10 Vegas Experiences for the Prepper

Since I live in Las Vegas, I know there are plenty of entertainment options for locals as well as tourists here.  It recently dawned on me, however, that there are plenty of Vegas experiences that would be useful for the prepper to partake in, whether you live here or are looking for an out-of-the-ordinary tourist experience...

1. Check out Battlefield Vegas and learn how to handle a variety of weapons.  There are actually numerous businesses in Vegas that specialize in shooting experiences, Battlefield Vegas is just one example.
2. For advanced tactical training, you can head over to Front Sight in Pahrump.
3. Learning how to hike in the desert is always a good skill to have.  There are several groups in Vegas that hike together regularly and most invite visitors to come along as well (examples here, here, here, and here).
4. And as long as you are in Vegas, there is no need to skip your daily run.  There are always a variety of running events (both road and trail) happening here.
5. The apocalypse has happened and you need to rebuild (or tear down what's left and start over).  Don't know how to work heavy equipment like a back hoe or excavator?  Learn the basics at Dig This.
6. On the other hand, you may need to steal a high-end car and race away from a situation a la James Bond.  Learn how to drive a race car at Dream Racing (or similar business) in Las Vegas. 
7. If you want to learn actual counter-terrorism skills, there's a place for that too in Las Vegas.  Check out CRI Counter Terrorism Training School.
8. Oddly enough, in the middle of the desert, there is a huge orchard and farm that provides u-pick experiences for anyone who comes by.  It's always a good idea to learn gardening skills where ever you can.
9. Do you know how to handle a speed boat, jet ski, or kayak?  After a simple "training" video you can rent a variety of watercraft to practice with on at Lake Mead.
10. Want to tackle your fear of heights?  The Strat offers a bunch of thrill rides, at the TOP of it's 1150 foot tower, that will either cure your of your fear of heights...or reinforce them.

Ask YouTube

Have a problem and need help?  Want to learn preparedness or survival skills?  Want to improve your job skills?  Have a question about, well, anything?  YouTube probably has the answers you are looking for.

Videos on YouTube are great for hands-on lessons on everything from making fixes and repairs to your vehicle or appliances, to learning more in-depth survival skills, to teaching you how to make a website for your business.  While YouTube can be a big time-sink if you fall down the rabbit hole of entertainment videos, the list of useful videos on the platform is pretty mind-boggling.

To date, I have used YouTube for everything from changing the air filters in my vehicle ($90 at the dealership, $10 if you buy the parts from Amazon and watch a video on how to open the filter covers) to fixing a microwave ($75 home visit by an appliance repair person or $3 for a fuse and a two minute video on how to replace it) to fixing a dryer (again, $75 for a home visit and estimate by a repair person before they give you a bill for the part and the repair vs $10 for the part and a quick video on how to access the service panel).  YouTube is also useful for previewing items you might want to buy online (I buy a lot of gear online but it is difficult to determine how items look/fit from a flat picture; video reviews on YouTube are much more useful) ditto tech reviews.

Finally, if you have no one to teach you preparedness skills, outdoor skills, etc., YouTube may be the answer (there's literally millions of videos on just these topics there).  Obviously some things are better learned from a skilled instructor (shooting, rock climbing, many medical skills...basically anything that could have a negative outcome without an in-person instructor) but there has never been a better time in history to go from totally clueless to reasonably skilled with just the click of a mouse.

Improvise

I'm driving down the street and I see a group of young people, who look like tourists judging by the bags/blankets/pillows they are schlepping, try to shuffle faster through the pouring rain.  It isn't uncommon to see people who look like they are carrying nearly everything they own as they walk down the streets of Las Vegas, but doing this in the rain is definitely an uncommon thing in this city as it usually rains about four or five days per year.  It's been a soggy few days here.

So I began to wonder why these people would let everything they have with them become a soggy mess and it dawned on me that they must have missed life lesson #234--learn how to improvise.

If you unexpectedly find yourself caught in the rain, in a big city, and DON'T want all of your worldly possessions to become a wet mess, find the nearest pubic garbage can (sometimes on city streets, other times in public restrooms, hotels, etc) and pull out a trash bag (look under the bag that is in the garbage can as many janitorial folks will leave additional bags under the bag they are lining the can with) and...instant pack/suitcase/blanket rain cover.  You can also improvise a rain coat this way by tearing holes in the bag for your head and arms.

Need a water bottle?  You can find these discarded everywhere, just go to a public restroom and wash them with soap and water before filling it up.  Doing the vagabond thing and want to heat up a meal only you have no stove?  It's simple to scavenge the materials to make one.

Where ever you find yourself, take a couple of minutes to look around and notice everything in your area.  With the things you see, what can you improvise with them?  Weapons can be commonly improvised from everything from a stick to a rock.  I've lost count of how many times I've seen homeless guys pick up a cup from outside a fast food restaurant, go in, and fill the cup up with their beverage of choice (highly unsanitary, of course, but it seems to work for them).

Learn to improvise things--whether you actually need these things or not--as yet another survival skill that may come in useful in the future.