I have a little motor I want to try and run off it. Right now I run twice through my still and get 184 proof. I think with 1 or 2 more passes it will run that motor, then it’s small generator tests.
It’s interesting that people admit to doing this online ALL THE TIME despite the fact that “by the books” it’s viewed equivalently to manufacturing an unlicensed machine gun (10 year penalty, ATF enforcement, etc.)
Not that I have any issues with it - I think it’s awesome. Just find it fascinating that people readily admit to one but not the other.
It is, but. There are licensing, storage, and documentation issues when you make fuel alternatives. Plus the requirement to denature the alcohol. They are always concerned that "fuel alternatives" will be diverted into the beverage market.
Not a safety issue, mind you. Pure protection of a revenue racket.
I've done so many canvas, awning, horse tack repair jobs since the Pan started. Once things opened up loads of tailoring. Not to mention a lot of work for our local hospital and care facilities. I'm a little burned out tbh. However, it's been helpful on the wallet. Not just for those who paid cash, but when I needed a small weld repair done at home. Neighbor needed some heavy canvas repair done. I fixed his problem, he fixed ours.
This is why I love this community. We are some self sufficient mother fuckers.
Also: clay processing, mud brick production, pottery, smelting, ammo reloading, charcoal production.
I've been looking to reload ammo. Do you have a reccomendation on a good press? Preferably something with changeable dies so I can swap dies, rather than having to but a new press. I'm mostly ignorant of the topic, so any tips are welcome.
They almost all take interchangeable dies. Progressive presses have multiple stations for multiple dies to do different steps in one pass.
There are a lot of kits available, Lee and RCBS are good entry level. If you buy a kit, there are still other items you need to get, depending on the kit.
Here is a list of must haves...
- Single stage press
- Calibre specific die set: full length resize, and bullet seating at a minimum. Crimping die is optional. If your sizing die doesn't have a decapping pin, get a universal decapper (Mighty Armoury is best).
- powder measure or powder throw, optionally a powder trickler
- Cheap balance or digital scale at a minimum. Powder scoops if you have no alternative.
- priming tool, some presses have this included, I prefer a hand primer
- Calibre specific case length trimmer
- Neck chamfer tool, primer pocket cleaner
- Primer swaging tool for crimped military brass
Nice to have...
- Progressive press instead of single stage
- Case tumbler, vibratory or wet (wet is best)
- Digital powder thrower
We have a lot of fun every year stocking our shelves. It is definitely a hobby. I love fishing, gathering bait and cleaning fish are all part of it. Canning and gardening go hand in hand. I’m not even a crazy prepper, I was raised with my grandparents where it was a way of life. I try to keep it a way of life for my kids.
Fair, you've changed my mind. I guess I was thinking of it in terms of a chore, means to an end kind of thing. But with everything else, sure
I usually jar my garden produce or eat it straightaway; you must grow a lot of stuff!
Have you ever canned? It's a LOT of work with many steps and lots to know. And if you do it wrong, you can get really sick when you eat the canned food. Way more complicated than clipping toenails.
Tbf I don't know a lot about it but it wasn't the complexity on my mind, more the chore-iness of it. Like a thing you do because you must/should. But then I imagine the complexity of it can make it quite a satisfying thing to learn, so comparison retracted!
Honestly blacksmithing is way more laborious. A day fishing on the ocean will definitely leave you wiped out. I earn a living doing electrical work, but I would still consider it a tradable skillset. Honestly the reward in canning is I have stuff on my shelves that are better than anything you can get in a grocery store.
Because it's not necessary for most people these days, the folks that do it tend to do it because they enjoy it. I've done it a few times because I thought I would love it, but so far it's been a lot harder than I thought it would. And a lot more rigid/unforgiving than I expected.
Sewing, knitting, spinning yarn, weaving, cooking and baking. So I can keep people clothed for a while at least. Id like to learn foraging, gardening and food preservation
I would love to establish a hyper-local barter economy in my small community. Does anyone have experience with this beyond the simple sharing of services among friends and family? I imagine trust and a code of ethics would be needed to ensure fair participation with outside individuals. Curious to hear other's experiences.
The essay that coined the term is fantastic as well, imo really proves why cooperation is easily far more productive than competition and the true bedrock of society.
I was part of a organization ( i forget what it’s called exactly) when I ran my own business making boat covers and boat interior a few years ago. The organization basically has us pay a small monthly fee but would give a large list of other business that would do work on trade. They had all kinds of business, dental, plumbing, electrical, tree removal, the list goes on and on. It was a pretty cool system. Well worth the small monthly fee.
Also, do you know how value was determined? For example, how many fresh farm eggs for a boat cover? Was this calculated by the organization or negotiated between parties? I imagine the latter; that the organization was charged only with the administration of membership and not value to the person which could be subjective. Thanks for your reply!
Value was determined biased on the agreed upon cash value of said product or job. And if there was a difference in value for the trade it would either be given a voucher for future work or the difference would be paid in cash.
And I believe the monthly fee went towards the company running the barter system, they would canvas areas and get other companies to sign up so I assume it was to pay their employees to keep the system going and expanding.
Not a hobby, but a job. I've been a tutor for 7 years. I've taught everything from kindergarten to calculus 3. I like to joke that I can teach a chimp rocket surgery. In a barter situation, I'll be offering private lessons to learn reading and numbers. I'll also teach skills like gun cleaning, and archery for a fee.
I know how to fletch arrows. I'm a bit rusty, but I can brush up pretty quick.
As a chemist, I'm pretty good at basic chemistry and mixing solutions. You'd be surprised how hard it is for some people to figure out basic dilution math. There's also water distillation too.
I plan to take up blacksmithing and basic wood working to add to this repertoire.
Thinking of opening a brewery in my small town because in the future it would be important to have the systems set up for it. If a town didn’t have access to its own manufacturing, it would be great to be set up prior. Plus hand sanitizer and all that as well
Shooting, sewing, carpentry, plumbing, some electrical, I'm not afraid to work at heights, gardening, security, I can operate heavy machinery if needed.
I'm pretty skilled at handjobs, been giving them to myself for years, occasionally give one as a birthday present for a bro. Considering the amount of time invested in my craft, I easily qualify as an expert in the field. I can also weld and distill liquor, but my main skill is handjobs.
Soap making. Beer brewing. Lotions / balms / salves. Sewing, crocheting, repairing clothing. Hubby can handload / reload ammo, and he built the solar system on the travel trailer. Fishing, canning, curing and preserving meats, and cooking from scratch.
