Low Tech or Primitive Skills - What can you do?

[Starscream]

I brought it up in the Covid thread, but I think its worth having its own thread. Perhaps we can even provide links which can be added to this post over time of worth while sites that have information that can be used as a fun hobby or a sort of Plan B.

 

What sort of things can you do that needs little or no technology to produce?

 

For example. I'm a soap maker. I can make soap from lye and oil. I'm learning how to make lye itself. I also have access to a website - I'll link it when I track it down again, which has invaluable information on the subject. But wile technology exists, it has a marvelous calculator to guide you. This calculator will help you accurately dose the lye - which is dangerous - to create the perfect bar of soap. I've used this many times and I have a house full of perfect soap.

 

Another thing I create is wine and mead - I'll refrain from posting links to that. But I can get yeast from a few raisins.

 

Also create sour dough, and the like. I have more information, but its in a binder in my "Closet of hell" 

 

If slag hits the fan, I'm your soap maker.

 

Share your low tech skills.

[Astreya]

As I mentioned in the Covid-19 thread, I have solid knowledge about natural medicine (I'm a Heilpraktikerin, that is, an approved nature cure practitioner in Germany), thus I am able to help people with herbs, teas and stuff like that. I think in cases of emergency with only low tech availability, this should be a reasonable bargaining chip.

 

Hehe. I know how to make soap, too. In fact we even learned that at school in chemistry. I still remember that lesson as it was fun like hell. One of the guys in our course proudly said he'd cook soap the old way with suet and potash. I told them I could do that as easily but with more sensible ingredients (I used ground coconut and soda). We then made a bet that we'd wash our hands with the soaps we cooked. In the end Dirk actually did that (with his horribly stinking product), but needed more than half an hour with industrially produced soap to get rid of the stink (My coconut soap was really nice and white in comparison. I have to admit I did need a Soxhlet extractor to get the coconut oil from the flakes, but one can do that by other means, too XD)

 

 

Edited March 19, 2020 by Astreya

[Confused Cat]

I'm a computer programmer and I'll be mostly useless in case of a no-more-technology apocalypse.

I do have a copy of "How to invent everything" (by Ryan North), though, so as long as I also have an English dictionary to translate the words I don't know, and a very big encyclopedia to look up what these things are, I might be able to make bricks after a few years.   

[Fly-by-Night]

I have zero primitive skills apart from basic cooking.

Oh, and I just did a first-aid refresher course. However, I doubt that mouth-to-mouth is a very desirable skill right now.

[Astreya]

@Fly-by-Night

You can always buy an Ambu-Beutel and put it away at home or in your car if there is need for CPR at home of when you are involved in some accident. It's less useful for your hand bag, of course.

[Ruby Eyes]

7 hours ago, Confused Cat said:

I'm a computer programmer and I'll be mostly useless in case of a no-more-technology apocalypse.

Same!

 

I can ... um ... I can keep the cats happy while everyone else works? Or sort things into other things with years of tetris-training?

[Fly-by-Night]

4 hours ago, Astreya said:

@Fly-by-Night

You can always buy an Ambu-Beutel and put it away at home or in your car if there is need for CPR at home of when you are involved in some accident. It's less useful for your hand bag, of course.

I think one of those little pocket masks will do. Maybe it's time to invest in one!

[Astreya]

Yeah, I have some of the pocket masks for under way, too. But I fear they won't really help against a Covid-19 infection. -_-'

 

 

[GhostMouse]

I can knit, crochet, and I have some basic sewing skills. So at least I'll be warm in an apocalypse!

[catstaff]

I can crochet and sew, and while I haven't tried to do it, I've got what I believe is a workable plan to turn my electric sewing machine into either a treadle, or something hand-cranked.

I can identify a fair number of wild edibles, I've got theoretical knowledge of how to build a solar dehydrator, and I think I still remember how to clean fish although it's been about 40 years since I last did so. Only ever been fishing on the shoreline, though, never freshwater.

 

I can shoot a bow although I've never hunted. Got some theoretical knowledge of traps as well as of butchering game. I can lay a decent fire and I can ignite it with flint and steel.

 

All that said, I'm also 50 years old and not exactly in the best of shape. I could definitely survive an apocalypse as part of a group, but wouldn't make it on my own.

