# Who Will Teach Our Young People Survival Skills?



## PrepperForums (Nov 21, 2014)

There has been a lot of talk lately about millennials lacking basic survival skills. Why do you think that is?

It's easy to blame the young people, but wasn't it up to their parents and grandparents to teach these skills?

If millennials are struggling with survival skills, what will happen to the generations that follow them?

Where did you learn? Your children? Your grandchildren?

Resource article: Millennials Lack Basic Survival Skills Compared to Older Generations


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

That is a good question.

I know people who are almost self-sufficient. I say almost because they still drive automobiles to stores from time to time. Still, they know so much. They are passing it on to their grandchildren.
There are small farming families who know how to live, as well.

For the majority of the Western world, there seems to be more in need of knowledge than there are teachers. Sadly, most of the people in need of knowledge don't know they are in need of knowledge.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Other than to my kid, the only knowledge dispensed by me is here.

The reason for that is I can hide behind this keyboard.

I have been scoffed at in the past for trying to intertwine basic skills with prepping.

The general consensus among the sheeple is, "what for? I don't need to know anything, it is all taken care of."

They have been conditioned by libtard teaches to be idiots with no useful education.

Further, if what I post here is not of value, I can stop at anytime, I don't care.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

One of my son's told me once that I should be a teacher. Not a school teacher, or a patient, kind type of teacher, but rather a person who makes others think. Sometimes not very nice thoughts but still, they are thinking. 

I told him typically you can't make a living by pissing others off. 

He thought about that one for a moment and agreed.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

Slippy said:


> One of my son's told me once that I should be a teacher. Not a school teacher, or a patient, kind type of teacher, but rather a person who makes others think. Sometimes not very nice thoughts but still, they are thinking.
> 
> I told him typically you can't make a living by pissing others off.
> 
> He thought about that one for a moment and agreed.


You have a fantastic, unique sense of humor, something most people lack, you would make a great teacher.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

Slippy said:


> One of my son's told me once that I should be a teacher. Not a school teacher, or a patient, kind type of teacher, but rather a person who makes others think. Sometimes not very nice thoughts but still, they are thinking.
> 
> I told him typically you can't make a living by pissing others off.
> 
> He thought about that one for a moment and agreed.


I have the best of two worlds.
I make a living by troubleshooting and repairing avionics problems of UH-60 helicopters. I love my job. Still, I need more. Thankfully, there are a couple hundred other people on the airfield. Many of those people operate with flawed logic and illogical thinking. This gives me the chance to help them see the error in their thinking. By nature, I use biting wit and sarcasm when confronting stupidity and that has earned me the nickname, "asshole." I beam with pride whenever I am addressed by that name. :laugh:


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Denton said:


> I have the best of two worlds.
> I make a living by troubleshooting and repairing avionics problems of UH-60 helicopters. I love my job. Still, I need more. Thankfully, there are a couple hundred other people on the airfield. Many of those people operate with flawed logic and illogical thinking. This gives me the chance to help them see the error in their thinking. By nature, I use biting wit and sarcasm when confronting stupidity and that has earned me the nickname, "asshole." I beam with pride whenever I am addressed by that name. :laugh:


We must be brothers, asshole and asshole.

I got the same results for my efforts.

The only thing I would not try and teach was gunsmithing, two separate skills need there,

one cannot be taught, the aptitude has to be there.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

SOCOM42 said:


> We must be brothers, asshole and asshole.
> 
> I got the same results for my efforts.
> 
> ...


Figure; I always viewed you as my older brother.


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## Coastie dad (Jan 2, 2016)

AsSholes. Hah!
You want to hear creative names, try teaching teenage boys.
My favorite this year has been being called "Racist assed Trump looking M.....F....."

By the way, I don't resemble Donnie whatsoever. 

