden, and even the smallest homes can have their patch of green.

When you're starting out, it's best to start small. Your back yard is big enough for a proving ground, but you can significantly reduce your cost of living on a single acre of land. Called "smallsteading", this lifestyle isn't going to make you rich, but it cuts costs while making sure that you are prepared in case you lose access to your normal, richer food market.

If you happen to have a more sizable patch of land, my recommendation would be to check out options for keeping animals. A medium garden can easily hold a few chickens, and the Buff Orpington breed is quiet, docile and lays plenty eggs. If you have a pasture, consider keeping a goat for the milk (which you can make cheese from).

A great way of improving your standing with the natural world is to keep bees. Becoming a beekeeper is a bit of an investment, both in the colony as well as all the gear, but the rewards are plentiful honey and contributing to the wellbeing of flowers and trees around you. After all, trees and flowers are often pollinated by bees, and their number have been on the decline in recent years. Keeping bees helps balance the natural order, preventing a dearth of flowers and plants which would be very bad for our own future as well!

And finally, there are plenty hobbies that are very rewarding to someone with a backyard forest; dead trees can provide plenty firewood for a summer barbeque once properly dried, and if you grow hops along the forest edge (where their punguent smell can harm no one) you have the resources to experiment with homebrew craft beers!

Explore your options nearby first, and set a few careful steps before leaping in - but I can assure you that there are many wonderful activities and hobbies hiding out in the wild!

Living in a more rural or even a forested area is not something to get into in one go. You likely rely on a network of shops, roads and amenities that you need to live on a daily basis. Going straight into the wild means giving all of that up and being self-sufficient, and that's not something you can do at that rate and expect success.

First, limit your reliance on basic amenities. Do groceries once a week in bulk, and when you would normally pick up an item you had missed, mark it for the next run and try and find alternatives. Make sure you get a full tank of gas for your car, instead of filling it up according to a money based budget.

If you rely on internet for work, entertainment or banking, invest in a strong cellular and wireless solution you could set up anywhere.

Reduce the amount of stuff you own bit by bit, according to what you can do without and instead focus on acquiring items that you will need once you move out of the city. Invest in good quality equipment with a long lifespan. Remember that it's better to have a tool for each job rather than multi-tools; if one breaks, it's an inconvenience, but if you were relying on a multitool that broke, you are suddenly in a pickle.

Learn to be mentally self-sufficient as well. You may need to deal with slower internet, less entertainment and without any clubs or bars to hang out. If you learn to be content with your and your family as companionship and find comfort in the work you do, you can live anywhere you want.

When you feel ready to move out, don't move into the wild in one go; live in a rural area where you can rent a small house. Meet the people and become part of their network. You may be asked to support them, and you can rely on them to help you. Perhaps you find out that this is enough; half an hour out of town and still in reach of amenities, but far enough away that you can get peace and quiet.

Try it for a year, at least, and if you still want to move further away from civilization, ask recommendations from people you live alongside. They are likely to have family living further away from town that you can meet who might be able to help you find a good spot to live.

Whether you want to prepare for emergencies, give a little back to the planet, or want to get closer to nature to find some peace of mind, all these small gestures can get you what you want at generally small cost.

What's important is that you find out why you want to do this, and what you can keep doing on a daily basis, whether as a hobby or to replace your job.