Skills

Discussion in 'Mental Preparedness' started by TexDanm, Oct 2, 2019.

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  1. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    After the initial collapse, things are going to settle down. I anticipate a world somewhat similar to 17th-century level technology with several major exceptions. We have knowledge that was not available in the 17th century in areas of medicine and mechanical devices. What we won't have at first though is the horses and beasts of burden that they had. If for any reason tractors and trucks are not available that is going to make a major dent in our ability to "farm" until we replace those things with new machines or trained animals.

    There will be a need for a lot of skills that were at one time pretty common that are not now common. These are things that over time we will want or need to f=develop them for our selves or find someone to do them for us. Learning some of these skills now can make things easier for you if things do fall and in a post-collapse world, they may become career choices that will place you well above the average in that future.

    I think that a list of skills that would be worthwhile might be good so here is my start on that list. Please add any that you think will be good to have.

    List of skills that will be worthwhile in a post-apocalyptic world.

    Fire making
    Gardening
    Canning and other food preserving techniques
    Cooking camp style
    Butchering
    Fishing
    Hunting
    Wild plant identification and gathering for food
    Old School Herbal medicines and how to gather and make them
    First Aid
    Chemistry
    Water finding and purifying
    Animal breaking and training
    Veterinary knowledge
    Shooting
    Fighting
    Leather tanning
    Leatherworking
    Harness Making
    Braiding & Plaiting
    Shoe and boot repair and making
    Sewing
    Spinning
    Weaving
    Knitting and Crochet
    Carpentry
    Mechanics
    Basket Weaving
    Construction
    Gunsmithing
    Forge work
    Blacksmithing
    Country Style engineering
    Tracking
    Camouflage
    Stalking
    Musical Ability
    Story Telling
    Drawing and Painting
    Wood Carving
    Tatting and knotting
     
  2. randyt

    randyt Master Survivalist
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    some parts of the world there are a lot of horses. The ability to harness break them will be the weak link.

    A couple more that some that some consider important is clergy and undertaking
     
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  3. TexDanm

    TexDanm Shadow Dancer
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    You are right. In the old days, there were several things that every little village had. They had a Church, a Funeral Parlor, a Blacksmith, a Merchant, a Doc of some sort, and a Bar so I might add Distilling and brewing alcoholic beverages.
     
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  4. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    · Flint & steel fire lighting

    · Wet weather fire lighting

    · Fire-bow fire lighting

    · Flintlock fire lighting

    · Flintlock use, service & repair

    · Marksmanship with either gun or bow.

    · Field dressing & butchering game

    · Blade sharpening

    · Tomahawk throwing

    · Making rawhide

    · Brain tanning

    · Primitive shelter construction

    · How to stay warm in winter with only one blanket

    · Cordage manufacture

    · Moccasin construction and repair

    · Sewing

    · Axe and tomahawk helve making

    · Fishing

    · Hunting

    · Evasion

    · Tracking

    · Reading sign

    · Woods lore

    · Navigation

    · Primitive trap construction & trapping

    · Open fire cooking

    · Fireplace construction

    · Clothing manufacture

    · Drying meat & other foods

    · Knowledge of plant tinders & preparation

    · Knowledge of native foods & preparation

    · Knowledge of native plants in the area and their uses for other than tinder and food.

    · Scouting/Ranging.

    · Basic first aid.

    · Finding and treating water.

    · General leather work.

    Keith.
     
  5. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    My crippled son is learning to weld.

    If he wants/needs equipment, I'll find some way to buy it for him.

    Nobody post-SHTF is going to buy jack sh## new. Those with the most repair skills will be sitting pretty ... especially if they've got God-fearing backup killers. I know who I'd like on my six o'clock. He's dangerous and that's a good thing. We're both cut from the same cloth.
     
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  6. Pragmatist

    Pragmatist Master Survivalist
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    Good morning all,

    1. Situational Awareness and liaison; A bit after the dust settles down ,.. some people are seen walking nearby. Are these people going to be avoided ? ... What if they approach ? Know about "de - escalation" type of conversation so as to minimize or eliminate confrontations, however small and minor. Trade or give some type of trinkets or food to induce them to meander away ? Situational awareness must incorporate watching for and avoiding intro of disease. If time permits, read a summary of Captains Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. Not too much is new under the Sun.

    2. Administrative Management; Any specific arrangements to watch the "campground - new homestead" 24/7 ? Who's good with the night vision ? Who's the early riser ? Who can best handle routine monotony ? Recall third grade teacher Miss Lee or Miss Cook ... any of the old time knowledgeable ones ... round, square and triangle pegs into correct slots on pegboard. Think this out and discuss/develop prior to the lightning storm. If time permits, read some summaries about the WWII partisans living in the eastern European forests.