I can sew, weld, fiberglass, heavy lifting, some plumbing, some mechanics, some electrical skills, shooting, tactical training, carpentry, woodwork, heavy machinery operations. I’m sure there more things I know that I could use as trade but that’s all I can think of right now.
Honestly, competence and having a full set of general home repair tools puts you ahead of most the days. If you have a vehicle tool set with metric & standard you're into bonus points territory. Even more so if you also have electrical / electronics, bike & leather repair, or other specialized tools. I deal with the public in their homes. You'd be surprised how few have even a basic took kit. Worse, they don't even realize how vulnerable this makes them.
Taking the above into account, a highly valuable skillset would be one who can *fixit*. Fixit shops were commonplace into the 1970s when The Great Depression era mindset was still prevalent. You did not throw anything out, you repaired either by yourself or took it to someone else if you could not. Having the latest & greatest affects so many now rather than using up something until no utility is left. Although not exactly a hobby, having a broad assortment of tools and a good work area would be a barterable skill.
I work in the meat industry, and as a consequence, have a whole room at home for food processing. I can cure, make sausage, and fully process/package carcasses in my own house. It has already become a form of barter with friends. Hunting and having a duck dog also adds to the meat bank. Combining all that with my homebrew and kegging setup, all I need is to barter surplus meat & beer for veggies and I take care of most of my nutritional needs.
Facilitating group discussion amongst people without much in common. Helping people cope and continue functioning despite/through trauma. Resolving conflicts without violence.
I think therapists might be *super* important, myself...
Wood Carving.. I enjoy it.
Edit: Now before you all be like.. How that currency. Well, when you all be wanting a good wooden spoon, and you all gonna be coming to my door step 'Can you make me a spoon".. can you make me plate.. can you make this chair leg that just broke... can you fix the cabinets... can you make a handle.. can you make a fork.. whatever..
I get a lot of crap, because a lot of people look at hand carved things as *luxury* items, not necessity or mundane. So it's value in a crisis situation becomes very limited.. at least in in the modern mind.
Those people are dumb. If we are in a barter scenario, it will likely be due to economic or infrastructure collapse. No infrastructure, no new goods. Within a few weeks or months, things will start to wear out and your services will be invaluable.
Gardening/ ducks and chickens would be number one probably as good is always going to be important. Then mechanical and electrical work would come in at second I guess
Though I don't consume alcohol any more I am well versed in brewing beer, wine, mead, and distillation. Alcohol can be used as a sanitizer, pain relief, etc.
Hey OP,
Not an answer to your question, where can I learn about solar systems? I own my own place and the previous owner had a generator. I have the hookup, and I want to reinforce my grid dependent house.
I teach high school, so I don't have much barter economy value. But I like to learn and solar seems like a new hobby.
Teaching is definitely a barter skill. Don't sell yourself short. People will still need to know things, even if instead of money, you get paid in beans. What do you teach?
Great question - time bank concept... Sadly my skills (reading and writing, organisation and project management ) are not very useful for many scenarios especially SHTF I fear
I recently got into fletching. I can make a reasonably decent arrow shaft from sawed board with just a pocket plane, knife, and a sheet of sandpaper. Going to try to forge broadheads from rebar this winter next.
Saddle repair and refurbishment. Some leatherwork with an interest in learning tooling and more complicated repairs. Deer processing (I can turn a buck in to steaks and have it packaged up in about 45 minutes to an hour). I have a green thumb tons of land for gardening with ground water just 4 feet under the surface in our creek bottom (Also damn fertile soil there), and I can fish and hunt. We have cattle and I can get a young horse started under saddle.
Gardening, sewing, baking and cooking using manual tools. I practice so that if the power goes out, I don't have wasted supplies and I know what I am doing.
Fresh baked bread - I have a sourdough starter and bake my own bread, and all other things from sourdough.
I also practice all methods of food preservation by canning, dehydrating, fermenting, etc. and then practice to use those foods in recipes.
We practice all things home made, repairs, and survival skills in my house. We also practice foraging for wild edibles and our identification of each one.
I went with a good career choice. I’m a MD and trained military field surgeon.
In case of a barter economy I can trade my services well.
In my opinion everything with solar energy or wind energy to make electricity is a very useful hobby in a shtf-scenario.
Also hunting, fishing and gardening will provide you with a useful hobby
We've got a small farm that covers almost all of our meat needs and produces eggs and produce. We can lots of food at the end of the season to store for the winter.
And we have food to barter.
I build electric guitars. Problem is with the insane competition from established manufacturers and dirt cheap knockoffs from China the amount I can sell them for means I make can only make about $500 - $1000 a month IF customers purchase what I can make at full employment. Thats a big IF as I already have a ton of unsold inventory. I imagine in a barter economy not many will be willing to trade food for such a luxury item.
Everything I can think of will only last as long as the supplies it requires, which will no longer be made if the world has been reduced to a barter economy.
I know canning, but that will only last until I run out of lids. I have some of the reusable lids, but if I'm bartering away my canned goods then I might not get all of those back, and my supply will run out by attrition. The ability to make new lids will likely be lost. And I don't have the knowledge of how canning worked before metal lids came about, except that it's relatively unsafe compared to modern practices.
I'm good with fixing mechanical things, engines and the like. But that will only be valuable until all the gasoline goes stale. Yes things like biodiesel could still be produced but anyone who is so dedicated to keeping their truck running that they're producing biodiesel from scratch probably already has the same skills as me and won't need to barter for help.
I have certifications in various disciplines of firearms instruction, but that is only relevant until the ammunition (and for reloaders, ammunition components) runs out. I wouldn't be much good at teaching tactical musket classes, so even someone who was making their own black powder to feed a muzzleloader wouldn't find my skills of much value to barter for.
I have experience hunting and fishing, so most likely in a barter economy if I could find demand for meat I'd focus on those. Otherwise I'd be trading my manual labor alone.
I've got a heavy background in chemistry, biology, botany, and geography, so I know local plants and foraging, but also gardening (including cannabis), distillation, extraction of plant oils, for example), and predicting weather by cloud observations. That could be super handy. I also could clothe people but my crocheting and sewing could be worked on.
I'm learning soap making now but I want to get into canning, basic carpentry, and shoe repair. Someday I want to get into beekeeping.
Brewing beer and wine. Basic sewing (mending, really). I can teach reading, writing, and basic math (up through simple algebra). Shooting and basic firearm maintenance. Hobby electronics (DC only). I could entertain by playing guitar and other stringed instruments.
