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5 Pre-Industrial Skills Everyone Should Have

The modern era has many advantages. Modern technological advancements have made daily life much simpler and less labor-intensive. No longer do we need to spend hours hand-washing our laundry, hauling water from streams and creeks or pumping it from a well, harvesting and grinding grain. etc. However, modern life has also made us very reliant on a complex industrial grid that could go down at any time, or of course, that many are trying to escape.

There are many skills of yore that we grow up simply not doing or experiencing, that might quickly become a way of life if our grids fail or if you choose to go off-grid and start a homestead from scratch. When you first buy property, you might not always have a house built or the resources for every modern convenience. Here is a list of 5 pre-industrial skills that we’ve lost that might become very useful in situations like these:

Building a fire: this is a primal skill that early man mastered, and that everyone should know how to do. You can use a fire to cook, boil water and keep warm.
Hunting: another primal skill that everyone should at least be familiar with the basics of. Life doesn’t always allow for animal husbandry, but hunting skills such as shooting, learning to use a bow, and the basics of dressing an animal are invaluable.
Sewing: basic hand sewing can help you out in many situations, and it is a household skill that is quickly moving into extinction. Simple stitches are very handy to know for mending and making many kinds of clothing and supplies.
Grinding flour: it is so easy to take being able to grab a pound of all-purpose flour at Wal-Mart for granted, but grinding flour takes hard work without large industrial equipment. The simple process of harvesting, drying and grinding grain is very rewarding to become familiar with.
Construction: whether you are constructing a simple hut or building your own house, having some idea of how to sensibly plan and execute the building of a shelter is a coveted skill, and could be life-saving in the wilderness.

This could, of course, be a much longer list, but I tried to think of the very basic technological skills that can help you out in survival situations or bare-bones homesteading. These skills can be rewarding to learn, and sure to make you appreciate our post-industrial amenities a little more as well!

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