I'll tell you this much though, and you can take it or leave it. The social service system has done as much damage to our country as the liberal teachers and their wussification agenda.
Those WAPs will go out of their way to justify for a kid why it isn't really the kid's fault. 
So in a way, they are being taught survival skills. They will survive in the world we detest and shun. But they will survive, even thrive in a socialist system. And if the apocalyptic event occurs, there will be a surprising amount of them that will survive, because they have been taught the skill of self vindication for acts we would find heinous.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Denton said:


> Figure; I always viewed you as my older brother.


Need I further proof? Asshole:vs_laugh:


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## azrancher (Dec 14, 2014)

SOCOM42 said:


> We must be brothers, asshole and asshole.





Coastie dad said:


> AsSholes.





SOCOM42 said:


> Need I further proof? Asshole


Is this a private game, or can anybody play?

*Rancher*


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

azrancher said:


> Is this a private game, or can anybody play?
> 
> *Rancher*


Point taken. We got carried away.

You are at least self sufficient. Do you have kids? Are they interested in what you do?


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## azrancher (Dec 14, 2014)

Denton said:


> You are at least self sufficient. Do you have kids? Are they interested in what you do?


Who said I was self sufficient, I always need more, more, more...

No kids, a conscious choice for two first time losers with not much confidence in being able to take care of ourselves much less a rug rat.

*Rancher *


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

azrancher said:


> is this a private game, or can anybody play?
> 
> *rancher*


just relatives.


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## azrancher (Dec 14, 2014)

SOCOM42 said:


> just relatives.


Oh, OK... do you know who your Daddy is? My Daddy went TDY a lot !!!

*Rancher*


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

At some point you have to go with the adage: "You can lead a horse to water. But cannot make him drink." Our daughters are 31 and almost 30 years old. Both of them have been exposed to all of the skills that we have and have been told about the skills we do not have in detail. Some they have adopted; some they have not. At a point, it becomes their responsibility to either take up the reins or not. I am confident both of ours would be fine. But they will also manage a SHTF situation different than we would. Sobeit.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

azrancher said:


> Oh, OK... do you know who your Daddy is? My Daddy went TDY a lot !!!
> 
> *Rancher*


It is funny you asked that, yes I do, we were lab rats for some of the first DNA research programs run by the University of Massachusetts.

Done at the Worcester campus hospital.

That was back in 1973, brother in-law worked there and talked us into volunteering, IIRC there were was only eight channels in tray.

I was shown the 4x5 inch negatives taken after the electrophoresis process by in-law.

I never thought anything of it, kind of like blood typing, boy was I wrong!

They did a skin scraping under the arm for a sample.

At the time I was conceived they had little time to screw around,

mother was working on the construction of the battleship Massachusetts.

I was was there while she was welding, and I was there for the launching.

She took a train every morning from Worcester to Quincy, and back again at night.

Father and brothers worked 12-14 hours a day on MIT Radlab prototypes.

They tried to enlist after Pearl Harbor but were rejected as critical skills , lab would not let them go..

Now my brothers, that is a good question, they are /were 12 an 14 years younger than me.

I know you were funning, but it fit perfect.

Edit; I was in her tummy at the shipyard right up through the launching.

After birth in 42 i was taken care of by an aunt along with my cousins during the work hours.

They were the greatest generation, all did their part for victory and believed in what they were doing.

they are all gone now both sides, even one of my brothers.


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## azrancher (Dec 14, 2014)

Yes I was funning, and that's a great story, thanks for sharing.

*Rancher*


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## Boss Dog (Feb 8, 2013)

I'm actually at the tail end of the baby-boomer gen. But our parents taught us precious little about the outdoors. They both grew up through the last of the depression and had knowledge of gardening and animals but, got involved with modern living and left all that way behind with no desire to return to it or keep in practice. 

My dad while acting out the great white hunter, had little interest in camping. He would go out, do his hunting or fishing, come home. He didn't take my brother and I out much at all, told mother we would scare the game away. Probably true but, how else are you going to learn? As a consequence, we both had little interest in camping or hunting and, our own kids likewise. 

