Overlooked skills? | TheaterFire

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elitodd@reddit

Sanitation, management of human waste, traditional medicine/care when drugs aren’t available.

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Aggravating_Lab_9218@reddit

Training animals as long term power. Not just horses and dogs. Maybe critters on a wheel hooked to a dynamo to charge small batteries as their daily exercise pattern, humans there or not.

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Someone who knows how to care for the old people, children,disable and pregnants(even delivering babies), and more importantly has enough sense of responsibility and kindness to take care of them————this is a rare type of professional.

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Aggravating_Lab_9218@reddit

As a professional caregiver, there is also the unspoken look between us when we know the situation for the patient is hopeless. And how to prepare others for a loss. I imagine this will be an endurance exercise for some depending on who is affected where and when.

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BiddySere@reddit

Sewing, by hand

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Aggravating_Lab_9218@reddit

And sewing different materials. Cotton fabric is not the same as upholstery is not the same as body parts.

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Last_Heather@reddit

I can sew by hand. I really want to learn to use a sewing machine but I'm clumsy. I've heard too many horror stories and have had some serious piercings (and injuries) that keep me from that needle! 🤣

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GigabitISDN@reddit

Soft skills. If you can't get along with people, if you can't lead (and if you can't follow), if you can't know when to compromise and when to stick to your guns, then you're in for a bad time.

Soft skills let your technical skills shine. Maybe you're the best gunsmith ever to walk the Earth but if you're a condescending jackoff, the second best gunsmith is going to take all your customers.

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AshMendoza1@reddit

Yep. I've met some incredibly smart people that provided valuable services/knowledge to me, but my god, sometimes there's no amount of value someone can bring to the table that'll outmatch the sheer incompatibility between certain personalities. In a situation where interpersonal relationships are key, being friendly might just save your ass (and the people around you too).

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RepulsiveYard4320@reddit

Wait, there are actually gunsmiths who aren’t condescending jackoffs? 🤯

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dirt-daddy-9407@reddit

Few, and far between. You have gold if you can find one.

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Lethalmouse1@reddit

According to a leadership study any IQ point over 120 is detrimental to you're ability to rise in a society.

So, a good prep might be any intelligence limiting drugs. Like that dude in House that took the DXM.

So, if you are smart, the skill of being dumb might be valuable. Lol.

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monty845@reddit

Very much this. While there are lots of valuable skills, tons of stuff can either be taught or lead by a one or two people who have those skills.

But things like being able to follow orders, being reliable, knowing when to shut up, not stirring up trouble, building respect for yourself from those you work with...

There are a lot of people who have gotten away with not doing those things. Toxic people are going to get weeded out. And unless you have the most rare and valuable skills, like being a surgeon, your skills aren't going to force them to put up with your bullshit if you are one of those toxic people.

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Alamohermit@reddit

This is the way.

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silvrtuftdshriekr@reddit

Fixing shoes and clothes.

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Greywolfuu@reddit

Being able to survive I guess 😅

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auntbea19@reddit

Knot tying and best application in different situations

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BraveArse@reddit

Very overlooked. And useful to know already.

I'll add to that, knowing how to make rope in the first place.

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Spectres_N7@reddit

Being able to deal with bugs and creepy-crawlies.

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silasmoeckel@reddit

Chemistry, including how to source various things.

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ninjadude1992@reddit

I was blown away when I learned that some blood banking reagents are just the essence of plants. ulex europaeus is actually kinda pretty and detects H substance on Red blood cells

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RoseIsBlossoming@reddit

Are you an MLS?

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ninjadude1992@reddit

Yep! It was a good 4 year degree and I got a job before I graduated, I recommend it.

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RoseIsBlossoming@reddit

Im an MLT and applying for my bridge program. I just graduated in December. So funny to find another in the wild, and here of all places 😅

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ninjadude1992@reddit

Yea it's super rare to meet another in the wild

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Ok-Requirement-Goose@reddit

Do you perchance have a recommended herbalism book for creating reagents?

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bl00m00n09@reddit

Watch Dr. Stone, got it /s

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Cavemanjoe47@reddit

Get excited!

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Daedalus81@reddit

lol I didn't expect this in a prepper thread

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Cavemanjoe47@reddit

It's a good show for nerdy peppers who grew up with survivalist tendencies.

