You could use lawyers for bait!!! Or skin them for clothing. What are we going to do with all the criminals anyway? Lawyers are no different. I think a lot of people might not work in these areas but yet know how to hunt,fish watch kids ect. My question is if you have a member of your group who can't do any of these things then what do you do do you push them out? Or does the group work harder and longer for the freeloaders. I know a few people who are vegetarian animal activist that are on disability and can barley tie there shoes!! What happens to them I would send anyone who's not willing to earn there share on there way with the lawyers!!!

Skills and knowledge are important. I would think that there will be many opportunities for those without skills to pitch in and do some of the heavy lifting regardless of what their background may be. Those who won't work.. or demonstrate that labor or a task is somehow below them... well... they will be having many hungry days. Push them out?... Perhaps see if in the short term they are willing to learn. If in the longer term they maintain their worthlessness... then maybe out they go and good luck to them. The question would be though.... do they become a liability since they know where you are, what you have, your numbers and your setup and could easily lead another group on you for revenge or "standing" within that group. Many sides to the coin...

Yes I didn't think of that. Interesting point. What if they are related to a more valuable member of the group do you make sacrifices. What about the elderly or sick? Lets say there is a doctor who has a wife that is useless and won't work and she has two teenage sons and a mother and father non want to get involved but want to rep the bennifits. Do you lose the doctor or is that the price you pay?? Food for thought.

What if YOUR loved one is sick and needs the doctor with the useless wife? Then we go to... is this a hierarchy or a democracy? Who gets to decide?

The hunter/gatherers were the butchers. Natives were both killers and butchers. It goes hand in hand at least around here you can both kill a dear and butcher it.

What if YOUR loved one is sick and needs the doctor with the useless wife? Then we go to... is this a hierarchy or a democracy? Who gets to decide?

Stalemate, everyone is screwed.

Food for thought

The hunter/gatherers were the butchers. Natives were both killers and butchers. It goes hand in hand at least around here you can both kill a dear and butcher it.

Now that is how I think about things as well............... I have been hunting, trapping and fishing for close to 50 years. I know how to gut, skin, quarter and completely butcher everything I take. I know how to make sausage, jerky, cure hams and bacon, tan hides by several methods and make rawhide..... and render fat into lard. And I know how to can meat as well. I can dry meat and fish, know how to make knives and scrapers out of bone and flint/obsidian. I am proficient with rifle, handgun, shotgun, muzzleloaders and archery equipment. But this whole area of knowledge has been a very keen interest of mine since I was a small boy.

Sadly, not all modern day hunters know how to do much beyond shoot and clean and take it to a butcher, and many are not good at the first two.

Essentially though, I believe a person who intends to survive and take care of his/her family/friends (with their assistance of course)........... one needs to have a strong knowledge base and experience as hunter/gatherers, including the basics of preparing and preserving what is killed/harvested. Basic knowledge and practical experience of growing vegetables and tending livestock is needed. Basic carpentry/constructions skills are a definite asset as shelter, storage facilities and pens will be needed as well as the ability to repair existing infrastructure. A decent knowledge of emergency first-aid and both conventional and holistic approach with remedies.

When it comes to survival the more knowledge and experience you have, the better your chances of survival. Others with you will hopefully be able to fill in for areas you are weak in. Unfortunately in survival situations there is seldom much leeway or time to learn as you go with the important skills that are absolutely essential for survival.

OK Mooswa, I nominate you as Hunt Master, for any comunity that you may become involved in. Me, I make things with almost anything, even made a horn X-bow once, but was too impatient and the laminate came apart. Dropped that and went onto the next thing that caught my interest...Girls, sorry but I was only 16 at the time. 😳

Ranger.............. 🙂 I was not trying to impress anyone with my personal knowledge base on the hunting aspect of things. What I was getting at is that anyone with a keen interest in something, usually develops a working knowledge of other things that are associated with it. As another example, most of the guys I know who like general carpentry are also a pretty fair hand at wiring and plumbing, so some people will have a broad knowledge base in a particular area.

I have always been the type of individual that prefers to learn how to do something and then do it myself, instead of hiring someone. I do live where it is difficult to hire trades people and one could wait an entire building season and never manage to get anything done, so I have just learned to do it myself.

About 20 years ago I decided I wanted to learn the proper way to process beef/pork etc. So in my off season from my line of work, I got a job working at the local rural abattoir. I worked there for 5 years and learned how to do everything there is connected with processing livestock and game. It was hard work but I do not regret it as now we not only raise our own livestock, and of course hunt and take game, we completely process it all from start to finish.

I did the same things starting many years ago with carpentry. Started out by building a barn we needed because I could not get any contractors to do it as they were all booked for the season (and too damned expensive). Since then I have built a number of barns and stables, couple of houses and cabins, and other out buildings from start to finish.

People who want to become self sufficient need to learn how to put their fears aside, do some reading......... and now you have an untold wealth of info on the internet............ and dive into it.

Dropped that and went onto the next thing that caught my interest...Girls, sorry but I was only 16 at the time. 😳

They are always getting us in trouble and distracting us. 😉

Man...Don’t sweat it, I was applauding you. Anyone who has that much initiative in his life and acts upon it, is a great man in my books. Even if you don’t feel like you deserve it, Stand up and take a Bow.

Both of you, Mooswa and Ranger are people with an immense variety of skills each in your own areas. If the SHTF I would feel truly honored and blessed if you or anyone like you showed up at my door as I am sure many other preppers would. Amassing a variety of skill sets is the key to survival and beyond. This is true for both individuals and groups.

I agree with what is being said. I work in a max security prison so I know how criminals work. Don't think this skill would be overly valuable in a SHTF situation. However I hunt (bow and gun) fish. Can clean anything I kill I can trap and have a vast amount of medical training for emergency first aid. I'm also a very skilled marksman and fully capable of reloading my own ammunition and an amateur gun smith. You would be amazed what I have seen the inmates make out of basically nothing, from candles to weapons to alcohol stills. I think we all can be valuable in our own ways. I have been focused on survival skills over the last few years and I'm learning more all the time.

Bigred613 "I work in a max security prison so I know how criminals work. Don't think this skill would be overly valuable in a SHTF situation."

See, I would tend to disagree with this statement Bigred613. I would think there's a skill in being able to read people, to get some sense of whether that scruffy fellow met at the road or fence could be a threat that could be found in being a prison guard. I bet you guys/gals in that profession develop a sense of "raised hackles" when meeting up with some kinds of people.
Plus I'd think having an idea of how criminals work and think, one would be able to apply that to some security prep work plans.

I guess I'm the type that believes there's no such thing as a useless skill, just used less skill 🙂

Runs With Scissors