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We see and read a lot about weaponry, ammunition, archery, food storage, foraging, "living off the land", etc.
What about clothing?
Do you know how to darn socks?
If you tear your jeans, do you know how to make a good long lasting repair?
Have you saved enough assorted materials to make a patch for nearly anything?
Do you know how to hand sew that patch in place once you get it cut to size?
Do you have a goodly supply of thread, needles, and pins?
How many people even have a darning egg?
How many people know what a darning egg IS?
The thought arose because this morning DW found a sock with a hole in it, and, of course, threw it away. When the bottom drops out of things, that may not be an acceptable option anymore! A quick trip to Target for some new socks may not be something one can do!
I sure couldn't cope with it. I think the skills involved died out with my mother's generation!
Edit: Another thing to think about: If the crisis happens to last a long time, can you spin wool or raw cotton? Can you weave fabric or make felt? Can you tan hides then cut and sew it into trousers and shirts? What will you be wearing next year at this time?
Just a few things to think about while you are preparing for the worst!
I know how to tan hides and make clothing and footwear from the leather.
Does that count?
I do know how to sew and darn, ( don't like to, but I do know how), my mother taught me to knit and crochet too. My SIL has sheep and I know how to shear, wash, card and spin wool if I need to. We even have a couple of spinning wheels out in one of the sheds.
Nice thing about using natural materials, I can make needles out of bone for sewing leather, use sinew for thread, and I could carve knitting needles from wood if I had to and make clothing using yarn I can make, so yeah, clothing is a good thing to prep for, and being able to do it from scratch is a real prep.
I suppose if Iall other options were exhausted, I also know where there is some volunteer flax growing, so I could make linen if I had to
I reckon I've got enough clothes, boots and jackets put back to see me out !
but yes I know how to sew and how to darn, it might not look pretty but it gets the job done, I've patched enough jeans in my time and been commented on it too.
If the SHTF most of the skills that 18th Century civilization depended on would be needed but are no longer common knowledge. Even books on the topics are hard to find in modern libraries. Hopefully you can live close enough to an Amish community to learn from them.
I agree with you there, but unfortunately some of us don't live near Amish, some of us arent even on the same continent!!
common knowledge even common sense isn't "common" anymore.
I reckon I've got enough clothes, boots and jackets put back to see me out !
Same here.
Every Christmas, birthday, Father's Day, etc I get more. And a lot of this is stuff I wouldn't want to give away or toss after a few washings...Filson wool, Woolrich and Pendleton shirts, Cabela's wool socks, Carhartt insulated bibs, my camo gear and Danner boots.
I'd have to live to 120 to even half-wear them all out!
Joking aside I can't remember the last time I disposed of anything other than footwear for wearing out beyond the point of usability from day to day use.
My clothing will get to a point where it becomes either bound for the camping/auto repair/home improvement/landscaping pile or the rag pile.
Usually auto repair or tile work (thinset) will be the ultimate demise but even a few of those pieces will hang around for a while.
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