How would you survive the end? (Revolution and Colony)

[X]

Okay here is a little thought project:

The world as we know it has collapsed from some huge disaster that has level the infrastructure and shut down power. What skills do you possess that will benefit you if all the lights went out? For the sake of simplicity, let's say world wide EMP had knocked up back to the stone age. Everything is fried.


My answer:

having spent a good deal of time growing up in SE Texas, I think that I have a particular set of skills to ride this out:

- Hunting, both with guns and bows
- Skinning, which I have to thank my father for teaching me that.
- Farming, Not on a epic level, but I know how to grow fruit and veg and when to plant.
- Sewing - Don't ask me why, but yeah I can sew.
- Trapping - Again, Don't know why I learned it, but it would come in handy.
- Fishing - Been doing it all my life.
- Fire building - I know about 20+ ways to build a fire both with modern materials and with pure natural ones.
- Botany - I know a lot of things to eat in the wilds that are safe. Eating what the birds eat will only get me dead.
- Water distillation - I know about 7 ways to turn crud water into drinking water. 5 of which I am sure I can replicate easily.
- Pottery - Knew those art classed would come in handy one day.
- general carpentry - I know how to build some things. I couldn't build a house, but I have no problems putting together a shelter.
- metal working- Not great at this, but I know enough to, with the proper equipment, make nails and some jewelry. I could also make fish hooks.
- Knitting - see sewing
- horse riding - Yeah, I can't ride. Not enough to lead a cavalry charge, but good enough to go in the direction I want at the speed I want.

All in all, while I don't have all the skills that I think I'd need, I think that I could survive and help the survival of my family.

Down side:

- Contacts and glasses - If the world ends before I get lasik, that would be a huge against for my survival
- Current location - Being inside Boston would severely limit the application of a lot of my skills and the weather wouldn't be great when it comes to the winter time. That would mean travel and lower survival chances. I also know the vegetation better in my home state.


How would you fair and what skills would you bring?

[Bryancd]

I can't do any of the above but if you need a message transported quickly over a vast distance using just the human body for locomtion, I'm your guy! :)   :eekout

[Jobydrone]

I can reliably build a fire with matches and could probably eventually figure out how to start one using my eye glasses. I've had some luck siphoning gas from a parked vehicle, which could come in handy. I can do some extremely basic construction/brick work. I'm a pretty good shot with a bow and arrow and rifle, but haven't shot either in 15+ years. I don't have a whole lot of useful survival skills or training, I wouldn't last long.

[Bryancd]

I can convince people to do crap for me. I am very compelling. :)

[X]

I can convince people to do crap for me. I am very compelling. :)

LOL! YEah, that could come in handy! I have a bunch of odd skills because my father enjoyed hiring people to do work and me watching how they did it so that I could do it the next time or know if they were doing it right. For a long time, I thought he was being cheap, but many of the auto repair and gardening skills I've learned from that are actually good to know. I think knowing a bit about what it takes to have the life you have is pretty humbling at the end of the day. I can grow some food, but that only allows me to be amazed at the people that can run a farm. I can pull out an engine and change the plugs and do a tune up, but I have to be in awe at the people that designed and built the cars.

[Rico]

I can convince people to do crap for me. I am very compelling. :)

Darn it Bryan - you beat me to it.  I was going to say my most useful skills might be my people skills.  I tend to take the lead in many situations and I seem to be able to barter and negotiate well.  If all that fails I think I could be a fairly good farmer.  :)

[Jobydrone]

I was going to say this too, I do have, I think, a pretty high level of empathy which has served me well in several professional experiences that required on the fly counseling and listening skills.  This might come in handy to an extent.

[billybob476]

I'm big, people ask me to get things off of high shelves for them, that's a skill, right?

[Bromptonboy]

I would find and old postal jeep, grab the satchel and start delivering the mail..

:)