More Than a Notion

In my last post, I highlighted the dearth of many practical and survival skills. Cooperages, blacksmiths, animal husbandry, hunting and foraging, to name a few. To be fair, most of said skills have either been forgotten or abandoned due to the advance of technology, as people moved to urban environments in search of greater opportunities.

Vocational schools and other specialty programs continue to offer such courses, and they pop up as new lifestyle trends, but they’re not common. I’m old enough to remember taking a home economics class in high school. Cooking and sewing were large components of that instruction. Some sort of wood shop was also offered.

Even in the remotest corners of the world, few people live an eighteenth-century existence because the eighteenth-century infrastructure no longer exists. Should our modern world full of convenience and luxury come to an end with a malicious key stroke, surviving the aftermath of an EMP strike would be difficult, but people would certainly survive.

In the United States alone, fully eighty percent of the population lives in cities. Aside from being a staggering amount of people, the resources needed for food, housing, and transportation, to name a few, in normal times requires massive amounts of resources.  In times of disaster and crisis, urbanites face dire circumstances indeed.

Government at all levels, doesn’t always prepare in advance for disasters. Sure, equipment and other resources are sometimes moved out of harm’s way, response personnel are placed on standby and evacuation orders issued, but that’s it. This differs from the efforts of individuals in that governments and corporations, for that matter, can bring to bear vast sums of money, personnel with specific expertise and resources.

In the absence of mind-numbing sums of money and possessing very finite resources, individuals must plan, and plan effectively. Your plan to survive a hurricane doesn’t appreciably differ from your plan to survive a blackout in the middle of winter. Again, you’re preparing for the effects of the event, not the event itself. By now, you’re probably asking, “So what are you suggesting, Mike?” Below are some of the skills I’m recommending you relearn in your spare time.

Notion and Moxie

There are massive bodies of research and countless anecdotes of people surviving all manner of disasters from being swept away by flood waters to plane crashes to being lifted from the ground by tornados. Perhaps it’s luck, divine intervention or simply the will to survive. The point I’m making here is that people can, and do survive disasters without the benefit of training, equipment or advanced warning. It has everything to do with the decisions you make in the critical first few seconds. Noting the location of the nearest emergency exits, situational awareness and the ability to remain calm in times of crisis are all key in who survives and why. Of course, effective planning is always a solid plan.

Carpentry and Hand Tools

Let’s be honest for a second. Power tools are damn cool! It’s easy to get caught up grabbing another battery pack or LED shop light. However, in the absence of the power grid, those tools are useless. In addition to wrenches and pliers, get yourself a good set of hand tools and become well-acquainted in their use. Awls, hand planes and an assortment of hand saws are must-haves.

Now that you have them, use the tools for basic home repair. Critically examine how simple machines work and how various pieces fit together. While you’re at it, save and read instruction manuals! A good handyman is nearly worth his/her weight in gold and has universal respect. Or, if you’re feeling exceptionally ambitious, build a shed, deck or another bathroom. I’ve long mused that if it were possible to travel back in time, I’d have learned a trade. Plumbing and carpentry are the foundations upon which a house is built.  

Sewing and Quilting

I take enormous pride in my level of comfort with a needle and thread. Throw in a patch and I can get it done!  As impressive I think this is, it’s not sewing. If I’m being honest, I have no desire to sew my own clothes. Back in the day, sewing was a thing, and it was huge. In the absence of department stores, people made their own clothes, furniture, bed linen and blankets. Get yourself a treadle sewing machine, if you can find one, and start practicing. There’s a club for virtually every interest known to man out there so you don’t have to hide out in your living room, doing this in secret. Knitting, crocheting needle point are all excellent skills to have.

Bartering

I’ve given you a head start with this checklist and important tips

First Aid/ CPR

I cover this in the post, The ABCs. First Aid and CPR training can be had at community centers, fire departments, community colleges as well as private companies. The American Red Cross offers a catalog fill of classes so be sure to contact your local chapter for specific class information.

