Some essential skills will make you valuable in the apocalypse. Taking care of yourself and your loved ones is important, but providing an indispensable service for the community can be your ultimate ticket to survival.

Survival basics like knowing how to source and purify water, provide first aid, build a shelter, and make a fire are essentials. Unfortunately, many people can’t perform these critical skills. Reading nature’s weather signals is becoming a lost art and is vital without technology. Other tech skills like communicating with and building radios can elevate your community’s survival chances. Building skills like plumbing and electrical knowledge will also be a big plus.

There are skills outside of the basics that are also essential. Having a healthy mental attitude is also critical. Individuals who can stay calm under pressure, keep thinking, and maintain hope and motivation are very valuable.

Another critical skill often overlooked in the survival community is the knowledge to chemically rebuild society. We talk a lot about stocking bleach and other items, but what do you do when those supplies run out? Even basics like soap must be produced. Food preservation with vinegar is efficient, but how do you make vinegar?

A friend recently shared a book with me called The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Civilization in the Aftermath of a Cataclysm by Lewis Dartnell. I highly recommend having a copy of this book on hand.