I'm all for trapping, myself. Not picture wire on a squirrel pole or making bird lime like in all those trash survival books, but full-on steel traps and snares. A 330 conibear trap will kill a 60+lb beaver just as quickly as a 10-lb raccoon, and last for at least your lifetime. Lots of meat can be had for $25-ish dollars a trap that way, and no need to dispatch & make noise collecting, either. Footholds are another thing, but if you live close to water, getting a few conibears (body grip traps) would be good peace of mind if you learn how to use them. Hell, a 110 is only about $5, too, and they work great on squirrels, chipmunks, and other smaller animals.

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funatical@reddit

Already doing that. What other anime will help prepare me? Solo Leveling taught me to hide my powers until I can call on an army of the undead. Super useful.

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Balderdash79@reddit

Small engines.

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JamesRawles@reddit

Ain't got no gas in it!

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Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)

Unless you have oil reserves and the equipment to drill and refine your own which I guarantee 99% of preppers don’t, the way I picture it we’re gonna get thrown back to colonial era levels of tech at some point because even batteries and solar break down over time, it’s not a permanent solution

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Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)

Granted solar might last you 20-30ish years but an array won’t last long enough (assuming 20s to 30s here) for your grandkids to get any benefit of it, I see solar as a intermediate power solution

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ToughPillToSwallow@reddit

I honestly have a hard time believing that a chine made solar panel array will last very long when it’s actually needed. My focus is on surviving without electricity instead.

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Balderdash79@reddit

True.

I live on a sailboat. Been living on sailboats for most of a decade. Anchored our, all solar.

Speaking from my own experience, after a few years the performance begins to degrade.

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hope-luminescence@reddit

Is the degradation after 30 years actually a cliff, or is it gradual?

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Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)

So let’s up it to 50 years down the road a panel would be 26.5-51% defunct and with production being between 60-75% that would drop you on to absolutely best case (highly improbable) 48.5% slightly more realistic drop being 24%, but more realistic low end sun 9%…. Basically best case 48.5% worst 9% assuming you have a kid right before SHTF by the time they reach 50 those panels are gonna be virtually useless as even large 550w panels could be as low as 49.5w per hour.

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Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)

Also for reference 49.5w would be like a small fan or a few led bulbs for a giant 7.4x 3.7ft panel

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Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)

Conclusion your lifetime might be smart to go for, long term more than just your lifetime and possibly kids lifetime not as smart

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Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)

Panels output degrades overtime gradually. Regardless if stored in a box, out and just not used, or being used. It won’t be completely useless but. Monocrystals regarded as one of the best can degrade anywhere from .5% to 1% per year with typical a 2% drop the first year from production. So within 10 years you can drop 6.5-11% efficiency, 20 years would be a 11.5-21% efficiency, 30 years would be 16.5-31% drop. Now you will hardly ever produce the actual wattage the panels are advertised for even if you got one right off the assembly line and hooked it up, you gotta account for peak sun, weather conditions, and clouds/smoke. Which breaks down to roughly 60-75% during daylight and peak sun hours (assuming no clouds and shade) of the advertised wattage, so tacking say we’re being nice and 75% output potential on a 30yo panel dropping it an additional 31% for the age your getting 44% on peak sun, it won’t be completely useless but good luck expanding stuff. Also regardless of storage method since we don’t know when SHTF will happen, you could end up with even less 30 years into SHTF. This also isn’t accounting if damage happens as well.

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flortny@reddit

Of course it will, it just won't produce as much, the solar panels from Jimmy Carter's white house are still producing over 70%.

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SnooMarzipans4304@reddit

Look up wood gas, in ww2 allies ran truck on wood gas because of fuel shortages.

Here's a bus in London running on wood gas.

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Hakkaa_Paalle@reddit

By the end of WW2, there were nearly 1 million wood gas in use worldwide to deal with shortages of gasoline and other fossil fuels. Automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, buses, ships and trains were adapted. It only took minor changes to adapt existing internal combustion engines to wood burning fuel rather than fossil fuels. The gas generator apparatus, tanks, pipes, etc could added to existing vehicles.

In 1957, Volvo sponsored a Swedish project to give their country the ability to quickly switch to wood gas generators as they have no stores or sources of oil but hundreds of miles of forests.

A wood gas vehicle seems more practical from the point of finding or making fuel than an ethanol or biodiesel solution. Easier to find wood or trees than to ferment crops into ethanol (and you will need those crops to feed people and/or livestock).

"You can go around the world with a saw and an axe." John Dutch.

