Hello, my friend and welcome back! I spend a lot of time learning how to do new things and develop new skills for when it all falls apart. All too often I meet people who seem to think that prepping simply means storing up supplies and they completely ignore what will happen when their supplies run out. In today’s post, we’re going to look at this and what else a Prepper needs to be doing to prepare for SHTF. Grab a cup of coffee my friend and have a seat while we visit.
When it all falls apart and it all goes wrong, no matter what the cause, storing up supplies alone will ensure your survival in an SHTF world. You’re going to need skills that you would not ordinarily need in today’s everyday life, especially if you live in the city or the suburbs. What are these skills? Well, I’m glad you asked and here is a list of some of them and by no means all of them.
- Making water safe to drink. This is easily one of the most important. Just remember that all of those fancy water filters of yours will one day run out and become useless. You must know how to use the things found in nature to create safe drinking water if you’re ever going to survive long term.
- Knowing how to build a shelter is another important skill we all need. That home or building you will be staying in will not last forever and you may be lucky enough to get another from the abandoned homes in the area, but there is no guarantee.
- How to build a fire in the forest or anywhere else for that matter including in the rain.
- You will need to know how to both Hunt and fish and this is not something you can learn from a book. You have to go out and do it to learn it. This includes cleaning and butchering whatever you kill correctly.
These are the basic skills that most Preppers have, but they alone will not save you. There are other skills which are just as important, yet never seem to get the attention on Prepper sites they deserve. Here are a few.
- Farming – Oh sure you may have helped your spouse plant a few flowers in the front yard, or maybe even grown a Tomato plant or 2 in pots in your backyard. This is not the same at all as what I’m talking about. Do you know when to plant each type of vegetable you have seeds for? Do you know how you can tell when you might get an extra fall crop in? Do you know how to harvest wheat and separate the grain from the chaff or how to turn it into flour? There is a lot more to growing food than you realize and without it you’re basically doomed.
- Welding is another skill that is often overlooked, yet it will be a vital skill to have when the time comes. Machines break and someone has to know how to put them back together. This is one that many of you will say that you have no way to learn, but that’s not true. Welding is relatively easy and is kind of like sewing with fire. All it takes is a little practice. If you don’t have access to a welding machine, try visiting your local welding shops. Most will be happy to show you how and let you practice on some old scrap metal they have lying around if you can convince them that you really want to learn.
- Making Penicillin from scratch and other medicine found in nature. This skill will be essential and also produces good bartering material should you need it. Disease’s that have been wiped out a long time ago will reappear and people will die by the thousand and possibly millions without clean water and medicine. Don’t depend on others to know how to do it, take the time to learn now.
- Wood Working is a skill that has been vital all through history and is a skill that each and every Prepper should know. Most of already do, but many don’t and it’s for that reason I have added it here. Learn how our ancestors built things without the aid of nail, but still, add a lot of nails to your Preps for good measure.
Well, this list could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. There are a lot of skills that you really need to learn and practice if you are actually going to survive when it all goes bad. Think outside of the box and then get out there and learn how to do them. Just remember that you will only have one chance to get it right, so do it while you still can. Well, that’s it for today and I hope you have enjoyed today’s post, so until next time, stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared. God Bless America!
-Sarge-
Hi Sarge,
“Farming” is one of those skills I’ve been working on for the past few years. As you say, there’s more to it than growing a couple of tomatoes in pots. I’ve been trying to work on skills at growing survival foods (corn, beans, potatoes, etc.) rather than luxury items. Herbs are nice, but they don’t have much for calories.
If the S ever hits the fan, I want to be up to speed on how to grow real food. The first few years have had their failures and setbacks. Post-S hitting fan is a bad time to go through the failures and setbacks.
— Mic