In any given zombie catastrophe, your chances of survival will depend upon your skillset. Ideally, you would have a well-trained, uber-prepared zombie fighting dream team, but since the reanimated dead are rather undiscerning in their appetite for flesh, and would just as eagerly eat a seasoned archer as a banker, you may find yourself on your own in a nightmarescape of skin-clawing, knee-biting, brain-crazed zombies.
Whether it be Romero’s slow-moving hordes of infectious knuckle draggers or the T-virus hyper zombies of “Resident Evil,” you’ll need to be resourceful and skilled. Since most professionals trainers and mentors will likely be off feeding on their neighbors by the time you need their services, it’s best to draw on the talents you had before the grid went down and the dead walked the earth. Here are several life skills that can be adapted into life-saving skills when the Apocalypse comes to town.
Hunting and Fishing
Arguably the most necessary of skills to have in the end times, hunting knowledge allows you the ability to defend yourself against zombies, as well as maintain a food supply. Knowing what gear to have, and how to properly utilize weaponry could mean the difference between eating and being eaten. The skill to hunt wild game and eliminate threats can be easily acquired through a hunting course. Recreation that you do regularly on weekends, like fishing, would translate well and help you adapt to in a post-apocalyptic setting.
Building and Construction
Among your list of basic human needs is shelter. Though squatting in abandoned homes will suffice for awhile, you still run the risk of being ambushed by the zombie tribe still lurking in the living room. Eventually you will need more permanent, safe accommodations. A sure way to obtain that kind of shelter is to build it yourself. If you’re already handy with tools, of the non-electric-powered variety, your skills could save your hide from both the natural elements and the unnatural walking dead.
Farming
A solid knowledge of which crops thrive best in your region means that when the live food sources dwindle, you won’t starve. An understanding of irrigation and would be crucial after the collapse of modern civilization in order to maintain your crops and the ability to purify water in a contaminated wasteland will save your life.
First Aid and Alternative Medicine
Let’s face it. The lab techs working on a zombie virus cure are always the first to be infected, which means they’ve already made the hospitals their personal smorgasbords. Having at least a basic understanding of first aid is a requirement for survival, as injuries are bound to occur when running for your life. The ability to patch up wounds, set broken bones, and realign dislocated shoulders will increase your chances of persevering substantially. Naturopathic knowledge will prove equally as important when the medicine cabinets run dry and the pharmacists have been eaten.
When the foundations of society have crumbled and relentless zombified cannibals are fast on your trail, the skills you have learned in life may be the key to staying alive. You may have already acquired these talents through your daily activities and hobbies, but you may need to practice a few more to ensure you’re ready to be a one man army against the undead. So ask now, are you ready?