My mom & sister caught the "camping bug" late in life but their idea of camping is a 20 foot trailer with AC, TV, radio and an electric skillet. 

My brother did learn some in the Army and what little I know, I learned in the Navy (of all places) and from books. There is not much open land available around here to practice on but we're working on it. I agree, 1/2 of mine and the younger generations are in trouble.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

I asked the nephews if they wanted to come out and help cut wood, do some shooting etc. Spend a couple hours out in the country seeing how things work. They looked at me like I offered them a $hit sandwich. Got a barrage of questions on why I even use wood, why do you even need a gun?? Even "you must be a psycho" for owning guns. Guess the old ways will be forgotten and they will learn the hard way. If they survive. 

Grandpa and dad taught me the right way to live. Sure feel sorry for the future generations.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

Even though I come from a family of farmers, my mother left early and never looked back. I grew up in the city and was only taught how to fish. We didn't do that often. Everything I know is self taught. I've only ever been hunting once in my life but missed. I did try to enlist in the Navy but found out the military wouldn't take me due to a medical issue. I was classified 4F for the draft.

The wife and I never had children, not by choice, it just didn't happen. So I have nephews I taught how to shoot. That was the only skill they were interested in learning. 

Self sufficiency is declining at a rapid rate. Few are interested. Too many toys people think are essentials such as TV, video games, computers and smart phones are the only thing most people are interested in these days. People are now being taught to rely on others for everything. Few people are being taught how to fix things. It's easier to toss it out and buy new rather than trying to repair things. Food is something you run down to the grocery store for. Growing your own food in the city is frowned upon. I read an article a while back and was astonished to find out that kids had no idea where food came from. They had no idea where hamburger came from. They thought all food was created in a factory. Its sad how far we as a society have fallen. But people call it being enlightened.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

We teach our own and work with the grandchildren. As some of us age our own children take the lead it is a never ending process.


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## admin (Apr 28, 2016)

This is something I have thought a lot about because of a recent road trip with my oldest daughter and one of her children. I grabbed an emergency kit to throw in the back of the vehicle and she kinda laughed at me because she figured help would always be just one exit away. The trip went beautifully (even though I usually prefer camping rather than hotels) until we were on our way home. In Louisiana, there was a horrible accident and interstate 10 was closed. We were blocked at every possible work around. My solution was finding the local Waffle House and simply waiting it out. She would have no part of that and continued on.

Making a long story even longer, somewhere around 2am we were hopelessly lost in the middle of nowhere and it was pitch black out. (I swear I could hear banjo music!)

Both of our phones had no service and there was definitely no place ya wanted to consider pulling over. It was at this point that I mentioned I was pretty sure she was driving around in circles (yeah, that went over well) because I noticed she kept turning left whenever the road allowed, so I asked for her map. Turns out that not only do kids (she is in her 30s) not know how to read maps, they don't own one because they figure their phone will give them directions as needed. Now comes my stupidity - no map in my emergency kit. Why? Because I always keep one in my vehicle, and we were in her vehicle for this road trip. (I now have a map in my kit.)

In the end, I convinced her to use the compass (built in) in her car and just head west because eventually we would end up somewhere. Eventually we came across a sign directing us to interstate 10. Since the gas gauge was getting low, the timing could not have been better. We were probably less than 50 miles from where we originally left the interstate even though we had been driving most of the night.

What did I learn? That I hadn't taught my oldest kids much about even basic survival, let alone for a true SHTF situation. (My youngest 2 kids enjoy the outdoors and camping.)






My newest goals, besides continually learning more for myself?

Spending time in the outdoors with my grandchildren and maybe being able to teach them some of the things my grandparents taught me.


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## MisterMills357 (Apr 15, 2015)

My sister, brother, people that I know, can't find North on a map, I mean it; and they can't be made to understand why that would be important to know. 
After a while, I came to realize that survival is important to me, in a very different way than it is to them. 

