There's a group called OklahomaWildcrafting that teach classes on foraging for food and medicine. They do a hike every season (all 4) that teach how to find edible plants, mushrooms, and medicinal uses. I've never been able to get in as it usually fills up on day 1. Every year they do a big wildcrafting fair where chefs from really nice restaurants (ludivine etc) use only the gathered ingredients.
There's a group called OklahomaWildcrafting that teach classes on foraging for food and medicine. They do a hike every season (all 4) that teach how to find edible plants, mushrooms, and medicinal uses. I've never been able to get in as it usually fills up on day 1. Every year they do a big wildcrafting fair where chefs from really nice restaurants (ludivine etc) use only the gathered ingredients.
As mentioned in the other thread. Most of these weren't considered skills when we were growing up. Some were chores and others were just a way of life. LOL!
I too was raised in the country and grew up pretty poor. Some "skills" just are second nature and taken for granted. I think most people can do anything if given a little coaching.
Here a list of what im capable of in addition to the poll. (seems like im tooting my horn, Im just gettin older)
Mechanical/electrical/tinkering, gardening, cookin/canning/preserving, entertaining, teaching, scavaging, military knowledge/tactics.
Cooking, baking, laundry, sewing, caregiving. Delivered 2 babies in an ambulance, assisted in a few appendectomys, treated burns and severe trauma while on a ship.
Some knowlege of radio communication, map reading.
Plenty of outdoor knowledge, seasonal native food sources, trapping, snares.
I think my best skill is my ability to stay calm and get it done, what ever IT may be.
Here a list of what im capable of in addition to the poll. (seems like im tooting my horn, Im just gettin older)
Mechanical/electrical/tinkering, gardening, cookin/canning/preserving, entertaining, teaching, scavaging, military knowledge/tactics.
Cooking, baking, laundry, sewing, caregiving. Delivered 2 babies in an ambulance, assisted in a few appendectomys, treated burns and severe trauma while on a ship.
Some knowlege of radio communication, map reading.
Plenty of outdoor knowledge, seasonal native food sources, trapping, snares.
I think my best skill is my ability to stay calm and get it done, what ever IT may be.
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Unfortunately I have nothing to bring to the table. No, seriously ... That's what some guy told me once -- AFTER I spent all day helping GC and another guy fell a huge dead tree and split and stack a ton of wood -- while he was driving in circles on the tractor trying to look busy.
My most important skill is the ability to keep from killing people with my bare hands. 
Other than that, I'm just a pretty good all around farm/ranch hand. Some animal husbandry skills and the usual Stepford Wife stuff. Oh, and, contrary to popular gunboard myth, I CAN shoot a Mosin-Nagant ... and some other guns too.
I have just enough medical training to be dangerous. But I am a DAMN good surgical assistant. And, I'm another one of those folks who really doesn't panic. Don't know why but it seems the more dire the situation the calmer I am -- It's really weird ...
ETA: Also contrary to what you will hear on the street, I'm good at taking direction. I know what I don't know and am willing to learn anything. Nobody knows it all, I don't care what some folks would have you believe.
My most important skill is the ability to keep from killing people with my bare hands. Other than that, I'm just a pretty good all around farm/ranch hand. Some animal husbandry skills and the usual Stepford Wife stuff. Oh, and, contrary to popular gunboard myth, I CAN shoot a Mosin-Nagant ... and some other guns too.
I have just enough medical training to be dangerous. But I am a DAMN good surgical assistant. And, I'm another one of those folks who really doesn't panic. Don't know why but it seems the more dire the situation the calmer I am -- It's really weird ...
ETA: Also contrary to what you will hear on the street,
I'm good at taking direction. I know what I don't know and am willing to learn anything. Nobody knows it all, I don't care what some folks would have you believe.
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Up until a few years ago, I lacked in several of these areas. Since, we have started a county (Coal) search and rescue task force. As a result, we have had to go through quite a bit of nationally accredited training to meet State and FEMA (once they get off their a$$es and publish it) guidelines. It covers the fundamentals of SAR and also we have went a step farther as a team (SAR Tech II for you technical folks) to meet the national creds when they are published. The cool stuff was navigation with compass and USGS maps, living out of a backpack for 72 hrs in sure enough woods, improvised shelter construction, and intro into cutting for sign. Sme of us waited several months to do the practical tests and found out first hand how perishable some of these skills are! Lesson: practice or lose proficiency. Also, if learned that I didn't know near enough about medical treatment, so I talked my fire chief into paying for me to go through EMR classes. At least I now know enough to identify and treat for life threatening situations such as shock and stroke.
What about some hand to hand? I can't figure everyone would have a gun or have access to reload equipment and I imagine you'll have times where a gun or knife would not be at hand.
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