What are your plans for the Zombie Apocalypse?

[Blackdragon]

Oh yeah, it's that time again.

You've thought about it. You've probably even dreamed about it.

What would you do if like today, you go outside and your neighbors are shambling around trying to add you to their flock. What would you do about food, shelter, water, means of protection from undead and survivors alike?

Who would you trust? Would you work alone or try and survive in a group?

Feel free to add anything I may have missed along with whether or not you think this scenario could ever transpire. What with all the science experiments, and tests, someone is bound to doom humanity one day...

[drunken monk]

Id kill myself.

[Phakiel]

If it hits nI will probably be at work and therefore trust some of my co workers, they would all try to get by together but I will examine their weaknesses and strenghts to see how it would be best to survive. I am pretty certain I am the most qualified geek here and therefore might the only one who knows about the basic zombie apocalypse rules. I would pin point to get weapons, locate family and head to the ocean as fast as possible, hijack a boat and sail on stopping at ports to get food as needed.

As shown by George Romero, the zombies can only walk on the bottom of the ocean, not swim. I expect the water would be the safest place to be.

[Blackdragon]

Not only that, but the water at deeper levels would destroy them anyway. All that pressure and all.


Also...

Crack open a bear and dare those sons of bitches to come after me.

Blue plans on killing a woodland creature to survive, lulz.

[Less Than Liz]

Start booking it to Canada and hope they'll just freeze. I'm only an hour away from the border, and if I got started before resources - gas, food, etc - were totally out, I could probably make it. After that....*shrug*

[Karsh]

I would eventually die in the zombie outbreak, but not before shooting my neighbors. (zombies or not)

[Electric Banana]

Blue plans on killing a woodland creature to survive, lulz.You beat me to it. :(

[Priest4hire]

I'll admit, working zombie apocalypse scenarios is a guilty pleasure of mine. Every so often I'll be bored and work them over in my head. However, I also live out in the boonies. Even if they get out here, I won't need much more than a ladder, tent, sleeping bag, hunting rifle and some water to get by. Ladder gets me on post office roof and I just camp out until they're cleared.

[Hyde]

Start booking it to Canada and hope they'll just freeze. I'm only an hour away from the border, and if I got started before resources - gas, food, etc - were totally out, I could probably make it. After that....*shrug*

This was addressed in the book World War Z. It turned out to be a very bad idea.

--

Sadly, my friends and I have discussed this AT LENGTH and have a workable plan in effect, should it happen.

If no immediate military evacuation is workable, then I'd gather any survivors I could find and head to one of two places.


Site A: The Oxford Valley Mall nearbye. This mall is right near nearly everything you could need. A Major Hospital(medicines), a Target Supercenter, Sam's and KMart(Food, Clothing, Misc. Needs), A Home Depot(Lumber, Building and Fortification supplies), 2 grocery stores within 5 minutes, and 3 or 4 car lots. This is the ultimate survival area. There are also likely to be other survivors there, a wealth of cars that are already gassed up, and it's own emergency systems with generators and such.

I'd establish a hard perimeter and use the isolated Movie Theater to blast sound into the parking lot to attract attention.

Site B: The Neshaminy mall nearbye. This one is slightly further away. The mall is right next to both a Walmart(Food, Clothing, misc. needs), Lowes(Lumber, Building and Fortification Supplies), and within about 30 seconds of a major highway. Also in the area: a grocery store, several mainline restaurants, and 3 gas stations.

I'd take over the mall as a whole, barricade all but two of the entrances(there's only 6 main entrances... the rest are steel security doors), and then establish security sentries and lines of secondary defense, keeping whatever surviving population I could centralized and protected away from the doors.

Ideally, you'd only need to survive for a few months, or maybe 6-8 at most. The flaw in the theory of a zombie apocalypse is that, if the zombie in question is truly dead, the elements will very rapidly destroy the corpses. Scientists who, for some unknown reason, have actually examined this have established that in a real zombie apocalypse, the surviving population would, at the very longest, need to survive into the deep of the next summer, as the heat will quickly decay the corpses.

