Prepping Positively

"Old-Time" Skills You Can and Should Learn This Winter

November 07, 2022 Ann Marie Season 1 Episode 24
Prepping Positively
"Old-Time" Skills You Can and Should Learn This Winter
Show Notes Transcript

The cold weather is here and now is the best time to learn some new skills for your journey towards better self -reliance. In this episode I am going to suggest a ton of skills you can learn all winter long at your property.

Episode 24 - PP

“Old-Time” Skills To Learn During Winter


Winter is here for some and coming for some. That means spending more time indoors to escape the cold temperatures. So what do you do to pass the time during the coldest months of the year?

A great suggestion is to learn some old-fashioned skills. But what skills should you learn? In this episode I am going to share some old-time and some forgotten skills you can learn this winter for your journey on the road to self-reliance.

Here we go…


Hi and welcome back to the Prepping Positively Podcast. I am Annie and today we are talking about some skills you can start learning over the winter months.

First of all, why should you learn these skills anyway?

If you are on a journey towards better self-reliance, then you have to have the arsenal of skills to use as your journey progresses. Nobody knows everything and besides, it is always beneficial to learn new things anyway.

These skills are all the types of things that will help you become more self-reliant. Don’t worry, you do not have to learn them all. Just pick a few to get started and do your research. From YouTube to Podcasts to websites and courses you are sure to find all of the information you will need to learn every skill mentioned today.

Ok let’s start talking about those specific skills.

Let me start with the most common skill that I feel like everyone on the planet should know how to do…making bread.

From regular yeast or no yeast bread to sourdough starters, bread making is a skill that you will not only use regularly, but you will pass down the tradition of making homemade bread for the future generations as well.

And who doesn’t love a piece of fresh, warm, homemade bread right out of the oven?

While we are in the kitchen, have you considered cast iron cooking? You haven’t had good food until you cook on a cast iron skillet or make stew in a cast iron dutch oven. Learning the skill of cast iron cooking comes alongside a second skill which is cleaning and seasoning your cast iron pots and pans.

These types of pots and pans will not only last forever if properly taken care of, but can be handed down through the generations along side your favorite recipes.

Have you ever cooked on a wood burning stove? It may take a bit of practice, but think about the electricity savings and as an added bonus, it is free heat for the house too! If you are lucky enough to have one in your home, be sure to learn the art of cooking on it!

If you don’t have a wood burning cookstove, consider learning to cook over an open fire. This can be done in summer to keep the heat from an oven out of the house and in winter even if the snow is falling once the fire is hot enough.

How about the skill of starting a fire? I mean the kind of fire that you can start without matches or a lighter. There are so many ways to start a fire and in desperate times you may not have access to a lighter or matches. Now is the time to get creative and learn the skill of starting a fire with a flint stone and other fire starters. 

YouTube has a ton of videos on starting a fire without modern means!

Do you know how to hunt, trap, and fish? All of these skills are common, but can you hunt without a modern rifle? Can you fish without a traditional fishing pole? Or can you make and set a trap in the woods from the resources around you? 

If not add one or all three of these skills to your list. 

If you are looking for skills to learn while you are in a warm house,  consider making your own candles whether from soy wax or even better, beeswax.

You can also make old-fashioned soap! Try making lye! Yes you can make your own lye! And then you can use it in your own soap!

You can also make tons of natural cleaning products without the harsh chemicals we find in the stores. 

Looking for skills that you can do while watching tv? Try learning needlepoint, crochet, quilting, or even simple alterations like sewing on a button or hemming his pants.

If you are looking for skills that you don’t see much of anymore, try blacksmithing, or weaving on a loom. How about learning the art of egg glassing?

Have you considered wine making or brewing your own beer? There are even kits out there to make the craft a lot more enjoyable.

How about learning calligraphy, or actually hand-writing letters. People just don’t send enough letters anymore.

Feeling brave? How about learning to be a midwife? Or better yet..how about learning the art of taxidermy? If taxidermy doesn’t sound appealing, how about skinning and tanning?

Some old time traditional skills may include basket weaving and even chair caning. I’ve made my own baskets and although it is a time-consuming art, there is a lot of satisfaction when you see the finished project.

I recently learned how to weave placemats with cattails. Talk about a lot of fun!

Some creative ideas to try could include leatherwork and block and letter press printing.

One skill I would love to learn is cartography! You. Never know when you. Need to make and use a map right?

So I have given you a ton of skills to consider learning this winter. Do any resonate with you?  Take the time, do the research, and learn some new skills from yesterday that you want to learn. Then set some goals and get started!