Another good, valid point but a small one. Unfortunately we are no longer a society of craftsmen. What are the percentages or numbers of folks like this who will be seeking safe havens versus the businessman or the computer tech whose sole skill was fried when the grid (along with the internet) went down or the McDonald's Cashier and his nine kid brothers? The people who have a really marketable skill that are available in significant numbers will be the combat experienced veterans who will be able to sell their skills as a potential security force in exchange for food or shelter or safe haven. Ever see the short lived series on called Jericho? When a small town in the midwest had to survive following widespread WMD terror attacks. I suspect the series died because it presented a vision that struck too close to a possible future reality that nobody wants to contemplate. Jericho faced similar issues as we're discussing.
I spend alot of time taking things apart and fixing/upgrading them. For instance, I recently got done converting a floor lamp from flourescent to quartz/halide, because the ballast blew out and I couldn’t find another one.
I am a firm believer that if the SHTF, people who can fix fans will be in high demand!
There is TONS AND TONS of stuff thrown away in this country every day that with a little cleaning, refurbishing, lubricating, TLC, whatever, might have another five years of good use.
But we live in a throw away planned obsolescence society. You can bet that’s gonna change!