    3. A jail or a quarantine area - if - there is someone (plural, too) having the original authority to exercise public health matters, public safety and security.

    4. Weather knowledge as a specific field to know about. When the banker hands out umbrellas, it will be dry and clear weather.
     
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  7. lonewolf

    lonewolf Societal Collapse Survivalist. Staff Member
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    most people will not have the skills, knowledge and certainly the attitude to survive in a pre industrialisation type environment.
    its fairly easy to adapt to a simple agrarian lifestyle but most will not have the ability to do so.
    going from a 21st century IT based lifestyle to one based on food production will be impossible for most of the population.
     
  8. Brownbear

    Brownbear Master Survivalist
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    I do think that preparing for a simple agrarian society (with living standards and practices c17th century) is one of the best forms of prepping.
     
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  9. lonewolf

    lonewolf Societal Collapse Survivalist. Staff Member
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    in past times when a society collapsed, as they all do eventually, the survivors were able to access their daily needs by their own physical labour and simply sit back and wait for "civilisation" to arise again- no matter how long that took, most people these days will not be able to do so as they are relying on a system which will collapse if there is a simple delay or hitch in the delivery programme, if it stops for good then most people have no plan B.
     
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  10. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    Big dichotomy here in USA, geographic linked with cultural.

    We are all familiar with urban / suburban population being very dependent.

    Where I live is different. A lot of America, geographically NOT population-wise, is like this. As I drive through my small town, I pass homes with gardens, right and left. Our home-owners' lumber yards/hardware/garden stores are huge and well supplied. They sell-out when garden-planting season arrives -- people buying this'n'thats, like fertilizer. People have compost piles, yet there's something to shop for usually. Peripheral to such towns like this is agriculture and national forest going on for miles, hundreds of miles. This is east of the Mississippi, out west and in our breadbasket regions, make that number thousands of miles. At factories further south, the women workers would show up for 2nd shift tired because they had worked agriculture during the day.

    This phenomenon is one among many reasons that the USA is a politically divided nation. We are two separate peoples.
     
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  11. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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  12. lonewolf

    lonewolf Societal Collapse Survivalist. Staff Member
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    #80-85% of the British population is urban/city based with 21st century attitudes, no time or inclination for gardening/food growing, most don't cook from fresh-haven't got the time- they nuke everything in a microwave, usually convenience pre processed meals.
    I'm convinced that most wont have a hope in hell of surviving "the big one".
    # 55.5 million people.
     
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  13. Morgan101

    Morgan101 Legendary Survivalist
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    IMHO Teaching will be a critical skill. There will not be a school system. We will revert back to the one room school house. Somebody or some group of somebodies is going to have to teach the new generation all of these skills, as well as the old ones; Readin', Writin'; and Rithmetic. Not just which button to push on a computer; with pencils, and paper, slide rules, and compasses. Does anybody even have any of these anymore?
     
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  14. lonewolf

    lonewolf Societal Collapse Survivalist. Staff Member
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    forget the 3R 's people will be taught by example, by watching and then doing.
    they will be taught what they need to stay alive, to survive.
    every available person will be needed to put food on the table.
    I doubt anything will be written down, it will be an oral tradition like it was in ancient times, who's going to be making the paper to write on? and what with-lumps of charcoal?
    everything will be reduced to a basic hand to mouth existence, anything else wont be possible.
     
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  15. poltiregist

    poltiregist Legendary Survivalist
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    The first thing I noticed when I stepped off the plane in Nam was the peculiar smell . The entire country had that smell . When the die off begins the entire planet will be entombed will the smell of rotting corpses for months .
     
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  16. Morgan101

    Morgan101 Legendary Survivalist
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    There will be a lot of apprenticeship, and people will learn by watching no doubt. If you don't write things down you will stay in the dark ages forever. How far back do you want to go? The Dead Sea Scrolls? The Egyptians? The Minoans? All found a way to write things down, and preserve them. I think we just disagree a little bit on how far back in time we believe we will go, and how quickly mankind will rebuild itself after a disaster.
     
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  17. Pragmatist

    Pragmatist Master Survivalist
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    Good afternoon Lone Wolf,

    Writing will be possible.

    All cannot directly contribute to the food - water efforts, eg the injured, the sick, the elderly.

    This crowd will be doing the scribe work ... at least that's what the historical record shows.

    In my BOB is a note / writing kit. At normal consumption rates, I exhaust my sour mash bourbon supplies well prior to my all weather writing paper and field pens.
     
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  18. Sonofliberty

    Sonofliberty Master Survivalist
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    That map is not right. Or, I should say it is over simplified to a very large degree.
     
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  19. Old Geezer

    Old Geezer Legendary Survivalist
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    It is very crude, the map.

    What I wished to illustrate is that in the U.S. you have most states having an agricultural industry, then on the bank of a river or on it's sea coast, POOF!, there's a huge city.