Short article with explanations and photos of many converted vehicles. https://itshistoria.com/social-history/wood-gas/

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leicanthrope@reddit

Why bother with guns unless you know how to make black powder for the musket you made from scratch? Temporary solutions help you survive long enough to worry about the generational solutions.

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Open-Attention-8286@reddit

driveonwood.com for ways to run an engine without petroleum-based fuels.

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Forrestocat@reddit

Small engines may be critically important in the first few months of a major event

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Spinweavecycle@reddit

Spinning wool and cotton, weaving cloth, preparing fleece for spinning, sewing.

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thereptar44@reddit

Being able to do nothing

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GettinReadyForIt@reddit

Tree felling.

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2eggs1stone@reddit

I'm surprised I haven't seen this further up. Fire is the most important thing (IMO) in a shtf scenerio. You'll need to have a fire if you want to cook food, boil water, survive through winter without electricity or gas. Like let's be honest, if you have electricty and gas, it's not a shtf scenario.

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Real_FakeName@reddit

Soap making

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Meg46l@reddit

Imo the best comment here.

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Boots-with-the-feyre@reddit

Sewing is a big one, I’m not going out to buy new clothes. cooking feels obvious but some people are just magic at making something out of nothing, I’m good at following a recipe and making something super tasty, but suck at winging it which is what a shtf situation would require

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Level-Coast8642@reddit

I know how to build a hydroelectric damn from spare parts.

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Nail_Gyal_3@reddit

-Sewing: A lot of clothes nowadays arent made to last. If shtf, knowing how to mend a sock or stitch fabric together to make blankets, etc. is vital. Also, knowing fabrics is beneficial bc you can sew garments/ accessories to combat harsh weather or protection from extreme conditions.

-Gardening: With the climate changing, gardeners/ farmers can track weather changes based on how crops grow. They also can detect crop illnesses and potentially have a solution to save the crops.

-Chefs: Knowing how to make food taste good can bring up moral in a shtf situation

-Sociologists: Can help build new communities based of their studies on humanity.

-Forgers: Living off the land from wild crops is a lost art. Can be handy to know someone who can decipher between poisonous crops and beneficial crops for one's health. Helpful if supermarkets are bare and farmers are in the process of growing new seeds.

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capt-bob@reddit

Dentistry?

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HotPissamole@reddit

GIS. Basically digital mapping. 80% of everything has a location. Can't make a plan if you don't know where it is. There's so much free data now. Like Microsofts free "all building footprints in the entire US + Canada". The software is free too.

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xlxjack7xlx@reddit

I’m a gardener, distiller, wine maker, brewer, chef, and butcher, with livestock and a lot of construction experience. I like my skills.

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JRHLowdown3@reddit

Being physically able and willing to actually do physical work, all day for long periods of time.

That was the #1 thing during Helene- everyone sitting around on their arses and dieing in the little heat we had. Hiding in their houses while my family cleared THEIR road with an old backhoe and chainsaws.

Motivation, it will be what's lacking.

Skill sets, yes you need a bunch, but being physically able and willing to work is very important.

This fantasy of "well I have a gun so I will hire on as security" is fiction story BS. Every "shooter" has to have something else they bring to the table- medical skills, construction, animal husbandry, electrical skills, etc.

Homesteaders that are used to doing work on their own, rigging up solar panels, getting old generators running, cutting and putting up years of firewood, growing tomatoes, etc. are going to be very valuable. NOTE- I mean those with experience doing this, not zip drives of downloaded info on growing things, actual real world experience.

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hope-luminescence@reddit

This fantasy of "well I have a gun so I will hire on as security" is fiction story BS

There's a kind of a distortion of society due to romance and fiction that looks at people who lived adventurous lives to the point that the average workaday bloke is almost invisible.

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JRHLowdown3@reddit

Well said. And it fits with American gun culture types that are concerned about SHTF but haven't really taken their preps seriously.

The fantasy that someone will "need" a person they don't know and trust to guard them and their stuff after bad things happened is a chance for those lacking other skills to think they will have something to offer a group.

In reality, everyone is a "shooter"- or should be. And even the nurses know they have a turn on security, working in the garden, etc. The fantasy "shooter" ought to also have some other skills useful or he may find his awesome shooting abilities just have him digging ditches.

