When a catastrophic event occurs, most people focus on day-to-day survival. However, it is just as important to think about the trades and skills needed to survive long term.
A good trade is one that is valuable to you and those around you. It should also be easily tradable for goods or services critical to surviving. When the time comes to rebuild and refocus on the future, prepare yourself by learning one of these trades.
5) Medical training
Having any level of medical knowledge is one of the greatest strengths for a survivalist to possess. One of the main benefits of medical training is that it’s immediately valuable.
During a catastrophic event, there will be limited access to proper medical care. This can make a small cut the difference between life and death. Just having someone with basic knowledge in your group will greatly increase your chances of survival.
4) Household product manufacturing
Knowing how to make any type of cleaning tool like soap or laundry detergent is valuable. As a modern-day staple in first-world countries, soap is one of the best tools to fight off infection.
Poor human hygiene causes diarrheal and respiratory illnesses that easily spread in unclean environments. If an infection spreads among your fellow survivors, a bar of soap is your best bet to stop it from getting worse.
3) Carpentry
When it comes to rebuilding, the help and expertise of carpenters will be highly sought after. Carpenters can help produce new homes and the furnishings that go in them.
Carpenters are skilled at woodworking and molding items to meet custom designs. It’s also important for those pursuing carpentry as a trade to know how to do it with old-fashioned tools.
Recommended Resource: Ted’s Woodworking Course
2) Gardening, seed production
After everything has been scavenged for food ten times over, it’s important to know how to produce fruits and vegetables on your own. Fresh produce isn’t just desirable because of its health benefits, but it may be the only food option.
More important than gardening, seed production will be in huge demand. Learning how to produce, grow and store seeds will be highly valuable.
Recommended Resource: 7250 Landscaping Ideas
1) Gunsmithing and ammunition production
You can pretty much count on the fact that people are going to need guns. With the gun manufacturing industry at a halt, there will be a huge demand for gun repairs and homemade ammunition.
Learning gunsmithing will be a valuable trade that will keep your arsenal stocked and your weapons properly cared for.
Learning one or more of these trades will give you a fighting chance to make it when it’s time to rebuild.