    Every state has the dichotomy of rural and urban. Even the individual states are divided culturally, urban vs. rural.

    The rural folk are FAR more self-sufficient. The urbanites expect the rural folk to keep providing them with food even though they have little respect for rural folk.
     
  20. watcherchris

    watcherchris Legendary Survivalist
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    I think at a basic level you are correct about that Olde Geezer.


    Looking at a number of maps over the years...it becomes clear that cities and towns sprouted up and often along rivers wherein commerce was easily conducted. Or at a crossroads on land where commerce was more easily facilitated. Therein people found it advantageous to live in the conduct of commerce...wherein goods and services could be delivered, shipped, and exchanged. And thus cities and towns came into being at those locations.

    And as railroads came into being it became very important to have railroads into these towns and cities even port cities on the oceans and or along rivers.

    And again when truck and automobile traffic became common place....this too was added to the mix to facilitate commerce...and rapidly expanded these cities and towns..


    This seems to be true not only in the USA But many places around the world.

    My mothers people...migrated from the country to Frankfurt, Germany...which is on the River Mein. It is obvious that Frankfurt was a place on the river Mein wherein commerce was more easily conducted...and going back in time... for centuries. And this applies to many many cities world wide.

    London on the Thames river also comes to mind.

    Thanks,
    Watcherchris
    Not an Ishmaelite.
     
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  21. Pragmatist

    Pragmatist Master Survivalist
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    Good morning Watcherchris,

    Ref: "... important to have railroads ... even port cities";

    Closer to home, ... a clear example of this is West Point, Virginia. I forgot the specifics of the example involving the dates but up to around the Great War, Part I, West Point was the Chesapeake Bay's most inland city that could accommodate ocean-going vessels that also had a rail-head for onward transport of the ocean cargo.
     
  22. lonewolf

    lonewolf Societal Collapse Survivalist. Staff Member
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  23. Dalewick

    Dalewick Legendary Survivalist
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    Something I didn't see listed but I consider a essential skill after a TEOTWAWKI event is Foundry worker (being able to melt metal and created usable items by casting them. Machinist also makes the list as you want to finish those pieces you cast. Melting and working metals such as aluminum, zinc (pot metal), brass and bronze isn't that difficult and can be done with charcoal, coal or gas. Just a thought.
     
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  24. watcherchris

    watcherchris Legendary Survivalist
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    Pragmatist...




    I had to think about this for awhile ...but remembered something ….

    Here at the Shipyard on the James River....,we often see ships going up river to Hopewell and such places. ..and through the James River Bridge.

    While they tend to be full sized hulls...they also tend to be a bit shorter in length than full ocean going vessels. They are indeed capable of going out on the blue water ocean but the shortness is for the ability to turn around in the narrows of the James River upstream at Hopewell.....not for ocean going reasons.

    I suspect it is the same pattern up at West Point and shorter ships to be able to turn around in the narrows of the river...but they are indeed ocean going vessels.

    And I am sure this is also done in other rivers where the ships must traverse upstream for such lengths.


    Thanks for reminding me,
    Watcherchris

    Not an Ishmaelite
     
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  25. Duncan

    Duncan Master Survivalist
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    Ever since we moved here Dawn and I have been taking courses at CSI (the College of Southern Idaho). Tuition is free for seniors; all you have to do is pay a lab fee if the course requires it. So far, I've taken two anthropology courses and two geology courses, but this next semester I've signed up for a welding course. I've never taken one before, but it always seemed like a fun and perhaps an important skill. I have soldered electronic components and sweated a couple of pipes; hopefully I'll be able to pick it up.
     
    1. Dalewick
      If you have a steady hand and can draw lines of little circles or zig zags, you've got this.
       
      Dalewick, Oct 25, 2019
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    2. TMT Tactical
      Tack before running bead. Welding is fun and a nice skill to have.
       
      TMT Tactical, Oct 25, 2019
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  26. Duncan

    Duncan Master Survivalist
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    If you burn books for warmth, you'd better get someone to teach you and your kids flint knapping.
    My children and their children will build a new civilization.
     
  27. Dalewick

    Dalewick Legendary Survivalist
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    Flint knapping is a lot of fun. As well as a non organized way to be a blood donor. LOL! I have a love/hate relationship with obsidian. I love to work it and hate all the cuts I get. LOL!

    Dale
     
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  28. Justin Baker

    Justin Baker Expert Member
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    This thread is so full of good, useful knowledge! I'd like to add a good herbal mapping ability or note taking to the list of necessary skills. I use this map, and I always have a notebook and pencil/pen near me.
     

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  29. Snyper

    Snyper Master Survivalist
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    Welding is lots of fun.
    It's amazing what a good TIG welder can do.
    I prefer "stick" over MIG though.
     
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