Not to seem like I'm dissing people like this, I understand them all too well, hell we teach NV, carbine, pistol and H2H classes. But survival means a really broad skill set and even the true "specialists"- docs, nurses, etc. better also know how to garden, how to pull security, etc.

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hope-luminescence@reddit

Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)

Oh 100% agree, motivation for anything is trash nowadays and I agree with the zip file statement book smart and job smart are two different beasts

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Big_Block_5271@reddit

Knowing where to obtain and how to assemble the parts for a handpump and pipework that can reach fuel station and fuel depot underground tanks. Oh yeah, also how to break into a 4x4 dealership. What?

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jazzbiscuit@reddit

Old School Land Navigation - reading a paper map, using a lensatic compass, using constellations for navigation.

CAD design ( and operating a 3D printer you can still use if the grid is down )

Basic McGyverism - it's good to have the right tools and parts, it's better longterm to be able to invent solutions when you don't.

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DaveyDoes@reddit

It scares me that there are people in this world who can't make it a few blocks or God forbid across town without GPS on their phone or worse yet, ask them to point in one of the cardinal directions.

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Unique-Sock3366@reddit

I was watching a television show yesterday about groups of people racing around the world.

They can’t function without their phones. They cannot drive. They can’t determine direction. And they cannot read maps. Simply flabbergasting.

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dittybopper_05H@reddit

Percussive combat phrenology.

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dustycanuck@reddit

ELI5, please?

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flannelheart@reddit

Translates to repeatedly smacking someone (or themselves?) on the skull, i believe

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dittybopper_05H@reddit

“May a lump of a stick raise the bumps fast and thick on the monster that murdered Nell Flaherty’s drake”

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Additional_Bluejay_9@reddit

I would say, if you can sing, and/or provide musical accompaniment to “Nell Flaherty’s Drake” and other Irish folk songs, sure a hero you would be. Renowned for your skills you’d be.

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dittybopper_05H@reddit

I can play “In-a-gadda-davida” on the tin whistle.

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Additional_Bluejay_9@reddit

I would say that your place in a Prepper Paradise is assured.

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dittybopper_05H@reddit

I actually play a number of instruments, none of them particularly well. I can’t sing to save my life, I have a face made for radio, and a voice made for Morse code.

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Additional_Bluejay_9@reddit

🤙

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dittybopper_05H@reddit

This.

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Hadaka--Jime@reddit

Distilling. Want to make drinkable water out of almost any natural liquid pool?

Want to make sterile water, alcohol, or other compounds that are game changers?

Alcohol is a game changer on many levels.

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hope-luminescence@reddit

Distilling. Want to make drinkable water out of almost any natural liquid pool?

Only if you have access to massive amounts of energy.

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Pearl-2017@reddit

Music. Being able to play guitar or write a catchy lyric. Humans are musical creatures. We have always used song to explain emotion, to share information, to comfort our babies. We need that.

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Hot_Annual6360@reddit

The skill that 90% don't know; sequencing.

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Real_FakeName@reddit

I know how to sequence a synth and drum machine, does that count

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Hot_Annual6360@reddit

See, what I told you, most don't even know what it is🤣🤣🤣

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Hot_Annual6360@reddit

🤣🤣🤣

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silvrtuftdshriekr@reddit

Making and repairing clothes, shoes and coats.

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gravitydevil@reddit

Psychology - the switch going off and being losing their minds. Being able to process trauma would be a god send in any community.

Ham radio - the real nerds know how to build one. Which would come in handy.

Empathy - too many warlords and bandits out there. Where my good people at?

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BadCorvid@reddit

Beekeeping. Candle making. Leather work. Soap making. Sewing with a treadle sewing machine. Making logs into lumber.

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IamBob0226@reddit

Can you change a tire?At night? When it is 40 degrees? Raining?

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Choice-Sport-404@reddit

All people who drive cars can't do this, lol?! Seems like everything you mentioned should be required for anyone who maintains a vehicle, but common sense has gone out the window, evidently. People being unwilling/able to learn to turn wrenches is probably the biggest problem with modern society that would come to a head in a survival situation. Inability to survive in temperature extremes is also huge, maybe equal to the first. I always have the tools and clothes I need to deal with a vehicle breakdown, including stuff I may need for a lengthy wait if it isn't something I'm able to fix.

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4BigData@reddit

needing the least possible amount of shit to ve happy

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intercoastalNC@reddit

Wine making, brewing beer, distilling spirits, making musical instruments. Granted those aren’t day 1 needed skills but would needed at some point.

