Jan42012
Survival Survey: What is the most helpful skill you’ve learned?
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image by Sugar Pond
In the prepper world, skills are just about everything, even surpassing buckets of beans in importance. As one writer pointed out, what if everyone in your “survival group” is a computer programmer? Yep, you’re pretty much zombie bait.
So during the last 12 months, what has been the most important and helpful skill you’ve learned?
Sewing?
Baking homemade bread?
Learning different ways to start a fire?
For me, it was re-learning camping skills that had become rusty over the years. I think the most helpful thing we did as a family, was take a road trip through the northwest states, pitching our tent at a different location every night. In just a matter of a few days we were pros at setting up and taking down camp, fixing outdoor meals, and enjoying a completely different lifestyle, albeit temporarily. Now I know that our family is capable of living life unplugged from electronics, thinking on our feet, and quickly adapting to changes in weather, environment, and location. We also learned to work together as a team. Those are not only important survival skills, they’re also important attitudes.
How about you? What was the most significant skill you learned last year?
© 2012, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.
(46) Readers Comments
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A Review of the Diva Cup: Not for the faint of heart. (Men, avert your eyes.)
I love my DivaCup. Going on 6 years (with a year or so off due to havi
A Review of the Diva Cup: Not for the faint of heart. (Men, avert your eyes.)
I did the same thing! LOL
A Review of the Diva Cup: Not for the faint of heart. (Men, avert your eyes.)
Here, Here! Made the switch a few months ago and never looking back.
Polish Prepper
When I read your question, it struck me that… I didn't learn any skill that would be useful in the shtf scenario. I bought some stuff, read a couple of books, but didn't take time to practice at all.
But it's better to realize that now, and not when s finally hits the f.
Andrea
I came to the same realization. I learned a LOT of interesting stuff last year, but nothing that would lend itself to survival.
Hugh Davis
Butchering in the field.
traumamamma
Good one! That's next on my list…pretty good at the "20 minute chicken from live to fry pan" thing. I need some tools…gambrel, block n tackle to hoist the beast….I'll git there, you can bet yer last nickle!
Capt. Dewey
Hugh was that full butchering or field dressing(and I dont mean to sound condecending)? because there different.
Grannytraveler
It's difficult to decide on the most important thing I've learned. Finding access to various antibiotics and their dosage and usage is right up there. I've also accumulated various methods of cooking: propane, charcoal, rocket stove, alcohol stove, solar (homemade), "wonder cooker", etc…, along with various methods of starting fire. I realize in a true SHTF event the ability to cook might not be right up there if you don't have food but my priority in prepping is for earthquakes and the ability to stay out of FEMA camps. I already camp a lot so I have most of those skills down pretty well.
Chriss
I have brushed up on my field processing of wild game, starting fire using various methods, emergency shelter set up and just getting my mind set to always have situational awareness!
Kimber
I think what we learned most were alternate ways of cooking outdoors. We've been campers so knew how to cook over a campfire, but learning that you could indeed cook an egg in it's shell in the embers was a very cool thing. Making stir fry on the Eco-Zoom was awesome and pressure canning with an outdoor propane stove was great.
Hillbilly Mom
When we go camping we always bring our pop up tent trailer. Once that is set up and camp is set up, we spend some time making a secondary structure. We see if we can make a make shift shelter or fort out of extra items we have laying around or in the woods. This keeps us sharp on how to make a tent using what we have and what nature provides us. The challenge gives us confidence and my daughter has her own little fort while we camp.
AuntB
I learned about water. How to get it from a well, how to purify and how important is truly is.
TheSurvivalMom
Water gets overlooked often because food storage gets all the attention. But without water, all that food isn't going to matter much.
countrygirl
Probably sewing was the most useful thing I learned, as this was a weak area and I'm still working on it.
This last year I did learn several different methods for fishing in my local area, this includes with a pole, net and trap, and was an expansion of what I already new, so very good.
I think overall, learning to stay positive in a difficult situation, I've spent many a day in a tent with small kids while it rained. This is an essential in stressful situations.
Katie
I am learning to sew. I'm still new at it, so the quilt I'm working on is pretty uneven and ugly – but functional. I also learned to crochet – again, yeilding very uneven and silly-looking items. My husband learned to bake break by hand, and to can the veg and fruit from our garden. We've done a couple fo trial runs distilling water, as well as making rose water. We've gone camping as a family on occasion as well.
