Learning Tradeable Skills

How are you preparing
IL Professore

Learning Tradeable Skills

Post by IL Professore »

Hi all, I am prepping on a seriously limited budget.

I have only just started gathering equipment and also learning how to use it. I am a nearly 50 year old engineer, and am just beginning to get back into shape after a long illness.

I am not working, so money is tight, but I hope to begin retraining soon, and hopefully should have a bit more money.

So hopefully finances and health are going to improve. But if someone does something stupid tomorrow, what can I do to stay alive. Therefore I need something to trade. I can't easily bug out, but I am researching a local secure place..... That doesn't help me tomorrow though. And I realised that prepping is a lot more than spending money. Admittedly there are some basics for immediate aftermath of a SHTF scenario. But weeks, months and years have to follow. So, I am a very good shot. So hunting and trading of meat is something that could keep me and my son alive. If conventional technology works, then I can trade repair skills.

If the S really hits the F, then I have started to teach myself blacksmithing. I am currently smelting as many old aluminium cans as possible. Both to cast parts for the swords I am making, but also to build a supply of castable materials for future trading.

So by being both well armed, capable of their use, and have the ability to trade swords etc, as well as smithing and engineering skills, I hope that I can survive.

Not all preppers have the physique and skills of a special forces black-ops operatives. Some of us are middle aged, a bit overweight and unfit. But trading is no repector of age, gender or fighting skills. Everyone needs to have someone to mend stuff. And skills can be gained without any cost at all.
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Deeps
Posts: 5797
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2014 8:36 pm

Re: Learning Tradeable Skills

Post by Deeps »

You do what you can mate, even a strong back can be handy if an individual has no skills to trade. Depending on what sort of things you envisage happening will maybe dictate what kind of skills you might need, if its an 'end of days' scenario then agricultural skills would be handy to have or hunting/butchering but if you're prepping in case of more short term events then its a different ball game.

From what you say you're maybe a bit fragile physically at the moment so a handy 'skill' might be establishing good relations with friends and neighbours for mutual support if things go pear shaped for whatever reason. If you already have a relationship with somebody you're more likely to empathise with them in their hour of need and be willing to help. We work best in groups anyway, its just how you divvy those groups up.
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mightymayesy
Posts: 79
Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2016 10:52 pm
Location: West Midlands

Re: Learning Tradeable Skills

Post by mightymayesy »

Great post... IL Professore.
I love this forum and definitely am learning loads .
I never considered such intangible skills / aforethought.
I am still definitely the in the mindset of "eat or be eaten" but maybe my attitude towards fellow preppers is thawing.
To my mind - preppers are the most dangerous post SHTF - but then again i'm totally love The Walking Dead so may have a warped sense of reality.
I'm really into my fitness. It's good that you want to get fitter for your son and family.
Try logging calories / macro's / activity on myfitnesspal.com
Motivating and helps me immensely. And it's free.
MM
Spoiler Alert: Everyone dies.

Prepping Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ukpreppershtf/
Arzosah
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Re: Learning Tradeable Skills

Post by Arzosah »

Great to hear you're recovering after your illness, il professore, thats actually a main prep. Money's tight, so *don't* pay for anything - walking, cycling if you have a bike, the gardening, crunches etc you can do at home, linking with the neighbours. When I first moved here, for instance, and started taking the front garden in hand, it was the best thing I could have done to meet neighbours :D

I love the idea of blacksmithing and melting down aluminium cans :mrgreen: but you're liable to need a lot else before that kind of skill is useful or tradeable (though it could also be a fantastic present day business - artisan blacksmithing! Everything from cookware to house numbers). Attached pic is a little family business that used to provide a side income, including it to show the small scale possibilities:
Getting the purified ore ready.jpg
IL Professore

Re: Learning Tradeable Skills

Post by IL Professore »

Deeps wrote:
From what you say you're maybe a bit fragile physically at the moment so a handy 'skill' might be establishing good relations with friends and neighbours for mutual support if things go pear shaped for whatever reason. If you already have a relationship with somebody you're more likely to empathise with them in their hour of need and be willing to help.
Well I do run my local neighbourhood watch and am a bit of a 'local hero' People already come to see me when tech fails amongst many other things. I am very fortunate that I live on a very nice cul-de-sac where we have a variety of skills, and with just a little bit of fencing can be tuned into a very safe area. So although I am close to a town centre (closer than I would really like) we do have a nice community that is defensible.

For the next year or so, we have quite simple access to some metal with razor wire topping.... (may have to try and acquire this when to builders leave :-P

So we have a street with at least one mechanic, one electrical engineer and myself (electro-mechanical engineer). We also have a few people that are physically capable of 'looking after themselves' plus then people who can cook and also butcher meat.

So I really think that if the time comes, we have a balanced community capable of self sufficiency and trading. Just to point out, all my weapons are legal and legally owned. My main rifle is powered by high pressure air, is under the legal limit, however I can add an extra 40% to the power rather simply, so it becomes an effective tool. At 50 metres I pull groupings of around 25 mm, more than good enough for hunting.
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shocker
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Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2017 5:39 pm
Location: cornwall, near england

Re: Learning Tradeable Skills

Post by shocker »

1 inch at 50m? At 12lb/ft? Very nice! What rifle and which calibre/load, may I ask? Its quite impressive to hit anything with repeat accuracy in the open, with an air rifle at 50m...well, it is for me (and many others) anyway :oops:

re-razor wire: I wouldnt put too much reliance on wires barbed, razored or otherwise enhanced, unless in a deep layout, Battle of the Somme style, other than to deter a very casual entry. I wont go into detail since spreading the info might not be the best idea, but I understand that it is common knowledge in the criminal fraternity that wall/fence topping wire can be very simply defeated.

