The list below includes the basic skills that will prove useful within a community setting in the aftermath of a disaster - it is also a great starting point for those looking to expand their own skill sets

Alternate Energy – biogas, bio diesel, alcohol, steam power, solar cells, windmills, etc.

Ammunition Reloading Equipment & Supplies (gun repair & maintenance)

Childcare – baby sitting, preschool

Computers – may be impossible to get parts, chips in particular, but can keep them running by cannibalizing…

Construction – rough construction of homes, poles barns, etc.

Butchering - cutting and curing of meats, sausage making

Candle making – including soy based, bees wax

Dental – hygiene, dentistry, oral surgery

Electric supply & repair - home electric system design/repair, off grid

Electronics – repair of as many electronic gadgets as possible

Engine repair & maintenance. Auto, truck, tractor, small motor

Fire fighting – rescue operations in all conditions

Fishing – netting, multiple lines, trolling, ice fishing

Ham radio – this is its own category since it requires a specific license. (Now issued at three different levels)

Herbs – alternate medicine, nutrition

Home schooling – teaching supplies, text books, etc.

Hunting – trapping, snares, training hunting dogs

Farming – crops – small scale farming many crops, large scale gardening or greenhousing

Farming – livestock – chickens, rabbits, goats, bees, fish farming, turkey, hogs

Food canning & dehydration – pressure canning, dehydration of fruits and meats

HVAC – heating, venting, air conditioning and ventilation systems

Leatherwork - tanning to punching and sewing

Lumberjack – from falling trees through saw milling

Masonry – concrete flatwork, brick making, brick laying, poured walls

Medical – from EMT to MD, from bandages to surgery

Metal Working and welding

Mid wife – child birth is its own part of medicine

Plumbing – well, septic, indoor plumbing, outdoor plumbing, water filters, pumps

Security – systems, knowledge of tactics military and/or police

Seed Bank - storage of seeds for growing, hybrids, and open pollinated (heirloom)

Sewing - clothing making and repair, spinning, knitting, making cloth

Soap making – and all the things you will have to make from animals and plants

Survival Skills – wilderness skills in particular, living off the rough land

Veterinary Sciences – animal care, breeding

Wood working – everything beyond roughing; trim, cabinets, furniture

Blacksmithing – Invaluable for repairs and fabrication of metal tools and parts

Machining – Important for fabricating metal parts

Welding and Torch Cutting– Absolutely invaluable for repairs and fabrication of metal parts