Annie
I'm a computer programmer. That's why I'm learning to sew!
jen in michigan
Thanks to The Survival Mom I've been encouraged to greatly expand my garden, can or freeze what I grow and shoot the critters that threaten my hard work. We're enjoying the results this winter!
Karen
Canning and gardening. Thankfully, I purchased a couple pressure canners off Craigslist and a bunch of used Mason Jars early last year, now they are hard to come by, more people getting prepared.(?) Hope so. Learning to can meat has been amazing!! The meat is so great and lasts a long time!! Gardening is much more difficult, good thing we are learning now, when we do not need the food. Also, set up 4 rain water barrels off the garage roof gutter. They filled up in one storm, and we do not get a lot of rain in San Diego!! Getting the water out to the garden has been interesting, but we are learning everyday!! Saves on the huge water bills here too!! I have learned much of this from your website, or have searched out things becasue of your articles, thanks!!!
bob
One thing I played with was on the hygiene end of things. Did not want to buy oneof those camp shower things to one use so decided I would use a 2 gal garden sprayer for a shower. Filled it with hot water to take a shower with and found it worked okay but to get a really good rinse on the hair it used up quite a bit of the water. I think a small 1-2 gallon bucket with a big sponge would work with it to help with a better rinse off. I think you could take a decent shower with 2-3 gallons of water. Did some research on the solar aspect and at 60 degrees I put a white container and a black one out in the sun and the black got to about 105 degeees and the white one to about 90 so a 15 degree difference with the black one. Around a100-110 degrees was about what a good hot shower for me is. I think practicing all the skills is very neccesary and you do not want to be learning and wasting things after tshtf..
TheSurvivalMom
Bob, those are excellent suggestions. I think I may make that black bucket idea of yours an Instant Survival Tip. Right now, as I'm thinking about containers we have around the house, I don't think we have anything black that is big enough to hold a couple gallons of water or more. Thanks for the tips!
BigRedTruck
Maybe forget the black container and just keep black garbage bags or black/camo plastic sheeting/tarp for multi purpose uses. Wrap your water container in the black bag/ sheeting and you will get the same result and then fold the bag back up for later use? Just a thought.
Dagny
Fire-making with multiple tools. Knife-sharpening. Not yet a skill, but I did gain much knowledge this past year in spinning yarn from dog hair and knitting it into clothing and blankets.
Hear, hear on camping as preparedness practice. Every prepper should do camping vacations – which in addition to being fun in themselves, can be turned into practice in "bugging out," cooking out, sleeping out, hygiene strategies in primitive conditions…. I would not feel at all prepared to shelter-in or bug-out if I have not spent so much time camping. I'm now perfectly comfortable with "roughing it" for some period of time and the camping gear I have has already come in handy during power outages. Hiking with heavy backpacks is good practice and a great workout, too.
AuntB
My family needs to do the camping practice. We did a hike and got separated. It amazed me how the children came up with so many ideas on leaving signs on the trail and their suggestions of what we should have and should not have done. We bought whistles for our next adventure. I can't wait to try camping because I have found the children think way outside the box when trying to find a solution.
Regina
I relearned, canning, gardening, gettting ready to raise chickens, learning about Herbs for cooking and medicine/first aid. i plan on making some Butter this month from our cow. Just by reading all of the articles and posts I have learned, alot.
hiya
My husband's favorite leather belt's stitching came out. If I hadn't had an awl and learned how to use it, we would've had to buy another belt. Also, I've started teaching my kids the skill of eating staple foods- beans & rice, etc. I learned how to transform a dead chicken into a raw chicken (chicken butchering).
traumamamma
Check out "backwoodshome magazine" website and type in 20 minute chicken butchering…fantastic skill…good for you!
malbernaz
I started canning this year with excess berries from our garden. Was not as hard as I though it would be and I really like knowing exactly whats going into my foods.
koensayr
Well, I've already got some skills, such as first aid, just enough sewing to make temporary, rudimentary repairs, and some camping, though I'm sure all those skills have become rusty over the years. I have no one to go camping with, and camping by myself just doesn't seem worthwhile. The skills I'd like to acquire are Ham Radio, small engine repair, and get reasonably proficient with my Glock, which are going to take money that I don't really have right now.
