Whats your weakness.

[burntmuch]

You cant be good at everything. I can shoot, reload, hunt , fish, build , All & all a fairly handy guy. Ive started growing my own vegatables this year, also got into the chickens for eggs & meat. Just to learn new skills. My weakness is electricity People start talking about electricity. Im lost. Also wrenching on cars or small engines, Id rather take a hot poker to the eyeball. Just dont have the knack for it. What to do about it?? Ive got a couple small engines, A mower & a tractor. Im gonna tinker with this winter. As far as the electricity. Im gonna have to pick up a how to book. In an SHTF situation, its good to know your weaknesses. whats yours, & what are you doing about it.??

[Rex in OTZ]

Fast women
Beer, problem is I only like Alaskan Amber Ale.
Chewing tobacco, sometimes I smoke it later after it dries in my home made cherry wood pipe.
Greedy -trying to get something for nothing.
Relying on forums for answers instead of seeking them on my own.
Dont do well in large groups.
Im lazy.
I like messing with old rusty junk.
Think to much about the past.

[Pat/Rick]

Electricity, same as you. And reloading, geez I need to learn how to do that. And mobility,just can't go as far or fast as I used to.

[tacklebury]

Probably metalwork.  I've never really done much of it other than shop classes.  I know guys that just grab a hunka something and buzz this gizmo and that and wallah! New sight for my gun.    Everything I've ever tried in metal didn't work well and often not at all.  I've made tons of stuff with wood and other media.  8(

[don heath]

100% addicted to caffine...drink at least 10 cups of expresso and a dozen cokes a day. During shooting competitions I found I was drinking 10-14 red bull's a day....now I carry a large flask of expresso ...works just the same and is cheeper on the wallet. If I don't have coffee I get a migraine starting within a couple of hours...so carry caffine tabs in the truck for emergency use

What am I doing about it? Trying to cut out the cokes and drink Rooibos tea instead...

I'm a pretty fair gunsmith but lousy auto mechanic...I just hate thick grease on my hands and the day I can afford to have somebody esle fix the water pump or check the oil I'll never look at an engine again (However, Living far from town I fear I am doomed to having to be a fair mechanic or do alot of walking)

[vacek]

Love my coffee.  Zero ability as a mechanic and carpenter.  Scientist by training.

[Almtnman]

Coffee would also be my weakness, I just can't do much of anything until I have had a few cups of it in the morning. I do a lot of gardening, raise chickens, work on my tractor, reload a lot of ammo for myself and other small chores. I guess one other weakness would have to be my age, I'm not as fast as I used to be, so I would have to stand my ground if it became necessary. 

[AtlLaw]

weaknesses. whats yours, & what are you doing about it.??

weaknesses...    Nope... can't think of any...    I always said there isn't anything I can't do and, with a little effort, do it better then most... 

I guess if anything it would be that I'm to humble and unassuming... in a SHTF situation people might take advantage of me.   

 

[okieshooter]

In a survival situation I would think that my wife and 4 kids would be a weakness. Not trying to be mean by saying that but it would tie me down and be a lot harder to feed 6 than just me. I will do my best if I am ever in that situation but it will be hard and maybe impossible to keep everyone safe and fed for very long. I hope I never have to find out.

[Hodr]

Medication.  If needed medication is not available, my wife will not make it.  Not real sure I will want to live through tough times without her. 

blindhari

[Scibaer]

Jay,
Mott college has some really good classes you can take. get you whipped right into shape.

[teamnelson]

Plants - don't know them near as well as I'd like.
medical - I've done a lot of training on this, but all it does is make me wish I knew more.
Traps/snares - working on it.
Music - won't do well without it.
Intelligent conversation - won't do well without it either.
People - I'm not an extrovert, but I'd go nuts all by myself. I'd probably be that guy who talks to his dog ... wait, I already am!

And I want to just acknowledge what has been said before - wife, and kids. For me, my wife is not a prepper, not a shooter, not a hunter, likes her comforts, etc. Now I dragged her all over the horn of africa so she knows how to do without, but she hates it. So its not so much a skill issue, as an attitude issue - I worry some days about depression in her, will to live, survive, if it came down to it. Beyond that, I've got guns & gear set up just for her.