The locations we've chosen have all the conceivable supplies we could need to last a year at the outside and support a small survivor population of a couple hundred if no rescue were coming.

[Priest4hire]

Malls seem slightly iffy. The safest location is one that the zombies don't know about. If movies have taught us anything, it's that zombies congregate at malls. In addition, malls have large exteriors which make them harder to fortify. Still, it's really the zombies collecting that's the issue. Fortifications shouldn't be the first line of defense but a fall back if the zombies locate you.

My preference would be something like an apartment building, preferably with the ability to access another building via the roof. The reason for that is escape. Being holed up with no way out should the zombies descend en masse is bad. Ideally, there's be enough people to have sentries. It would also be nice to have enough for foraging teams.

An apartment building isn't likely to attract zombies and with the tall, narrow design and limited entries would be easy to lock down. Stairs could be blockaded and thus offer layers of defense. Plus, in a shootout it would be much easier if the zombies are forced into narrow corridors.

All this depends on a fairly large number of companions. Too few people and it won't be feasible to properly lock down the perimeter. If it's just a few peeps, mobility should be favoured as that's the one thing a lone person or small group has. If you can all fit in one vehicle, staying on the move will make it easier to keep away from zombies. Oh, and get a dog. Seriously, a dog could save your life. Even a tiny little noisemaker could smell zombies for miles and make a racket. You might not like having to keep it fed and watered, but you simply can't match dog senses.

PS. I don't think the zombies would last all that long. They are limited by the laws of thermodynamics just like everything else. No source of energy = zombies running out of gas.

[Hyde]

The two malls I chose are the 2 smaller malls in the area that are both within minutes or seconds of other resources. I would think they would work out quite well given the locations and nearbye supply lines. Also, descending en masse would be difficult as it would require an AWFUL lot of Zombies to surround the buildings totally. We're talking millions. These malls are 1-2 stories spread out over a large area with high visibility. Apartment buildings in my area are solitary things, and thus, have no access to other buildings. Plus, they don't have generators and are rarely more than 4 stories tall anyway.

Also, Zombies congregate at malls in movies because there are almost always people AT the mall and thus some are bound to turn. But zombies also seem to be attracted to sound.. that's what I wanted the movie theater for. It has large exterior speakers and could be used to draw them away from the main building. The Malls also have the added benefit of a large selection of cars which could be used both as mobile barricades and emergency transportation. My Site A also has a nice benefit of having it's 2 main entrances/exits on 2 different floors due to the shape of the surrounding land. The first is surrounded by a brick exterior and isn't large. An easy barricade and sentry system set up there would be a perfect funnel to force them into close quarters if they managed to get in. The other exit is surrounded by brick columns just large enough to get cars into. It would allow for a fast escape out the back and to the highway if necessary.

...it's really sad how far we have this planned for an event that will never happen.

[Blackdragon]

Never happen he says....
http://www.cracked.com/article_15643_5-scientific-reasons-zombie-apocalypse-could-actually-happen.html

Besides it doesn't hurt to plan for the one of the most likely doomsday scenarios. (Up there with the 2012 natural disasters, nuclear fallout, etc). Just wish I had a good mall to fortify close by. I live in the suburbs so getting to a slightly less dense area would be key. The zombies truly wouldn't be my main concern to be honest. It would be a steady supply of food and water to sustain myself after the initial attack. Something to keep me and a select number of people going until they begin to decompose.

Which poses another question. In all the movies, they still show the uprising occurring over years worth of time. Wouldn't the summer and winter do a number on them? I guess there's a reason they never make films during those times. It wouldn't make much sense.

How was the World War Z book? Good read?

[Phakiel]

Didnt Cracked also made an article about how this could be easily avoided?

