Are You Ready for Summer? 25 Things to Do

Summer is an excellent time to kick your preppin' into high gear. Here's 25 things to do:

1. Plan a weekend camping trip with the family...taking only your BOBs.
2. Introduce the family to--or just help them brush up on--their shooting skills at the local range.
3. Check out your community for survival-related events (outdoor show, fishing derby, HAM fest, free first aid classes, summer swim program, etc).
4. Spend the weekend doing low-cost, preparedness related activities with the family. Make a bow and arrow or trap for small animals, sleep outside in the back yard, have a bonfire and make Smores, practice navigating with a GPS device or map and compass, etc.
5. Have a garage sale. This will allow you to clean out your preps and rotate stock, get rid of stuff you don't need any more, and make some cash.
6. Exercise! Do a community fun run, ride your bike, hike in the woods, etc.
7. Dump out, restock, and update your BOB.
8. Procure your own food--go to a u pick farm, grow your own garden, pick wild berries, go fishing, etc.
9. Practice using the public transportation system in your area.
10. Travel overseas.
11. Learn something new. Go kayaking if you have never done so, learn how to use a HAM radio and get licensed, bake bread, etc.
12. Get your home in order--service the furnace, clean the chimney, update your landscaping, ensure the roof is still in good condition, paint if needed, clean off the deck, etc.
13. Start eating better. Change your diet to include lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, and whole grains.
14. Earn some extra money. Start a summer lawn mowing business, put an ad on Craigslist where you offer your services to help people move, develop an online business, etc.
15. Do a home inventory complete with video.
16. Hold a drill--fire drill, lock down drill, communications drill, etc.
17. Try bartering.
18. Get out of debt. Make this the summer where you work four jobs if needed and spend the absolute minimum in order to throw every extra penny at your debts.
19. Minimize your possessions. The less stuff you have, the less you need to clean/maintain/insure/etc.
20. Build family/neighborhood unity. Do projects together, hold a neighborhood barbecue, put together a CERT (community emergency response team) or Map Your Neighborhood group.
21. Make sure your car is in excellent working order: tune up the engine, get the oil changed, check all of the fluids, replace the tires if necessary, check the car BOB, etc.
22. If your kids are bored this summer, create your own "merit badge" program. Here's a list of Boy Scout Merit Badges for ideas.
23. Set a big goal...and achieve it. Maybe a two week backpacking trip, a shooting competition, a business goal, or a "test yourself" goal like bungee jumping or doing something else that tests your mettle.
24. Start prepping now for the fall: do you have enough fire wood? Do you need so many Christmas presents that starting now to put some aside every few weeks would make sense? Will your kids head off to college in the fall? Get ready now for big events that you know will be coming up later in the year.
25. Enjoy doing nothing occasionally. Sit out in the sun, go fishing, take walks, hang out at the beach or at the mountains, etc.