[gypsyman]

Electricity. And, with as much welding as I do, I should know more. I'm with okie on the family. I would kill and die for my wife and kids, but I know if it was just me, I could survive without much trouble. My other, and probably main weakness, getting old, and not wanting to admit it. My ache's and pains are slowing me down, and I just am having a hard time getting use to it. I'm 55, think I'm 30, and feel like 70. Naproxen Sodium(Aleve) in the morning, and a couple drinks at night. gypsyman

[vacek]

Okieshooter,

I would start tomorrow making your wife and 4 children assets not liabilities.  Depending on their ages, they could start learining first basic survial/sustaining skills, and then each start working on some specific special skills.  The wife, get her into the groove.  If you ask me having a total of six prepared, loyal to each other beyond question, team, then that would be a better chance than just waiting and letting it happen.  My son is a decent mechanic, plumber, electrician, and great carpenter.  My wife can sew up a storm.  We can all shoot and know how to put by food. I had two sons.  One was killed in an accident when he was 16.  Regardless, both boys could drive a standard, hunt and fish by the time they were 8.  Make'm assets not liabilities.

If indeed the you know what hits the fan, one of my best assets is my best friend who is a parapalegic.  He and his family are also self-sufficient.  They raise cattle, hay and take several elk and deer a year.  They do their own reloading, he is a trained mechanic.  He is an asset.

[Victor3]

 Physical endurance. I poop out faster than I'd like. I figure flight is gonna generally be more usefull than fight when it comes down to survival.

 Come to think of it though, maybe I just need more 'machismo' so I can fight rather than run. Thataway I won't need no endurance, right?

 What's more easier to attain; macho or stamina? Gimme that one. 

[blind ear]

Victor3, Macho doesn't happen without stamina, sorry. eddie

[Dee]

I think in my 60 years of living, that I have noticed that macho get's it's ass whipped a lot, or in more extreme cases, dead. Smart is the biggest asset, and in my case age is my worst asset. I'm a little bit of a mechanic, a pretty decent carpenter, a fair plumber, a pretty good gunsmith (in my own area of arms), I taught L.E. fighting with weapons and know how to use them, and have used them. I have studied the old ways off and on all my life, and I am a good woodsman I think. BUT! I can't run away, because I simply cannot run. I can walk kinda fast, but my wife and mother can't, so I guess it's settled for me.
Calmness I have, and patience I constantly work on. Lack of those two things I consider a huge weakness.

[Empty Quiver]

In no particular order, joint pain, wind, never could run more than a half mile, drive, I will settle for good enough even if it really isn't. Recognising the latter has helped defeate it, though it is always hanging around.

[HAMMERHEAD]

I'm completely dependent on prescription medication, high blood pressure caused by a genetic kidney disease. 5-10 years down the road it will be dialysis followed by transplant.
I try to keep a stash of extra medicine on hand, but it's not easy when they will only give you a 30 day supply at scheduled intervals.

Not good at electricity either. I've done just about all the other trades, but managed to avoid the wires.

[kyelkhunter3006]

Mine would be my wife and kids too.  Not that we couldn't pull together and get it done (even though my wife is a slave to convenience) it would be the one way to get to me.  I live for them and I'd die for them, but I'm not sure if they'd make it in a SHTF situation without me.  Although my wife is stubborn enough when she sets her mind to something that she'd probably be able to do what she had to do.  She'd be like Tom Hanks on Castaway.

I tell them all the time "you guys LOOK and but you hardly ever SEE."  My attention to things around me drives her crazy sometimes.  We'll be talking about someone and I'll be able to tell her what they were wearing last time we saw them two weeks ago.

I'm a jack of all trades but master of none.  I can do some of everything/anything, but there's some stuff I just don't tackle.  Like any electrical/computer automotive work.  Damn, that stuff is so expensive, I'm afraid that I'll mess it up worse and it'll cost me that much more to get it fixed the right way. 