[Blackdragon]

Yup.

http://www.cracked.com/article_18683_7-scientific-reasons-zombie-outbreak-would-fail-quickly.html

Though this is why I said the "initial" outbreak, when they'll most be considered a threat. Nature should do the rest for us as long as people don't be retarded.

[Less Than Liz]

Actually, on second thought, I think I'd go to a Wegmans, not just because it has food, medical supplies, etc, but also because it employs chefs, breadmakers, and other people who can bring a lot of skills to the table in terms of non-martial survival. You might get that in malls, if you feel like subsisting off of Aunt Annie's Pretzels. They're also not as big as malls or even Wal-Marts and tend to be built in areas surrounded by sporting good stores and so on, so you wouldn't be completely removed from other necessities if you needed them.

Plus I just really have a loyalty thing with Wegmans.

[Priest4hire]

I do believe the idea behind zombies being attracted to malls had to do with them being popular when said zombies were alive. I'd still rather have a building with no zombies in the area and thus the ability to send out teams and otherwise be mobile, but I can understand the attractiveness. Few windows, lots of supplies and generally robust.

I was being general when I said apartment building. The measures they take to prevent theft, along with the general design and shape, makes them good choices. However, any similar building would do as long as it includes a solid escape route that's distant from the building itself. And I wouldn't go over 4 stories, and preferably 3. More than that and you could end up in some zombie towering inferno scenario. A zombie apocalypse is the best indication that fate is against you, so no tempting it.

As I said, I live in the boonies and thus can't use specifics since mine would be boring. But some general observations. Once you have the building of choice, fortification and a full sweep are the number one priority. Especially with a mall you have to worry about some guy with a bad case of the zombie bite holed up in some dark corner. He might open a door, bite a survivor, or set himself and everything else on fire. After that, water is a higher priority than food. Fill whatever you can, be it bathtubs or plastic swimming pools, with water for later. You can't count on having power even with generators due to fuel concerns. But most canned food is fine cold, and toss in some powdered milk and vitamin tablets and you're good.

The ability to kill zombies silently would be good. If you can't buy silencers, you can buy the book that tells you how to make them. A silenced .22 is amazingly quiet and much better than going hand to hand. Likewise, a silenced small caliber hunting rifle is quiet enough to avoid drawing too much attention. Radios would be very nice to have for sentries and foraging parties. Armour is very important. My money is on bike leather + body armor if possible. The latter is if you're shot at by non-zombie bad guys.

...it's really sad how far we have this planned for an event that will never happen.

That's what makes is a perfect fantasy. It has just the right combination of well established rules, lots of latitude, a semblance of realism and complete impossibility.

[Phakiel]

You know, Cracked's article left me thinking, maybe surviving a Zombie outbreak would actually be quite do able, but we are totally fucked if robots rebel.

[Devil King]

I'd get raped by zombies. That's what.

[drunken monk]

I really wouldnt even want to try and survive. Even if you do, your just going to be left with a bunch of mentally unstable humans. I dont see how anyone could remain sane after their little sister just tried to eat their fuckin face off.

[Blackdragon]

You know, Cracked's article left me thinking, maybe surviving a Zombie outbreak would actually be quite do able, but we are totally fucked if robots rebel.

Skynet will become operational. Damn scientist working to give A.I. more functions, it's only a matter or time my friend, a matter of time.

[Phakiel]

I know friend, I know, people just dont understand.

[Dark Saint]

I would focus on saving many good-looking young women only, lead them to a place where I can find enough food, water, weapons/ammo and meds to outlast the zombies, and then responsibly begin the hard work of repopulating the world.

[Blackdragon]

A Borders near me is closing down. So guess who now owns a copy of the "Zombie Survival Guide"?

That's right.
<------- This guy!

Just thought I'd throw that out there. It's an interesting read. Answers some questions I had regarding their senses.

[Hyde]

A Borders near me is closing down. So guess who now owns a copy of the "Zombie Survival Guide"?

