Ladies, if you’re like me, you’ve probably spent hours reading blogs, watching YouTube tutorials, or bookmarking survival tips for “when the time comes.” But let’s be honest—what happens when your phone dies, the Wi-Fi’s gone, and Google has officially ghosted you during the apocalypse?
That’s exactly why I started something that might just save my life one day: a DIY survival skills journal.
No, it’s not fancy. There are no Pinterest-worthy fonts or color-coded tabs (although maybe someday…). It’s a humble, sturdy, weather-resistant notebook filled with the kind of information I hope I never need—but will be grateful for if I do.
Why a Journal?
When you're cold, scared, and exhausted, you won’t remember that clever water filtration trick you saw six months ago. You won’t be able to stream that snare-setting tutorial or scroll through saved Instagram posts about edible plants. In a crisis, memory becomes unreliable, and digital tools? Fragile at best.
But ink doesn’t crash. Paper doesn’t need charging. And flipping through something handwritten—something yours—can bring not only direction but a little comfort too.
What’s In My Journal?
I’ve broken it into sections that reflect the core prepping categories: water, food, shelter, first aid, defense, and navigation. Here are just a few entries so far:
- Water purification methods (boiling, solar stills, natural filters using charcoal and sand)
- How to identify wild edibles (with photos or pressed leaves from local plants)
- Step-by-step salve-making for cuts, burns, and rashes (plus foraging notes on healing herbs)
- Knot-tying diagrams (because you’ll never remember how to tie a bowline under pressure)
- Basic trap and snare setups with sketches
- Fire-starting techniques (even in wet conditions)
I also keep notes on:
- Alternative uses for common items (think duct tape, coffee filters, pantyhose)
- Seasonal planting and harvesting timelines
- Bartering strategies and trade value ideas
- Bug-out checklists and evacuation plans
Tips for Building Your Own
- Choose a waterproof or water-resistant notebook. Field journals or Rite in the Rain books work great.
- Use pencil or waterproof ink pens. Regular pens can run if they get wet.
- Make it portable. You want to be able to slip this in your bug-out bag, not haul around a binder the size of an encyclopedia.
- Update it regularly. Think of it as a living document. Practice a new skill? Add it. Read something useful? Copy it down.
Even just adding one page a week builds up over time. You’ll be amazed how quickly your journal becomes your own personalized survival manual.
Have you started your own survival skills journal? What’s in it? Got layout ideas or clever indexing tricks? Drop them below—let’s turn scribbles into serious strategy.
#PrepperJournal #SurvivalSkills #GridDownGuide #WriteItDownSaveYourLife
