Forest Preserves

One of the biggest hurdles that I have heard in regard to training, is the lack of outdoor opportunities for those in urban areas. But before I move forward, I want to address a point that seems to go overlooked by many in this community. While videos and pictures of training in the woods/mountains looks awesome, it is irrelevant for those in urban settings. If you are in a city, you should put more effort into learning the streets and alleys to maneuver undetected, rather than how to scale a mountain in full kit.

With that said, if you feel the need to train in the woods, forest preserves offer an opportunity.

-You may get an odd look or two, but walking through a forest preserve with a ruck does not set off any social alarms. And, if anyone asks, just say that you are prepping for hiking trip.

-Night in a forest preserve also offers a unique scenario being that most close at sunset, and have the occasional law enforcement patrolling main entrances and exits. If you are looking to test your ability to remain undetected, throw on your nods and try to reach a preplanned location within, and then exfil.

-I would not recommend attempting this with anything more than a concealed pistol as you do not want to put yourself in a dangerous situation. It should also go without saying that one should research the legal penalties for being caught.

As always, activities like these are best done with others. Reach out to a friend who enjoys hiking and plan a ruck over an upcoming weekend. Just because one may live in a city, does allow them to use the excuse that there are no opportunities to train. #FindYourHill