Right now, I'm still trying to dig myself out both credit card and student loan debt. This past year, I've made some progress towards that end, and by the end of this month, I'll have almost $1000 saved up for an emergency fund, so that I don't have to whip out the plastic when some unforeseen emergency (usually car repairs) comes up. However, I estimate that although I'll be out of credit card debt in a few more months, it'll be at least another year or so before I'm out of debt altogether. Until I am, I can't realistically afford to get those skills, so until then, for me it really IS just about getting bullets, beans and blankets.
Barb
Learn, learn, learn. The information of the world is free on-line. When you have money for nothing but your internet connection, look stuff up. How do you raise chickens? How do you make bread? What are the best items to have in an advanced first aid kit? How do you repair your own leaky plumbing? Print stuff up and start your "In Case Everything Goes to Hell In a Handbasket" reference manuals.
Capt. Dewey
Barb is spot on,and dont forget the can do attitude!! thats just as important as anything.
PrepperGirl
We're fairly new to preparedness. So far we've read a lot of survival books and watched a lot of survival shows, but we have yet to really practice any of it (well, my husband has practiced fire-starting, but I have yet to). I learned how to crochet last year, but I was already a knitter and just wanted to expand my hobby. Now I have a long, long list of things I want to learn, including gardening and canning, spinning my own yarn, baking bread from scratch, herbal medicine, bush crafting, solar cooking… like I said, it's a long list.
MaryB in GA
When I first started prepping (almost 4 yrs ago now, the time has flown!) I concentrated on all stocking up and reading about skills. It took a little while before I did much in using the skills I was reading about, but about 2 1/2 yrs. ago I did start working on the skills. In this last year, I expanded my vegetable garden, growing some things I had not grown before. Some did better than others, but I learned a lot. I canned meat for the first time, which was also the first time to use a pressure canner. (Previously had only made jellies and pickles in a water bath canner). In the last year I also put in herbs, which I had not grown before and learned to start a new celery plant from the base that you usually throw out. I think my proudest has been that I learned how to ferment. I actually made sauerkraut from just cabbage and salt in a 3 gallon bucket, and then canned it. It turned out great! I also learned to make sour dough bread starter and homemade wine from the same book. Wine is still a work in progress, and I think I'm going to turn it into red wine vinegar. I got back to quilting which I had done way back, but was very rusty on. I want to learn to knit soon.
Michael
Practiced/instructed the RAs from our church youth group in the following: firemaking (flint & steel, battery & steel wool, magnifying glass), impromtu shelter (tarp & cordage, local debri, poncho), Making safe/potable water (unscented bleach, boiling, SODIS, filtering), introduced them to Freeze dry food (Mountain House Spaghetti). Got dental check up(in preparation to going back overseas.
TheSurvivalMom
That dental check-up was a smart idea. There are plenty of highly likely scenarios that could make good dental care too expensive for the average citizen or not available.
Vanessa
knot-tying: bowline and sheet bend
safe handling and cleaning of pistol
canning (water bath only so far)
entire process of taking a live chicken, killing, cleaning and cooking it, making broth/stock after
knitting
learned more about identity protection
making soups
baking bread
traumamamma
Identity protection….goes right over most of our heads today…I call it "Ostrich-izing" (keeping your head in the sand). We are led to believe that because we live in the US that we are safe….good for you for opening your eyes…pass that on!
traumamamma
Years of Emergency Medicine has blesses me with the knowledge to know what's emergent and what's not, and how to care for what is…I guess that counts as a prepper skill..But renewing my food preservation skills (canning, freezing, drying, sprouting) has upped my skills list. We live where it snows, so firewood is huge on our list. My husband and I buy permits to cut our wood. Bringing home huge logs instead of buying cord wood has already prevented wood theft from our yard. Can't carry away a 400 lb log! We both have chainsaws (mine is smaller!), so woodcutting and splitting has been added to my list. We cut wood off our logs as we need it. (These logs are downed by the forestry agents, and are well-seasoned). While having a fireplace warming our house, I cook a roast or chicken in front of the fireplace on a chain hung on a hook placed in the center of our mantle with a pan beneath to catch the drippings. We are in the process of having a swinging fireplace "crane" fabricated to hold a dutch oven…there are tons of websites regarding "Hearth cooking"…check them out!