[vacek]

I think this wsa a partial essence of what Mel Tappan was saying.  A lone wolf probably won't make it.  It is best to partner up and make it to a small rurual community where everyone has weakness and skills to share.

[okieshooter]

On the wife and kids issue my oldest son is a better woodsman than me and he is 14, I have taught him well I think. My wife, as any mother, would be willing to kill or die for any member of our family and can use firearms. My fear is having to go out for food, deer or whatever, and coming back and finding that they were discovered while I am gone. Raped and killed comes to mind with 2 daughters. It would be hard to go on living when you would prefer to be killing. It would be hard to provide for them and protect them at the same time. I think some families will have to come together as groups for protection to ever make it and then you will have to provide twice as much food, etc.

[Rolandedwinjohnson]

Wait, Ok.

Faster women, older horses, and younger whiskey....wait a second, that doesn't sound right but looks accurate.
Oh, I need to add blue steel and gun leather

Was it faster whiskey and older women....

Great, I need beer (for me and my horse) and time to think about this.

[SHOOTALL]

Diabetes . Been growing food since I was a kid. Raising food on the hoof also. Hunting and fishing well can't remember not doing it. been in mechanical contracting since 17 Plumbing , HVAC and eletrical, built houses and worked on cars and trucks up to simi's. so i feel i can fix stuff as long as i can get the parts or stuff to fabricate parts.lack of Medicine could hurt me .

[AtlLaw]

Wait, Ok.
Faster women, older horses, and younger whiskey....wait a second, that doesn't sound right but looks accurate.
Oh, I need to add blue steel and gun leather
Was it faster whiskey and older women....
Great, I need beer (for me and my horse) and time to think about this.

Durn!     Everything he said made perfect sense to me... 
I like the way you think boy!   

[Pat/Rick]

I think this wsa a partial essence of what Mel Tappan was saying.  A lone wolf probably won't make it.  It is best to partner up and make it to a small rurual community where everyone has weakness and skills to share.

Depends on the wolf I guess. But for us common folk who are not as versed I believe a small community/ commune of family and close friends would do better. Takes alot of garden to feed 'em. In a society without fuel/electricity it would give more to work the land manually,large farm families of old, while others could provide security, LP/OP sorry, listening/observation posts for early warning. Besides my before mentioned weakness', I am a fair carpenter/plumber/metal worker/ mechanic on the older stuff, I can grow and can, I have two different water sources on my little spread, with a third one close by. My well is less than 200' deep so I am going to look for an alternative way to pump, maybe wind.

[SHOOTALL]

pat/rick, pipe with a spring loaded check valve on one end and a couple 90's on the other worked up and down will get water out of a well in a pinch. keep pipe smalll dia so weight won't be an issue.

[teamnelson]

I try to do something everyday that improves myself and my position; Marine infantry training is hard to forget. I consider chatting here on GB part of that improvement, both in the exchange of information, but also in the development of a community. This is a particularly good thread 

[burntmuch]

The scenario that you,re dealing with will dictate which weakness will effect you most. Like said above wife & kids will make it hard if theres fighting involved, Or just protecting whats yours., Small group of like minded folks to help cover some of them weaknesses. is your best bet. Just in the last year Ive become more prepared, just some food stored, chickens in the backyard. My wife & kids will eat, but man theres alot to think about here. Im glad to hear Im not the only one who has a hard time with electricity.   

[teamnelson]

A good solution to to knowing how to work with electricity is to not need it. GASP ... i know, but think about it. Your primary uses of electricity today are probably recreation, followed by meal preparation, heat/ac, followed by lighting. So write off recreational, and narrow your electrical needs down to food prep, climate and light, and there are some great alternatives to electricity for all those, afterall most of what we "need" today were considered luxury items (labor saving devices) a couple generations ago. I took in a shower in Azerbaijan with hot water that was heated by a wood burning system that actually fed into a shower head - that was in 2001. It was a brand new shower system.

Modern plumbing devices replaced a shovel and some hard work. Carpentry with hand tools is a separate skill from building a deck with a radial arm saw and a cordless driver, but it worked well for a few thousand years. I figure the more I learn to do without electricity now, the less affected I'll be when the lights go out.