Whether it’s a hoard of a zombie apocalypse, catastrophe, or the fallout of nuclear war you need to know what survival skills are necessary for apocalypse survival.
We probably still have a little bit of time before SHTF so knowing what skills are needed for apocalypse survival lets you plan ahead and start learning these life-saving skills now instead of being thrown in headfirst when the apocalypse does happen.
So hang on tight and we’ll soon have you feeling super confident in your ability to not only survive but thrive after the apocalypse!
Table of Contents
Firearms and Hunting
When the Apocalypse happens we’re not going to be able to run to the grocery store for our meat; which, means that being able to hunt is a very important survival skill.
One of the first things you need to learn when it comes to hunting is how to choose, clean, load, and fire a gun.
Put some time into learning all you can about firearms so that you can pick the one that’s best suited for the type of game you want to hunt and one that won’t pack so much of a punch that the recoil knocks you out.
Once you’ve mastered your firearm it’s time to practice your aim and learn about hunting.
There’s more to hunting than shooting an animal and learning how to stalk, camouflage, clean and store your gun are all useful skills for the apocalypse.
According to Outdoor Industry, there approximately 15.69 million participants in hunting in the United States from 2006 to 2018. Mean that you are not alone, I am sure you can find someone like-minded and practice hunting.
Source: OutDoorIndustry
Trapping
Some people prefer trapping over hunting and sometimes you need to be able to do both.
With trapping you’re going to need to learn how to make and set snares. You’re also going to have to learn everything you can about your game and the area that you live in so that you can set the snares on a game trail and have success.
Like hunting, learning to clean and preserve your game for storage without electricity is going to be essential for your survival after the apocalypse.
Depending on the game you trap you should also learn how to skin and tan a hide because furs can be used for making warm clothing and also have a high trade value so you can get something you don’t know how to make.
Gardening/Foraging
Meat is important but without fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts you’re going to have some major nutritional deficiencies.
Scurvy isn’t just for pirates! Learning how to plant seeds, tend to a garden and harvest vegetables will really increase your chances of survival. It might be a good idea for you to start creating a seed stash of viable seeds that you can plant post-apocalypse.
If you can learn how to collect seeds from your own plants this would be an added survival skill because once you plant your seeds you’re going to need a way to replenish them.
You won’t always have the option of staying put and planting a garden.
You should learn some basic foraging skills so that you can find food in your area when you’re on the go.
Knowing what plants are edible can mean the difference between eating a magic mushroom, a deadly mushroom or a yummy nutritious mushroom.
Building a Fire
A survival skill I’m sure no one would overlook is learning how to start a fire.
It is the most useful basic survival skills.
After the apocalypse we won’t have easy access to matches and lighters because the technology to make these will be lost.
That’s why it’s important to learn how to use a flint or rocks to start a fire.
You’re also going to have to start fires in less than ideal weather so knowing how to light damp wood, knowing how to protect your fire from the wind and knowing how to find dry tinder is going to be super important.
It can help warm the body or the shelter, dry your clothes, cook your own food, and boil water. Also, don’t forget fire can provide psychological support in a survival situation, creating a sense of security and safety.
Water Purification
829 000 people are estimated to die each year from diarrhea as a result of unsafe drinking water, imagine if doomsday happens, you likely have no stable access to clean water.
We won’t have bottles of water for sale and the ability to turn on your tap and have water pour out that’s been filtered is going to be a thing of the past.
Learning how to identify clean water, drill for water for a well, and some basic water purification techniques will be useful skills for the apocalypse.
You should also spend some time learning how to locate water. Knowledge of where there are freshwater streams and lakes are valuable skills to possess.
Map Reading & Navigation
The apocalypse might be coming but when it does the shape of our land is unlikely to change.
This means that the maps we have today will be useful maps once the apocalypse happens.
So it’s important to learn how to read a map so you can find your way to safer lands or land that has good farming or hunting potential.
Knowing how to read a compass and navigate by the stars will also be useful skills to have.
Hiking and Physical Endurance
This is going to be, for the most part, a car-free world so if you want to get from point A to point B you’re going to have to use your own feet to get there.
It’s important that you’re in good physical condition.
This new post-apocalyptic world is going to require a lot of physical work to survive in from hunting to gathering water to weeding your garden to trekking long miles to find better land.
No matter what you do post-apocalypse it’s going to be physically demanding so being in great shape is one of the most useful skills for the apocalypse.
Fishing
If you’re lucky enough to make your way to rivers and lakes that are full of fish then it’s going to be important to know how to make the best use of this bounty.
Fish are an excellent source of fresh nutrition that requires very little equipment and can be easily caught when the game is scarce and you need meat.
A simple hook (which can be made from metal or carved wood) and a basic line can hook you to a delicious meal. You can also spend some time learning how to catch fish using a large net or a trap if sitting by the water all day isn’t your style.
Basic First Aid
The chances of hospitals and doctors or even getting antibiotics being readily available after the apocalypse is slim to none.
It’ll pay to have basic medical knowledge so that you can treat your own burns, scrapes, broken bones, cpr, and sicknesses.
The gardening and foraging skills you have already learned will help you find medicinal plants that can be used for pain relief, fighting infection, and curing sickness.
The first aid kit can be simple or elaborate.
It’s important to keep the size of your first aid kit on hand, tuck it into your survival bag, backpack, or bugout bag. Note that you’ll want to stock up on more first aid supplies as the population of survivors grows so they can serve others in need.
Basic Mechanics
There will probably still be a few pieces of machinery that could come in handy but there won’t be a neighborhood garage that you can take them to to get fixed.
Learning how to fix your own motor is a very valuable skill to have and you might be able to keep your machines running longer which will make life easier for you.
Basic carpentry
Everything we build after the apocalypse will be built by our own two hands.
Homes, tools, weapons, they’ll all be made by us. Learning basic carpentry skills now will save you a lot of heartache in the future. At a minimum, you should know how to build a basic structure and how to carve wood for tools and weapons.
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If you follow the above list and learn these skills now no matter when the apocalypse happens, or what form it takes you should have more than enough useful skills for the apocalypse!
