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Survival Prep

12 Excellent Skills to Barter with Post-SHTF

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If there’s one thing that’s going to worth more than gold and silver post-SHTF, it’s having skills. Having the right ones can be of tremendous help not just directly, for your family, but also indirectly, to barter with.

Bartering your skills is by far the best way to keep your stockpile intact as there’s nothing worse than having to sacrifice your last cans of tuna to get medication.

Doing something in exchange for those antibiotics requires nothing more than your time and you being good at what you do. Plus, there’s no risk of drawing attention to your stockpile (the biggest risk in post-disaster bartering; as you probably know, when you barter, you risk being followed home if someone things you’ve got more than you’re showing).

Now, if you’re not familiar with what bartering is, I suggest you check out an article I wrote a while ago right here. But in this piece I’d like to focus solely on the skills that I think will be the most sought after once Doomsday arrives.

#1. Gardening skillsgarden

I know gardening is not as exciting as, say… guns but once the dust settles, you’re gonna be using your hoe a lot more than your AR-15. People are going to need to know what to plant, when to plant it, how to use the tools and so on. And let’s not even get into all the disease that could pose serious threats to their crops.

Last but not least, you can borrow not just your knowledge but also your muscle and help out.

Carpentry_hand_tools#2. Carpentry and woodworking skills

With all the shops closed, people are going to turn to the one material that’s free, abundant and helps build homes: wood. Enough said.

#3. Splitting wood

It’s not that people will be incapable to do it themselves but consider the fact that some wives and children will most likely lose their fathers and husbands in the disaster. You could lend a helping hand by simply asking if they need help.

soap making#4. Making homemade soap and detergent

Personal hygiene is often overlooked in our prepping plans. People are going to miss having water at their discretion as well as soap, shampoo and other products that now don’t cost that much. Their hand sanitizers aren’t going to last too long so a viable long-term solution is needed.

There are plenty of recipes for homemade soap and detergent, you can look them up online. The trick, as you probably guessed, is to practice beforehand and not wait for an SHTF scenario.

#5. Butchering an animal

Most men have no idea how to do this. Wouldn’t you rather teach them rather than letting them torture the poor animal? Maybe you can get your share from it at the end…

chop_tree#6. Cutting trees

While cutting trees may be illegal now, it’s going to be mandatory post-collapse. You’re going to need it for firewood, house repairs, building chicken coops and much more.

#7. Making a greenhouse

There’s no better way to take gardening to the next level than to build a greenhouse. The bigger the better, of course. Pretty soon, your neighbors and even strangers are going to line up for you to build them similar ones as well.

If you practice now, you’re going to be known as the greenhouse expert, get more people interested in your skill and getting more supplies in return.

#8. Making a smokehouse

People are going to be looking at various ways to store food in a grid-down situation. Smoking is one of them, but building a smokehouse is not trivial. If you learn to do it for yourself, you can make one for yourself right now. Heck, you can start making them right now if you can find the customers.

Oh, did I mention smoked meat tastes amazing?

#9. Plumbing

When pipes get clogged, that household is in trouble. Practice this skill as it’s not really all that complicated… you just need the right tools.

#10. Working with clay

Logic dictates there’s going to be a shortage of plates, pots, mugs and other recipients. Learning to make them yourself from clay could allow you to supply hundreds of families.

well#11. Digging a well

The fact that clean water is going to be a top priority makes me wonder why I didn’t put this skill higher up on the list. Nevertheless, digging your own well is not trivial so you should ask for an expert to show you how it’s done.

#12. Teaching (in general)

Teaching skills are going to be unbelievably useful. The human race is hungry for information, which, right now we have plenty of. But when there won’t be any computers, no more Kindles and no more educational system, someone is going to have to teach children English, math, geography and, of course, survival. Make sure you stash some printed manuals on the topics you’re most familiar with to assist you in your lessons.

Stay safe,

Dan F. Sullivan

 

empty car trunk
Survival Prep

Car Survival Kit

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empty car trunkOftentimes when people start getting things together for emergency preparedness the car survival kit is forgotten. Your car is probably the first place you would want an emergency kit. A lot of time is spent in the car and if trouble should arise it is smart to be prepared.

The first thing you are going to want to get is a durable bag to hold your kit. There will be several items going into your kit and you want it to be organized. The best material is nylon because of its durability. You will have a choice of backpack or duffel styles. Each has their advantages. The backpack style is portable and handy if you have to hike. The duffel style will give you more room.

These are the items you should include in your bag. These are listed in no particular order.