I have needed the skills of: fighting, direction finding, and detecting an ambush, and they have not. I learned the in the Army, and they stuck like glue to me, and they have saved me more than once.

If I sound dramatic, my life has been somewhat fraught with hard encounters; and here I is, because here is where I belongs. But not them, they will never comprehend danger, because they will never place themselves into it, and I will.

PS: I have 2 road atlases, I can read a compass like nobodies business, and I know that the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. I can handle directional challenges, and I know it.

And, I am armed, even sitting here in the Main Library in St Pete. I have a couple of knives on me, and an aluminum walking stick. I am different from the usual sort in so many ways, that I feel like an alien sometimes.:armata_PDT_28:

PSS: There is a responsibility to be ready in life, for whatever may come, and NOT getting ready is a choice that is consciously made. One prepares for whatever one expects to happen, and most people do not think that bad things will happen.


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## mickbear (Aug 26, 2015)

i came along in the 60's and 70's in a rural part of central ga. farms surrounding us,camping, fishing, hunting . the summer of my 12th year i didn't go into town but once to get feed and wire. i was camping out by myself, going fishing and all i would take was some potatoes and old skillet ,canned grease and corn meal along with my standard backpack equipment. i had free run of a thousand or so acres of pasture and row crop land, full of lakes and creeks. i still live only about 2 miles from there and know most of the old farmers around and not a single one of their kids or grand kids care anything about the farms. all they want is for them to be sold off and cut up into subdivisions. 4 in the last year alone! one old dairy farm is now a fancy golf course. 
we were sitting in the barn last weekend with a couple of old friends that we grew up with and this very subject came up, it broke my heart to hear the folks talking about how none of the younger folks want to know any of the old ways.they aint got time,all they wanna do is play xbox and other video games and gossip on social media. this is a subject that just tears me up. we are gonna pay for all this "high Tech stuff" one day. 
i remember one of papa's field hands telling me " little mick, one day they ain't gonna be no mo farms or no body that know anything about row cropping,cattle, hogs or them damn chickens yo grand mama so fond of, wont be nobody walking across the field or pasture to catch a mess of fish for supper,or taking the dogs out and get a few rabbits to fry up." i looked around and as far as i could see was soybeans and cows.i thought " he's crazy,"


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

mickbear said:


> i came along in the 60's and 70's in a rural part of central ga. farms surrounding us,camping, fishing, hunting . the summer of my 12th year i didn't go into town but once to get feed and wire. i was camping out by myself, going fishing and all i would take was some potatoes and old skillet ,canned grease and corn meal along with my standard backpack equipment. i had free run of a thousand or so acres of pasture and row crop land, full of lakes and creeks. i still live only about 2 miles from there and know most of the old farmers around and not a single one of their kids or grand kids care anything about the farms. all they want is for them to be sold off and cut up into subdivisions. 4 in the last year alone! one old dairy farm is now a fancy golf course.
> we were sitting in the barn last weekend with a couple of old friends that we grew up with and this very subject came up, it broke my heart to hear the folks talking about how none of the younger folks want to know any of the old ways.they aint got time,all they wanna do is play xbox and other video games and gossip on social media. this is a subject that just tears me up. we are gonna pay for all this "high Tech stuff" one day.
> i remember one of papa's field hands telling me " little mick, one day they ain't gonna be no mo farms or no body that know anything about row cropping,cattle, hogs or them damn chickens yo grand mama so fond of, wont be nobody walking across the field or pasture to catch a mess of fish for supper,or taking the dogs out and get a few rabbits to fry up." i looked around and as far as i could see was soybeans and cows.i thought " he's crazy,"


