Easter weekend is a time for egg hunts and traditional observances. Not to mention Easter tactical training! Hold on—tactical training? Since when has that gone together with the Easter holidays?
Since you entered the tactical lifestyle, of course! Skill training and survival training will never be far out of your mind, no matter what’s going on in the world. And if the world is celebrating Easter, you can certainly do that, too—while also planning for Easter weekend survival training. It’s a long weekend. What better time to get in a few spring tactical drills?
SURVIVAL TRAINING EASTER WEEKEND ACTIVITIES
The Easter weekend can be a good time for getting out of town and going camping. In the wilderness, you can work on various outdoor skills: navigating the environment, setting up camp, starting a fire, even building a shelter out of available materials. And if you happen to find any eggs on your Easter weekend adventure, even better!
It makes sense that you’ll have navigational tools on your person while nature trekking—that’s a good rule of thumb, after all. But during the trek, you might want to put them aside and practice how to navigate without a compass. That means relying on atmospheric and environmental cues, such as the position of the sun and other celestial bodies.
Then you can see how your other wilderness skills stack up. Can you build a fire without relying on matches? Or a lighter? Fire starting techniques are essential for any nature trekker to learn and master. No doubt you do have matches on you, but it’s a good idea to see how well you do without them. Building a shelter is another good skill to develop. One day, you may be forced to evacuate outdoors with little more than your skills to your name. In such a scenario, knowing how to construct a shelter would be vital for your survival.
EASTER TACTICAL TRAINING WITH THE FAMILY
Here’s a fun idea: How about integrating the Easter celebrations with spring tactical drills? It’s weekend fun for the whole family! Think of it: An egg hunt that doubles as a challenge to test outdoor tactical skills. Some of the skill challenges it could incorporate:
Map reading. A map showing potential locations for the hidden Easter eggs can be distributed among family members. The challenge involves reading the map correctly to determine the real-world locations of the hidden treasures.
Capture the flag. If you can get enough people together, you can play this classic tactical game. It’s simple enough in concept that kids can play it. But it tests tactical thinking and other skills—such as fitness, situational awareness, quick reflexes, mobility, leadership and teamwork. It’s a fun activity as well! A great game to play in a big backyard or any other large open space in the outdoors.
Nerf Gun games. If you have enough nerf blasters, you can play a variety of games with them. One is a version of hide and seek where the players practice stealth while hunters try to find them and shoot them with the Nerf blasters. Then the hunters and hiders exchange roles. You can come up with your own game ideas for an Easter weekend adventure!
RANGE PRACTICE FOR EASTER
The Easter weekend can be a good time for a visit to the shooting range. Yes, why not squeeze that in somewhere between Easter masses and Easter lunches? You’re doing it for your family, after all. Because someday you may need to rely on these skills in protecting your loved ones.
Before you pack your range bag and go, there’s something you need to decide. What are you working to improve in yourself? You should always train with a purpose. In the case of range shooting, you can choose to focus on accuracy, control, speed, quick reloads—or even shooting with your non dominant hand. Have a goal in mind when you prepare for range practice.
FIRST AID REFRESHER COURSE
Why not take a refresher for your first aid skills? Knowing what to do in an emergency medical situation is one of the essential tactical skills. It hits all the boxes—preparedness, resourcefulness, effectiveness, quick action, reliability and the protection of loved ones.
CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and rescue breathing are two important first aid skills. A refresher course should definitely include these skills in training. You’ll also want to practice applying bandages and dealing with wounds and bruises.
It’s also important to learn how to direct bystanders during an emergency. Knowing what words to say and what directives to issue. This requires both a cool demeanor and trained knowledge (which you may impart to others).
SELECTING TACTICAL GEAR FOR TRAINING
Here’s another good option for the weekend: Shopping! Stock up on new tactical gear. Replenish essential supplies and resources. Check in with local preppers to see if they have any advice. Drop by your regular tactical store and learn about the latest trends in tactical gear and training.
Then pick up some excellent tactical products. If you’re looking for a durable and functional backpack, you might want to check out the 14er Tactical Backpack. It’s sturdily made out of quality materials, and should hold up well on multiple outdoor adventures. It features a MOLLE system that provides modularity and customization. You can easily secure extra compartments and pouches on the exterior of the backpack, which readily increases your carrying capacity.
A 14er IFAK Pouch may be worth acquiring as well. You’ll want to be carrying an individual first kit, after all. Store these emergency medical supplies in the IFAK pouch, which can then be hooked to the hide of your backpack using the MOLLE webbing. This allows for speedy deployment of the emergency kit—just grab the pack on the side of the backpack and take out what you need!
So have a great Easter weekend, and don’t neglect your training!
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