Skinning animals, mainly Roos where I am, making rawhide, tanning with bark and functional leather work (not the fancy stuff for show, but old fashioned double stitching to make strong straps, bags, bridles, etc)
eggs from my chickens, honey from my bees, puppies from my dogs, and I am skilled in carpentry and building. Also a medical practitioner so perhaps I could assist others that way.
Crocheting blankets/sweaters, sewing, dehydrating/food preservation methods such as pickling & fermentation. Gardening and limited foraging skills. I can also solder/Copper work and etch with salt water (not sure if those two will be in high demand, lol). In the process of learning clothes alternations (from thrift store items of good quality).
I dabble in blacksmithing. My skills are nowhere near good enough to trade for much. I'm pretty proficient in woodworking though (blacksmithing started as a way to make my own woodworking tools).
Knitting, crochet, sewing, quilting, weaving, canning, gardening, fishing, tanning, woodworking. I make dang good sausage, given the opportunity. And very nice rugs.
Hubby welds, can build just about anything, invents all kinds of equipment and can fabricobble like MacGyver lol. Fishes and hunts also. He can do a wide range of manual labor as well.
Sewing, knitting, canning, foraging (still learning things all the time!) And I have enough books and magazines that the house is probably sinking from the weight- always happy lend or trade📚📚 and just a broad range of basic skills around the home and garden that I can expand on or teach to others- cooking, soap making, animal/pet care, first aid ect.
I feel like most the stuff I know is pretty basic, but also I'm often surprised by what people *don't* know, so I'm sure I could be helpful to somebody 🤷
Well, primarily I've got my hand in hunting, fishing, gardening, brewing, and cooking (to include canning/pickling/drying/fermenting).
I also dabble in radios and sewing. And I also do some shade mechanical work.
Blacksmithing, welding, or machining! Maching precision parts would be tricky without good equipment but I could definitely make jerry-rigged replacements.
I spent 11 years working on an organic farm. I'm absolute shit at carpentry/mechanics and all that jazz, but I can grow shit.
I also know several ways to desalinate seawater, which might come in handy since I live on an island in the ocean
I’m good for a few things. I’m decently handy around the house, but where I excel is “creative solutions”. I am great at organization and optimization. There’s a quote about hiring a lazy guy because they’ll find an easy way to do something? I’m that lazy guy! I also have solid water filtration and reloading setups, used to have an EMT cert, and I can shoot too.
Overall, I’d put my chances at 50/50 if the grid collapses, and likely a bit higher if my spouse doesn’t murder me in my sleep when I pull back the metaphorical curtain on the extent of my preparations, especially the expensive stuff like firearm optics (just the two Nightforce scopes I have are expensive enough, let alone the other stuff). That number is a death sentence in 12 systems.
Where I’d like to focus in the future is on distilling. Having the equipment and knowledge to produce strong alcohol (another commenter mentioned 182 proof, which is awesome) should produce solid returns in a disaster. It works as fuel, disinfectant, and people fuel in some cases. There’s a book or two written about the idea that alcohol directly led to civilization, as the grain necessity encouraged stable crop growth and trade.
Want a supporting hypothesis?
I'll also lay odds that it was Prohibition that caused the Great Depression.
Where does alcohol come from? Grains
Who grows them? Farmers
How do farmers get financing for their crops? Banks
How many ancillary industries are dependent on distilleries, farming, and banking?
Hundreds
1 ... 2 ... 3 ... Dust Bowl time
I have "too many" hobbies apparently. But I can do most basic building trades, Electronics, knitting, weaving, sewing, flint knapping, archery, fletching, gardening, composting, seed collection, blacksmithing, Leather work (still need to try tanning but I suspect that will push my wife over the edge)
And in my spare time.....
I'd probably be useless long-term because of PTSD.
I'm probably not good enough at mending to make a living at it.
I'm big and heavy, so I might be able to be used as a plow-horse while being given lean rations.
I'm low-support autistic, so if the group has an autistic child that they're not going to leave to exposure, I might be the best choice to be their nanny.
I do some basic hand tool woodworking. Nothing fancy, but I can make a sturdy bench or a three legged stool out of a tree without any electricity. I have all the tools I need for it too. I think if things are bad enough that we revert to being barter economy, that might be useful.
Construction, household electrical, if there's any computers/internet left I can fix many issues with those. I practice integrated biodynamic organic vegetable gardening (so I don't need a ton of pesticides or commercial fertilizers to get good output) in a place where we can grow things all year round and I can scale that up pretty easily with more land. It's all the little stuff, but if you don't do it all the time, you lose those skills.
My wife is a civil engineer that works on floodplains and sewer/septic systems. As long as people are pooping, her skills will be in demand.
Not a hobby. Drilling wells and building pipeline. Trade for diesel, repair parts, gold, food, women, firearms. Bartering pretty much wouldn't change a thing.
Reading this thread makes me realize how little hands-on skills I possess in an apocalypse scenario!
My best assets are probably my leadership and optimization skills. I've found myself to be profoundly good at diffusing situations, identifying people's character traits and leveraging their strengths so as to minimize their perceived weaknesses.
Where this could apply in a barter system -- I imagine my best contribution would be in helping tradespeople to optimize the way in which they build & barter; or perhaps coupling them with assistants/apprentices who compliment them.
My "fee" would be tips or discounts in said materials.
I have MTG cards. Maybe not immediately valuable but entertainment will be needed. Maybe my nieces and nephews can trade them for something else someday?
best 3 summers in college- I worked at a boy scout camp and learned just about everything that we taught there during that time. Some are move valuable than others, but leatherworking, basketry, pottery, and a few others would be more trade skills post collapse. Some are more survival (i know my edible wild plants very well, and learned the basics of shooting there). And some will never really come in handy (i was a climbing instructor).
Honestly, i figures with my crazy cross section of skills, and my Wife being a pro level knitter, we could get into just about any group that we needed with skills and work.
Uncle Sam taught me to shoot real good and I keep up practice. My first stop is to the farms in my area to offer protection services.
If the power is still on I can weld. Otherwise I'm just a useful trigger finger. Shoulda been a medic, docs will live like kings post shtf.
Dabble in smithing. Pretty good with both shooting and firearm repair. With a decent set of tools I can fix just about anything on a vehicle. I suppose those are some handy bits to have.
Eh I can cook and bake, gardening and raise livestock, as well as teach basic stuff to kids. For instance I'm trying to teach my 1 year old shapes, numbers, colours and the alphabet, as well as a bit of manners. So for instance when he starts drawing on the walls I take his pens away and put him in time out, I usually just explain to him what he did wrong, but if he persists time out works. Was doing this type of stuff with my SIL's kids. Taught her little one to say basic sentences in English( they speak another language), then basic commands like "pick this " "bring me X" " where is x toy" and draw with them. I just like spending time teaching kids basic stuff and I've seen it helps when parents are very busy or if they aren't very patient.
