If you are thinking of learning survival skills or how to get “back to the land” and live sustainable, close to Mother Nature, then the NC Mountains is a great place to do. Among fun things to do in NC Mountains, learning how or experiencing getting back to the land ranks high on many people’s bucket lists. Here are some great places to learn about and experience getting back to the land in western North Carolina.

Learn Survival Skills or Things to Do in NC Mountains to Get Back to the Land

Carolina Readiness Supply is located at 72 Montgomery Street in Waynesville, North Carolina. It is one of many outlets catering to survivalists, doomsday preppers and people who in general want to be prepared for disasters, such as extreme weather events. Carolina Readiness says its goal is “to keep our community informed on the ‘how to’ of readiness planning while supplying quality goods and services to meet those needs.” In addition to survival products, the company offers a selection of books and survival training events. Currently scheduled are Heritage Life Skills VIII, on April 12th-14th, 2019 at the Folkmoot Center. This event will include classes in important survival skills, including: Canning Meat, Vegetables, Butter and Jam; Wine Making 101; Cold Smoke Meat Preservation, Survival Groups, Bread Making, Cheese Making and much more. Signing up early will net you a discount for this event, for which speakers will be announced later. Past events sponsored by Carolina Readiness Supply included “Sensible Mountain Preparedness Seminar” at Haywood Community College Auditorium in Clyde, NC. Speakers included Paul Williams, MD, author of “When All Plans Fail” and Tina Wilson, who teaches “SHTF Herbal Recipes, Tinctures & Salves,” among several other well-known area specialists. If you miss the April event, don’t worry, they hold them at various times throughout the year – just check the website for the next scheduled event. Call 828.456.5310 for more information.

Nantahala Outdoor Center offers Wilderness Survival School, which teaches survival skills classes and gives hands-on training of how to survive in the NC Backcountry. Billed as the nation’s biggest and best outfitter,” Nantahala Outdoor Center is the largest outdoor recreation center in the country, with a host of fun things to do in NC Mountains related to getting back to the land. They offer (among many other things) whitewater rafting, guiding activities such as fishing or hiking, a leadership institute for wilderness medicine and river rescue. Their focus is more on fun outdoor recreation rather than doomsday prepping, but the skills learned can be applied to both.

Fun Things to do in NC Mountains for Preppers: Read Prepping Blogs

You may also want to visit WNC Preppers Network. This is a blog by survivalist-minded people in the Western North Carolina region. The blog covers topics such as how to purify water to “one month in a box” – which is a list of food items to include in a box to survive on for one month in event of a disaster.

One of the best ways to learn how to live off the land and survive is simply to speak to the elders in your own community and family. The offer a wealth of knowledge that the younger generations have lost. Appalachian culture is rich in wisdom and tradition, which originated as survival skills for these hardy mountain people.

A Maggie Valley Motel Near Survival Skills Training & Readiness Centers

Meadowlark Motel is set in the heart of Maggie Valley, in the center of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and just minutes from Waynesville and the Carolina Readiness Supply. Located on a scenic rushing mountain creek, Meadowlark offers spacious cabins, cottages and guest rooms – many with jetted tubs, microwaves and refrigerators. Take advantage of their free Wi-Fi and Continental breakfast. They like to make you feel right at home here, with fun activities like Friday night family nights, free Saturday night cookouts for guests, wine and local craft beer tastings, music by local musicians, in-room spa services and more. You might even want to plan a group event in their large outdoor pavilion with a full kitchen. Call 828-926-1717 for more information. Visit the website at www.meadowlarkmotel.com.

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Photo by Luke Porter on Unsplash

Additional Resources

Blue Ridge Outdoors, Survival Guide: 10 Essential Skills for the Blue Ridge Back County