One fundamental skill for any TEOTWAWKI scenario is an ability to tie the right knots for the right applications, and good rope skill in general. I have lately been practicing knots, my interest piqued when I had a situation where I needed to bundle some small tree limbs I had cut up. I remembered being frustrated in the past at finding a knot that would hold the bundle together tightly enough, so I did some web searching and learned how to tie a nifty self-cinching knot called a Canadian Jam Knot. It is easy to tie and worked perfectly.
That's what got me interested in learning some other knots. Anyhow I came across this really cool app for iPhone and iPad for $4.99 and thought I'd share it here. It is a library of knots broken down by intended use, type of knot, etc, and shows very clear pictures step by step. Basically it's like the knot section of a scouting manual but for your smartphone. Check it out:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/animated-knots-by-grog/id376302649And here's the Canadian Jam Knot if you're interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC-GHDkBnXU