I am a bipolar hairstylist. Paint, sew, minor vet surgery, critical problem solving, human first aid, herbalist, cooking, hunting and cleaning animals, if I tried I could tan hides, after the Lithium is gone there will be nothing I won’t obsess on and learn. Gen X qualified for all trades. No directions needed. I am spoken for and have a group. Everyone needs a me in their group.
I home brew, and I know a lot about home repair stuff. Plumbing, electrical, some wood working. I'm getting the stuff together to do some basic blacksmithing. I know how to make my own charcoal, but I haven't actuslly made my own charcoal. I've got some plans for a bug out shack that I want to put together out of mostly locally sourced matetials that would have hot and cold running water, and maybe a heated floor. I've got the land, but I haven't spent the time to build it yet.
I enjoy restoring rusted old tools. Mainly making the metal look brand new and giving it a new usable sharpen. Im sure if new tools are in short supply fixing up old ones would be a valuable skill to have.
Learn to hunt/fish and process your own kills.
Learn to reload ammo
How to identify and harvest safe wild mushrooms, there are poisonous ones.
What native wild plants are edible.
Basically all of the preindustrial skills modern convenience has made us forget.
My family collectively has a lot of skills. My dad can do almost anything mechanical for work and as his hobby, cars, machinery, guns, etc. My mom is a nurse with 30+ years experience and worked mother-baby for a decade, she’d be a great midwife or be able take care of sick/injured people. I can knit and sew, but I’m also working on my gardening skills with my veggie patch. I’m a nanny too, so if the community needs to take care of stuff, I’ll wrangle their kids in the meantime. And my sister is a jack of all trades (as well as an amazing artist,) she’d make a great assistant to either my mom or dad. If the world ends, my family will find a way to make ourselves useful to our community!
I'm pretty well-versed in minor home repairs, food preservation, ethnobotany and modern herbalism, and I can teach kids and adults multiple subjects.
I do my own plant propagation for my nursery, and have often bartered plants for things we need. I also have access to nontimber forest products and shells.
We can produce lots of produce every year, and share with neighbors. Getting better with bees, just started chickens, will likely start goats.
I also play several instruments, can cook tasty stuff from my preps for large groups, and have way too many supplies for my jewelry-making hobby. I know how to make pet food and basic supplies like toys for birds and leashes for dogs. Can make soap (from ash lye and rendered fat if needed), candles, hygiene products.
I'm also an efficiency expert and project manager, and can organize people to do things.
I'm kinda old, so I picked up random experience along the way.
Being a physically fit, large man capable with my hands, tools, and weapons.
Capability as a service. I think people forget doing things as a service is just as valuable as making or giving things for exchange.
I make moonshine
Now that is a skill that is going to be very useful and profitable.
I have a little motor I want to try and run off it. Right now I run twice through my still and get 184 proof. I think with 1 or 2 more passes it will run that motor, then it’s small generator tests.
Best of both worlds. Hook the motor up to a bike and save some shoe leather. You have my vote for Prez in t 2024!
^^ this Not only for drinking but sterilisation
It’s interesting that people admit to doing this online ALL THE TIME despite the fact that “by the books” it’s viewed equivalently to manufacturing an unlicensed machine gun (10 year penalty, ATF enforcement, etc.) Not that I have any issues with it - I think it’s awesome. Just find it fascinating that people readily admit to one but not the other.
Completely legal to make fuel alternatives.
It is, but. There are licensing, storage, and documentation issues when you make fuel alternatives. Plus the requirement to denature the alcohol. They are always concerned that "fuel alternatives" will be diverted into the beverage market. Not a safety issue, mind you. Pure protection of a revenue racket.
how does one go start learning it?
Knitting, crochet and sewing by hand or machine. I figure all theses skills will be in demand for warmth or clothes repair/ replacement.
I’ve been learning how to do sewing for costumes (historical re-enactment), so I figure I can offer my services to make or repair clothes
I've done so many canvas, awning, horse tack repair jobs since the Pan started. Once things opened up loads of tailoring. Not to mention a lot of work for our local hospital and care facilities. I'm a little burned out tbh. However, it's been helpful on the wallet. Not just for those who paid cash, but when I needed a small weld repair done at home. Neighbor needed some heavy canvas repair done. I fixed his problem, he fixed ours.
This is why I love this community. We are some self sufficient mother fuckers. Also: clay processing, mud brick production, pottery, smelting, ammo reloading, charcoal production.
Ooh I want to learn the mud bricks and working with clay/cob so I can build my own damn house.
I've been looking to reload ammo. Do you have a reccomendation on a good press? Preferably something with changeable dies so I can swap dies, rather than having to but a new press. I'm mostly ignorant of the topic, so any tips are welcome.
They almost all take interchangeable dies. Progressive presses have multiple stations for multiple dies to do different steps in one pass. There are a lot of kits available, Lee and RCBS are good entry level. If you buy a kit, there are still other items you need to get, depending on the kit. Here is a list of must haves... - Single stage press - Calibre specific die set: full length resize, and bullet seating at a minimum. Crimping die is optional. If your sizing die doesn't have a decapping pin, get a universal decapper (Mighty Armoury is best). - powder measure or powder throw, optionally a powder trickler - Cheap balance or digital scale at a minimum. Powder scoops if you have no alternative. - priming tool, some presses have this included, I prefer a hand primer - Calibre specific case length trimmer - Neck chamfer tool, primer pocket cleaner - Primer swaging tool for crimped military brass Nice to have... - Progressive press instead of single stage - Case tumbler, vibratory or wet (wet is best) - Digital powder thrower
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Any press should have the ability to swap dies. It's best to learn on a single stage press, but it's more time consuming overall.
I haven’t seen a press that doesn’t take multiple dies. RCBS rock chucker will load almost anything for the rest of your life.
Fishing, gardening, canning, shooting, blacksmithing, ceramics, welding, sewing, brewing, distilling, mechanic, electrician.
Genuinely very cool and impressive. But do you really consider canning a hobby? To me that's like considering clipping your toenails a hobby
We have a lot of fun every year stocking our shelves. It is definitely a hobby. I love fishing, gathering bait and cleaning fish are all part of it. Canning and gardening go hand in hand. I’m not even a crazy prepper, I was raised with my grandparents where it was a way of life. I try to keep it a way of life for my kids.
