REPs to pREP

 

REPs (REPair, REPurpose, REPlenish, REPlace, REPetition) to pREP

The below discussion/examples include home, vehicle, pack but can be used for any situation by using your imagination.  I chose to use home/vehicle and pack because during any given time we spend the majority of our time in our home or vehicle and typically we have a pack in our vehicle or on an outing:  

REPair:  Sounds pretty obvious, but looking over your gear and ensuring it is serviceable and in good working order like maintaining your knives by sharpening, honing, stropping and oiling.  Is your clothing good to go or does it have holes or is it worn out, maintenance of equipment, oil changes for your vehicle, maintenance of your home (leaks, power, water heater etc), if you have a generator is it serviceable.   

REPurpose:  What gear do you have that is multi-use?  You have Meal Ready to Eat in your pack, what can you do with the heavy plastic bag it is wrapped in?  Most of the time we field strip them, losing a heavy duty plastic container, which can be used for water collection or collecting tinder/kindling and keeping it dry.  The boxes that the meal is in can be used as tinder material.  We are looking for multi-use items, like using a shovel as a pan to cook, and an axe to chop small wood and kindling for a fire. 

REPlenish:  A lot of folks keep bug out, go bags, everyday carry bags or whatever you want to label them as.  I often wonder how often do they use the items in it?  I have always been taught to train like you fight, so when you have items that you exhaust like consumables and perishables you have to replenish your supply prior to the mission.  Some examples in an outdoor setting are batteries, food, cordage, medical/medications (expired), tinder materials, Bic lighter fluid, matches, fatwood, charred materials and so on.  

REPlace:  Look for damaged/broken gear, bulbs for lights, irreparable items.  Some more considerations could be seasonal items, such as switching out to a lighter sleeping bag for summer, or a wool cap for winter.  Cutting tools (buck saw vice folding saw) axe for hatchet or large saw.  So many items can be switched out regardless of circumstances.  

REPetition: Simply do it over and over until you know exactly what is in your gear and it's state.  If you have never heard of the 5W's, you need to know them for your gear, who, what, when, where and why.  Create the muscle memory, so that you can get gear day/night without having to see it in the event you forgot to REPlenish your batteries, which of course you did not because you followed the REPlenish part.   

One last nugget that I hope helps you out:  Remember to INSPECT what you EXPECT!