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Poll Results: Best Occupations for Both Before and After TEOTWAWKI
In no particular order, the following are the first batch of responses
to my poll question on the best occupations or home businesses for
both before and after TEOTWAWKI:
Locksmith/Home security systems installer/repairman
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Beekeeping
Small scale vegetable gardening.
Growing
herbs (medicinal)
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1) Electricity:
a. Recharge batteries for folks, rebuild the bad batteries, and lots
of folks don’t know squat about electricity for lighting, etc.
Got several methods: Solar, miscellaneous generators powered by hand,
animal, wind and even the old one lung gas engine with that darn heavy
flywheel.
b. Also use the above for communications when there aren’t cell
phones or twisted pair communications. HF, VHF, UHF and Wi-Fi.
c. Also for Wi-Fi between homes and towns if computers survive.
2) Maintain RVs and trailers with their associated systems:
furnaces, lighting, water, pumps, et al.
3) Make more Stills like the one I have and produce nerve tonic and
fuel.
4) Medical: Apply those smelly herbs I find, grow and use. Not to mention
sewing up the occasional cut and tear, set the odd bone and generally
try to avoid surgery (Ha!) Let’s not even talk about handling
boils, although that will be around too.
5) Sorta medical: Collect, cure the Knick-Knick and sell tobacco.
6) Use my HF radios to send mail to and from families far away.
7) Make leather cups for pumps when there isn’t any molded rubber
around.
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Growing and maintaining quality heritage based [heirloom /non-hybrid]
produce for a local farmers market but also a "seed saver" program
to provide quality heritage seeds for sale or barter for future gardens.
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Almost anything in the medical field: EMT,
Nurse, doctor
Stay at home parent
Teacher/tutor
Translator - post TEOTWAWKI, there won't be handy computer programs
to help out, and there are a lot of non-English speakers in any suburb,
let alone anything larger
Tailoring/Alterations
Chef/cook
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1. Mechanic / bodywork man. People tend to hold onto cars and equipment
much longer during hard times, and fix up their existing vehicles instead
of buying new.
2. Handyman - Same basic idea as above. Also lots of work installing
insulation, wood stoves, energy-efficient appliances, security improvements
and of course repairing damage from natural disasters.
3. Musician - The guy who can play the guitar always seems to do okay
anywhere where people suffer. Whether it's in a prison, a starving
country torn up by civil war, or just a campfire with a bunch of tired
cowboys,
people want to be able to relax and forget about the real world for
a while.
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Clothes and shoe manufacturing/repair
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Dentistry/Oral Surgery
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Make/sell small DC generators,
and use them for charging batteries for cash/barter), as
shown at The Epicenter.com
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Health care (physician, nursing) is always good.
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Farmer or Rancher (self-sufficient and rural)
Mechanic (keeping stuff running)
Any sort of health care provider - Doctor/Nurse/Paramedic/EMT (*the
only down-side is you may get wrapped up treating endless victims though)
Veterinarian
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Farrier/blacksmith
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Leatherwork. "It is a booming business for skilled leather workers
right now; people will pay ridiculously high prices for custom
made goods.
Being able to build and mend saddles, shoes, bags, belts, and all
manner of useful items is not only a handy skill to have, but there's
decent
money in it. Right now, it's more of a luxury to most people to have
leather goods custom made for them, since there are many other options
on the market for our everyday needs. But once the supply of cheap
garbage from China is cut off, and our technology is thrown back
a couple hundred years, leather will return to its place as an
essential
material. And knowing how to work with leather will be a prized skill.
As well as having the proper tools to do it."
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Chicken raising/breeding
Bee-keeping
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Mechanic - "An automobile or aircraft mechanic (and perhaps some
other similar crafts) has developed the skills to repair a number
of existing
devices in addition to the devices they were specifically trained
on, i.e. generator/appliance repair or gunsmithing."
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Electrician
Blacksmith
Mechanic
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Farm equipment repairman
Armorer
Welder
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1. Survival skills trainer/practitioner (firearms instructor, gunsmith,
hunter/trapper, adventure guide, blacksmith, carpenter (if with manual
tools), plumber, cooper, potter, candle maker, stonemason/bricklayer,
etc.). Skills that you can use or have value in trade, and that do
not depend upon electricity are definitely the most valuable of all
occupations. Having an array of these skills is the very best.
2. Physician (especially general practice, surgeon, or OB-GYN)
3. Farmer/rancher
4. EMT, RN,
midwife
5. Survival supplies dealer
6. Engineer (mechanical, electrical, civil, metallurgical/materials)
- if practically oriented and skilled outside of the computer, and not management.
7. Electrician (power generation & distribution, communication
8. Army, Marine, or SpecOps military officer below rank of General
(for both hard skills and leadership)
9. Engine repair / mechanic / machinist
10. Teacher
11. Lawyer (just kidding!)
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Nurseryman with perennial food plants- berries, fruits, herbs,
rhubarb, horseradish, Jerusalem artichokes, etc.
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Solar power technology business