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kj468101@reddit

Being able to make strong clear liquor is huge since it’s such a good disinfectant.

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VegaStyles@reddit

Sewing.

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Alamohermit@reddit

Trapping.

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UnpunctualTrashPanda@reddit

I mostly figure I'll be the "personality hire". People sometimes need help being people.

Connecting and cooperating together, communicating effectively, balancing the big picture with the finer details, building joy.

Oh, and logistics. Keeping track of the collective resources and trying to maximize efficiency. Planning, evaluating, tracking progress.

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phillyrat@reddit

Love the topic.

Regarding "basic gunsmithing" - just curious about where that starts/stops. Are you mainly talking about firearm assembly/disassembly, reuse of brass casings, and maintenance? Or the ability to craft new parts?

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Dankreefer420@reddit

Probably knowledgeable stuff like use a garage door spring on an AK47 to act as a recoil spring. If a soldier comes a across a fire arm, if they cant take it they will probably destroy it on some fashion and leave it. If you can piece stuff together without the gun exploding in your face. Then that’d be value able.

Also if the SHTF then you gotta know putting a fore grip on a AR pistol is illegal. 🤓

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wtfredditacct@reddit

*vertical fore grip

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Dankreefer420@reddit

Ferdical borechip*

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Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)

In terms of “basic gunsmithing” I mean the aspect of repairing replacing and maintaining components. I do know reloading as well so the ammo side for the gunsmithing I don’t personally see as gunsmithing. I also know how to resize a barrel but have never done it by hand

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buddymoobs@reddit

I know how to do pottery and am a fair 2D artist as well. I can also teach. I know actual martial arts, not McDojo BS. I have medical knowledge and rehabilitation skills.

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ElNaso2@reddit

Listening, guiding and public speaking, the sort of skill set a pastor might have. Hear me out, religion plays a major role in education and maintaining a semblance of order in low tech societies and it may be an important tool to wield in long SHTF scenarios, where groups not having a spiritual figure might be vulnerable to internal friction. Even in temporary scenarios, it might be the thing that sees people through a difficult day. I would personally pursue something that isn't conducive to zealotry though. Thinking Buddhism might stick.

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thundersnow211@reddit

Buddhism = nihilism, at least according to Nietzsche. Then again, according to Nietzsche, Christianity = nihilism. Anyway, if someone doesn't invent a generic nature religion, I'm going to. Not because I believe in it, but because I don't think it's a good idea for humans to believe that they are the peak of intelligence and agency in the universe.

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Far-Respond-9283@reddit

You guys want to create a cult. Let religions die.

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ElNaso2@reddit

I'm not sure if it's that cut and dry. Still dipping my toes in it, and the first thing that caught my attention was the distinction between "wanting" and "clinging". You can want a better future, but clinging to the idea is what causes grief. It does not discard desire or promote inaction, it teaches acceptance.

I do believe religion will play a major role, and I'll welcome any ideas that promote peace, community and humane living. It will also be important to code lessons in story, as our ancestors have done. We grasp concepts now that didn't exist before, there is so much room for new stories!

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flavius_lacivious@reddit

Cultivating mushrooms.

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No-Formal2746@reddit

Oh yeah, and someone who can make clothes and shoes, haha. That's also very important.

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thundersnow211@reddit

Lots of people talk about this, but if there's some kind of major event where a significant portion of the population is killed off, there's going to be all the clothes anybody wants. This actually happened after the black death, and they used the clothes to make paper, which meant more books, which meant literacy not controlled by the church, etc...

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Daughter_of_Bastet@reddit

The problem I see is that the clothes made today are far less sturdy than the clothes that used to be made. Today, most clothes are more flimsy. For example, my clothes that are bought in the women's section are so thin that I need multiple layers just to not freeze in the autumn, let alone in winter. My SO's clothes are marginally better because his comes from the men's section, but even then, they aren't that much better for more strenuous stuff unless he specifically buys outdoor gear kind of clothing. But even outdoor clothing can fall apart pretty fast. Plus clothing that sits exposed for long periods of time get damaged by a variety of things like water, fire, heat and cold, bugs, etc. So, knowing how to make cloth for clothing, prepping fibers for things like cords/ropes/threads/etc, and knowing how to actually use it all are still extremely important.

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TastyMagic@reddit

This is accurate. Polyester doesn't have the durability or longevity of cotton, wool, leather, or linen.