[Starscream]

I could use a hunter, I need fat for my soaps. I'm also a pretty decent cook.

[Astreya]

You can use oil from seeds or fat from milk, too. (Which reminds me, as a kid I spent many holidays in Austria in a small guest house that had some cows in the back yard and the owner showed me how to turn raw milk from the cows into cream, butter, ghee and drinkable milk. So if there is someone who can coax the milk from some beasts for me, I can process that into the above things plus quark and cheese, too. ^^)

Edited March 20, 2020 by Astreya

[Classycal]

I can crochet and sew.  I went to college without a computer.  (A typewriter is such a quaint notion, isn't it?)  So I think I can function in a low tech world.  I have canning skills.  I even know how to make lye for soap.  

[Stripey]

I'll add myself to the list of people who can crochet and sew, and add that I can weave cloth and spin, so I can make the yarn I use as well.  I can also cook over a wood fire, preserve food (canning and drying), do leatherwork of various kinds, and I can do basic repairs to various things.  Gotta love being raised by an older generation who taught me lots.

 

[Sesshomaru]

I'm just a smartass with a near-eidetic memory. My strengths are writing and acting. Not much in the way of hands-on skills. (If we were in a spy movie instead of a disaster thriller, I'd save the day! /s)

 

I suppose I'm fair with pottery, when I have the supplies. I'm also pretty okay at drawing.

[Shadowdrake]

I've got *very* basic sewing skills and about 5 recipes I know how to prepare and cook reliably. So if you want hot vegetable soup or hot vegetable soup, I can make that.

[Idril]

I'm an archaeologist and also specialized in experimental archaeology, so I know a lot of old craftmanship.

I can spin and felt wool, dye it with natural colours and tablet/card-weaving. But I guess I could also weave fabric when I build a simple loom (which I know how to in theory).

I'm a trained potter, so there would be no shortage in dishes, when I fire them in a primitive kiln.

I'm also good at sewing. I just started a new Corona-project: handsewing a simple roman/ medieval tunic.

I know a lot of wild herbs and edable plant (it's bearsgarlic time!). And I think I can say I'm not a bad cook, even on open fire. Additionally I did some archery and know how to use a bow and arrow,  albeit I've never hunted or shot at a living beeing... I also got a few books about healing plants and hw to make ointments and other things from them.

What else? Theoretically I could carve some simple things, like spoons.

I resently started with soap-making, too. 

My grandfather showed me basketweaving.

And I learned how to forge iron and how to process the simple ore into iron, but it's very time consuming and you need a few people to work together...

I should have a book lying around somewhere about survival techniques....

 

Edited March 22, 2020 by Idril

[Sashimi]

I can cook and bake okayishly. Also I'm a dental hygienist, so I could treat some not-so-severe tooth aches and clean peoples teeth. 

[StormBirdRising]

I can cook well enough, I'm proficient with hand guns, accurate with a rifle and an assault weapon in case there were people depending on it and I  had to hunt food for them, basic first aid. I don't scrapbook but I just started one and I would recommend to everyone to start a scrap book with pictures of your loved ones, their birthdays, their favorite things, maybe a lock of their hair, things like that.

[StormBirdRising]

I found this recipe for hand sanitizer that might be helpful

 

Hand sanitizer recipe

What you’ll need:

• 3/4 cup of isopropyl or rubbing alcohol (99 percent)
• 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel (to help keep your hands smooth and to counteract the harshness of alcohol)
• 10 drops of essential oil, such as lavender oil, or you can use lemon juice instead

Directions:

• Pour all ingredients into a bowl, ideally one with a pouring spout like a glass measuring container.
• Mix with a spoon and then beat with a whisk to turn the sanitizer into a gel.
• Pour the ingredients into an empty bottle for easy use, and label it “hand sanitizer.”

[Astreya]

That sounds like a good mix (alcohol > 70% is necessary, yup)

 

I can share the mix my pharmacist puts together to sell, too. If you are a hair dresser (or know a hair dresser) you should be able to get the necessary 3% hydrogen peroxide easily (it's used as bleach - but be aware, that stuff is not for kids and you should handle it with care!).

