What are your plans for the Zombie Apocalypse?

[Arai]

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...

[Petoux]

I would do it "Dawn of the Dead" style and stay in the biggest mall in the world so I wouldn't have to worry about food or water, but it would need to be near a gun shop so I could have some fun.

If I had a few years worth of supplies to live off of, I'd wait until everyone got zombiefied and after 28 days (based on 28 days later) when there are no more humans to feast on ... they just die (permantly) and I win.

:D

[Duffy]

Start a hacker environmental sub-sect of the military called The Children of Gaia and take over the infrastructure of major cities to maintain their electricity and then save the world.

In sandals bitches!

But no, seriously, what sort of zombies and sort of conditions that gave rise to them are we talking about here exactly?

Give me DETAILS!

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

Realistically?

I'd scramble to follow what Max Brooks wrote for The Zombie Survival Guide. I'd get as far as fortifying my apartment against attack to the point where I felt comfortable. But I'd forget to grab enough food and other supplies to last me, and after a couple weeks I'd decide that the risk of attack to resupply trumps safety with dwindling resources and somehow get out of my apartment without leaving a way to get back in quickly. I'd then die trying to grab that last box of cherry Pop-Tarts off the shelf at the local Tops.

And sometime during the fiasco, Christoph would call me up--"Hey, Andy, you should totally drive to Syracuse and pick me up so we can spend the apocalypse playing Super Nintendo."

That's exactly how it would happen.

[Breaker]

I don't have any contingencies in place for such an occurrence, but I take great comfort in the fact that I'm much faster, stronger, and better at climbing than the vast majority of north americans. Statistically speaking, I should be one of the last to go.

Although back when my friends and I ran a cafe we used to joke about how we'd make it our safe house in the event of a zombie apocalypse, and we had lots of useful locals who would have helped us rebuild society.

[Knave]

Having read a few articles on the impossibilities of a full zombie outbreak, the implications of a thoughtless omni-malevolent fiend with decaying motor functions, baring mutation, I am not too greatly terrified should my little area become inundated with the undead. The world at large, however, would be a considerable issue I'd like to address later.

In a small sense, my first instinct would be to flee, to flee as fast as my legs will take me. Of course, thats not an option without knowing which way I am going, and where I will find food, sheller, and the like. The mall does indeed provide a powerful defense, but while it contains quite a few things of good use, I would much prefer a convenience store which will no doubt have doors with steel curtains, a great supply of water, food, and if its a Walmart, guns (though I am not sure whether they have bullets.) I'd expect radio, but the main concern once the doors are shut is to find power, luckily it appears that Walmart sells generators and my main search will be for fuel. Luckily, I've been informed that biofuel is a suitable alternative... In this way, I might be equipped for the undead siege.

In the long-term, however, I'd have to say that the issue would be a matter of days before it resolved itself naturally. Bacteria, insects, crows, vultures (we have a lot of them, and they will rip a carcass apart for fun) will all serve in some way to cripple the zombie horde and I need only worry about the disease taking on a form where it might infect these creatures, after which I will be utterly screwed along with the rest of humanity. If no species changing mutation occurs, then I can simply wait. I mean, I live in the sunshine state, these things would rot in a matter of days.

If I should decide to make a break for it, I can relax because its very little different from being in the wild where beasts hunger for your protein rich muscles and meat. If the zombies are learchers, then I have no need to fear because I am certainly not a learcher and can run for a good long time, provisions included as a large back pack.

If they are not learchers, and have all gained the speed of Hussein Bolt by virtue of hate and evil, I'm screwed, we are all screwed on foot, we are all screwed if we don't have enough gas, everyone is screwed because a mob of lunatics running at full speed can't be overcome with bullets or escaped by any means, but a tank or a Chevy.

After those things, out in the open country or underpopulated zone, we have to keep in mind that a good percentage, a heavy one which I can't remember, of people live in urban settings. So escaping populated places would alway been on the list of things to do, because:

1. Being out in the wild will level the field and make things no worse, given that we still have pumas and snakes and all the other fauna we hate out here leveling things for everyone.

2. By escaping the urban area, I essentially avoid most zombies anyway.

And that is how I would escape the zombie apocalypse.

