Like the title! I want to cultivate some helpful skills but do so gradually, as a hobbyist. Tempted to get into lockpicking, haha.
Like the title! I want to cultivate some helpful skills but do so gradually, as a hobbyist. Tempted to get into lockpicking, haha.
It’s gonna sound lame but get a 90s copy of the boy scout handbook and learn all the stuff in it by putting yourself in situations where you will use them. For things like tourniquets and other first aid, take a class. Don’t be afraid to update the methods by looking up stuff online.
If you’re not sure why I suggested this: bsa operated at one point as a pipeline into the military for children. The skillset it teaches is basically hobby infantry.
Why specifically a 90s copy (I only have a 2009 copy)?
They add new things and change course with every edition, IIRC around that edition (12th ed, 2009) they started padding out the book with filler bullshit like the food pyramid and how to tie a tie.
Now I’m imagining the 1930s Boy Scout manual is just straight up how to DIY your own landmines.
Not far off, Baden-Powell (the OG of the Scouting org) developed his skills and compiled his notes in South Africa, training with Zulu and fighting in the 2nd Boer war.
That one’s fine.
Anything before the mid-2000s will have an advancement requirement where you jump fully clothed into water over your head, and either turn your clothes into flotation aids or throw them to shore.
There’s like a million reasons but broadly speaking the brown cover with the compass and photos on it is a happy medium before the organization tried to adapt outside of being an equivalent to the Nazi children’s program it was started to provide parity for.
Not really, but in terms of creating a group of children who have the skillset to be stormtroopers.
That’s good for American children (especially opening up the group to girls!), but it means the manual has lost a lot of what made it a good literal baby steps guide to building skills that will serve you in conflict.
Again, you want the last gasp of fascism edition because swimming a mile isn’t Nazi coded or woke, it’s continuing to live coded.
There’s probably a lot of differences but whatever you have is a great start to fitness, mental health and a ton of useful skills and ways of thinking.
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