Sad but true.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

AS a retired paramedic I used to sit in my easy chair and watch the TV show all the terrible flood, tsunamis, and famine in the second and third world countries. I sat in my chair confident that if anything bad were to happen in my town, the government would show up in helicopters to save the day. The Hurricane Katrina happened. The writing on the wall became very plain to me. That is why I became a prepper. Fortunately as a young man, I lived on a small dairy farm and learned a lot of things from my father and at the apron strings of my mom. I helped her can and clean birds for cooking. Somehow I managed to get into Boy Scouts and a whole new world of education opened up to me. As a paramedic I taught a lot of First aid Courses over the years. Being a maintenance mechanic in my second job, I have yet another set of skills. Now I tech a class for Technician Class Ham radio. BUT I still know I have a LOT TO LEARN. Especially now that I am living in southern AZ. The whole lack of water thing bogles my mind. I see too many young boys who are more interested in the X-Box or what ever. I can only hope that if a SHTF event occurs, it wakes the young ones up to needing a different skill set than shooting up the enemy as a "Keyboard Commando"! Witnessing death, destruction, bodies so mangled you can't tell if it's human will be bad enough for these kids. But with no skill set, how long before they become a number on a mortality report.


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## Grinch2 (Sep 12, 2016)

I think the younger generation's biggest problem is they don't want to learn; whereas the older generation ( for me being twenty ) say my father's age range of say 40-60 he's 55 they worried about getting bombed by the Soviets. I mean this newer generation figures this world is safe, their lifestyle is locked in, they see themselves always with their smartphones which granted my phone is always on me. But the problem is attitude, MOST have the opportunity to learn but they don't want to. Why ? Because it doesn't have anything to do with their smartphone or computer programming, or even technology based. 

When I was 10 I killed my first deer, before that I was running around dusting rabbits, *****, possums and nearly everything else that moved including a few of the neighbor's cats. Already I was splitting firewood etc, by 13 I was running a chainsaw, by 16 I was able to fully process my own deer. Attitude ties into this with " well there's an easier way to do it " motto younger people possess, I mean hardly anyone now wants to be a laborer they want to start out as an operator. 

I think too many times we try to find scapegoats for failures and faults, why aren't our children properly prepared to thrive in a world without smartphones, internet, wifi or coffee shops on every corner ? They say oh it's the parents not teaching them, no, it's because the kids don't want to be involved with it, they would rather be playing games on their phones. 

Good example of this is a local guy who is a logger, trapper and helluva hunter, his son is a few years older than me and doesn't have anything to do with his parents. Now granted there are plenty of possibilities why, but my understanding of it is because the kid is an idiot. His father is the type of guy you want on your side come a S.H.T.F situation, you want him not only because of his survival and woodsmanship abilities but also his incredible firearms skills. 

I fear that the attitude of " my lifestyle is safe and sound, nothing will ever disturb it " will be the downfall of mankind, because you take 1800's fur trappers for example in early America, they had a nomadic lifestyle where they always kept a steady eye over their shoulder and rifle ready. When you lose that little bit of paranoia that makes you snap awake from a sound slumber even over a tiny little bump in the night you are only doing one thing; becoming a victim. As I have heard the expression " graveyards are filled with plenty of people who think it would never happen to me ". The only reason there are sheep in a world full of wolves is because they themselves do not chose to be ready; ready for what is unclear. Or as the other common expression goes " warrior in a garden is better than a gardener in a war " too many of this newer generation want to be gardeners.


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## Jp4GA (Jan 21, 2016)

My parents did not teach me much about being self-sufficient, but somehow I have managed to learn a few things and I am still learning. I am no where near where I want to be. My husband and I decided to make teaching this to our children. Our son used to get so mad when we would go camping and not let him start the fire with fire starters and gas. We made him do it the "hard" way with flint. Recently he went camping with a bunch of his college friends and they forgot the gas for the fire. He was the only one in the bunch that had flint and other woods survival stuff in his back pack. He now understands why we did things the hard way when he was little. We also made him help with the gardening, building experiments that could be useful from scratch, made him help with build and design our water collection system. He always gave us a hard time saying we were wasting our time, but now that he is older he gets why we did. We are now in the same process with our daughter who is 12 years younger than her brother. So the cycle continues with her asking why and complaining about doing things the hard way. But we feel in the end our efforts will be worth it.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

4 grand children will be here this weekend. Quest who will be getting the eats ,cleaning the coop and feeding? The 12 and two 8 year old ones. The 19 year old gets a pass she has to go to work.


