What is a skill?  Something you can do? Something you can learn? Hmmm… perhaps it’s both.  But what skills are desirable in a Survival Mate?  Ah, the first thing that comes to mind is a hunter!  That skill can be learned, definitely, so if he doesn’t hunt now, he should be proficient with guns.  If he’s not proficient, he should at least not have any fear of them!  I grew up in Detroit, the kid of a cop.  I was taught to respect guns and what they can do.  Respect, not fear, big difference.  I did not start shooting until my mid 30’s.  I’m acceptably proficient, but I still don’t hunt.  So, yes, someone who hunts would be good… and while I’m at it, that goes for fishing too!

This year, thankfully, my 25×85 garden is doing very well, almost TOO well… I’m having a hard time keeping up with it.  There’s weeding, watering (off my elevated cistern), the harvesting, the canning… it can get overwhelming while I’m still working long and erratic hours at a paying job.  So a mate that does, or is willing to garden and can would be wonderful to have!  Food production will be/is essential for survival.  It’s our food until the next harvest.  If it’s there and ripe, it needs to be picked and processed, it can’t wait. Without it, we die.  He will have to understand this completely. A mate that also is comfortable in a kitchen, will work WITH me in the kitchen, but will also understand when I want to do something myself… yes, he would be good to have.

I had a comment left earlier about humor.  The Poster said humor was a good trait to have, and it definitely is!  Humor can also be a skill of sorts, knowing when to lighten the mood and when to let it go.  Yes, a mate with a sense of humor is a big, big plus!  That being said, I don’t want the class clown either.

Another thing just occurred to me, is work ethics.  In a post world, everyone is going to have to pitch in, do things they didn’t do before and see the job to the end.  If you’re sent for water, one bucket isn’t enough just because it was too hard.  And you might have to spend all day, every day, for weeks, cutting and hauling wood for the winter…. With no whining!  See the job through.