Have no iota of the doubt when you read that there are far too many forgotten survival skills that still matter. The world is dynamic, and while this is undoubtedly a good thing, we have to admit that this continuous cycle of change rolls away some of the good too. Although we can’t always tell that.
We have come a pretty long way from when we had to cater for things from scratch. The introduction of robots & artificial intelligence has redefined living. I could be in my room & get tuxedos delivered from Italy — I don’t fancy many tuxes, though.
Whatever. I know you don’t care.
The keynote here is that technology has made things amazingly simple & easy. If I could go back to high school, I’d respect geeks more. I mean, I love you, Tommy — who’d have thought I’d have virtual assistance that’d completely run my day without a word from me?
Simply amazing.
However, the prepper in me despises this (but not apps that can bring me instant pizza & chicken wings). On a serious note, technology has eased living so much that we have forgotten skills that may really matter when SHTF.
Fortunately, geeks haven’t made an app to replace me, and I’m optimizing the little time I have left (who knows?). I have conducted a lot of research to find out pioneer skills that we’ve all abandoned and how helpful they may be when disaster hits close to home.
It was painful to find out that Talking Angela doesn’t do everything — nor does social media (and I’m not talking about money — Zuckerberg is rich APPARENTLY). My exact point is this: the skills we have forgotten today will be pivotal should things go south. It’s best to prepare for life without technology.
Let’s see some of these skills below.
5 Forgotten Survival Skills That Still Matter
Manual Laundry
If I was a keen gambler, I’d bet my entire savings right now that you haven’t washed your clothes with your hands in forever (I would win, right?). Laundromats & washing machines are the new washmen & I can’t deny their efficiency. However, you may be interested in knowing that less than 34% of American households had enough to afford a laundromat in the 1950s.
Washing machines make laundry easier now — but what happens when SHTF & there’s no electricity or running water? I don’t suppose you’re planning to wear your clothes repeatedly for weeks without changing or washing (come on, you’re not Merlin from Merlin or Frodo from LOTR). You need to relearn this valuable piece of skill. And if you’ve never learned it, you have to NOW.
Gardening
The 20th century came with a lot of things: the wars (respect to our heroes), our greatness, excellent movies (thank you, Mario Puzo), and importantly, the mass exodus of Americans from the rural areas to the modern regions. In this time, people grew just about anything & ate whatever came from their gardens — or someone else’s (through bartering, not pilfering).
However, urbanization happened & most people now can’t garden properly. I’m hoping you (as a prepper) don’t have this problem — preparing your survival garden is one of our everyday topics. If you’re just starting, though, or you’ve not taken this seriously, you have to. There’s no telling when you may have to put on your hat & water the plants. I hope you keep your farm boots ready.
Remember that having a survival garden will SHTF will sustain you for a considerably long period.
Rearing Animals
I can’t lay claims to having raised lions, nor was my grandpa Mufasa’s handler, but I daresay one of you must have had forefathers who played fetch with leopards. And if no one like that happens to be reading now, I believe some of us have had experiences raising little animals. I’m not talking about Molly, your dog.
I’m referring to raising animals as a form of farming. Before Covid-19, I believe this was a laughable issue, but with the break-in supply chain of meat (& other foods at the time, it’s logical that some of us have taken animal rearing more seriously.
I’m not pressing this, though. But if you’d like a healthy supply of meat when others can’t get it & also barter with those who don’t (you could get a 2021 FIFA Console with a chicken lap then), then you should build your chicken coops ASAP & get rearing.
Hunting
There’s no denying that our forefathers hunted antelopes & dragons with mere sticks & bows. Their courage gave them strength. Fortunately, you don’t have to be so courageous. Now, there’s a long-range of firearms specifically made for hunting. You can close your eyes as you walk into the forest, yet make a kill. Just keep your rifle loaded & trigger ready.
We need to be more attentive to hunting. Ironically, the number of hunters is reducing now when there’s so many weapons to choose from. It’s clear there’s been a shift in priorities — but I’ll give you a heads-up; an SHTF scenario will reset these priorities, and it will do so violently without giving you the time to get geared.
What would you do when life throws you in the path of thumping, trumpeting elephants?
Meals Preparation from the Scratch
Since I’ve earlier declared my love for pizza, this may concern us all. But the thing is: it’s not bad at all to like these foods. What’s terrible is not knowing how to prepare ordinary meals yourself. You can’t always rely on processed foods. They aren’t even healthy enough — and I’m betting they are one of the reasons you wake up tired every day.
Stockpile canned foods that you can cook from the beginning to the end. If you can’t cook any, start learning to. You can always use online resources to become an expert — there are plenty of others like you. Would you believe that a video titled “How to Boil Water” on YouTube has gathered over a million views?
“Okay, mommy, I want to cook. Where’s my apron?!”
Concluding the Forgotten Survival Skills That Still Matter
There are many more forgotten survival skills that still matter. I’m not even sure we can stop talking about them. The count goes on & on. Don’t worry about perishing — we’ll make sure you don’t. In the subsequent article to this, we’ll look at ten other forgotten survival skills that may save your life. For now, we move.