However, I am told, they do not like the anti climb paint - not only does it...well, make climbing difficult (does what it says on the tin!) but it buggers up their nice designer chav clothing. You would think crims would wear working clothes when out on a job, but apparently not :? :roll:
*** NOW 30% LESS SHOCKING!!!***
IL Professore

Re: Learning Tradeable Skills

Post by IL Professore »

My rifle is a .22 pcp air rifle. I run it at 11.95 ft/lbs with typically 14 grain bimetal hunting pellets.

I do call my rifle a frankenrifle. It has been a labour of love and is tuned and very accurate. I have a 9-24 x 50 scope, I have just made a night vision scope adapter. So I have full infra red night sight.

The rifle itself started out life as a low end rifle, but new gas mech, sights, trigger mech, pcp conversion, new stock and several other bits, it now performs really well. The tuning and safety checks after each modification have been carried out by my local gun shop.

I have my son's rifle here as well, his has just started the tuning process. Plus both my son's and my side arm. Myself and my son compete against each other for accuracy on the indoor and outdoor ranges.

As far as securing out little cul-de-sac, I am working on preparing some perimeter security. It also.means that there is potentially quite a lot of growing space for veggies
:-)
redskies
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Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 12:35 am

Re: Learning Tradeable Skills

Post by redskies »

Think day to day life, then think old school. For example, how are your mending skills with boots, shoes & clothing? Can you remove a zip from one garment and place it in another? Can you make socks? These things are simple, and used to be part of every day life, but so many people just haven't a clue how anymore.

How about medical skills? Those are useful and highly tradeable. And a knowledge of herbs & oils.

Your ideas so far are good, just think old school. Assume you'll have no tech or mechanical assistance and figure it out from there. Then, no matter what happens, you're covered.

The other thing you might want to consider is teaching others what you know and learning what they know. In this world, we have specialists. A couple of hundred years ago, we still had specialists, but most people were polymaths; skilled in more than one area. They had to be as folk did most things for themselves, from mending the roof to building a wall, planting a garden, hunting and raising livestock. If you know how to do these things, you can teach others, that achieves a couple of things. It means your skills aren't rare, which is a good thing, and it means that you can all work together where appropriate, so no one goes hungry or unsheltered.
jansman
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Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Learning Tradeable Skills

Post by jansman »

Nice to hear folks are developing skills.Its good. Moderator hat on now; When discussing airguns,please do not discuss modifications that enable exceeding the legal limit.Legal is how we roll here.Cheers.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
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Deeps
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Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2014 8:36 pm

Re: Learning Tradeable Skills

Post by Deeps »

IL Professore wrote:
Deeps wrote:
From what you say you're maybe a bit fragile physically at the moment so a handy 'skill' might be establishing good relations with friends and neighbours for mutual support if things go pear shaped for whatever reason. If you already have a relationship with somebody you're more likely to empathise with them in their hour of need and be willing to help.
Well I do run my local neighbourhood watch and am a bit of a 'local hero' People already come to see me when tech fails amongst many other things. I am very fortunate that I live on a very nice cul-de-sac where we have a variety of skills, and with just a little bit of fencing can be tuned into a very safe area. So although I am close to a town centre (closer than I would really like) we do have a nice community that is defensible.

For the next year or so, we have quite simple access to some metal with razor wire topping.... (may have to try and acquire this when to builders leave :-P

So we have a street with at least one mechanic, one electrical engineer and myself (electro-mechanical engineer). We also have a few people that are physically capable of 'looking after themselves' plus then people who can cook and also butcher meat.

So I really think that if the time comes, we have a balanced community capable of self sufficiency and trading. Just to point out, all my weapons are legal and legally owned. My main rifle is powered by high pressure air, is under the legal limit, however I can add an extra 40% to the power rather simply, so it becomes an effective tool. At 50 metres I pull groupings of around 25 mm, more than good enough for hunting.
Glad you're in a nice wee area, it sounds a bit like mine to be honest. Like you I'm looking at friends and neighbours as my potential 'clan' if the unlikely happens. One thing to bear in mind is people will be people, they'll not always be rational and might not want to stay, or appreciate someone taking charge or..... the list goes on. No harm running scenarios in your head but there will be a gazillion and one possibilities so no point on getting bogged down on any in particular. Being in charge of a household is bad enough, with the number of people involved, discipline (or whatever you want to call it) will be difficult, both myself and some of my neighbours have spent most our adult life in the Forces and I've served with some of them, all I can say is I'm not in the Mob anymore and I'll not be keen to either dish out or take orders. If you're thinking of defending your 'homeboy turf' its discipline/organisation that you need and that's the one thing you'll not have, certainly at the start of any scenario that you'll be thinking of fortifying your cul de sac.

We have 'mutual cooperation' on a pretty good level with some of my neighbours, helping each other out and the odd interaction with the occasional scumbag, its a big step from that to forming a militia/republic of coronation street. Not having a go and not trying to imply anything about your plans, just stay flexible in your plans.