Best skill to have in a post apocalyptic world?

You must have a mind that can push the body past the limits the body tells you it has hit. And when the mind from lack of sleep or rest can no longer will the body, you must have that raw force of will.

Skills are overrated. It doesn't take a lot of specialized skills to prevail in a survival situations. The most prolific, knowledgeable person in the world, if he isn't steel-tough won't necessarily have the intuitions necessary for survival.

Two-legged animals will be the greatest threat. Those who can take from others will, simply because they can. Every waking moment will be either a race, a hide, or a fight.

You don't need gunpowder to survive. But you better know how to make and set snares, even for large animals. It's quiet, it doesn't draw attention, and variations can be an effective defense. You can trap all the rabbits, squirrels, and deer in the world, and still starve to death. You must have a source of salt and a source of fat. Without both, you will slowly weaken and die.

That's why bears were taken by primitives, even though it was a very risky proposition. Just one thing. Bears had the necessary fat to enable survival.

Skills are handy, but ruthless intuition is mandatory. If only to survive those others whom one will certainly come across.

I think you guys are going in the wrong direction. If theres an apocalypse and people survive, so will many buildings. Perhaps 10 to every person. So this means you will probably have your gunpowder, canned foods and non perishables etc... Petroleum will probably be found in tanks that are undisturbed, mostly above ground or mostly below ground. If the petrol runs out, natural gas might still be obtainable.

The biggest problem will be rotting corpses everywhere. Burials will be a monumental task if taken. Survivors might choose to temporarily relocate to secluded areas for an attempt at peace of mind. Alcohol will move from commodity to necessity. Marijuana will be the centerpiece of get-togethers. Some corn fields will become weed fields.

Since the majority of areas were not powered by power plants that used natural forces, a relocation might be desired. But there will still be solar panels and generators. Big rig drivers will become very handy. Frozen food can be stored in transport trailers equipped with air freezers or with dry ice like in the old days. A trip to the local DMV (if it still exists) will aleviate the post apocalyptic pain when the location of the most expensive sports car is found. Of course the data is probably on a hard drive in a server in a server farm that needs to be powered. A scouting for the biggest house would probably yield a sports car, maybe not the most expensive, so let the hunt begin.

As for weapons, if one has to be made it should be a high powered potato launcher equipped to launch harder objects because the parts will be around. You can find videos of these in action on youtube, destroying things. An armored reserves base might have a water purification truck. Eventually most medicine will be replaced by natural remedies, a shaman will be of great help. Urban areas wont have large amounts of wildlife like deer for years to come, if ever.

As for communication, shortwave radio will do. The internet will be down, but not completely. Satellites will still be operational. A telecom engineer will come in handy. Of course such things can still be learned. And those satellite phones might work too. Soon enough you might be communicating internationally. And if that doesnt work, shortwave radio can reach from california to europe. Althought at the expense of great power. But dont forget there are natural force power plants and some might still be up. Hover dam might be functional althought it would be demolished in a huge earthquake. And if google headquarters is still standing, it might still be running with its own water turbine power plant. A snapshot of the web and its billions of pages should still be cached. If so it could become the greatest monument to history ever.

Ah damn that was kinda cheesy.

[edit on 22-9-2008 by GlassRunner]

Oh c'mon, I wasn't trying to kill the thread

For me the answer is simple: GUNMAKER!

As long as I have supplies and materials to work with, I would be a valuable asset to any warlord or regional power.

reply to post by seagull


I think you are right, more people die from fear and panic when the SHTF than any other thing. Get your skills down, practice them a little, and get right in your own mind prior to an event. Practice starting a fire with just the yard waste in your back yard, go camping with just a light day pack, use a water purifier in the hills, kill food and cook it in the outback. If you do these things when something real bad happens you will have your skills down and you will know that you can make it till the sun comes up.

In the way back time I did search and rescue. 90% of the time if a person just sat down and started a small fire they were in great shape by the time they got found. The people that panic, they were the ones that we ended up recovering.

The neat thing about all the things we are talking about is that they will in some small way help a person in their every day life. Your bed feels a little nicer after sleeping on the ground. The heating bill does not seem as bad after making a cold camp in the hills in November. After having to cut up a deer or elk the meat at the market is not priced that high. And when the copy machine at work stops working it just isn't as big of a deal.

Has anyone mentioned a Mid Wife as a needed skill yet?

Its really important that people look at this carefully, in terms of survival for groups, and villages. No one can wake up the world, well at least its hard, I'm not saying impossible. But small groups in a town or region, can wake up a town. You don't have to have everyone believing you. But if it stays in the back of their mind it will really help should the disasters happen. Basically, meet up, and start to hold presentations, films and talks in public buildings. Advertise in the local paper. Make sure there child minding and fun stuff for kids, and then go do to door with invitations. Keep it up. Give interviews. Someone good on linux can get a local online radio going, a website, they have lots of good free programs for this. Connect the different towns, share the interviews. Poor people still have some things, but only the well off can do everything, the land, the seeds, the windmills and energy, the weapons, the water, etc etc. But everyone, even the poor, can contribute. Some with tools, some can can and preserve food, some can build solar cells and windmills and are good mechanically, some can learn herbs and medicines, some can look after children, and teach them, some can fish and hunt and gather water and supplies, some can spin and weave and sew, some can work on radios and communication devices. All able bodies can erect cob shelters and the like FOR EACH OTHER,as in Bali. But most of all, a major reset button would mean the loss of knowledge. Just as the natives are keepers of certain knowledge and have passed it on by surviving the from the last era, everyone needs to gather plans, blueprints, printouts and knowledge of our technologies, our science, our inventions, our medicine, so mothers and babies will not die in childbirth. We need to be the keepers of the knowledge for the next generation. Do not approach this as a dog eat dog barbaric lord of the flies experience.

[edit on 3-10-2008 by mystiq]

Not sure about the skills I'll need but I have a man crush on MacGruber - that guy is a friggin genious.

MacGruber

MacGruber






[edit on 2-11-2008 by venividivici]

The best skill after the end,past the fall-out/radiation issue,would be medical/social skills,the ability to help,comfort and bring people together,and the will to carry on.


[edit on 2-11-2008 by all2human]

As a sidenote to those who believe social skills will be a must, an important part of that is communication. As a Canadian living in a cultural mosaic, i would have to say that being multi-lingual would be a huge asset.

English, French, Spanish and more, would certainly prove useful. I wouldn't rule out the ability to sew one's own clothes, make candles, and a myriad of other pioneer skills.

Tammy

Bartering skills. Learn to produce valuable things like blankets, and cook ware. You could use these to gain what you need in a survival situation. Trade and communication skills is a must have

Wilderness Survival in general. The same skills would also enable you to protect against aggression. Taking down a Moose or a Man from 300 yards takes the same skill.

I could have taken enough meat to feed four families for the winter just yesterday morning. Four Moose (lone Bull and a Cow with twins) within five blocks going to work and I live in an Urban area.

For the foolish people who insist on living on top of each other in the filthy cities? The ability to fly to get the heck out of there.

The best skill to have in a post apoc world will be Patience, wait for the sheeple to die, wait for the gun nuts to wipe each other out, wait for the cities dead to decompose, wait for mother nature to restore the world, wait for the raiation to decay, wait for the young to waste themselves on follies because they are impatient, wait to see who won, wait to see which way the wind is blowing, wait to see who gives away his position first , you or the other rifleman trying to take you out.

Patience my friends, Patience will help the wise, and God or the Devil will help the gun nuts playing rambo in the brave new world.