Botching the apocalypse: Experts reveal the real skills you’ll need to survive the end of the world

Published: 13:22 EDT, 13 October 2026 | Updated: 13:22 EDT, 13 October 2026

While many believe hoarders and preppers will be best suited to survive Armageddon, it actually turns out spoon crafters might be in higher demand.

An expert has weighed in on the real skills you need to survive an apocalyptic scenario – and they might not be what you expect.

Kezia Barker, of Liverpool John Moores University, says the plans of a stereotypical ‘doomsday prepper’ won’t help you last long if and when the world falls apart.

An expert has revealed the skills you need to survive the apocalypse, and bushcraft, foraging, and gardening could be far more useful than hoarding food. Pictured: Post-apocalyptic film The Dog Stars

A stockpile of food might buy you time, and a big bag of survivalist tools is only useful if you have the expertise.

That’s why Barker suggests spending your time learning useful skills like bushcraft, foraging, food growing and preserving skills instead.

And surprisingly, even the humble art of spoon carving could be more helpful than hoarding.

Barker, an expert on the public’s response to environmental insecurity, has spent a lot of time studying online prepper communities.

In these forums, groups of doomsday-fearing survivalists discuss the supplies and strategies they need to outlast the end of society.

Alongside debates over the best bunker designs, members often discuss their so-called ‘zombie apocalypse skills’.

These are the capabilities they would bring to a post-apocalyptic world to ensure the survival of themselves and their ‘MAG’ (mutual assistance group).

However, you don’t need to become a full-blown doomsday prepper to start building the skills, and some may even prove useful if the world doesn’t end.

Barker explained: ‘Being resourceful, adaptable, a jack-of-all-trades is actually the most useful skill. To develop this, it would be learning first aid skills.

‘This both gives you the first aid basic medical skills itself, but crucially staying calm in an emergency, taking in the environment and situation, and then prioritizing your actions.

‘It’s also one of those skills that’s essential even if the apocalypse never comes.’

Of course, if the end of days ever does come, one of the biggest problems will be how to keep yourself fed.

Basics: TV bushcraft expert Ray Mears has skills that would prove vital if society collapsed

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That’s why Barker says learning to grow and preserve food is a great place to start.

If you don’t have access to green space of your own, you can join a community garden and learn how to produce food in a small space.

Even if you can’t grow any food at all, learning some traditional preserving or pickling techniques is one of the easiest hobbies to start with that can also help you in the apocalypse.

Barker said: ‘This teaches you about making do in scarcity; how to eke out supplies, what is perishable and what can be stored.’

If that doesn’t sound like your kind of thing, the growing trend for bushcraft and foraging is also a fantastic place to start.

Bushcraft courses are widely available around the country and can teach you the basics of fire starting, water purification, and shelter building.

Alternatively, foraging is a fantastic hobby that can be useful whether or not the world really ends.

Barker added: ‘It has so many benefits. You learn about edible plants in your local environment, so it’s about connecting to nature, the seasons and reading natural signs.

‘It helps with eco-anxiety, as time spent in nature connecting to natural rhythms is a salve, and can motivate people to care for local environments.’

Getting started with this traditional pastime has never been easier, but Barker warned would-be foragers against using AI photo identification tools as a shortcut.

These not only create a serious risk of poisoning yourself, but also mean your skills won’t be useful if the Internet goes down.

Finally, although it might not be particularly glamorous, the simple art of spoon-whittling could be a vital zombie apocalypse skill.

While you might not need endless supplies of spoons in the apocalypse, you might need wooden tools, feather sticks for fire-lighting, or replacement pegs for your tent.

But, broader than that, learning how to carve something simple like a spoon teaches you a range of skills that could become useful in many different situations.

Barker said: ‘It teaches you safe knife-handling skills, like being sensitive and paying close attention to the material you are using.

‘It teaches you to think about how to use different materials to solve different problems, and gives confidence that you can make things for yourself.’