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## Boss Dog (Feb 8, 2013)

@Cricket that song is scary true. May not even be your own kids but, someone is always watching you, learning from you.


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## admin (Apr 28, 2016)

Boss Dog said:


> @Cricket that song is scary true. May not even be your own kids but, someone is always watching you, learning from you.


It starts at such a young age and they hear and see so much more than we realize.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

This might sound funny, but who's going to teach *me*?

I'm a boomer, and an inactive member of a motorcycle club. In the 1960s and 70s, I understood "danger." I also knew a world of brotherhood, keeping a promise, and getting six guys together to move your belongings for a pizza and some cheap beer.

Yesterday, a deranged veteran shot up an airport. I've (accidently) seen a mother holding her freshly beheaded young daughter. In another forum I asked a group of millennials if they knew how to repair a broken toaster--one of the easiest appliances to diagnose and fix. All of them said something to the effect of why fix it, just throw it away and buy another.

In short, the 'talents' I need to survive are based in the 1960s, and the problems--bizarre to me--are now desperate and worldwide. I do not even understand the mindset of the people screaming the loudest.

I think if I ever had to face a TEOTWAWKI scenario, I would just find an armor-plated, bullet-proof door and snack on an MRE until the idiots killed each other. To me, watching modern society is like watching soccer. There's a game on, and a score kept, but the rules make no sense.

Most afternoons I carry a .45 ACP Kimber and a sharp knife to buy a cup of over-priced substandard coffee. That, and I quit watching the news...


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

The Tourist said:


> This might sound funny, but who's going to teach *me*?
> 
> I'm a boomer, and an inactive member of a motorcycle club. In the 1960s and 70s, I understood "danger." I also knew a world of brotherhood, keeping a promise, and getting six guys together to move your belongings for a pizza and some cheap beer.
> 
> ...


But the difference is that you are trying to learn. You have the mindset to learn. millennial's don't. You are seeking information to add to your skill set. Millennial's don't even care. Ok, well maybe not all but the majority.

One must have the desire to learn. The information is out there. Some things there are classes and/or books, others you learn from trial and error. On many things it's a combination of all that combined. The important thing is wanting to learn and going for it. A good example is that I'm a city boy. Food is something you bought. Back in the day, growing your own wasn't even a considered option. I am now in my mid 60's. I am learning to grow my own food. I now live in the burbs but still on the edge of a major city. My wife and I are learning to grow what we like to eat. Part is a desire to have our own organic food, chemical free. We are also learning to can. So far we have experimented with jams and pickles. I have the equipment to do more but it was late in the season so we didn't get much into the rest of it. I also got a dehydrator for Christmas. The point being is when someone wants to learn something, the information is out there.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

Very true. That's why I signed up here.

Like yourself, I was born in the city, but my dad moved us to the 'burbs during the infamous "white flight" migration of the 1950s. While there were subdivisions, there were also working farms within the city limits.

I did learn how to use tools. My dad was a woodworker and my grandfather worked his whole life for Harley-Davidson. I still only buy six-point, deep-well sockets.

I guess my complaint is mindset. Nothing I know how to do (or fix) is that complicated. I often joke that my "job" is rubbing stuff with a wet rock, a discipline that's over 800 years old. The problem is that it's an electronic.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Lots out there to learn if one cares to. 18 yr old is a sponge when it comes to hunting/fishing/trapping. His biggest issue is operational security... a low profile and keeping ones pie hole shut.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

The Tourist said:


> Very true. That's why I signed up here.
> 
> Like yourself, I was born in the city, but my dad moved us to the 'burbs during the infamous "white flight" migration of the 1950s. While there were subdivisions, there were also working farms within the city limits.
> 
> ...


