wouldn't it be a good idea to have a valuable skill that people will need you for. likie farmers , hunters, blacksmiths gunsmiths,bakers, tanners. builders. yes its good to be self reliant but if you can form a community you can share the burden what do u guys and gals here think would be most important professions for a town of say 100 to have to suyrvive situation xs.

Its a smart way to go. if you have a relevant skill you can barter for goods and services.

You forgot medical. Even a paramedic would have the medical knowledge needed to set up a basic infirmary and the like.

One think to remeber as you try to pick up a skill. Make sure you can practice with low tech tools. Building a brick house is cool IF you can get the mortar etc.

:upefinitely a good idea,as long as you keep in mind what situations and conditions you could be faced with.It would also be a good idea to team up with others who had skills of their own.

I heard once that you should have a couple of plans. The first would be to make connections with at least 5 people within a 100 mile radius whith whom you trust your life.
Second would be to have a bug out kit ready just in case you need to leave home. Some say have it at a location close to your home buried or hidden.
The best scenario would be if you could stay at home and having prepared since at least 911, so should be in good shape.
It seems to me there are a couple good threads already talking about survival here on ats, best if you join those forums because there are some experts that can tell you alot more about weaponry, mre's and the like that you may find helpful.

Originally posted by antar
I heard once that you should have a couple of plans. The first would be to make connections with at least 5 people within a 100 mile radius whith whom you trust your life.

Great advise

Second would be to have a bug out kit ready just in case you need to leave home. Some say have it at a location close to your home buried or hidden.

Also great advise but you should have a few BOB's Ready one with and near you ware ever you might be, if at all possible.

The best scenario would be if you could stay at home and having prepared since at least 911, so should be in good shape.

Kudo's again

It seems to me there are a couple good threads already talking about survival here on ats, best if you join those forums because there are some experts that can tell you alot more about weaponry, mre's and the like that you may find helpful.

I can see what your getting at but The survival forums were made here on ATS to collect all the good info so maybe we should tell those others about it so they will bring there knowledge to us instead of us trying to track them down. Spread the word so to speak.

I wouldn't bother with something as specialized as a tanner or blacksmith, unless you want to make it your profession anyway. How much leather would you really need to make, or how many pieces of metal? How will you get the materials, the right conditions, etc? Much easier just to find stuff.

I think it'd be best to be alone.

Having thought about it I have one for the group.

The ability to make and distill alcohol.

This would be ultimate barter fodder after food.

Its an anaseptic, it can be burned in mdofied vehicles / generators / stoves

And can be enjoyed as a beverage.

I think this skill would be a huge one, easy to learn, and perform as you can ferment just about anything

Along similar lines, I'd actually think that people with experience growing marijuana may have themselves a useful skill, though not specifically for the plant itself, though it obviously has many uses..

No, I was thinking in terms more of the idea that after any given situation X, there's a possibility that growing things on the surface of the planet may be impossible or undesirable - eg, because of some kind of contaminants, or nuclear winter.

Those individuals that grow plants already indoors, frequently without natural light, in closed environments - though this isn't exclusive to marijuana growers, may have a very very necessary skill..

Yes, there are things like modified greenhouses, but what if your source of sunlight is very very weak? Anyone experienced in closed-system indoor growing may indeed prove crucial to growing enough food for their community's long term survival.

Also - useful skills are things like the ability to create simple electricity generators and storers - even if it's just a modified bicycle, or simple but large chemical batteries would be very useful in the complete collapse of infrastructure.. Even limited power for things like light and heat, from renewable sources such as human energy rather than oil/wood burning which again may be in short supply, would be a very valuable thing. In many scenarios, extreme cold may become a problem, so yes, the ability to heat dwellings for survival, very important, or artificial light for plant growth, too..

Food, water, heat/shelter, the essential components that will ensure a majority survive.. without these things, the community will have no need of many other professions..

yes shooting

most survivalists will tell you if tshtf better to stay away from the hordes of hungry mad scared sheeple

plus if someone knows you got something they will kill you for it

now group members with a skill is a no brainer, no one should be allowed into the group without a skill

Sometimes you may be forced to take less skilled family members or friends of people that you DO want in your group though - would you reject say a paramedic because his or her family didn't have the same skills?

Beyond anything else, you don't necessarily need skill for certain things - eg, basic shelter construction, supervision of children/invalids - in a lower tech society, things like pulse and temperature may need to be measured by a more hands on approach, and in any situation x, you are almost certain to have some sick/injured people that need care

I agree that just by being here reading, you are on the right track for survival. Sharing ideas and experiences is a great way to be prepared mentally. Keeping printouts of important info and refering to them when possible is the next step. Practicing basic survival while camping can be educational as well as fun for the family. Practicing these basic skills with your family can be a life saver when panic is all around you. Seeking others with skills is cool, but I would not trust strangers enough to add my supplies to the group. It would be too tempting to grab your goods and kill you. My goal is to keep my immediate family up to date with basic survival. If the short term becomes long term, I may be into bartering with neighbors or maybe even help them out where I could, but I don't think I would be a joiner.

Of course all this is in theory. Sit x is an unknown variable in all of this. The one variable that prevents us from planning too much ahead. As we have discussed before, sit x nuclear would be drastically different from sit x hurricane which would be different than sit x red dawn. Basic survival skills are what is most needed. In other threads we have hashed out many scenarios. But getting back on topic, do not be too trusting during this situation. Just because someone has a special skill, that doesn't make him a nice guy. Approaching a group asking to join could get you killed faster than you could try explaining your theory to them. I think even some neighbors would turn a deaf ear to your pleas in these times.

Does anyone remember the twilight zone episode where THE bomb was going to drop? The prepared guy had a bunker and supplies and the neighbor was begging to be let in. The bunker guy was prepared to shoot his neighbor. Oddly enough the bomb never dropped and these neighbors who became insane savages now had to face each other after the alarms were stopped. They were left looking at each other devastated by how quickly things became unstable and what they were capable of.

I took that as a lesson very young in life. Close friends will turn on you if the stress is bad enough. So like I said, be careful of who you choose to be with.

Interesting and timely how the FDA wants to basicly outlaw the growing and use of natural herbs, most medicines and many good foods and teas would become the #1 need in my world legal or not. Did you know that you can grow popular trees very fast and if in need, you can strip the outer bark and then cook the pasta like stringy inside.

I never knew about poplar trees. That sounds like something I want to try out sometime. The ptb can spew all they want about banning what you can grow, but if you can get the seeds, to hell with them. I have this great book stashed away somewhere that teaches plant education. There are some basic medicines that can be made from plants. I always like to know what is indigenous in my area. Knowing how to identify and use them is a tremendous tool to have.

Again, thanks for the poplar idea, keep the ideas flowing.