Sever Your Reliance on Technology
I feel that I need to preface this post by saying that I am in no way advocating going into the wilderness without certain gadgets and supplies. When you walk out of your front door, please have a flashlight, a phone, a GPS device, an alternative mode of communications like a walkie talkie, and other great available safety gear. Now that I have that out of the way, let me begin explaining why every prepper needs to train without technology.
I have a love-hate relationship with technology. It is incredibly useful, affordable, easy to use, and convenient. For me, 
Similarly, why should we learn any other skills such as how to administer first aid, build shelters, or start fires when we have the entire collection of human knowledge at our fingertips? In short, technology can fail us. I’ll ask another question. When technology fails us, will you be prepared to cope?
Train the Right Way
The purpose of this article is not to persuade you against using technology, but rather to train without technology. This is will help you to be better prepared for those times when technology fails you. I’m going to break down some of the areas in which technology has replaced our need to learn survival skills. I’ll then conclude with why it’s important we continue to develop our survival skills without the help of technology.
1. Reference Guides
Committing to memory information that can be easily looked up might seem like a waste of energy. To an extent, I agree that you should save your brain space for the most vital information. Survival information is unquestionably vital. You need to be able to recall information about building shelters, hunting, fishing, first aid, and making potable water without looking it up.
Gadgets are very susceptible to the elements, easily broken, and are dependent on a power source and network connection. If you wish to survive, you need to recall the ways in which to do so. Commit your survival skills to memory. It’s worth the brain space.
2. Always Connected
These days, people always need to be connected to the internet. This is one of the primary downsides of technological innovation. When I was a kid, I would go outside and explore for hours. I was all alone in the big scary world without a lifeline. Guess what? I turned out just fine, as did millions of other people who experienced the same type of upbringing.
Today, however, most people are never truly alone. Yes, they may be physically alone, but their smartphones allow them to be connected to others 24/7. This constant connection has a huge impact the minds and attitudes of people around the world. They feel a certain sense of security knowing that help is just a few finger taps away. Until it isn’t.
When that lifeline you take for granted is suddenly unavailable and you have never experienced life without it, you will find yourself in big trouble. Proactively learn to sever the lifeline and rely on yourself.
3. Using Your Senses
The extreme use of technology has left many of us ignorant of the natural world around us. Some of us are unaware of the meaning of certain cloud formations, the smells that the wind carries, the tracks beneath our feet, and the cause of temperature 
fluctuations.
I believe our failure to exit the confines of our microworlds like home, work, and school has caused us to lose touch with the sounds of the wilderness. Take someone who doesn’t camp often with you for a night out in the woods. You’ll get my point. Completely natural sounds like insects, wind gusts, howling predators, or an animal snapping a tree branch will be enough to rattle your friend.
Disconnect from technology for several days. Leave your microworld. Appreciate your surroundings and let your senses grow more attuned to the natural world.
4. Areas to Improve
I understand that it can be hard to train without technology. Technology is threaded through every detail of our daily lives. Having said that, you still need learn how to break the reliance.
When practicing your survival skills, leave the gadgets in the bag. To be safe, let others know that you will be unavailable for a certain duration of time and give them a rough idea of where you’ll be.
As for the survival skills you should practice without the use of technology, navigation tops the list. I do not remember the last time I saw someone with a physical map in their hands, let alone a compass. I think people have a decent grasp of most outdoor skills, but navigation is not one of them. Simply knowing which way is North is seems to have faded from a person’s basic skill set.
Take a moment and think about that. If you take away someone’s phone or GPS, he cannot tell you the general direction in which he’s walking. Don’t be that guy.
Start to Train Without Technology Now!
Ironically, I am sitting here writing this during a power outage. If I need to look up what to do or buy something from Amazon, I’m out of luck. However, I am prepared given the fact that I have a pre-made survival kit. It includes flashlights, extra batteries, candles, alternative cooking methods, extra water, and ready-made food. It just goes to show you that when technology isn’t available, you will have to rely on prior preparation.
Do you have other suggestions about how to train without technology? Leave a comment below or contact me directly.