[Les Misérables]

Ye Knave! Ye forgot to take the zombie squirrels into account! Watch out for yon zombie squirrels!

[Jasmine]

Going into a big mall or a convenience store because they have food is good and all.. but the food will only last for a little while. What will you do when the food runs out and the zombie horde has surrounded the building? No supplies will be able to get in and you won't be able to get out.

I would get plenty of guns and ammo enough food to last me a few weeks, then high tail it out of town. I have a canoe and I know how to use it well enough that I could load it up, and hit the water. As long as I stay fairly close to shore, I should be able to follow the coast south. Before heading out I'd call my aunt and uncle who have a boat and ask them to start north and meet me somewhere in the Inside Passage or just north of it. They'll pick me up and we'll turn around and head back down south only going into ports that are safe and otherwise staying out on the ocean.

[Elrundir]

I don't harbour any delusions about this. I live in Canada. Guns are not exactly easy to come by. Our only advantage is that our population is so spread out, so one's only hope would be to head for the less populated areas. But then, I live in the most populated part of the country, so I'm pretty much screwed either way.

[Silence Sei]

Find the one group of people who have been preparing for this day before the virus even takes effect.

I am, of course, referring to terrorists.

[Arai]

I don't harbour any delusions about this. I live in Canada. Guns are not exactly easy to come by. Our only advantage is that our population is so spread out, so one's only hope would be to head for the less populated areas. But then, I live in the most populated part of the country, so I'm pretty much screwed either way.

You wouldn't be in too a shape bad though. Cold temperatures will be your friend against the undead horde.

My first move will be to secure enough food and water to outlast the initial attack. Like Knave said, there are many hazards to walking corpses. The zombies do eventually starve. It's just a matter of you finding a safe place that very few people if no one else is trying to occupy. I won't worry about guns during the first few weeks, because like one article I read, eventually there will be more guns than people to use them. Just a matter of picking your battles and laying low.

My only downfall is that I will try and gather up my family and given that unneccesary travel usually equals death I'd be fighting with my conscious daily.

In terms of the fast zombies, I'm just going to hole up somewhere and hope that the power stays on and water continues running. Leaving the house once they're on the prowl is a no-no. Not unless I commandeer a vehicle (since my current transportation is a mountain bike).

[Knave]

Ye Knave! Ye forgot to take the zombie squirrels into account! Watch out for yon zombie squirrels!

They're included along with the paragraph which discusses the virus mutating into a strain that could infect other species of living animals. On the whole, the moment the virus takes over things that are fast moving, maneuverable, and freaky as hell, we are done for. Bacteria especially, but having seen the dark and fiery eyes of squirrels up close, its lean body latched upside down upon a tree, I wouldn't put it past those little bastards to aid the apocalypse.


Going into a big mall or a convenience store because they have food is good and all.. but the food will only last for a little while. What will you do when the food runs out and the zombie horde has surrounded the building? No supplies will be able to get in and you won't be able to get out.

Just wanted to throw out there the vast rows of processed, preserved, canned, and bottled food and water on nearly every isle of any of these marts. I'd more afraid of freezing to death than starving.

[MetalDrago]

I live in rural South Georgia, 'nuff said.

To explain, this is redneck country and just about everyone within driving distance of my house has at least 3 guns and about a year's worth of ammo for each weapon. I suddenly have a newfound respect for the hunters in my area. They are my first line of defense.

[Hysteria]

I have done much thinking on this, thanks in part to watching every zombie film I can get my hands on. (If you're looking for a good one, I suggest 'Flight of the Living Dead'.) Like Knave said, it really depends on the type of zombie and how it acts. If we are dealing with shamblers then that is very different to the running zombies.

First thing is surviving the onslaught. With any zombie attack most people die within the first day, so being able to physically defend ourself is paramount. It will probably also mean staying inside and not being afraid to kill anyone. Your house is also important, if you have large windows and no front fence... well your stuffed. If you live in an apartment or a house with a massive stone fence, well you are doing better.

Around my area there are not many good places to hold up, but the 'richer' suburbs have massive fences and each house would act as a mini fortress. Getting there would be the way to go. It may mean however usurping the current residence if they are not helpful...