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Roosterboogers@reddit

Spinning wool & weaving

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minosi1@reddit

Deconfliction.

Unfortunately /or fortunately/ it is almost impossible to get any practice in high-stakes deconfliction for 99% people.

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Familiar-Anything853@reddit

Seamstress, mechanic, basically any trade, dentists, negotiation/conflict resolution, animal husbandry, veterinarian.

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Ok-Requirement-Goose@reddit

Any chance you live out in western Washington? My household has all those skills except vet work and dentistry, and I’ve been building up a medicinal herb garden for a couple years.

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No-Formal2746@reddit

Electrical and mechanical engineers. Rigging, Mathematicians, dentists, and general surgeons. Just to name a few, but any skill set would be welcome, I would imagine. I've often wondered this myself. What would the fastest way to rebuild society be, but then again, would you really want to? It might be better.

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Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)

I mean society is a fairly loose term, if there’s any living people there is a form of society. We’ve had society all of human history, there’s always been some form of human interactions between each other, it may just not be the society we’re used to but there’s many approaches. I find at minimum personally if it’s a long term worlds never gonna recover, I personally feel the biggest “groups” (can be broken into more specifics) you need medical, engineering (shelter building), food (farming/hunting/gathering/fishing), and order…order can be anything from just security, a due process system, a written law book, a dedicated “judge”, or even (personally not my cup of tea) a dictatorship. Society has always had some extent of rules. Ie go back to even early agriculture….if someone lit all the fields on fire on purpose before a harvest they most definitely wasn’t getting off Scott free. Now the severity and levels of rules is very dependent on the type of society and power of leadership. Me personally I would prefer a something like a counsel to make the rules of the total society once everything is established. Have elected counselmen vote on issues/laws. And have appointed judge(s) enforce the law. Require a majority vote for laws to pass so 3/5 vote for example.

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No-Formal2746@reddit

I agree that there has always been a need for law and order. However, I don't think we are going about it the correct way. I think it needs an overhaul. People are corruptable. We would almost need, I hate to say it, a non-bias, non-corruptable, non-human oversight like A.I. but that's also a very dangerous game. As long as we didn't become slaves to the A.I. and it was a self-reliant system, meaning with no human intervention. Just an idea.

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cmarches@reddit

The thing is AI is a human creation and is, at the very least, trained by human biases and their results. Check out race after technology or algorithms of oppression

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No-Formal2746@reddit

There's ways around human influence. I see where you are coming from, though.

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Ok-Requirement-Goose@reddit

Let the squid train our AI.

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Imagirl48@reddit

I find it interesting (even hilarious) that Grok, Musk’s AI, overcomes even his attempts to tinker with the algorithms to align with his beliefs. MAGA supporters aren’t happy with Grok.

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preppers-ModTeam@reddit

Political discussion is not permitted on r/preppers.

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dittybopper_05H@reddit

Wait: It might be better to a greatly shortened life, with sky-high infant and child mortality rates, and a far, far greater chance of dying through things like hunger and water-borne diseases like cholera, and of course freezing to death, or dying from the heat, etc.

I mean, call me silly if you want, but while it's fun to go camping for a weekend or to spend a week at the hunting camp, I really don't want to spend the rest of my life that way if I can possibly avoid it.

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No-Formal2746@reddit

A shorter life doesn't mean much if the quality of your life is better. Am I right? You could live 100 years of misery or 40 of bliss? Native Americans lived pretty amazing lives before Europeans showed up.

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dittybopper_05H@reddit

You mean the handful that survived through childhood? The ones that weren’t tortured to death by a rival tribe or died a slow and painful early death from a preventable disease or a now treatable infection? The ones who froze or starved to death in the winter?

This Rousseauian “noble savage” bullshit is just that: bullshit.

Did you know that the Adirondack mountains are named after a slur that the Mohawks used against the Algonquins? It means “bark eater”, because the Algonquins had to resort to eating the cambium of trees to survive through the winter.

Hunter/gatherer societies have a roughly 50% child mortality rate. Even money you died before puberty. And even if you survived childhood, you still had pretty high odds of dying before 40.

You’re nostalgic for a World you never saw, and in fact never existed. Life was, with apologies to Thomas Hobbes, nasty, brutish, and short.

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Dmau27@reddit

No one overlooks surgeons or engineers in the apocolypse. They are comm9nly sought after in most stories involving the end of the world.

