[HollywoodZero]

> I'd imagine that creative engineers who can ensure clean water supply and working electricity (or other smaller services) would be more valuable

In the World War Z novel, there's a section where the head of rebuilding in the US is speaking and talking about the new power structure in post-Z society as they look to rebuild.

He talks about how it's the blue collar workers: carpenters, farmers, plumbers, electricians, and their skillset that end up becoming the new key individuals in society because of their ability to build up from a collapse. It's not just hoarding guns and ammo. Those can be dealt with and they are dealt with by the military. Even a smaller military still has enough resources to take care of the local militias (preppers with guns and food).

But if you REALLY want to survive and thrive post collapse, it'll take practical skills to re-build.

[quantified]

Read Lucifer's Hammer [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer%27s_Hammer]