If we are dealing with shamblers who can be killed with a strong hit on the head (Night of the Living Dead style) then you need to form a large group and go on raids to get food and supplies from a fairly well fortified base, either on foot or in a car. Most likely the army will regain control quickly.

If they are runners you need a more fortified mode of transport and automatic weapons. Hand-to-hand and you're stuffed.

If there are any sort of mutated zombies as well as runners (like Resident Evil and Left4Dead) everyone is screwed eventually. Somewhere cold might be the only way to go.

The last variable is how they are formed. If it is a virus and past on through bite, then you need to kill them at a distance (hard with runners). If its a simple 'you die, you become a zombie' then it changes it slightly, you need to make sure you burn/shoot in the head the dead, but you can afford to fight more zombies as long as you have enough people to win.

If its an airborn virus and only those immune survive (Day of the Dead) then you need to get supplies while ensuring people in your group are watched for signs of infection.

In all these scenarios, people should have separate and lockable rooms for sleeping, each have a gun (preferably a pistol in a holster) with them at all times.

If I was going to design a town that would be liveable in if there was a zombie apocalypse, then I would have a series of two or three room houses raised off the ground by vertical pillars with smooth surfaces. Each house could be joined by rope bridges that could be pulled back easily to become a stand alone building. As a rule, no building could connect to more than one other at a time. Each building would be used as a 'family pod' with its own gun (one for each adult) and supplies.

[Karelinkski]

Hrm, old dead thread, but who cares?

Between my roommate and myself, there are about a dozen guns within 15 feet of where I'm sitting. Load up my car (hehe, 07 Mustang GT), and get the hell outta town. Head back into the mountains and the back country, plenty of clean water in the mountains, and food also if you know where to look.

[SandStorm]

A lot of people have touched on some good points. I'll just throw in a few details that haven't been included. Did I mention that I'm rated in the top 1,000 (in the world) for zombie killin' on Black Ops (Ps3 version) so I'm a good source of knowledge ;).

-Generators, you'll need fuel powered generators
-Batteries, a shit ton
-Buddies, take only your toughest friends though, the rest aren't really worth the worry
-Nails, a shit ton
-Hammers too for that matter
-Spotlights, or even high-powered flashlights
-Guns and ammo (already stated)
-Food would be easy to come by after you assembled raiding parties, so only a few weeks worth
-A bunch of high thc level, medical-grade, marijuana. Stuff is better than any medicine out there and easier to make.

The boat idea was a good one, I like that. Probably just get a "Waterworld" style society going. 24/7 ocean or lake party wouldn't be all that bad.

[Elrundir]

I'ma just leave this right here (http://www.cracked.com/article_18683_7-scientific-reasons-zombie-outbreak-would-fail-quickly.html)...

[Letho]

And now all the folks that have been stockpiling weapons and stuff just in case feel a bit silly. :P


One thing people sometimes forget about these apocalyptic situations is stock up on meds. In a world with no hospitals and ambulances, even simple stuff like painkillers and tetanus shots and antibiotics will be worth their weight in gold. So after I clobber my landlord, steal his gun and do his wife (granted she's still in serviceable condition :P), I'd hit the local pharmacies first. There will be food aplenty since zombies tend to prefer the long pork anyways instead of canned beans, and soon enough there would be more guns than people to shoot them.

Also, I don't think you need that many batteries. You should instead get rechargeable ones and a couple of those portable solar pads that can be used to recharge stuff. I saw a gadget show once where they recharged a dead mobile phone with it in like an hour or so. And they're rather small, smaller than a notebook so you can easily carry it around or set a number of them on the roof of your HQ. Silent too, unlike the generators. Sure, they won't power up your fridge and spotlights, but do you really want to draw attention to yourself in these situations?

I guess it basically comes down whether you want to go big or small. Big group, big guns, big generators, big HQ, or a smaller group, maybe even solo, small stash, more mobile, less detectable. I'd go for the second one, most likely. I don't play well with others IRL. :P

[Lillith]

Just become a zombie...

That's my plan!

[Hysteria]

Thinking differently.... I like it. Though I'll probably try it as a last resort.