And morse code, and leadership, and horse handling, and how to make a grist mill, heck, how to make a mill stone.


Probably better than learning to ride, just becuase of how few horses there are in the country (and if it hits the fan, I imagine messing with Chris' horses would be an up close and personal introduction to a semi-exotic cartridge :P ), is learning how to smith. Almost all of us have a ton of metal to our names, give or take a bit. I know that in theory, you can make a crossbow out of a leaf spring, but I wouldn't recognize a leaf spring is you dropped it on my foot. But all the wonderful, beautiful, high quality metal, and without smiths, it will just go to waste.

And of course, before you smith, you need to have the tools, which mostly can be improvised. And a forge, so masonry is involved. And fuel, so you have to have a source of wood, a way to cut it, and if you want to do it right, you have to be able to make charcoal. And how to do molds would be a good thing. And maybe plans for a water powered grinding wheel, lathe and drill, so barrels can be turned and blades ground....

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's too hot to think like this. But it's too late not to.