Survival skills have increasingly become more of a hobby than a necessity in our modern era…ironically. With all the resources of technology available to us–GPS, cell phones, and Google to name a few–our society has lost most of the common wisdom of past generations. However, if COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that too much reliance on our modern conveniences can leave us vulnerable, panicked and confused when the unexpected strikes.
While a pandemic that essentially shuts down daily life is new to us, our great-grandparents were pros at making the best of difficult circumstances. They lived through world wars and economic hardships where rationing was the order of the day. The Great Depression, the worst economic disaster the U.S. has seen in modern times, taught generations how to get by with less. Since experts predict that COVID-19 could last months with devastating impacts on the economy, we’d do well to learn some of the survival skills our great-grandparents knew. (1)
1. Gardening For Food, Not Flowers
When there wasn’t a grocery store on every corner, growing enough food to feed your family was second nature. A garden wasn’t just for pretty flowers; families grew their own vegetables and fruits and learned to do it efficiently. This survival skill went beyond simple planting and watering. Knowing how to test and understand the soil, rotate crops, germinate seeds, prune the plants, and eliminate pests was vital knowledge for a high yield. (2)
2. Preparing Meals From Scratch
While it’s recommended that people keep food staples on hand for emergencies, most don’t know how to prepare basic ingredients. It’s great to have dry beans and flour if you know what to do with them. Generations past were pros at making homemade goods from basic, wholesome ingredients. With no access to frozen pizzas or takeout restaurants, the survival skills of making bread and other staples served our great-grandparents well.
3. Preserving Food – Canning and Other Methods
When resources are scarce, preserving food is vital to make the most out of crop yields. Our great-grandparents knew how to take advantage of canning to store seasonal foods for the future. This involves knowing how to properly prepare food, sterilize jars and seal them to ensure their longevity. Additionally, smoking, pickling, salting, drying, curing, and cellaring were essential survival skills that extended food supplies.
4. Waste Not Want Not
The average American throws away 25% of the food they buy. In times past, this was not an option, and food was never wasted. They cooked just enough to feed the family for the day, and any extra would be saved for later. This saved money and avoided wasting resources that were not sure to be available at any time. (2)
5. Natural First Aid Remedies
Before over-the-counter cough medicines were available in every formulation, natural remedies were the first line of defense against sickness. Whether it was using Willow Bark tea for natural pain relief, baking soda for bee stings, or raw honey for cuts and scrapes, our great-grandparents knew how to treat ailments with whatever was on hand. (3)
6. Navigations Sans Google Maps.
Before smartphones and GPS, knowing basic orienteering was one of many survival skills that everyone knew. Directions were given by east, west, north, or south, and a compass could assist in more unknown terrain. Knowing how to read a map was also a normal part of day-to-day life.
7. Sewing
Sewing was a basic skill that all women–and single men–needed to know. Making clothing for the family saved money. So knowing how to read a pattern and sew a variety of stitches was common knowledge. When clothes tore or ripped, generations past repaired them rather than throwing them away and buying new ones.
8. Making Cleaning Products
Making use of cheap, on-hand ingredients to make soap and other cleaning products was a standard survival skill of our great-grandparents. Wood ash soap, for example, was an inexpensive way to create a homemade cleansing bar. By simply mixing lye made from ashes and tallow or lard rendered from animal fat, soap could be made en masse to use for washing clothes, doing dishes, and bathing. (4)
9. Cloth Baby Diapers
There were no giant boxes of Huggies for our great-grandparents to diaper their children. An essential survival skill? Using cloth diapers that could be reused again and again was an easy way to save resources.
10. Entertainments
With no phones and no internet, families knew how to entertain themselves. Whether it was gathering around the radio for a musical program or telling stories and playing outside, our great-grandparents didn’t need much to occupy their time. This might be one of the survival skills our day needs the most. Learning to be content with our present circumstances will help everyone get through even the hardest of times, just like our great-grandparents did.
