If you were to take a look at the people in truly rural Alaska, you'd notice one glaring similarity between each and every single one of them. It isn't that they all live in cabins with gorgeous backdrops or have beards like Gandalf. They all have mastered the art of repurposing. In such a rural environment, they don't have the ability to go to the store every time a mechanical part breaks or something rots. That would be a luxury to them, something we take for granted down here in the lower 48. Up there, however, it is a necessity. This is an art worth learning, even if you only do it for the monetary value. You can save hundreds of dollars every year putting some time into fixing something rather than buying a whole new one, but when the SHTF, this art will become a lifestyle. Practice it now so that when things do go awry, you already have the DIY attitude to help you fix what's wrong instead of wasting your hard earned resources on a new thing. When your kids get older, turn that old crib into a chicken coop. Take that driftwood and make a can dispenser our of it. Take that plexiglass or old window and make a solar dehydrator. Good luck guys and stay vigilant!