You’re preparing to be your own first responder so the more you know, and can do, the better prepared you’ll be when the time comes.  

Cooking from Scratch

There’s something both comforting and hugely satisfying about a good, home-cooked meal. Favorite dishes and family recipes rarely come from a box. Boxed cake mixes, bake and serve biscuits, heat and serve stews all have their place and are pantry staples in normal times. They're in mine! In the absence of electricity and a trip to the store, the ultra-processed foods we have come to rely on aren’t going to cut it. Learn to bake cakes, cookies and pies from scratch. Identify five recipes for dishes than can be prepared in a single pot and practice cooking roasts and chicken on both a grill and open flame. Taking license with recipes is both an art and a learned skill. Take the time now to print recipes and organize them in a binder.     

Canning & Gardening

This may sound counter-intuitive, but gardening is more than simply dropping a few seeds in the ground and watering them regularly. Soil type, temperature and sunlight, pests and a host of other factors must be considered. It’s work, but two of the rewards are increased food security and readily available fresh produce. An added benefit is that even a small, raised bed garden yields more food than can be eaten before it spoils. This is the perfect set up for canning, bartering.

Chopping Wood

Axes, machetes and hatchets all have their uses and in the hands of a respectful and careful adult, they’re highly effective tools. Learn how to use them safely, without causing more harm to yourself than you do the wood and brush you intend to cut. In a pinch, they can even be pressed into service as weapons.

Biking and Repairing a Bicycle

The United States differs from the rest of the world in many ways. In this instance, I’m calling attention to the fact that we tend to use bicycles primarily for recreation. In the rest of the world, they’re transportation. They’re wonderfully efficient and reliable machines but even simple machines breakdown and need routine maintenance. Bike shops, sporting goods retailers and community centers are safe bets for such classes. Better to sacrifice a weekend or two now than walk ten miles because you forgot to bring your tire patch kit.

Build a Root Cellar

This is a tough one for apartment and condo dwellers and I don’t see a practical way to make this happen. But, if you’re in your own home, make this a priority. There are horticultural clubs and organizations as well as colleges that teach you how to build a root cellar. You may have noticed that I’m encouraging you to get offline and out if the house to identify training and educational resources. The goal here is to get you in the company of other like-minded individuals to build a community.  

Hunting & Foraging

This goes without saying, but I’m going to do so anyway. No responsible adult would ever pick up a firearm, bow and arrow or crossbow and head into the woods without receiving intensive instruction in how to safely use the weapon and how to hunt. There are no shortcuts here. Watching your grandfather kill a buck when you were ten, doesn’t make you a hunter now that you’re fifty-five. Bambi and Thumper will be quite safe, it’s you and your fellow humans who are in the greatest danger. There’s no reason to be afraid of firearms when you know how to safely use and store them.

Once you’ve made a kill, the serious business of dressing begins. Regardless of if you fell a chipmunk or a prize-winning buck, your efforts are for naught if you don’t remove the guts and innards. Again, this is something to be learned in the field, not the Internet.

Foraging, like hunting, should be learned under the tutelage of a trained professional or, someone who knows what he/she’s doing. At best, eating the wrong plant lands you in the hospital. At worst, you get a dirt nap. As with hunting, foraging is best learned in the field, not on the Internet. Also, be mindful of doing either on private property as trespassing is universally illegal.

Fishing & Trapping

The same guidance applies to fishing and trapping as to hunting and foraging. Know in advance which bodies of water from which it’s safe to eat the fish you catch.

Orienteering

Orienteering is an especially useful skill when off the grid and man-made landmarks aren’t available. A map and a compass are your best friends in this instance and knowing how to use them affects the outcome: lost and afraid or safe at home.

Even though you already know what I’m going to say, I’m still going to say it. Orienteering, like every other skill I’ve mentioned, are best learned in the company of others. Not only is learning easier in the presence of others, you’re able to start building your community.