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throwawayt44c@reddit

A good poker face.

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dblock36@reddit

Making bio-diesel and sewing.

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day-at-sea@reddit

Optometry and making glasses. A significant percentage of people need corrective lenses and stockpiling isn't going to help when your prescription changes. Keeping the world able to see is an incredibly valuable skill.

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Open-Attention-8286@reddit

This is a weird one, but hypnotherapy.

Mental health problems skyrocket in a crisis. You might not have the medications people need to keep their mood stable, and there might not be anyplace safe enough for people to deal with their traumas. Meltdowns help nobody! Hypnotherapy would be a bandaid for those kinds of problems, but a bandaid could make all the difference in whether or not your group survives long enough to find longer-term solutions.

This applies no matter what the crisis is. Doomsday or Tuesday, helping someone calm down enough to get through is going to be a handy skill!

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Puurgenieten89@reddit

Cooking

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PrisonerV@reddit

SHTF? Probably can't help you. And we'll all likely be dead, not that I think it'll happen in my lifetime.

But for Tuesday....

My Googlefoo is strong. I've fixed the water heater and the furnace, installed electrical, done some plumbing, etc.

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FineHoneydew8254@reddit

Lock picking and gun powder making

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Kurtotall@reddit

Midwife.

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dementeddigital2@reddit

Welding and basic hand fabrication

Basic CAD and 3D printing

Electronics and programming

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shaferman@reddit

Social engineering.

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CalmResilienceMedia@reddit

There’s a ton of good suggestions here already, but one that often gets overlooked is conflict resolution. Tech skills are great, but the ability to prevent a community from fracturing is just as valuable.

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venerealderangement@reddit

Mechanical repair, from cars to chainsaws. Irrigation setup and repair Reloading ammunition Beekeeping

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Annasach@reddit

Economics and trade skills.

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Familiar-Anything853@reddit

Another one I thought of (I guess not a skill but an ability) is a wet nurse! If you are lactating, you may be in high demand during a SHTF scenario for someone else who has an infant but can’t/doesn’t lactate.

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Hot_Annual6360@reddit

What I suspected, this is all done by an AI to keep us entertained.

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Jessawoodland55@reddit

people skills, resolving conflicts, resolving disputes, record keeping, general management

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sometimesifartandpee@reddit

I know you mentioned gardening. A lot of people think it's simple, but if u don't have years of experience gardening and canning, especially at a large scale, you will struggle without internet

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Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)

A lot of people don’t account for what plants suck what minerals out of the ground nor how to replenish said minerals

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thundersnow211@reddit

the native americans dealt with soil depletion by moving somewhere else

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sometimesifartandpee@reddit

Exactly. Regenerative farming techniques. Even many commercial farmers wouldn't know how to farm without buying fertilizer

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Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)

Like apple trees for example you can graft pears onto

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Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)

Also when dealing with fruit trees (if applicable in your area you live) you can also graft on them so you can get more variety

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Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)

The sad part is (me personally) it was a really easy skill to learn and practice yet many don’t know how to do it

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EverVigilant1@reddit

Repairing things and buildings

small engine repair/maintenance

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endlesssearch482@reddit

Bodging. The ability to scavenge and Bodge together a micro-hydro set up from plumbing parts and a car alternator…. That kind of stuff.

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Sweet-Leadership-290@reddit

Tactician, radio communication, rationing

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TimeSurround5715@reddit

Infant and child care and education

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Alone_Reaction_9443@reddit

I’d add midwifery and gynecology to infant care too (serious).

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TimeSurround5715@reddit

Yes indeed !

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Eredani@reddit

Data prep skills.

Offline/backup computer and network systems. The ability to build, troubleshoot, maintain local data networks. Data that is redundant, reliable, and robust such as: Kiwix (Wikipedia, WikiHow, iFixit Project Gutenberg, World Tracker Library, Z Library, Foxfire books, DoD survival manuals, college textbooks, archived YouTube videos, etc.

Invariably someone will say physicsl books > digital data as if this is an either/or problem with only one correct answer. Do both maybe?

I would add that your community does not need a dozen gardeners. They need 2 or 3 gardeners and ten hard working followers who can take direction. This idea that everyone needs to master 10+ skills isn't practical. Skills can and will be developed during and after an emergency.

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misss-parker@reddit

Yea I put a lot into my "offline" networks. Many people overlook that even if WAN is limited you can still use LAN as an effective redundancy along with more obvious choices like cold storage for data and resources.