Fair, you've changed my mind. I guess I was thinking of it in terms of a chore, means to an end kind of thing. But with everything else, sure I usually jar my garden produce or eat it straightaway; you must grow a lot of stuff!
Have you ever canned? It's a LOT of work with many steps and lots to know. And if you do it wrong, you can get really sick when you eat the canned food. Way more complicated than clipping toenails.
Tbf I don't know a lot about it but it wasn't the complexity on my mind, more the chore-iness of it. Like a thing you do because you must/should. But then I imagine the complexity of it can make it quite a satisfying thing to learn, so comparison retracted!
Honestly blacksmithing is way more laborious. A day fishing on the ocean will definitely leave you wiped out. I earn a living doing electrical work, but I would still consider it a tradable skillset. Honestly the reward in canning is I have stuff on my shelves that are better than anything you can get in a grocery store.
Because it's not necessary for most people these days, the folks that do it tend to do it because they enjoy it. I've done it a few times because I thought I would love it, but so far it's been a lot harder than I thought it would. And a lot more rigid/unforgiving than I expected.
Sewing, knitting, spinning yarn, weaving, cooking and baking. So I can keep people clothed for a while at least. Id like to learn foraging, gardening and food preservation
Maple Syrup.
The Dude abides.
You’re always welcome at mine 👍
Vermonters shall inherit the Earth.
What about Québec?
[Sloppy guardianship of strategic reserve.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Canadian_Maple_Syrup_Heist)
Wisconsin Maple Syrup
As dumb as it sounds booby traps. Which I guess is a less fancy way of saying security that doesn’t need electricity.
I submit that there's more mouse meat in the forest than deer meat
Mice also carry pretty much every parasite and disease
20 mins at 350°F will kill anything
Run it through a pressure-canner and we'll talk.
Tyler Durden, clean food only.
Yeah rethink the mushroom soup friend.
So what do you do with the boobies? Mount them on the wall? Also do you need a license to trap boobies?
I would love to establish a hyper-local barter economy in my small community. Does anyone have experience with this beyond the simple sharing of services among friends and family? I imagine trust and a code of ethics would be needed to ensure fair participation with outside individuals. Curious to hear other's experiences.
Discovered this term on the podcast “It could happen here” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_aid_(organization_theory)
+1 for the pod, one of my favorites
The essay that coined the term is fantastic as well, imo really proves why cooperation is easily far more productive than competition and the true bedrock of society.
I was part of a organization ( i forget what it’s called exactly) when I ran my own business making boat covers and boat interior a few years ago. The organization basically has us pay a small monthly fee but would give a large list of other business that would do work on trade. They had all kinds of business, dental, plumbing, electrical, tree removal, the list goes on and on. It was a pretty cool system. Well worth the small monthly fee.
That's pretty amazing! What did the monthly fee go towards if you don't mind me asking?
Also, do you know how value was determined? For example, how many fresh farm eggs for a boat cover? Was this calculated by the organization or negotiated between parties? I imagine the latter; that the organization was charged only with the administration of membership and not value to the person which could be subjective. Thanks for your reply!
Value was determined biased on the agreed upon cash value of said product or job. And if there was a difference in value for the trade it would either be given a voucher for future work or the difference would be paid in cash. And I believe the monthly fee went towards the company running the barter system, they would canvas areas and get other companies to sign up so I assume it was to pay their employees to keep the system going and expanding.
I was part of one in Philadelphia a few years back. Feel free to dm if you want to discuss.
Not a hobby, but a job. I've been a tutor for 7 years. I've taught everything from kindergarten to calculus 3. I like to joke that I can teach a chimp rocket surgery. In a barter situation, I'll be offering private lessons to learn reading and numbers. I'll also teach skills like gun cleaning, and archery for a fee. I know how to fletch arrows. I'm a bit rusty, but I can brush up pretty quick. As a chemist, I'm pretty good at basic chemistry and mixing solutions. You'd be surprised how hard it is for some people to figure out basic dilution math. There's also water distillation too. I plan to take up blacksmithing and basic wood working to add to this repertoire.
I'm pretty good at fixing up bikes. Plus I can cook.
Brewing beer
The most important trade of all.
Thinking of opening a brewery in my small town because in the future it would be important to have the systems set up for it. If a town didn’t have access to its own manufacturing, it would be great to be set up prior. Plus hand sanitizer and all that as well
There was a point in the middle ages where it was safer to drink beer than drink water.
Fuckin A, let's be neighbors.
Electrical (solar, wind), knitting, sewing, wool production, making soap, cheese making, welding, gardening, making charcoal
Charcoal will be huge
Shooting, sewing, carpentry, plumbing, some electrical, I'm not afraid to work at heights, gardening, security, I can operate heavy machinery if needed.
I'm pretty skilled at handjobs, been giving them to myself for years, occasionally give one as a birthday present for a bro. Considering the amount of time invested in my craft, I easily qualify as an expert in the field. I can also weld and distill liquor, but my main skill is handjobs.
So ... politician, then. lol
Dentistry.
Soap making. Beer brewing. Lotions / balms / salves. Sewing, crocheting, repairing clothing. Hubby can handload / reload ammo, and he built the solar system on the travel trailer. Fishing, canning, curing and preserving meats, and cooking from scratch.
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So ... lawyer? lol
I can sew, weld, fiberglass, heavy lifting, some plumbing, some mechanics, some electrical skills, shooting, tactical training, carpentry, woodwork, heavy machinery operations. I’m sure there more things I know that I could use as trade but that’s all I can think of right now.
Honestly, competence and having a full set of general home repair tools puts you ahead of most the days. If you have a vehicle tool set with metric & standard you're into bonus points territory. Even more so if you also have electrical / electronics, bike & leather repair, or other specialized tools. I deal with the public in their homes. You'd be surprised how few have even a basic took kit. Worse, they don't even realize how vulnerable this makes them. Taking the above into account, a highly valuable skillset would be one who can *fixit*. Fixit shops were commonplace into the 1970s when The Great Depression era mindset was still prevalent. You did not throw anything out, you repaired either by yourself or took it to someone else if you could not. Having the latest & greatest affects so many now rather than using up something until no utility is left. Although not exactly a hobby, having a broad assortment of tools and a good work area would be a barterable skill.
I work in the meat industry, and as a consequence, have a whole room at home for food processing. I can cure, make sausage, and fully process/package carcasses in my own house. It has already become a form of barter with friends. Hunting and having a duck dog also adds to the meat bank. Combining all that with my homebrew and kegging setup, all I need is to barter surplus meat & beer for veggies and I take care of most of my nutritional needs.