 

75.15ml isopropyl alcohol (99.8%)

4.17ml hydrogen peroxide (3%)

1.52ml glycerol (85%)

add distilled water to 100ml

 

I was lucky I still had the hydrogen peroxide from some hair colouring experiments of mine, and I always use isoprop to clean my monitors, remote controls etc, so I just needed to get some  glycerine, and that wasn't too hard either. (Of course it helps if you have some equipment for chemical experimentation as a graduated pipette really helps here.)

Edited March 29, 2020 by Astreya

[hedy]

I can knit, crochet, sew, cook and bake! I’ve also gardened for a few years and can identify a range of edible plants. I’ve also made some mead-type drinks lately, and been dabbling in fermenting as a method of cooking lately! I like doing stuff with my hands and learning new stuff. I also know my way around basic tools, like hammers, saws and drills. Would love to learn more about winemaking and sewing!

[olympe]

I have a rough idea of which (local) plant helps against some ailments, as well as some books about it and about determining which plant is which. (Schmeil-Fitschen, to name the worst) as well as some experience with the latter. (Trust me, you need it if you want to be able to use it.) I'd probably read up on this intensely.

 

I also know how to make soap in general, although I have no memory of how much of which lye goes with which oil. On the plus side, I know how to figure out if the result is usable as-is with red cabbage or its juice.  

 

I know some basic knitting and knotting (not just friendship bracelets, but also some basic macramée), although I've never done a bigger project with it. Just some decorative stuff. And knitting scarves. I'd have to figure out everything else, but I'm sure I can do it.

 

And, well, cooking, preserving stuff (drying, canning) as well as a rough idea of how to cure food or pus lactic acid preservation. I'd probably have to experiment quite a bit with these methods, but at least I know the basics.

 

I'd probably be able to survive and stay healthy and warm - with some setbacks here and there.  

[Auriene]

On 3/22/2020 at 11:51 AM, Idril said:

I'm an archaeologist and also specialized in experimental archaeology, so I know a lot of old craftmanship.

 

Just noticed this topic and wanted to say hello to a fellow archaeologist

 

I'm not exactly specialized in experimental archaeology myself, but some of my friends from the uni are true experts on prehistoric experimental archaeology and primitive technologies in general. I've participated in some of their projects and workshops, and it's truly fascinating what those people can do - building shelters, making various kinds of flint tools, making things from bone, antler, animal skins, tree bark, plant fibres... Whenever I see them at work, I am always amazed by their skills.

 

Sometimes I wish I were more interested in prehistory, but around my second year, my interests shifted towards medieval archaeology and medieval reenactment. I've gained some low-tech skills this way, but they are mostly focused around weaving, sewing and embroidering, so probably nothing extremely useful in case of an apocalypse. But I also know how to make a fire, how to use herbs, how to preserve food, how to prepare travelling ratios - such food-related things, in general. I can also make pottery, although without a potter's wheel, I'm not able to shape anything decent looking

 

Oh, and I can dig. I'm pretty good at digging. And I know how to make scrambled eggs on a shovel.

[Quackerz]

First and foremost, farming. It's what I did from a young age - though I've pretty much quit altogether since the soil and weather where I live makes it more or less not worth the effort. Seeds, water, and a good fertile place to actually grow stuff, and  it's something I'd be happy to continue doing. Also raised livestock (chickens, turkeys, ducks, basically birds - never dealt with cattle, pigs, and such), though in my case they've always been pets, not food. Still, it's something I'm good at.

 

Generally a good builder - hammer and nails, saw.... Would just need to get my brain to click back into angles and measurements, but I'd be good to go.

 

Never hunted, though I've always wanted to. I'm a crack shot with both gun and bow, so I'd like to think I could actually do that decently. Can also fish (simple, but I enjoy it.), sew a bit (though it's been years, and I'm used to having a machine, I could make do with the old fashioned needle.... Probably. I've done it one or twice before when I was young), and pressure can stuff (again, it's been a while, so I'd need to get the feel for it again.)

 

Of less note, since it's not generally considered hard, but I can also ride a horse, which would probably be good for the hunting. And if a messenger was needed I guess. Feel like this one hardly counts as a skill, though.  Also perfectly happy to chop firewood. It's fun.

 

Things I probably should not be asked to do include cooking, dealing with rope/similar, and/or anything really involving knots. They won't likely hold if I tie them.

In closing, I guess if it were absolutely necessary, just give me a little room to get back into the stuff I do know, and I should do it quite well.