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Correct-Meal-3302@reddit

Dentist

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misss-parker@reddit

I saw a video of some dude casting iron and aluminum using his microwave on his apartment balcony and it was just.. inspiring in an absurd way. Lol. I've always been a big fan of the understanding building blocks and applying that to anything and everything you can, and I just discarded smelting as something that wouldn't be feasible without large kilns and equipment. The resourcefulness of humans will never cease to amaze me.

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Dangerous-School2958@reddit

Knitting

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ImmediateDivide3700@reddit

Designing small houses.

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Spiley_spile@reddit

Composting toilet and disaster sanitation in general.

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Such-Bug82@reddit

Producing recreational drugs: Beer, Wine, Weed, Shrooms...

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AstroVan94@reddit

YOU SIR ARE A FREEDOM LOVING PATRIOT GOD BLESS YOU SIR.

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ProofRip9827@reddit

One is communication. If you can keep a bunch of radios and repeaters running and powered it would be useful. Another if you live in an area that has lots of water is boat building and knowing how to sail

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Unlikely-Ad3659@reddit

Creative nutritious cooking.

No following recipe books, but creating proper nutritious well balanced tasty healthy dishes with whatever random items you have available.

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RepairManActionHero@reddit

Vintage computer/electronic repair. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure 99% of the time I use those skills after the SHTH, it's just gonna be me maintaining my own crap. But, a lot of industries have some old Windows XP or 98 system running all their machines, and I'm gonna be the dude able to still get those systems to work.

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wpbth@reddit

Knowledge of your area. Google maps might not be working. I live in a are where people flooded in the last 5 years. They have no idea

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Traditional_Neat_387@reddit (OP)

Completely agree but Also keep in mind landscape can drastically change in a few years (look at North Carolina after the hurricane) so while grid is up try to keep maps up to date within reason don’t rely on a 60+ yo map peepaw left you in his will

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PMMEYOURDOGPHOTOS@reddit

Getting rid of addictions like smoking and phones

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FlashyImprovement5@reddit

Sewing. Even sewing on buttons or repairing zippers. This fall, I had 4 hoodies with broken zippers.

Making cordage. Making fishing line, making bow strings.

Spinning yarn for knitting, crochet, nalbinding or even sewing.

Foraging. Being able to recognize useful things in nature. Things to spin yarn with, things to make cordage with, medicinal plants, edible plants

Animal husbandry. Knowing how to raise various animals

Dog training. In SHTF, dogs will roam free without food.

Gardening. Too many "save seeds" but have no clue what all goes into gardening.

Sling shot and making shot

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-Dixieflatline@reddit

If and when SHTF, we're all going to find out right quick all those "I wish I knew how important this miniscule area of knowledge was in a post society life". Weird things you never think about like safe hoisting or the chemistry of detergent will pop out of nowhere as an extremely useful knowledge set.

Of all the prepper things to horde, the more and more the thought of hording knowledge becomes more attractive to me. Making a data server with up to date copies of Wikipedia, medical guides, foraging, DIY skills, maps, etc, seems like a solid idea. There are some pre-made kits out there with the data on them already, but I think I'm going to make my own sooner or later. The only thing holding me back is that I'd also need to invest into a robust solar/battery system to actually use it.

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AvianArtistry@reddit

Weaving.

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OnTheEdgeOfFreedom@reddit

If you want to help avoid a shtf situation in the first place, which is way better than trying to live in one, I'd recommend reading, critical thinking exercises, some basic scientific literacy, and especially learning to spot disinformation. These are all becoming serious problems in (at least) the US and it's how we're getting things like measles blooms. Epidemics might be on the low end of the "SHTF scale" if that means anything, but disinfo can cause worse problems.

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NewEnglandPrepper3@reddit

Canning, gardening, and other classic skills

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Bobby_Marks3@reddit

It's the typical artisanry skills of earlier centuries:

Baking (which is not the same as cooking)
Cobbling
Tailoring
Hunting/Tracking
Skinning/Tanning/Butchering
Weaving
Carpentry
Candle-making
Blacksmithing
Stone Masonry

Everyone goes for modern high-skill trades, but IMHO knowing how to work/repair electronics or make your own ammunition are only useful as long as highly-complex supply chains can continue to supply you with parts and materials. That is to say, while life is actually pretty good and S hasn't HTF at all.

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