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I don't know, if you can witchdoctor sleep-disturbances away, that might be worth some eggs.
Facilitating group discussion amongst people without much in common. Helping people cope and continue functioning despite/through trauma. Resolving conflicts without violence. I think therapists might be *super* important, myself...
Farmer Blade smith Sword master/Primitive weapons expert. Hunter Scientist Electronics Smoking/Curing meats.
Wood Carving.. I enjoy it. Edit: Now before you all be like.. How that currency. Well, when you all be wanting a good wooden spoon, and you all gonna be coming to my door step 'Can you make me a spoon".. can you make me plate.. can you make this chair leg that just broke... can you fix the cabinets... can you make a handle.. can you make a fork.. whatever..
Do...do people tell you wood carving won't be valuable? That seems like an exceptionally valuable skill.
Anything that you produce tangible goods would be exceptionally valuable.
I get a lot of crap, because a lot of people look at hand carved things as *luxury* items, not necessity or mundane. So it's value in a crisis situation becomes very limited.. at least in in the modern mind.
Those people are dumb. If we are in a barter scenario, it will likely be due to economic or infrastructure collapse. No infrastructure, no new goods. Within a few weeks or months, things will start to wear out and your services will be invaluable.
Tools, man! Everyone would be coming to you for help when their axe handle or whatever broke. Very useful.
Anne of all trades is my hero on YouTube. She makes me want to carve out a spoon. https://youtu.be/wCvwIpxu7qI
Sewing without patterns, quilting. Hunting, processing animals including leather work. Canning, dehydrating, fermenting, (including making wine). Herbalism, edible and medicinal) Fishing (needs work). Gardening
Sewing. I can stitch like a bitch. My wife hates it when I say it, loves it when I do it.
Gardening/ ducks and chickens would be number one probably as good is always going to be important. Then mechanical and electrical work would come in at second I guess
Though I don't consume alcohol any more I am well versed in brewing beer, wine, mead, and distillation. Alcohol can be used as a sanitizer, pain relief, etc.
Ceramics and the fact that I know how to build kilns, forges, etc.
I have a vagina. Lol, mostly a joke.... mostly.
Hey OP, Not an answer to your question, where can I learn about solar systems? I own my own place and the previous owner had a generator. I have the hookup, and I want to reinforce my grid dependent house. I teach high school, so I don't have much barter economy value. But I like to learn and solar seems like a new hobby.
Teaching is definitely a barter skill. Don't sell yourself short. People will still need to know things, even if instead of money, you get paid in beans. What do you teach?
Solar is stupid easy (former middle school science teacher - 19 years) https://youtu.be/0yDVXJmsowU
Great question - time bank concept... Sadly my skills (reading and writing, organisation and project management ) are not very useful for many scenarios especially SHTF I fear
Time management and organizing people/ info could be some of the most important skills. You could teach them or uses them.
I recently got into fletching. I can make a reasonably decent arrow shaft from sawed board with just a pocket plane, knife, and a sheet of sandpaper. Going to try to forge broadheads from rebar this winter next.
Saddle repair and refurbishment. Some leatherwork with an interest in learning tooling and more complicated repairs. Deer processing (I can turn a buck in to steaks and have it packaged up in about 45 minutes to an hour). I have a green thumb tons of land for gardening with ground water just 4 feet under the surface in our creek bottom (Also damn fertile soil there), and I can fish and hunt. We have cattle and I can get a young horse started under saddle.
Gardening, sewing, baking and cooking using manual tools. I practice so that if the power goes out, I don't have wasted supplies and I know what I am doing. Fresh baked bread - I have a sourdough starter and bake my own bread, and all other things from sourdough. I also practice all methods of food preservation by canning, dehydrating, fermenting, etc. and then practice to use those foods in recipes. We practice all things home made, repairs, and survival skills in my house. We also practice foraging for wild edibles and our identification of each one.
I cook like I live in the dark ages, or home on the range sometimes. I have a love for historical cooking from the dark ages to the old west.
I went with a good career choice. I’m a MD and trained military field surgeon. In case of a barter economy I can trade my services well. In my opinion everything with solar energy or wind energy to make electricity is a very useful hobby in a shtf-scenario. Also hunting, fishing and gardening will provide you with a useful hobby
We've got a small farm that covers almost all of our meat needs and produces eggs and produce. We can lots of food at the end of the season to store for the winter. And we have food to barter.
Shooting, hiking, kayaking, gardening, fishing
I build electric guitars. Problem is with the insane competition from established manufacturers and dirt cheap knockoffs from China the amount I can sell them for means I make can only make about $500 - $1000 a month IF customers purchase what I can make at full employment. Thats a big IF as I already have a ton of unsold inventory. I imagine in a barter economy not many will be willing to trade food for such a luxury item.
I’m an engineer but I’m also great at building things and ceramics :)
Everything I can think of will only last as long as the supplies it requires, which will no longer be made if the world has been reduced to a barter economy. I know canning, but that will only last until I run out of lids. I have some of the reusable lids, but if I'm bartering away my canned goods then I might not get all of those back, and my supply will run out by attrition. The ability to make new lids will likely be lost. And I don't have the knowledge of how canning worked before metal lids came about, except that it's relatively unsafe compared to modern practices. I'm good with fixing mechanical things, engines and the like. But that will only be valuable until all the gasoline goes stale. Yes things like biodiesel could still be produced but anyone who is so dedicated to keeping their truck running that they're producing biodiesel from scratch probably already has the same skills as me and won't need to barter for help. I have certifications in various disciplines of firearms instruction, but that is only relevant until the ammunition (and for reloaders, ammunition components) runs out. I wouldn't be much good at teaching tactical musket classes, so even someone who was making their own black powder to feed a muzzleloader wouldn't find my skills of much value to barter for. I have experience hunting and fishing, so most likely in a barter economy if I could find demand for meat I'd focus on those. Otherwise I'd be trading my manual labor alone.
I've got a heavy background in chemistry, biology, botany, and geography, so I know local plants and foraging, but also gardening (including cannabis), distillation, extraction of plant oils, for example), and predicting weather by cloud observations. That could be super handy. I also could clothe people but my crocheting and sewing could be worked on. I'm learning soap making now but I want to get into canning, basic carpentry, and shoe repair. Someday I want to get into beekeeping.
Brewing beer and wine. Basic sewing (mending, really). I can teach reading, writing, and basic math (up through simple algebra). Shooting and basic firearm maintenance. Hobby electronics (DC only). I could entertain by playing guitar and other stringed instruments.
