What are the best skills to have if SHTF

[2DogsBarking]

All I can do is hunker down in my hole, shoot whatever comes by and eat it.

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[ray h]

Greatest skill by far is the ability to recognize a SHTF situation before it becomes a SHTF situation.
You can plan all you want but if you don't recognize the situation developing, you will be caught off guard. You need to be able to identify what type of SHTF situation is coming, is it a short term thing like riots, or is it long term like a zombie apocalypse. Is it local or far reaching. Your preparation is worthless, and possibly harmful, if you completely misread the event.

[Hodgie]

Greatest skill by far is the ability to recognize a SHTF situation before it becomes a SHTF situation.
You can plan all you want but if you don't recognize the situation developing, you will be caught off guard. You need to be able to identify what type of SHTF situation is coming, is it a short term thing like riots, or is it long term like a zombie apocalypse. Is it local or far reaching. Your preparation is worthless, and possibly harmful, if you completely misread the event.

Interesting thought, can you provide an example or scenario where ones preparation would be useless or dangerous in a SHTF event?

[Gun]

Interesting thought, can you provide an example or scenario where ones preparation would be useless or dangerous in a SHTF event?

A guy had a blog concerning what he did to get out of New Orleans (Katrina).

What was fascinating, what would you do if you had only 60 seconds, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, or even a week to respond to any disaster, became what he discussed after Katrina.

[Sgt.K]

A guy had a blog concerning what he did to get out of New Orleans (Katrina).

What was fascinating, what would you do if you had only 60 seconds, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, or even a week to respond to any disaster, became what he discussed after Katrina.

I believe you are referring to "Listening to Katrina":
http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/bl...ons/index.html

Welcome to Louisiana!

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina became the largest natural disaster in United States history. After the levees failed, it became the largest man-made disaster in United States history. This blog is a chronicle of what happened to myself and my family during those events. It is also a documentation of lessons learned from a survival and recovery viewpoint.

I happen to know the author, and assisted occasionally with some proofreading and such. I may be biased, but I believe he has a number of very good ideas that I haven't seen elsewhere. If you're serious about prepping, it's worth a read. If you plan on reading the whole thing (I have, multiple times) don't be surprised to spend an entire day.

[Hodgie]

I believe you are referring to "Listening to Katrina":
http://www.theplacewithnoname.com/bl...ons/index.html

I happen to know the author, and assisted occasionally with some proofreading and such. I may be biased, but I believe he has a number of very good ideas that I haven't seen elsewhere. If you're serious about prepping, it's worth a read. If you plan on reading the whole thing (I have, multiple times) don't be surprised to spend an entire day.

Thank you!

This was going to be my next question once Gun mentioned it.

[Gun]

Can't rep Sgt.K, but that is the blog. Thanks.

I lost the bookmark when I had to change computers.

[ray h]

Interesting thought, can you provide an example or scenario where ones preparation would be useless or dangerous in a SHTF event?

The movie "Blast from the past" comes to mind. it's an extreme case but you get the idea. Misinterpreting or exaggerating the event could be as bad as not prepping.
Suppose my planned strategy is to hunker down, board the windows and batten the hatches, that's all good in a natural disaster like a hurricane when the lights go out and people start to starve, BUT I also live in the shadow of Site "R" and Camp David where a nuclear detonation is a real possibility. My plan to hunker down may end up killing me.
Remember the Branch Davidians in Waco. They were very well prepared, their plan was to defend their fortress when they would've been better off scattering. They misread the situation and ended up trapped.

[Hodgie]

The movie "Blast from the past" comes to mind. it's an extreme case but you get the idea. Misinterpreting or exaggerating the event could be as bad as not prepping.
Suppose my planned strategy is to hunker down, board the windows and batten the hatches, that's all good in a natural disaster like a hurricane when the lights go out and people start to starve, BUT I also live in the shadow of Site "R" and Camp David where a nuclear detonation is a real possibility. My plan to hunker down may end up killing me.
Remember the Branch Davidians in Waco. They were very well prepared, their plan was to defend their fortress when they would've been better off scattering. They misread the situation and ended up trapped.

Thank you for the explanation. I have some personal ideas regarding my main plan as well as some alternatives. I will post the soon when I have more time.

[GunLawyer001]

Haven't read the whole thread, but a major and under-mentioned factor is that the main threat you'd face during a prolonged global catastrophe will be from the government.

Most people have enough food for maybe a week, then they go hungry. Most people have no stored water except for a six pack or two.

Your starving neighbors are not going to smile sadly and just accept that your stuff is your stuff, that maybe they should have spent more on canned goods and less on unlimited data service and electric sneakers. They'll demand that the government do whatever is needed to feed their little brats.

When things go sideways everywhere, your local mayor and council, your county emergency board, your state governor and state police, and dozens of other authority figures will immediately jettison the Constitution, and start confiscating guns and food and water and other supplies.

Your plans need to factor that in, what you'll do when the local cops are going door to door and stealing all the food for "fair distribution".

They went door to door and stole all the guns they could find after Katrina. If Yellowstone erupts and covers the globe in ash, and no crops grow for a few years, there WILL be local fascists seizing EVERYTHING. Decide now whether you prefer hiding your stash in undetectable nooks, or shooting you entire local PD and then waiting for the military to use RPG's on your home.