Preparedness for when

nuatha

milasavesmoney wrote: »

I thought this would be a good list to look at for gauging skills needed for survival long term. Not every thing would be required but it's the start of an interesting list of what would be needed for a community of people to survive.

It strikes me as doable for a family (or a fairly dedicated individual)

Without having particularly aimed to do so from the prepping point of view I cover quite a few of those skills. Largely from having spent a chunk of my formative years on my grandparents smallholding - where its a lot easier to learn a skill than to buy it in. (Something that's often been true of my own life, though sometimes I'll learn a skill just because I'm stubborn)

What I can't do from that list:
Handricrafts
I don’t knit, used to crochet.
I don’t weld – spend too much time in eye hospitals as it is (and did so as a child with my father who regularly got welding flash or metal in his eyes)
I do rivet (hot and cold) and have pattern welded a sword, but that’s a forge skill not modern welding. (I seriously doubt I have the strength and stamina to pattern weld these days though)
Have made beeswax cloth

Livestock,
Assisted in birthing and resuscitating a few lambs but never sheared a sheep or learned how to spin the wool.
Have no idea about bees (and am prohibited from keeping them here)
Its too long since I handled hens, so we would probably need a major refresher.

Health – I’m burgered, I increasingly need a modern pharmaceutical and health service to function. though I can cope with first aid and have some herbal knowledge.

NewShadow

Great list. Very comprehensive.

I can do quite a few and can also make a knife from bar stock, smelt pewter, use a pole lathe, make riveted maille... never forged though. And you're right (as often) nuatha. Welding is horrible. I recommend learning to make adhesives/glues.

Think with some of these there's a risk of complacency.

I could cross a fair few of those off, but that doesn't mean I could cope in an emergency.

There's always something new to learn about what you already know.

Learn to make a lean-to or other wilderness shelter - depends on the environment and supplies, but I can probably muck something together.

Learn how to properly handle, shoot, and clean a gun - depends on the gun. I can do cannon and jezail, can probably figure most black powder, no idea about hand guns.

Learn to signal for help - I can do light in morse, can make something obvious as a static signal, no idea about flags.

Learn to navigate the wilderness (dessert, forest, inner city?) and find your way home - that would again depend on the environment. In the wilderness I'd probably head down hill, and if I hit water follow it. In the city, I've been known to knock on a door and ask directions. Desert... no idea. Travel at night?

Learn to find and purify water - Boil, water purification tablets, flowing water. In order of preference.

Learn to tie knots - I can tie my laces :cool:

Learn to store water long term (in canning jars?) - nope, no idea.

Learn to read a topography map - Yep. As long as I also have a compass (or I get turned about)

Learn basic first aid - Yep. But don't ask me to stitch you up unless you want to look like your dad's called frankenstein.

Learn how to stock a first aid kit - For what? A first aid kit on a boat would be different than for in a school, and different than for a chemical factory.


Plus... Learn how to get rid of rodents naturally (without poison) - Might I suggest this would be a little better (for our purposes) as "Learn how to minimise the effects of a range of pests and vermin in a variety of ways, including learning how to safely make and use poison"

mardatha

Crawling over to the chair and switching on the laptop, then reading this hive of activity and energy, now I think I'll crawl back to bed. If TSHTF now then take me gawd, I'm ready!

nuatha

NewShadow wrote: »

Great list. Very comprehensive.

I can do quite a few and can also make a knife from bar stock, smelt pewter, use a pole lathe, make riveted maille... never forged though. And you're right (as often) nuatha. Welding is horrible. I recommend learning to make adhesives/glues.

Invent an adhesive that replaces seam welding and you're going to be seriously wealthy before TSHTF, even if you get 10%ed by patent lawyers and venture capitalists etc.
I've made chain mail with butted links (kusari) but not Western riveted mail.
Bronze is fun for casting, I'd highly recommend trying it.

Think with some of these there's a risk of complacency.

