There is something remarkable about the American Pioneer.
These are the folks that settled and developed new territories, without previous knowledge of an area.
They not only re-learned essential survival skills, but also how to savor their time and resources using these skills.
We want to take you back to basics, and learn up on these pioneer survival skills you should have up your sleeve.
Here are ten skills that came second nature to the pioneers, and got us where we are today.
Growing your own fruits and veggies, is not always a piece of cake. You must know the harvest season of each plant, how to read soil conditions, understand how to properly your plants and how to keep away unwanted pests. Check out The Ins and Outs of Up and Down Gardening for essential gardening tips.
Seed saving is a bit of a lost art, but such a beautiful concept. Practicing seed savers are able to see the evolution of a plant over the years, and find out what factors affect the longevity of the seeds.
More importantly, after a harvest, seed saving will help you plant again the following year. Should there be a drought or devastating disaster, this skill could hold the key to continuing your food supply.
See our full article about The Art of Seed Saving.
Do you know how to kindle? Which materials to collect? How to maintain a fire in the rain? Basic fire skills are essential to your overall survival strategy. Check out A Foolproof Fire Starting Technique for the basics of how to build a fire.
A fire is not only good for generating heat, but is a great way to cook food, boil water, and purify water.
Understanding not only what plants are safe, but knowing their medicinal elements can be the difference between life and death. Plants have amazing healing powers and can treat common ailments such as cough, fever, headache, lack of sleep, bites and sores…the list goes on! Check out our article on Mother Nature’s Best Home Remedies.
Believe it or not, there are blacksmiths still practicing this ancient skill in many parts of the world. This skill is useful in making tools, weapons, horseshoes or just simple eating utensils. If SHTF, everyone will be knocking on your door bartering for these handcrafted items.
It work does require a good deal of practice and some special equipment, but it’s a skill worth learning and the learning curve is cut a bit if you already know how to weld or do other metal works.
Building a permanent homestead will take quite a bit of time and work, but is crucial to making everything on this list a plausible lifestyle, especially for families. Although building a cabin is ideal, we understand sometimes one is stuck in the wilderness in an emergency survival situation. Check out Emergency Shelter DIY for temporary shelter needs.
That’s right, sewing. Can you image making everything you own – clothes, hats, bedding, blankets – from scratch? The pioneers did! Knowing how to patch, mend tears, alter hems, or create something from scratch could help you stay warm in the winter and beat the summer sun.
It sounds silly, but hunting requires becoming one with the wilderness. Learning how to hit something accurately is just as important as knowing how to stay quiet and listen to what’s around you, as well as tracking wildlife. How else are you going to eat?
Foraging is a great skill to have in addition to hunting. We need those essential vitamins and minerals! However, like most things, it requires attention to detail. Have you heard the saying, “White and yellow, kill a fellow. Purple and blue, good for you. Red… could be good, could be dead?” Do not mistake all plants to be edible.
All of these skill sets are essential for any survival situation, especially if there is a disruption in society. These skills can also be used to trade with others to retrieve resources you may not otherwise have access to.
Source
Frontier Living: An Illustrated Guide to Pioneer Life in AmericaThese are the folks that settled and developed new territories, without previous knowledge of an area.
They not only re-learned essential survival skills, but also how to savor their time and resources using these skills.
We want to take you back to basics, and learn up on these pioneer survival skills you should have up your sleeve.
Here are ten skills that came second nature to the pioneers, and got us where we are today.
1. Gardening
Growing your own fruits and veggies, is not always a piece of cake. You must know the harvest season of each plant, how to read soil conditions, understand how to properly your plants and how to keep away unwanted pests. Check out The Ins and Outs of Up and Down Gardening for essential gardening tips.
2. Seed Saving
Seed saving is a bit of a lost art, but such a beautiful concept. Practicing seed savers are able to see the evolution of a plant over the years, and find out what factors affect the longevity of the seeds.
More importantly, after a harvest, seed saving will help you plant again the following year. Should there be a drought or devastating disaster, this skill could hold the key to continuing your food supply.
See our full article about The Art of Seed Saving.
3. Fire Building
Do you know how to kindle? Which materials to collect? How to maintain a fire in the rain? Basic fire skills are essential to your overall survival strategy. Check out A Foolproof Fire Starting Technique for the basics of how to build a fire.
4. Fire Techniques
A fire is not only good for generating heat, but is a great way to cook food, boil water, and purify water.
5. Home Remedies
Understanding not only what plants are safe, but knowing their medicinal elements can be the difference between life and death. Plants have amazing healing powers and can treat common ailments such as cough, fever, headache, lack of sleep, bites and sores…the list goes on! Check out our article on Mother Nature’s Best Home Remedies.
6. Metal Working
Believe it or not, there are blacksmiths still practicing this ancient skill in many parts of the world. This skill is useful in making tools, weapons, horseshoes or just simple eating utensils. If SHTF, everyone will be knocking on your door bartering for these handcrafted items.
It work does require a good deal of practice and some special equipment, but it’s a skill worth learning and the learning curve is cut a bit if you already know how to weld or do other metal works.
7. How to Build A Shelter
nullBuilding a permanent homestead will take quite a bit of time and work, but is crucial to making everything on this list a plausible lifestyle, especially for families. Although building a cabin is ideal, we understand sometimes one is stuck in the wilderness in an emergency survival situation. Check out Emergency Shelter DIY for temporary shelter needs.
8. Sewing
That’s right, sewing. Can you image making everything you own – clothes, hats, bedding, blankets – from scratch? The pioneers did! Knowing how to patch, mend tears, alter hems, or create something from scratch could help you stay warm in the winter and beat the summer sun.
9. Hunting
It sounds silly, but hunting requires becoming one with the wilderness. Learning how to hit something accurately is just as important as knowing how to stay quiet and listen to what’s around you, as well as tracking wildlife. How else are you going to eat?
10. Foraging
Foraging is a great skill to have in addition to hunting. We need those essential vitamins and minerals! However, like most things, it requires attention to detail. Have you heard the saying, “White and yellow, kill a fellow. Purple and blue, good for you. Red… could be good, could be dead?” Do not mistake all plants to be edible.
All of these skill sets are essential for any survival situation, especially if there is a disruption in society. These skills can also be used to trade with others to retrieve resources you may not otherwise have access to.
Source
Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition
Really a Great Idea, Thanks for sharing your Insight.
ReplyDeleteThank You!
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