Learn A Post-Collapse Trade Before It’s Too Late

Learn A Post-Collapse Trade Before It’s Too Late. Photo – Wikipedia – lic. under CC 2.0

One thing that everyone can do right now to bolster and inspire positive change would be to learn a trade or skill that would be highly valuable in a post-collapse or off-grid environment. If you cannot sustain yourself, then you cannot thrive. If your neighborhood or town is unable to produce necessities for barter, then there is no trade, no organization, no cooperation and, thus, no organized will to survive. That is to say, global liberty stems from local industry.

During a debt and currency crisis, barter will probably be the most accessible form of local industry. The following is a list of examples of post-collapse skills and trade models that you could learn or construct within the next six months in order to ensure you are a sought-after partner in your own community when the breakdown occurs:

• Fresh Water Storage And Filtration: Clean water is a precious commodity, especially in a collapse situation when central treatment plants stop functioning. Whether urban or rural, many people are not equipped to provide ample water supply that is free of contaminants. Those who choose to boil whatever stagnant pools they find still have to contend with disgusting tastes and smells. Fresh, clean water will be sought after, and stockpiling filtration equipment ahead of time means you have a ready-made barter business in place. As long as you have the means to protect that business from looters, you have cemented your position as a vital barter hub within your neighborhood or town.

• Solar Power: Use a well-maintained solar power array to charge deep-cycle batteries for your barter network. The need for electricity will not disappear post-collapse. There are literally hundreds of tools people will need, from flashlights to food dehydrators to night vision. Not everyone can afford to set up his own solar array, but most families can afford to purchase a few deep-cycle batteries. If you have the means to charge those batteries, then you have a valuable service to barter. You can also teach people about off-grid power.

• Seed Saving And Storage: The ability to grow food is a talent. A good gardener is a godsend to any survival community. That said, a person who knows how to effectively save and store seeds is even more important. Most people never consider that seed availability (especially heirloom seeds – click here for a list of heirloom seed suppliers) might dissipate. One person with knowledge could take one good crop and turn it into dozens, or even hundreds. Learn to do this professionally, and you will never be without barter customers.

• Medical Training: It’s interesting how many people think that stocking up on gold or cash is going to be the best thing to help them post-apocalypse. I question this. If you have a large amount of wealth and there is no law… certain people would be very interested in getting rid of you and taking your gold. Your money would be more valuable to people than you. However, if instead, you were skilled in medicine, you would be far more valuable alive than dead – not least because you can help yourself as well as barter your services and even teach others. This would be the superior position to be in. Here’s a great tutorial on medicine in survival situations.

• Makers: Skilled metalworkers were considered extremely valuable in ancient times and among the most vital members of a community – as the iron tools and weapons they produced enabled improved agriculture, defenses and more. In times when people have to fend for themselves, such skills come into their own again. Highly valued will be those who have great skills in working with various materials and fabricating whatever is needed from whatever is on hand.

There are numerous trade skills that one can learn to become more viable within a post-collapse economy. No one can provide every necessity or foresee every eventual need. Therefore, a barter community of tradespeople is essential and is the foundation of a truly free and prosperous society. The pursuit of a post-collapse skill should be at the top of every survivalist’s to-do list. It is not something to be put off or shelved for a later date. Learn one today — not tomorrow. This solution is within your power to make happen now.

By Brandon Smith – www.alt-market.com

(edited by MFSP)

3 Comments

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  By BOB, June 25, 2013 @ 05:30

  Brandon,
  I am actively learning a trade. I am working on my emergency medical tech and wilderness responder. Knowing how to deal with illness and injuries is good for any time.

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  By Mike Marlow, July 2, 2013 @ 17:22

  Great article! I do have a number of skills that I believe would be valuable in a post collapse scenario, and I constant work on learning more. I did like your idea of having a solar power array to charge other people’s batteries. I hadn’t considered that, but I’m going to look into it. Thanks! ^MM

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  By Karen Louise, March 20, 2016 @ 10:41

  Here is my question – what is the best water filter on the market that does not need to be hooked up to the whole house? I have used PUR and others like it. I would like a portable one that also filters out chemicals and any other “garbage” that my town’s water filtration system adds to our town water. Thank you. And thank you for the article, by the way.

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