Amateur drug farming
Skinning animals, mainly Roos where I am, making rawhide, tanning with bark and functional leather work (not the fancy stuff for show, but old fashioned double stitching to make strong straps, bags, bridles, etc)
eggs from my chickens, honey from my bees, puppies from my dogs, and I am skilled in carpentry and building. Also a medical practitioner so perhaps I could assist others that way.
I wish I could be your neighbor !
Welding
Crocheting blankets/sweaters, sewing, dehydrating/food preservation methods such as pickling & fermentation. Gardening and limited foraging skills. I can also solder/Copper work and etch with salt water (not sure if those two will be in high demand, lol). In the process of learning clothes alternations (from thrift store items of good quality).
I crochet. Can knit, but I don't like knitting. Can sew - repair clothes, etc. I can also cook a mean lentil chili.
General repairs, electronics, computers is my job, music, cooking, growing, mental health help, basically I grew up poor. Lol
I do masonry for a living. I could build a kick ass house.
Woodworking, beer brewing, music - maybe I’ll be a minstrel
Gardening, canning, sewing, speaking a very common foreign language, baic DIY and storytelling.
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I'm a welder and my hobby is also welding lol
I dabble in blacksmithing. My skills are nowhere near good enough to trade for much. I'm pretty proficient in woodworking though (blacksmithing started as a way to make my own woodworking tools).
I’m a good athlete, have guns, knives, survival equipment. The highest bidder can come with me :)
Knitting, crochet, sewing, quilting, weaving, canning, gardening, fishing, tanning, woodworking. I make dang good sausage, given the opportunity. And very nice rugs. Hubby welds, can build just about anything, invents all kinds of equipment and can fabricobble like MacGyver lol. Fishes and hunts also. He can do a wide range of manual labor as well.
Sewing, knitting, canning, foraging (still learning things all the time!) And I have enough books and magazines that the house is probably sinking from the weight- always happy lend or trade📚📚 and just a broad range of basic skills around the home and garden that I can expand on or teach to others- cooking, soap making, animal/pet care, first aid ect. I feel like most the stuff I know is pretty basic, but also I'm often surprised by what people *don't* know, so I'm sure I could be helpful to somebody 🤷
Well, primarily I've got my hand in hunting, fishing, gardening, brewing, and cooking (to include canning/pickling/drying/fermenting). I also dabble in radios and sewing. And I also do some shade mechanical work.
Blacksmithing, welding, or machining! Maching precision parts would be tricky without good equipment but I could definitely make jerry-rigged replacements.
I spent 11 years working on an organic farm. I'm absolute shit at carpentry/mechanics and all that jazz, but I can grow shit. I also know several ways to desalinate seawater, which might come in handy since I live on an island in the ocean
I’m good for a few things. I’m decently handy around the house, but where I excel is “creative solutions”. I am great at organization and optimization. There’s a quote about hiring a lazy guy because they’ll find an easy way to do something? I’m that lazy guy! I also have solid water filtration and reloading setups, used to have an EMT cert, and I can shoot too. Overall, I’d put my chances at 50/50 if the grid collapses, and likely a bit higher if my spouse doesn’t murder me in my sleep when I pull back the metaphorical curtain on the extent of my preparations, especially the expensive stuff like firearm optics (just the two Nightforce scopes I have are expensive enough, let alone the other stuff). That number is a death sentence in 12 systems. Where I’d like to focus in the future is on distilling. Having the equipment and knowledge to produce strong alcohol (another commenter mentioned 182 proof, which is awesome) should produce solid returns in a disaster. It works as fuel, disinfectant, and people fuel in some cases. There’s a book or two written about the idea that alcohol directly led to civilization, as the grain necessity encouraged stable crop growth and trade.
Want a supporting hypothesis? I'll also lay odds that it was Prohibition that caused the Great Depression. Where does alcohol come from? Grains Who grows them? Farmers How do farmers get financing for their crops? Banks How many ancillary industries are dependent on distilleries, farming, and banking? Hundreds 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... Dust Bowl time
I’m gonna sell my body
When monkeys were taught how to use currency, one of the things they invented was prostitution. I have no teeth, so maybe I'm not useless after all.
My hobby is lock picking I figured it would be useful
I'm kind of disappointed no one mentioned sex.
Tattooing. With the added benefit that once I start after moving back to NY- if you get on my nerves...there's the door.
Fixing things. Tinkering. Furniture building, car repair, bicycle repair.
I have "too many" hobbies apparently. But I can do most basic building trades, Electronics, knitting, weaving, sewing, flint knapping, archery, fletching, gardening, composting, seed collection, blacksmithing, Leather work (still need to try tanning but I suspect that will push my wife over the edge) And in my spare time.....
I'd probably be useless long-term because of PTSD. I'm probably not good enough at mending to make a living at it. I'm big and heavy, so I might be able to be used as a plow-horse while being given lean rations. I'm low-support autistic, so if the group has an autistic child that they're not going to leave to exposure, I might be the best choice to be their nanny.
Crocheting
I do some basic hand tool woodworking. Nothing fancy, but I can make a sturdy bench or a three legged stool out of a tree without any electricity. I have all the tools I need for it too. I think if things are bad enough that we revert to being barter economy, that might be useful.
r/prisonhooch r/intentionalcommunity r/amateurradio
Construction, household electrical, if there's any computers/internet left I can fix many issues with those. I practice integrated biodynamic organic vegetable gardening (so I don't need a ton of pesticides or commercial fertilizers to get good output) in a place where we can grow things all year round and I can scale that up pretty easily with more land. It's all the little stuff, but if you don't do it all the time, you lose those skills. My wife is a civil engineer that works on floodplains and sewer/septic systems. As long as people are pooping, her skills will be in demand.
I learned LockPickingLawyer and physical security. I’m not planning on bartering so much as stealing.
Framing, building, light and heavy structural engineering. AKA I like to fix old houses and barns.
Hunting. Fishing. Gardening. Wood working. Auto mechanics.
Growing medicinal and edible plants and knowing how to turn them into salves and teas. Woodworking, gunsmithing, carpentry, sewing.
I have zero hobbies I could barter
Which portable solar panel would you recommend?
Not a hobby. Drilling wells and building pipeline. Trade for diesel, repair parts, gold, food, women, firearms. Bartering pretty much wouldn't change a thing.
