We talk about gear, we talk about kits. What about skills? When it all falls apart, what do you know how to do? I have a pretty good set of skills, and many of them will allow me to trade and participate in an EOTWAWKI society. I am certified or skilled as:
Mastery level:
- a nurse and paramedic
- an electrician, having been trained to do so in the military
- an electric motor repairman. I can rebuild, repair, rewind, and completely overhaul electric motors and generators. Again, military.
- A master SCUBA diver
Journeyman level:
- I can maintain and perform simple to moderate repairs on a variety of firearms.
- I can do simple machine work.
- I can do simple auto and machinery repair. (Things like power transmissions and gear boxes)
- a HAM radio operator
Apprentice level:
- I can do simple welding, brazing, and cutting, along with some metal work.
- I can perform simple electronic repairs
I am always looking at adding to my skillset. Be as widely skilled as you possibly can. Everything that you learn is something else that you know. You never know which skill it will be that saves you or your life.
- I have a great set of tools, measuring equipment, and a pretty well equipped workshop.
- I am planning on buying a MIG welder in the near future.
- I have spares in stock for firearms like sights, springs, and other parts. Electrical parts, magnet wire, bearings, brushes, switches, light bulbs, and other parts.
- Parts for the cars like brake pads, fuses, motor oil, and spark plugs.
- Spare radios, antennas, and coaxial cable.
All of this puts me in a great place to be an asset to my neighbors and community. Don’t be a sponge, be a contributor. Be the person that others want on their team.
10 Comments
Elrod · May 14, 2023 at 5:18 am
THIS
A wide variety of Useful Skills, tools with which to perform them, and spare parts (and/or the ability to make the parts) is so often not considered.
I’m reminded of the statement that “the world’s best typewriter repairman in 1980 was a dead end job.”
What is necessary to keep civilization – even your own very small part of it – functional?
Joe Blow · May 14, 2023 at 6:50 am
Though there is a part of me that recognizes this puts me at additional risk…
I decided to upgrade my generator situation, the 5kW gas jobby wasn’t gonna cut it long term. Solar, standby propane, so many options….
For about $5k, I put together a trailer mounted PTO driven 13kW generator and 300 gal of diesel fuel stored in a tank on my property. I already had the kubota tractor (but thats about $15k if you don’t have one).
That will power my whole home, and the tractor uses about a 2-3 gallons fuel per hour running the generator at 540 rpms. That will also drive anywhere around the area and supply power to the neighbors I like, so long as the diesel and tractor last…. and I live in a rural farming community – there are lots of tractors and diesel tanks this way. Gotta have a backup for your backup!
Justim · May 14, 2023 at 6:54 am
Good point… You can fabricate tools… Not skills…
Justim
EN2 SS · May 14, 2023 at 7:11 am
I’ve been accused and am proud of being a Jack of All Trades, Master of None.
Max Rockatansky · May 14, 2023 at 7:28 am
I’m thankful for the people keeping the lights on, driving the ambulances, picking up the trash, working on the highways so that the replacements can have a nice smooth ride. (sarc)
One day they will say F’ it and then it will be the egalitarian Weimarbabwe utopia.
Skills will be worth their weight in gold then.
Don’t forgot mind and spirit skills to see right through and laugh at the rainbow clown turd world.
Michael · May 14, 2023 at 8:36 am
Many mission trips overseas has developed my street dentist skills, poorly supplied ditch medicine and I have a decent herbal garden and some decent skillset using the herbs.
Also, a decently productive gentleman farmer that sells-donates mostly organically grown meat and veggies yearly. Gardening skills are regional and require dirt time to learn.
Need a McGivver for electronics for my MAG though. Hard to find someone that really can tear down and rebuild basic old school electronics. Most are parts replacers.
D · May 14, 2023 at 1:03 pm
Mastery:
Running servers, architecting networks, software development, was an EMT decades ago.
Journeyman:
I can smoke a mean brisket and can wire up 110 with no problems. I can start a fire if it’s the middle of summer and I have a can of gasoline and a lighter.
Apprentice:
Do an oil change, put gas in my car
I’m screwed when the world ends.
Unknownsailor · May 14, 2023 at 1:15 pm
Knowledge is one thing a totalitarian regime cannot take away from you, and knowledge will make you useful to dissident right wing movements long after the day when you could ruck 25 miles a day in full kit.
JT · May 14, 2023 at 1:33 pm
Good points,
I’m in real good shape skills wise. I’ve been a remodeling contractor for almost 30 yrs and can do most anything regarding homes. carpentry, elect, plumbing ect.. all of it. Raise my own pork and chicken. I have deal with a bud of mine where I help on his farm in exchange for beef. A large garden. I say all that not to brag but to show its possible. The real challenge for me now is “others”. I wish more of my people would at least try harder to be assets and not liabilities.
To Joe Blow I considered the PTO gen awhile back but instead went with a 20KW diesel gen. I’ve only one tractor and I figure it will be needed for other duties while the gen powers the casa . Not a criticism just a consideration and route I took.
I lack medical training above basic CPR but I plan to remedy that asap.
I’m no prepper just trying to be prudent.
Regards
Exile1981 · May 14, 2023 at 3:21 pm
If your going to learn to use a mig welder i suggest that you practice using flux core wire. Normally mig uses a gas bottle which will be hard to get post collapse, flux core does not need gas but has a slight learning curve over gas.
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