I could cross a fair few of those off, but that doesn't mean I could cope in an emergency.

There's always something new to learn about what you already know.

Very true

Learn to make a lean-to or other wilderness shelter - depends on the environment and supplies, but I can probably muck something together.

Learn how to properly handle, shoot, and clean a gun - depends on the gun. I can do cannon and jezail, can probably figure most black powder, no idea about hand guns.

I couldn't produce the explosives for modern guns, though can reload from supplies. the rest is just maintenance, as proper with any tool.
If you can handle a jezail you can probably handle most personal firearms up to the modern cartridge era (which are generally far simpler to use) automatic systems are more faff cleaning and maintaining, but fairly straight forward.
Cannon is a black art to me.

Learn to signal for help - I can do light in morse, can make something obvious as a static signal, no idea about flags.

Learn to navigate the wilderness (dessert, forest, inner city?) and find your way home - that would again depend on the environment. In the wilderness I'd probably head down hill, and if I hit water follow it. In the city, I've been known to knock on a door and ask directions. Desert... no idea. Travel at night?

Signalling for help generally doesn't need complex messages. Learning semaphore or naval flag messaging requires that someone else can read the messages. Otherwise its simply flag waving (which will attract attention) and pretty colours
Can you find the Pole Star?, you can navigate by night (in fine cloud free weather) I've no idea what to use in the Southern hemisphere. ( personally I prefer a compass.)
Don't follow water too closely, it has a habit of cutting sharp vertical drops into the landscape. Generally I prefer ridges, following the flow of the valley system (which can also end in vertical drops)

Learn basic first aid - Yep. But don't ask me to stitch you up unless you want to look like your dad's called frankenstein.

Learn how to stock a first aid kit - For what? A first aid kit on a boat would be different than for in a school, and different than for a chemical factory.

I'd rather look like Frankenstein's creation than bleed to death. My embroidery is very rusty, but I promise not to try to petit point my suturing.
I presumed that was the point, stocking a first aid kit for the situation, otherwise you just follow a general stock list (and miss items you need for likely scenarios. Though if you use a stock list, I'd use a much older one - I've seen some that exclude eye baths, triangular bandages and even wound dressings.

Plus... Learn how to get rid of rodents naturally (without poison) - Might I suggest this would be a little better (for our purposes) as "Learn how to minimise the effects of a range of pests and vermin in a variety of ways, including learning how to safely make and use poison"

Given we've been trying to get rid of rodents for hundreds of years and are still loosing the war, I far prefer your suggestion to the original list.
Poison can be a very useful tool - just ask Socrates.

ivyleaf

You're not alone Mar, no hive of industry and energy here either, unless the second load of washing being on counts. (realised I'd run out of socks and comfy underwear )

greenbee

Break out the emergency jellybabies Mar!

I have no stairs. I'm hoping there will be some by bedtime.

Karmacat

mardatha wrote: »

Crawling over to the chair and switching on the laptop, then reading this hive of activity and energy, now I think I'll crawl back to bed. If TSHTF now then take me gawd, I'm ready!

Me too. Even reading is tiring me out, but I love what's being written.

elona

So far I have had breakfast, taken in two parcels and hung out a load of washing.

After that whirlwind of activity I am sitting down with my feet up for a few minutes before walking to the shop before they sell all the fresh rolls etc.

The builder s not coming round today but I just got a message that another parcel is on its way so need to watch out for it. I am hoping that getting the bungalow modernised and functional then sorting out all the boxes and knowing where things are will be a good start.
I can then begin to stock up on things like toiletries, tins of food, pasta, rice, noodles, herbs and spices etc when I see a good deal.

boultdj

Sounds like the emergency jelly babies won't be enough greenbee.
Hold on Mar,Karma and ivyleaf I'm breaking out the emergency chocolate :icotbaske:icotbaske:icotbaske:EasterBunleft over from after easter and the shops were selling 'em cheap.

milasavesmoney

Maybe margaritas for Mar?:D