Becoming more self-sufficient

A symptom of our modern lives, I think, can be a feeling of disconnectedness - from one another and from the larger world around us - despite our digital connectivity. My interest in becoming more self sufficient has a lot to do with wanting to feel more in touch with the nature around me.

Being capable of surviving certain scenarios is a great bonus.

Becoming more self sufficient can be an incremental journey. No matter my current living circumstances, there are, most likely, some skills I can always practise.

The following are skills that I’d like to explore with the aim of having a better idea of what is necessary to become more self sufficient.

Skills for becoming more self sufficient

• Growing and collecting food and raw materials

Including hunting, fishing, growing and foraging.

One of the most important things I am considering is what essential nutrients the foods will provide. Satisfying essential nutrient requirements is important for health and can decrease the likelihood of becoming sick... which would make one’s ability to be self sufficient more difficult.



• Making, repairing and recycling items

Including skills such as making bodycare and homecare products, ceramics, leatherwork, sewing, knitting, weaving, woodwork, electronics, mechanics, metallurgy, composting and preserving food.



• Energy

Devising off-grid energy solutions, such as solar power and hydropower, as well as in-the-bush fire making!



• Housing/shelter

Including building temporary shelters and more permanent buildings.



• First Aid




• Defense

Obviously important for defending my property from predators, societal collapse and zombies. Unfortunately, this is fraught with regulation enforced by people with bigger guns than me.

Keeping fit is an easy and healthy way of being able to better defend oneself.

Turmeric plants I dug out of the ground after planting the rhizomes last year.

Humans are social creatures

Obviously, it is quite impossible to be completely self sufficient on all the tasks above. I am not capable yet of making solar panels from scratch for example!

I appreciate all the knowledge and practical skills that must have contributed to our ancestors survival and brought us to where we are now. Humans work well together and we can divide workloads, making life easier.

Self-sufficiency does not have to mean living completely alone (although sometimes this can be appealing... and surely possible if you make do with less). Instead it can mean forming smaller “self-sufficient” communities.