  • Folding shovel– This will come in handy if it becomes necessary to dig out your car, or if you need to build a shelter.
  • Jumper cables– Used if your battery dies.
  • Duct tape and paracord– These items can be used to secure various things. Most importantly if you have the need to build a shelter.
  • Multi-Tool– A must have tool for survival. There are several tools combined into one.
  • First Aid Kit– A basic kit is all you will probably need.
  • Extra clothing- Should your clothes get wet, or you need the extra warmth.
  • Emergency blanket– Used for warmth. Can also be used in shelter situations.
  • Extra fuses- Many times simply changing fuses will make the repair and get you on your way.
  • Compass– Needed if you decide you need to hike for help.
  • Fire starting material– This can be matches, lighters, or magnesium stick.
  • Non-perishable food– If you are stuck for a while you will need food.
  • Water purification tablets– Water is vital for survival.
  • Flashlight and extra batteries- Used for situations when light is needed.
  • Pre-paid cell phone– Make sure it is fully charged and has minutes available for use. When your main cell phone dies you will be grateful to have this.
  • Map- A map of the area you are traveling might help you save yourself, or direct rescuers to you.
  • Whistle- Used to signal for help.

As with anything it is good practice to make yourself familiar with the use of these items before you are pressed to use them. As an example do some research on reading a compass, building a fire, and using jumper cables.

The items listed are a good basic kit. Of course items can be changed and added to suit your individual tastes and needs. However, you should not stray too far from these basic things.

Survival Prep, Wilderness Survival

Basic Survival Skills

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survival2Basic survival skills are something that will always come in handy whether you are an outdoors-man or not. You just never know when you might be in a situation where your skills will dictate if you make it out alive. Some of the skills that will be critical to your survival are your attitude, building a shelter, finding water, building a fire, and finding food.

Your attitude toward your survival will probably be the biggest tool you use for survival. The mind is a very powerful thing and if you believe you can make it and survive; then you probably will. It is easy to get down on yourself if you are caught in a bad situation that you might not see a way out of, but it is important that you don’t let that happen. Action is the key to your survival.

Water will be critical to your ability to survive; dehydration can wreak havoc on your body. Finding water should be a top priority in your basic survival skills. The optimal situation for clean drinking water is to locate a spring. If a spring cannot be located then you will have to make do with what you find; however, in any event you should not drink untreated water. The best, and easiest, way is to boil the water. Boiling will kill any bacteria or viruses that may be contained in the water.

If you determine that you will have to be someplace for an extended time before rescue, a shelter should be one of your first tasks. The shelter does not have to be something extravagant, it just needs to keep the wind, rain, or snow off you. Probably the easiest form of shelter is to find a cave. If a cave is not available your next best bet is to construct a hut from the available materials around you.

Once your shelter is built then you will need to turn your attention to building a fire. A fire will do a couple of things for you. It will help to keep you warm. Hypothermia is one of the greatest dangers when you are in a survival situation. Your fire will also come in handy for cooking and boiling water. Building a fire is something that takes a little skill if you find yourself with no form of ignition. It is wise to practice building outdoor fires because you do not want to have to learn when it counts.

Food will be the next thing that will need your attention. Studies show that a person can live up to three weeks with no food, but that is something that you would not be wise to try. Wild plant life will be your best bet for a food source. There are plants that are poisonous, so caution must be exercised. Do not eat plants unless you are certain they are non-poisonous. Small game animals are also a good source of nutrition. There are many insects that can also be eaten.

As you can see a few basic survival skills can go a long way to helping you survive a bad situation. If you are going to be in an area where you might need these skills it would not hurt to brush up. This knowledge might serve to save your life.

The Basics

Survivalist Terminology

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Survivalist regularly use acronyms and other expression or terms that might be confusing if you are unfamiliar. Here are the most Survivalcommon survivalist terms and acronyms:

  • Alpha strategy: Storing extra consumable items for the future use of barter.
  • Ballistic wampum: Storage of weapons and ammunition for barter purposes.
  • BOB: Bug-out bag.
  • BOL: Bug-out location.
  • BOV: Bug-out vehicle.
  • Doomer: Normally used a derogatory term for someone who believes that a complete societal collapse will happen soon.
  • EDC: Everyday carry. Someone who carries [a fire arm] regularly.
  • EOTW: End of the world
  • G.O.O.D. kit: Get out of Dodge kit. Synonymous with bug-out bag (BOB).
  • Pollyanna or Polly: Someone who is in denial about the disruption that might be caused by the advent of a large scale disaster.
  • Prepper: A synonym for survivalist that came into common usage during the late 1990s. Used interchangeably with survivalist much as retreater was in the 1970s. Refers to one who is prepared or making preparations.
  • SHTF: Shit hits the fan. A term used generically by survivalists to describe disaster situations.
  • TEOTWAWKI: The end of the world as we know it.
  • WTSHTF: When the shit hits the fan. A term used generically by survivalists to describe disaster situations.
  • WROL: Without rule of law. Used to describes a lawless state of society.