Electronics is something I don't know. Back in the day, everything was color coded and I was told this was not a job I could get or a skill I could learn. Being a ham radio operator that seems funny but it's true. I have friends who are really good at this. But with the new boards they are building for gear now, many are sending the stuff that needs repair to the shop because it requires a specialized skill set.

Fixing things is something I'm pretty decent at. What I have found is that most things that need fixing are the mechanical parts, not the electronics.


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## Economic Survivalist (Dec 21, 2016)

I don't know how everyone was taught, but most of my learning is from books. Those that still posses the skills or knowledge of the past are few and far between due to the direction society has gone.


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## NotAnOxymoron (Jan 7, 2017)

I've probably learned just as many survival skills FROM my kids as I've taught them myself. They're involved in multiple groups/organizations, two of them are in an actual class, and they're both waiting to be old enough to become EMTs. One's already a trained first responder in another capacity. They've long surpassed me!


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## rusurvive1 (Jan 19, 2017)

*Lack of the basics.*

I can see the point of view. I even have met some of these people. At the grocery store in the coffee shop. I think every generation brings it's great personalities and it's village idiots. In the survival scope of things. I think it is a mentality. A lack 'not a loss' of that early connection with the outdoors. And realizing the abilities that each person as a individual is capable of having in the outside world. This can be reversed. Being able to use the deeper capacities that I think are innate within each of us. I do not think this capacity can be lost. It can become dormant. Especially in a world that 'forgets' and goes off technical misdirection. Even in the basics. It needs to be scene as a point to grow from and be able to be a part of that ability to survive and even excel in life.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

rusurvive1 said:


> I can see the point of view. I even have met some of these people. At the grocery store in the coffee shop. I think every generation brings it's great personalities and it's village idiots. In the survival scope of things. I think it is a mentality. A lack 'not a loss' of that early connection with the outdoors. And realizing the abilities that each person as a individual is capable of having in the outside world. This can be reversed. Being able to use the deeper capacities that I think are innate within each of us. I do not think this capacity can be lost. It can become dormant. Especially in a world that 'forgets' and goes off technical misdirection. Even in the basics. It needs to be scene as a point to grow from and be able to be a part of that ability to survive and even excel in life.


Our society is being taught entitlement. You get trophies for participation, you are entitled to be taken care of and you deserve only the best. Reagan said the scariest words in the world are "I'm from the government and I'm here to help." That is no longer true. People have been taught for years someone will always be there to take care of them.

The only basic thing to all creatures is fight or flight. Survival skills are taught, not built in. How you handle fight or flight is taught. Yes, I'm an old guy who happens to like video games. I have a PS4. I also know that in real life there are no do overs. Life is not reset at the push of a button. Katrina and Sandy are two excellent examples. The masses were panicked and many died because they didn't understand how to take care of themselves. Most relied on the feds and were sorely disappointed.

True gun control actually started in "The Wild West" when cities and towns banned people from carrying guns. Gun confiscation in town was the reason of the battle at the OK Corral. Still, society was self sufficient. After WWII the notion of self sufficiency was slowly replaced by whatever you need will be found at a local store. The idea of recycling broken stuff and growing and hunting your own food was being frowned upon until it was done by so few people that ridicule became common. Anyone who wanted to be self sufficient was looked down on with disdain and ridiculed. They were labeled survivalists and preppers. They were and still are labeled as subversives. No, our government doesn't want or need self sufficient people.

Some here were lucky to be taught these skills by family and friends. Some were taught in the military and others had their skills expanded by the military. Some had to learn much of what they know on their own. Survival skills are not innate. Cave men learned things the hard way and passed that knowledge on to others in their group. That was how they survived. Even animals have to teach their young how to hunt.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

I can't help that young people will be a big part of the "Great Die Off." Between sense 
of entitlement, believing that "old people" are stupid, etc., they will need to learn they 
don't know crap or they will die off.