Stephanie
The single most useful skill I have learned that applies to everyday life is " Canning"
The most important skills that I have learned that may save me and my family in the future is
"Canning" "Dehydrating -USING A CAR" and "Hunting" (hunting: involves a whole range of useful skills including: tracking, shooting, safety, outdoor survival, and observation – doubly so if you learn to hunt with a bow).
LizLong
Cooking. I've learned to bake bread, tortillas, cake and more – from scratch! If you knew me IRL, you would know that's really a BIG deal for me.
toybee
I've been sewing since I was a kid, but this year I've learned to sew on my 1924 treadle sewing machine. I highly recommend every prepper find one of these and learn to use it. Without power for an electric machine or stores to buy clothes this is going to be invaluable. The only other option for mending or sewing new clothes would be hand sewing. Not fun!
Casey
Pasteurizing water in a solar oven. Also, I learned to use my Katadyn water filter for the first time the other day.
Four months ago I fermented some zucchinis from our garden, and I'm slowling eating them this winter (yum!). I'm using the book "Wild Fermentation" by Sandor Ellix Katz. But you may not need the book. You can probably learn the salt/water ratio and technique on-line. Don't use regular salt because it has additives.
NC Farm Girl
Some great skills people have learned! It is good to know there are many people learning new things!
My husband and I already had some skills before we began to prep about 4 years ago: sewing, knitting, bread baking, firearm safety, canning, reading many books on the subject, etc. What we have learned since, that I believe will help us survive: learning how to build a brick oven for bread baking and cooking (will be built this spring), growing our own vegatables and collecting the seeds for the next year's planting (as well as long-term storage of our seeds – you don't need to buy the expensive pre-canned stuff – you can do it yourself which is less expensive and, more importantly, they are seeds you have grown in your climate in your soil so they grow better and better each year), raising chickens and growing their feed, growing wheat (as well as grinding and storing and, once again, collecting the seeds for the next year), learning basic medical skills, using hand tools, building a cystern to collect rain water (did this last year) and a supply of hoses to water our gardens, cooking with cast iron outside (I have always used cast iron but never outside).
NC Farm Girl
I think we still have more to learn but I am pleased we started so long ago as we don't feel pressure to quickly "catch up" with many skills and spending a lot of money all at once. Things we plan on doing this year: build that brick oven, grow sunflowers and learn to make sunflower oil and have a press made for this (to use with cooking as you cannot store oils long-term. And, this is easier than you think!), plant several fruit trees that grow well in our climate, start buying material to make clothes for when we run out of the clothes we have stored away…any other ideas?
bronco28
The most useful skill I have learned over the years is to simply trust my gut. If something looks bad and feels bad then it probably is. Sometimes retreating is the best offense. Unfortunately this skill usually has to be earned through bone head mistakes and bad judgment calls.
Mike
How about simple Critical Thinking Skills. There is so very much out there about how to live, now, in a teotwawki situation and everywhere in between. Much is reasonable and some is too 007 or unreasonably caveman style. Determining the difference and what will work for you can save lots of false starts. I want to invest limited resources, time and money in what will work for me and mine.
So being able to evaluate a proposal as to reality is for me the first place to start in building a plan, equipping it, and continually modifying, improving and implementing it.
Mom, Thanks for being a site dedicated to sharing, discussing, evaluating and spreading the word.
Patty
Using herbs, knowing how to make a concoction, a decoction, an infusion, and a tincture are all part of that. Learning how to grow and harvest the herbs. Gardening (organically), canning, hair cutting by hand, mending, minor doctoring, raising animals, butchering those animals, composting, crocheting, and devouring any survivalist/reality books that I can get my hands on.
rainy
I have learned over the last 5 years how to garden and believe me it takes trial and error, not something people can learn over night. Corn absolutely will not grow where I live, it’s too cold. I have learned to grow short growing season crops and crops which grow well in cooler temperatures. Southern gardeners have to watch for disease and pests, don’t think you garden over night, it’s all trial and error.
Bobby Jean
Avoid panic. As active-duty Navy and single mother, I was fortunate to work with SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) school and the single most important point they teach is not to panic. You absolutely must keep your wits about you for a.n.y. survival skill to be effective. Fear is good .. it can hone your senses. Consider it as a tool at your disposal.