If you’re prepping for a disaster scenario, it isn’t just goods that you need to stock up on. Food, water, etc. are all important to stockpile, but you also need to learn some useful skills that will stand you in good stead. You won’t necessarily be able to rely on others to help you out, so your ability to weather difficult situations will be dependent on what you’re able to do for yourself. Here are some of the most useful skills to learn.
Mechanic and Handyman
Learning how things work and how to fix them is a useful skill anytime and anywhere. From diagnosing what’s wrong with your car to fixing a plugged drain to repairing a broken refrigerator, being able to diagnose and fix your own problems is often quicker, easier, and cheaper than calling in a specialist. And when you really need something fixed in an emergency, you likely won’t be able to call a specialist to come help you.
Electrician
Being able to do electrical work will be incredibly important, especially if you are already living or plan at some point to live off grid. Whether you use a generator or solar panels, being able to diagnose and fix your own electrical problems could be the difference between life and death.
Welding and Machining
Being able to take pieces of metal and join them together, or shape them on a mill or lathe, is incredibly important to building things. Welding and machining are useful skills that require a pretty significant outlay on equipment when you first buy a welder, mill, and lathe, plus all the necessary tooling and fixtures. But once you learn how to use them and realize all the things that you can make or repair yourself, they will more than pay for themselves over the course of your lifetime.
Blacksmith
Not everything metal can be made by modern welding and machining. For some things you’ll just need some good old-fashioned blacksmithing skills. Heating metal, holding it, and hitting it can be indispensable for creating items like knives, axes, and shovels, for example, as well as for repairing those items.
Carpentry
Creating and shaping things out of wood is another very important skill to learn. Your woodworking doesn’t have to be a work of art, just functional. Being able to build tables and chairs, doors, fences, and sheds, can help you to take care of all your structural and functional needs.