Prepping for the modern dark ages P2

For a little background, look at part 1 of this series.  It will explain why I think building skills like this is as important or more important than just ‘having preps.’ 

So, what skills should one have in the event of a long term economic depression, or similar such ‘bad times’? 

Blacksmithing? 

 I’m going to deal with this first because I see it pop up on prepping forums from time to time. I know that it is a very basic, off grid, and satisfying skill, but it’s rather limiting. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to know how to work and shape hot metal, and you can actually make a pretty decent side business at it by selling your wares through local markets or online, but the type of things you’ll be able to turn out will always be a hair bit on the primitive side. If you feel the itch, go ahead and learn how to bend hot metal with a hammer, but personally I say focus on to something a little more versatile. 

Welding! 

I’ve spent more than just a little time in places trying to propel themselves from third world to first world countries, as well as one country that was doing its best to send itself back to third world status. If they had blacksmith shops I didn’t seen them. What I did see were lots of little ramshackle shops with a welder a grinder and a drill. And guess what, they have always been busy, because when resources are scarce people need to fix things that are broken. Frequently that means attaching one piece of metal to another and nothing does that better than a welder. Sure you need electricity or gasoline to power a welder, whereas blacksmiths can get by on firewood, but there are lots of things that can cause ‘bad times,’ and only a few that will cause TEOTWAWKI. I’ll stick with prepping for bad times! 

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Besides, do you know how handy it is to have a welder at your disposal? Have you ever heard (or said,) “hey I know a guy with a welder who would do this for a 6 pack.” Well you could be that guy. Buy a welder, watch some educational videos online or find a local vocational course. You don’t have to be a great welder to be useful, and you don’t have to have top notch equipment. You just have to know the basics and practice it enough to not embarrass yourself. (Buy a grinder too, nobody is perfect!)

I thought you said you wanted a gusset?

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Small Engine Repair 

“But EJ, there won’t be any gasoline in TEOTWAWKI!”  Yeah, sure, maybe.  Before we get to the end of times there are plenty of chances for things to break, and that goes double for cheap generators and gas powered tools imported by the likes of Harbor Freight. Right now you can just go buy another one, but that’s because it’s easy to get cheap import products. If the economy has gone to heck in a handbasket then you’re in a bit more trouble. 

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 It used to be common to see small engine repair shops. Usually they were a side business for some other business or a retiree who decided to hang out a shingle to get a few extra bucks (and maybe get out of the house for a while.) I’ve known a couple such individuals and I’ve never heard either complain about needing more work. I’ve also dealt with a repair shop that made some very tidy profits by collecting non-running mowers and snowblowers from scrappers and craigslist ads, fixing them up, and selling them.

Still cuts grass faster than a goat!

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 Maybe you could make it a side business, maybe you could make a few bucks. Or maybe not, but if you know how to repair mowers, snowblowers, generators, and chainsaws you have a very useful skill. In fact I should note that repairing chainsaws, sharpening chains, and knowing how to properly use a saw is a particularly useful skillset any place that has trees. A chainsaw can clear debris after a storm, remove potential hazards around your home, do (very) rough carpentry when you’re in a pinch, and multiply the BTUs from a gallon of gas several times over by helping you stock up on firewood. And that’s true right here and now; it will be doubly important if and when times get lean!

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Don't assume you will instinctively know how to use a chainsaw.  The safety rules are more complicated and just as final as the safety rules for firearms.  Look here  And Here.

What else breaks down when times are rough? 

Car/Truck/Tractor repair 

Lots of people actually make this a full blown hobby by restoring and rebuilding old vehicles. I say hobby, because you won't make much/any money unless you happen to get very lucky or meet a chump or two along the way. There are a few shade tree mechanics out there who can run small shops and make money, but they’re the exception, not the rule. Still, it’s just like small engine repair in that the skills you develop working on your own or your vehicles can be handy now and very much in demand in hard times. Be the neighbor who helps out other people when working on their vehicles. Troubleshoot that weird suspension noise for the guy next door. Help the guy you know from work weld a patch panel into the fender of his old truck. If people find out you have the tools and the skills to keep their car moving more or less forward, your value will go up in the neighborhood. 

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 Maybe engine and body repair aren’t your thing. Learn to patch and remount a tire. Learn to balance a wheel and replace a valve stem. You’ll never make money just doing it out of your garage, but help a stranded neighbor change a tire on the side of the road or fix that annoying slow leak for them and you might just become someone that other people will look out for. That can certainly pay dividends. 

The building trades 

Carpentry, masonry, plumbing, and wiring are skills that never really go out of style. If you own a home, chances are you have either done some of these things yourself or you have paid someone else to do them for you. I don’t care how bad things get, somebody needs something fixed around the house. Maybe it’s hanging a new door or upgrading a lock, maybe it’s replacing a light switch, maybe it’s rodding a drain. Somebody needs something fixed and if you have the skills and tools to do it, you have value!

Remember, you won't keep the zombies out if you can't lock the door!

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 You should have the ability to hammer nails, drive screws, drill holes, measure and cut boards and panels, find plumb and level, draw and cut stair stringers, mix and trowel concrete/mortar/plaster, wire a light switch/outlet/fixture, install a breaker, snake a drain, sweat solder, thread a pipe, replace a trap, repair a faucet, caulk a bathtub, and replace the valve and wax ring on a toilet. If you can’t do those things… bro, do you even prep?

 You should be able to fit all of the tools you NEED to do those things in a large trunk or small closet, and if you shop wisely you can get them for less than the cost of hiring a professional for a couple days. Sure it would be nice to have a big shop full of tools, but that will only make your work easier; it won’t make it better. Seriously, unless you expect to live out TEOTWAWKI in a cave or a tent, you should have the tools and the knowledge to do all of the home repairs I just mentioned. Learn to do all of this stuff before it becomes a necessity.

If you ever find yourself on hard times and there is simply no work to be found, put out the word to your friends and neighbors that you are willing to do odd job repairs. You might end up as a ‘gofer’ for an actual builder; you might end up being a regular handyman. Chances are though that you’ll be better off than you were sitting at home waiting for the world to patch itself up again. 

Next time I’ll talk about some of the less physically demanding skills you might want to acquire.