That's right.
<------- This guy!

Just thought I'd throw that out there. It's an interesting read. Answers some questions I had regarding their senses.

The same guy wrote World War Z (http://www.amazon.com/World-War-Oral-History-Zombie/dp/0307346617/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298558319&sr=8-1). If you don't already have that... get it. You'll love it.

[Priest4hire]

I've read the Zombie Survival Guide and, shockingly, I disagree on a few points.

I think he underestimates the value of armour. His basic argument is that it can't make you invulnerable and it slows you down. On the latter, the effects of weight on movement isn't completely linear. 10 pounds of bite armour is hardly going to be a problem. There is 2 good reasons to wear such armor: It protects against the random zombie that springs out of nowhere and it expands tactical options by increasing the odds of surviving melee combat. The trick is to select armour wisely and focus on the most vulnerable parts of the body to bites.

The other is in his choices in melee weaponry. The katana is a fine sword and weapon, but requires skill to use effectively, especially since you'd have to focus on decapitation and head wounds. There are weapons that can achieve fatal results against zombies with less training and greater consistency. One that he dismissed is the mace. A proper spiked mace will destroy skulls and liberate zombie brains with ease. It's nothing like a hammer; being that one is made to pound nails and the other to crush heads. The mace simple has the best skill to lethality ratio in this camper's book.

[Blackdragon]

I agree with that. I haven't made it far past the Armor chapter, but it didn't mention anything about sneak attacks--which seem to be the undoing of the most trained killers in every movie I've seen.

The mace also is a grand weapon, but I'd much prefer a katana. Just feels more badass to me. Plus you get a little more range with a sword than a mace. If you fuck up your mace swing, you're left with little leeway for escape. I much rather fudge a katana swing than a Mace one.

Come to think about it, where could you even conveniently store one. Are there Mace sheaths?

[Indigo]

I would fucking love every second of it. I'd get a shotgun and go apeshit, and try to survive with other living. I'd be awesome because I never missed a walking dead comic.

[Blackdragon]

Honestly, unless you shoot from almost point blank range, a shotgun may not kill a zombie outright. might blast a nice chunk out of it, but if it doesn't die it might take one out of you, haha.

[Indigo]

It really depends what fiction you're referring to. Zombies do have their sets of rules but they often variate, although not drastically... Let's pray Stephenie Meyer doesn't shit all over that monster too.

If I were to choose a weapon I would really want to use it would have to be a bow/crossbow. Basically any ranged missile weapons would be of my choosing. Aim for the cranium, hope it works.

[Priest4hire]

Come to think about it, where could you even conveniently store one. Are there Mace sheaths?

All you need is a loop of leather on your belt. Just slide it in handle first and there you go. The katana is longer alright, but you'll want to use it in both hands. Since a mace is one handed, you could dual wield or use some other weapon such as a handgun or dagger. With all this talk of weaponry, we need pics. An appropriate mace and 2 possible offhand daggers:

http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/92/pole004a.jpg http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/6048/4019084l.jpg http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/7509/dt21731l.jpg

The first dagger is designed for penetration, perfect against zombie skulls, but the second offers hand protection. If I were going with a sword, I'd consider the Gro?es Messer or Swiss Saber as an alternative. Check out this for a demo of the cutting power of the former:

kj4WRhG5BW0&hd=1

Imagine that puppy carving up zombies. The Swiss saber is similar, but offers hand protection with knucke bows.
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/7900/15023.jpg

However, for ultimate 2 handed zombie crushing, a pole weapon is where it is at. Why mess with a katana, when you could bring a pole axe to the party?
http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/8388/600640l.jpg

Brutal cutting power will mess zombies up, and it features 2 handy spikes. If the zombie gets too close, just shorten up your grip and impale its skull with the top one.

Edit: Miserable PoS image hosting sites. But I think it's all fixed now.