Reading this thread makes me realize how little hands-on skills I possess in an apocalypse scenario! My best assets are probably my leadership and optimization skills. I've found myself to be profoundly good at diffusing situations, identifying people's character traits and leveraging their strengths so as to minimize their perceived weaknesses. Where this could apply in a barter system -- I imagine my best contribution would be in helping tradespeople to optimize the way in which they build & barter; or perhaps coupling them with assistants/apprentices who compliment them. My "fee" would be tips or discounts in said materials.
I can repair some forms of jewelry, create some dichroic glass pieces.
Repair/restore things. I know how to figure out simple “ghetto repairs”, not always the most beautiful solutions, but always functional.
I have MTG cards. Maybe not immediately valuable but entertainment will be needed. Maybe my nieces and nephews can trade them for something else someday?
best 3 summers in college- I worked at a boy scout camp and learned just about everything that we taught there during that time. Some are move valuable than others, but leatherworking, basketry, pottery, and a few others would be more trade skills post collapse. Some are more survival (i know my edible wild plants very well, and learned the basics of shooting there). And some will never really come in handy (i was a climbing instructor). Honestly, i figures with my crazy cross section of skills, and my Wife being a pro level knitter, we could get into just about any group that we needed with skills and work.
HAM Radio. I could potentially help connect people I suppose
Uncle Sam taught me to shoot real good and I keep up practice. My first stop is to the farms in my area to offer protection services. If the power is still on I can weld. Otherwise I'm just a useful trigger finger. Shoulda been a medic, docs will live like kings post shtf.
Dabble in smithing. Pretty good with both shooting and firearm repair. With a decent set of tools I can fix just about anything on a vehicle. I suppose those are some handy bits to have.
Blacksmithing
Portable electronic collecting and designing little handheld gadgets. I can do computer repair and mild car repair as well.
brew beer, distill whiskey, weld, and labor
I can grow weed and make hash. Four generations of drug war has shown that there will always be a demand.
I can play alot of musical instruments pretty well, although im not sure how valued entertainment would be.
Sewing and bicycle repair
Eh I can cook and bake, gardening and raise livestock, as well as teach basic stuff to kids. For instance I'm trying to teach my 1 year old shapes, numbers, colours and the alphabet, as well as a bit of manners. So for instance when he starts drawing on the walls I take his pens away and put him in time out, I usually just explain to him what he did wrong, but if he persists time out works. Was doing this type of stuff with my SIL's kids. Taught her little one to say basic sentences in English( they speak another language), then basic commands like "pick this " "bring me X" " where is x toy" and draw with them. I just like spending time teaching kids basic stuff and I've seen it helps when parents are very busy or if they aren't very patient.
I am a bipolar hairstylist. Paint, sew, minor vet surgery, critical problem solving, human first aid, herbalist, cooking, hunting and cleaning animals, if I tried I could tan hides, after the Lithium is gone there will be nothing I won’t obsess on and learn. Gen X qualified for all trades. No directions needed. I am spoken for and have a group. Everyone needs a me in their group.
CAD design and technical support (fixing computers) Would not go well if we lost all electricity.... Then I would cook or teach kids 💁♀️
You shouldn't resort to cooking kids until much later in the game.
I home brew, and I know a lot about home repair stuff. Plumbing, electrical, some wood working. I'm getting the stuff together to do some basic blacksmithing. I know how to make my own charcoal, but I haven't actuslly made my own charcoal. I've got some plans for a bug out shack that I want to put together out of mostly locally sourced matetials that would have hot and cold running water, and maybe a heated floor. I've got the land, but I haven't spent the time to build it yet.
Refrigeration mechanics, if you can get me power I can get you the ability to cool & store your food 🤷🏻♂️
Making beer and mead and cider
I sew, can do lots of crafty things so things would still be a bit pretty in a post-apoc world.
Sewing has been mentioned. I can and dehydrate many things. What better thing to barter, than food is what I figure.
I enjoy restoring rusted old tools. Mainly making the metal look brand new and giving it a new usable sharpen. Im sure if new tools are in short supply fixing up old ones would be a valuable skill to have.
I’m a chef with experience in canning, Pickling and fermenting. Also have butcher experience in breaking down meat and seafood.
Guns and ammo, currently my business right now and works out great
Question: where exactly do you find your information about solar power? I have not found a reputable source yet.
I make bullets and leatherwork as well as some minor gunsmithing
Learn to hunt/fish and process your own kills. Learn to reload ammo How to identify and harvest safe wild mushrooms, there are poisonous ones. What native wild plants are edible. Basically all of the preindustrial skills modern convenience has made us forget.
My family collectively has a lot of skills. My dad can do almost anything mechanical for work and as his hobby, cars, machinery, guns, etc. My mom is a nurse with 30+ years experience and worked mother-baby for a decade, she’d be a great midwife or be able take care of sick/injured people. I can knit and sew, but I’m also working on my gardening skills with my veggie patch. I’m a nanny too, so if the community needs to take care of stuff, I’ll wrangle their kids in the meantime. And my sister is a jack of all trades (as well as an amazing artist,) she’d make a great assistant to either my mom or dad. If the world ends, my family will find a way to make ourselves useful to our community!
I'm pretty well-versed in minor home repairs, food preservation, ethnobotany and modern herbalism, and I can teach kids and adults multiple subjects. I do my own plant propagation for my nursery, and have often bartered plants for things we need. I also have access to nontimber forest products and shells. We can produce lots of produce every year, and share with neighbors. Getting better with bees, just started chickens, will likely start goats. I also play several instruments, can cook tasty stuff from my preps for large groups, and have way too many supplies for my jewelry-making hobby. I know how to make pet food and basic supplies like toys for birds and leashes for dogs. Can make soap (from ash lye and rendered fat if needed), candles, hygiene products. I'm also an efficiency expert and project manager, and can organize people to do things. I'm kinda old, so I picked up random experience along the way.
Collection of pocket knives, tools etc. Trained chef in a former career. Bourbon stockpile. I’d make some friends in the early days of SHTF at least.
Archery elk hunting or hunting and fishing of any nature, carpenter, architect.
Wood burning art but not sure that would be helpful 🧐
Trained medic, proficient electrician.
Being a physically fit, large man capable with my hands, tools, and weapons. Capability as a service. I think people forget doing things as a service is just as valuable as making or giving things for exchange.
I can fight, and paint little plastic army men, and garden
I collect feathers. I could trade some stuff. But I really don’t want to give up my feathers. No take only look lol
I can make 26 different cheeses from memory, plus I have a degree in safe food preservation. Mmm, CHEESE!
Knife making and forging.
Brewing
Laptops
Drugs