SKILLS

[Silent Earth]

SKILLS

I think / believe that it is prudent for preppers AND their family members to be STRONGLY encouraged to pick up as many skills, certificates and licences as possible in subjects they are INTERESTED in.

Yes before we start we all know everyone in our groups must know how to shoot a pistol / rifles, do first aid, start a camp fire etc that’s a given as they say in the US.

But Spouses, Kids, Group members realistically should have INTERESTS and HOBBIES that they are encouraged to explore / learn / master in greater depth.

Reconnaissance and Report making skills ( NO the Impi, Soviets or Apaches are coming over the hill is not enough)

Car licence? YUP, but how about a 4x4 skill and competency course?

What about Motorcycle / Quad/ Skidoo skills?

What about trailer loading skills

Trailer USING skills

Vehicle maintenance and repair / Winching/ Wheel changing / Puncture repair.

If you cannot STICK SHIFT you cannot REALLY drive

What about a Truck / semi licence or lessons

What about SAILING lessons, Boating licence, Light Aircraft licence

How about mastering cheap microlights, paragliders, gyrocopters

Canoeing / kayaking skills

Don’t forget Maritime and Aviation BASIC navigation as well as overland Nav skills (especially dense forest and desert nav if necessary)

First aid

Chainsaw use

Abseiling ? rappelling?

Cooking

Doing laundry without power or a machine

HORSE riding ??

Computer use

Basic domestic electrical repair skills 220 and 110 and 12vdc

Basic carpentry joiner.


Merkin, Viking, Boer or fabulously good looking Brit its our duty to ensure our family group constantly picks up as many useful skills as we can.

 

[lonewolf]

indeed, post SHTF it will be skills and the knowledge to use those skills that will ensure that we survive and thrive in the new circumstances.

 

[jimLE]

good points there raider.just like being able to go out and hunting.to skining n cleaning animals to put meat on the table is very important.so is those other skills..the more a person knows and capable of doing.the better off they are in knowledge and abilties..

 

[Maverick]

Two of the most overlooked skills within the survival/prepping community is the art of navigation and various types of knots and it's uses, unfortunately both have become loss in the high tech jungle.

 

[jimLE]

true..i learned a new knot a few days ago,when i made some tie backs for some curtains..i grew up in the country.so i became pretty good at navigation in the woods.but yet.i still need to improve on both..

 

[Silent Earth]

What has often scared the crap out of me with client groups and families of preppers is when they proudly point out " Dad is the one who hunts for food in our plans," or Bill is the groups Medic , and Joe is the Groups radio operator, this is Mike who repairs all our vehicles, and Josh here is our groups expedition navigator.

I usually respond by putting the folks through a few scenarios in response EG

OK So Dad takes ill or breaks his leg and cannot hunt, so which of you will take over?
or

Whilst bugging out Bill has a heart attack / Joe falls off the roof and breaks his neck Mike doesn't turn up when the Bug Out signal is sent and the Navigator Josh gets captured by the feds.

So who takes over with sufficient skills to do the jobs when your single skill expert is killed, lost, dead or missing.

 

[jimLE]

exactly.at least 3 ppl for each trade/skill.and each of them,teach others what they know.

 

[lonewolf]

what if your group is less than 3??

 

[Maverick]

We have a good group within our family that be up on the property, 4 of us are combat vets 2 that are triage nurses, 1 heavy mechanic 1 mechanic and fabricator, 1 mineralogist we all hunt and fish, we all garden, we all work with and raise live stock, the grandkids are superb with live stock, in large we are pretty diverse and can pretty much fill in any gaps that we may encounter. Just hope to never test that assumption.

 

[psalm 7]

NR I think you have bested yourself with this one .
As a kid growing up a big part of your above list was how I ran and played passing the time in the TN Countryside .
Except Im not a horse fan and struggle with backing a trailer

 

[Maverick]

what if your group is less than 3??

As long as one of them is name Jack they should be fine

 

[lonewolf]

will Jane do instead??Shoot

 

[Maverick]

Why not

 

[lonewolf]

hell, she knows more about the countryside than I ever will (countrygirl, herdswoman) and i'm learning every day!!

 

[Silent Earth]

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
— Robert Heinlein

A prepper should be comfortable in the city and in the woods, competent with vehicles and animals, skilled with weapons and medical skills, be able to navigate with and without GPS / Compass, stay warm when its cold - stay cool when its warm, be able to ride a bike, sail a boat or trot a horse.

 

[Maverick]

I delivered 3 of my kids 2 at home and I changed all the kids diapers, a dad has to be a nurse to, no shame in that and I'm the primary cook oh and I wash dishes too

 

[jimLE]

what if your group is less than 3??

find more ppl? lol

 

[Joe SA]

Two of the most overlooked skills within the survival/prepping community is the art of navigation and various types of knots and it's uses, unfortunately both have become loss in the high tech jungle.

App available on GooglePlayStore called "Useful Knots" probably very basic but a usefull start.

 

[Maverick]

hell, she knows more about the countryside than I ever will (countrygirl, herdswoman) and i'm learning every day!!

Husbandry is an asset and should be included in the skill list

 

[Maverick]

App available on GooglePlayStore called "Useful Knots" probably very basic but a usefull start.

Though books are better I tend to tell people to stay away from digital media, when the power is out during a storm makes for the best time to practice with knots kind of hard to do if everything is in a digital format

 

[Joe SA]

Very true, thats why i like to make hard copies of all pdf manuals, i laminate each page so as to make them more durable over the long term, but the best place to store them is right between the ears. [emoji6]

 

[Silent Earth]

When preppers SHOULD be concerned / unhappy is when

When they are on any type of Public transport ( ship, airliner, train, tube, tram, bus etc)
When they are unarmed but others at the same place are armed
When they cannot see a suitable escape route
When their BOB is more than 30 yards away
When in a structure that prohibits the carry of Guns, Knives, Lighters and Flashlights
Where there are crowds
Where government officials are trying to control an event / area
In any building more than two floors high or two floors underground
In a "hood" where the prepper is part of the ethnic minority group
When in a situation where the prepper cannot control the situation.

 

[jimLE]

App available on GooglePlayStore called "Useful Knots" probably very basic but a usefull start.

on my nook color,i have one called knots 3D.and it has 94 knots listed on it.but yet.some might be repeats.on account some knots has more then one name to it..

 

[Maverick]

I have my library listings posted somewhere here of some very useful books but I'm using tapatalk and not the computer at the moment.

 

[Joe SA]

On the mechanical side, i try to get hold of the maintenance manual the mechanics are trained with for the specific piece of equipment, be it a chain saw or a brush cutter or motorbike, fixed up my old lawnmower three times, new piston rings, the lot, stripped it down to bare bones, used a lot of very ugly words but pushed through, so one more step closer to fixing things, one more skill added. Just keep at it.