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## jimLE (Feb 8, 2014)

i learned at least some from family,and relatives..like pinching pennies.like the saying goes.a penny saved,is a penny earned..in which that penny can be spent else where,and thats was back when a penny was worth something...save items that can be reused..and i learned to cook foods/meals that go a long way..left overs sometimes taste better,then the meal it self...i learned a fair amount on camping,learned a lil bit on tracking and building fires from whats on hand when it comes to fire wood...some things i may of forgot from my child hood.but yet.i've gotten friendly reminds on some things,to learning new things on what i already know.like keeping a extra lighter in the vehicle if needed.to haveing everything needed for changing a flat tire in the vehicle.i've gotten to the point in my life,where im prepared as much as possible for what ever,when it comes to power outages to being snowed in during a bad snow storm/blizzared..and yes.thats still a work in progress..


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

I had to laugh when the article mentioned GPS, because it reminded me of the time my son asked me, "How did people get places before GPS?" 

Maybe parents might want to consider mandatory 'unplugging times' for kids today, where they are made to do without electronics and other modern conveniences for a set period of time? Kids can learn a lot just by being forced off the cell phones and actually having to go out explore the world a little. I was raised in the 60's and 70's and we used to ride our bikes all over creation. We were more independent than kids today. I think that independence gave us selfconfidence and a spirit for adventure that maybe kids get deprived of now. Many parents today are made to feel afraid of letting kids 'take the reigns' and go out and do things independently. Parents see the news about lost or missing children, amber alerts and it's understandable that they want to protect their kids and keep them safe. But there's a price for too much safety and playing things too safe. 

Organized camping trips with family or with the scouts are ways kids can learn some basic skills. Being made to help with chores and to learn how to cook simple meals out of doors is important as well. The satisfaction of a challenging hike can give a kid a sense of accomplishment.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

inceptor said:


> But the difference is that you are trying to learn. You have the mindset to learn. millennial's don't. You are seeking information to add to your skill set. Millennial's don't even care. Ok, well maybe not all but the majority.
> 
> One must have the desire to learn. The information is out there. Some things there are classes and/or books, others you learn from trial and error. On many things it's a combination of all that combined. The important thing is wanting to learn and going for it. A good example is that I'm a city boy. Food is something you bought. Back in the day, growing your own wasn't even a considered option. I am now in my mid 60's. I am learning to grow my own food. I now live in the burbs but still on the edge of a major city. My wife and I are learning to grow what we like to eat. Part is a desire to have our own organic food, chemical free. We are also learning to can. So far we have experimented with jams and pickles. I have the equipment to do more but it was late in the season so we didn't get much into the rest of it. I also got a dehydrator for Christmas. The point being is when someone wants to learn something, the information is out there.


It's such an irony that to a large extent I am learning many of my survival skills online. Hah! funny.


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## Steve40th (Aug 17, 2016)

It really take two family adults to raise kids to be independent of technology. One of the biggest is camping.. Learn allot out there.
But, learning to make fire, hunt/fish, cook, clean etc are life skills everyone should teach their kids..


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## Old SF Guy (Dec 15, 2013)

I develop the latest greatest technological capability....even here we have bureaucratic BS and political correctness. I used to like what I do...now its which project makes me less sick. who will teach our young? hopefully they learn from mistakes made.


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## Joe (Nov 1, 2016)

I was very fortunate growing up. My parents lived through the Great Depression so they learned frugality on a large scale. We grew big gardens canned and froze produce. I also spent several years working on farms where I learned a plethora of skills. My kids grew up learning how to care for livestock, raise a garden and other important skills. My 6 year old granddaughter helps me plant the garden each spring. The point being it is our responsibility to pass on these skills to our children. Many parents don't feel these things are important. Many children some of my own included feel what I do is not necessary. We can only do so much as parents and individuals. As mentioned above "you can lead a horse to water". I have done what I can do for my kids it is now up to them to apply what they have been taught. God bless them.


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