Old Timer Tech
Some time – I have no idea how long ago, now, though I could probably at least come close to identifying when the list was created by the skills on it – I read a list of skills every young person should master.
They were things you don’t really think about unless and until you need to use them. Start a fire; cook a meal; balance a checkbook; sew on a button; change a tire; use a compass; hammer in a nail, write a thank you note and ballroom dance. And there were bits of basic knowledge: right tight, left loose; lift using your knees, not your back; salt to clean spilled wine on a carpet, cold water to avoid setting blood stains, hot for coffee or chocolate; keep baking soda in the house for all sorts of things like soothing a rash, brushing your teeth, calming your stomach and even for bug bites.
More than a few companies of late have aimed at our insecurities and curiosity to market books and how-tos on “survival skills,” or at least, a set of skills that can help you DIY. I note this because not only have I noticed more people producing their own eggs and honey, but at my doctor’s office the other day, one of the nurses was chuckling as a fresh breeze came through the office window and a feisty rooster was crowing his heart out in the adjoining property. I can’t recall the last time I heard a rooster crow in real life! And one person I know has started the odd but useful hobby of “vermiculture,” which utilizes the composting power of worms to get rid of kitchen waste, and create a wonderful fertilizer for the vegetable garden, as well as the worms themselves, which can be shared with other vermiculturists, or used as bait.
But I did realize that we have come to rely so heavily on our stores being full, our products being manufactured, and our phones guiding us to our destination, the time, even such things as plant identification and medical self-diagnosis, that we have lost many of the skills of our grandparent’s, even our parent’s generations.
So rather than focusing on modern tech and the advance into space, the world of AI, and taming your computers and devices, I thought I’d take a few (dozen) steps back and examine some basic life skills that would come in handy if one day the power went out, you got lost in the woods, or you just wanted to see what it felt like to live more simply and primitively.
One key skill is to actually prepare for the possibility of needing to know “how to,” and “which to.” Taking the time, or even just grabbing a useful book on the subject of survival might come in handy one day – and as they say, the best outcome is that you never need it. But having a guide how to manage a situation where you might need to know how to reckon direction, find food, or stay warm (and then keeping a copy where you live and in your car) isn’t a bad way to get started. My sister and I once discussed it and agreed, with the proper books in the house, we always felt assured that we could handle almost anything!
One good idea is to always keep some essential supplies handy, both in your car and your home. Bottled water, matches, something warm and waterproof, and some easy to carry, easy to open food. I like to have an old school compass and a combo wind-up, solar powered flashlight and radio handy (one with outlets for small devices would be good), too, as well as candles in the house and extra socks and a hat in the car! And a basic first aid kit.
Consulting experts, I found there were two basic ways, two approaches to doing for yourself: one was the mental/skills based approach, and the other was the hierarchy of needs approach. The second one started more or less the way I did this article: think about it! What would you need first and foremost?
Of course, that’s going to depend somewhat on what your problem or goal was: are you lost? Is there a power outage? Did you run out of gas on a lonely back road with no cell coverage? Has there been some sort of disaster – fire, flood, accident? Or do you simply want to know you can take care of your basic needs, or perhaps what to do as those neighbors I noted have been doing, and supply your own eggs, honey, and vegetables (even if you live in the city)?
One survival school website reminded us of two very useful things: The Rule of Threes (“You can survive: 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without a regulated body temperature (shelter), 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food. And the other useful acronym is SPEAR: “When faced with a potential survival situation, remember to use SPEAR: Stop, Plan, Execute, Assess & Re-evaluate.” (https://www.wildernesscollege.com/basic-survival-skills.html)
Over time, anyone is going to need water, food, shelter, and some sort of protection from possible predators. I recall a while back we had a major power outage here in Syracuse. Being healthy and well-stocked for food, and having plenty of water, and not at any real risk of predators, the biggest challenges most of us faced were warmth and boredom! It wasn’t a very hot or very cold time of year, so while a fireplace and a wood supply was handy, it probably wouldn’t have been necessary. As power was restored, we were able to resume shopping and buying gas after a few days – so a car charger for a laptop made life a lot easier. However, had I been without power (as I was) for 10 days in the dead of winter, or in a hot climate, or caring for a person with a health condition, I’d have had to deal with other issues.
There are dozens of skills that used to be common knowledge, even such simple things as knowing how to make a garment, identify edible plants, dry meat or boil down maple syrup.
But after doing a bit of investigating, I’ve concluded that the “Plan” step is the one we should all keep in mind. After all, if what you want to accomplish is a kitchen garden, a lot goes into deciding where and when to plan, how to feed the soil, how to manage pests, knowing when and how to prune, when and how to harvest – and then what you’re going to do with all the zucchini in the late summer! But if you want to take a hike into the Adirondacks, your learning curve will be entirely different.
And if you’re taken by surprise: make sure you have those survival skills books ready!
