For Fun as its Halloween, lets explore the world of Zombies, and process how one might survive Z-Day if it were to actually happen. Or not in many of your cases.
But if you care to increase your chances of survival during this apocalypse predicted by so many horror films, or even fanatics, I am here to help, with a simple guide on what you need to get through this eh situation.
Firstly, assess what kind of zombie you are facing;
Is it the old stereotype of slow moving mindless zombie working off its sense of smell alone?
The 28 days later zombie who runs at you in a terrifying fashion?
Some horrific intelligent mutation or one of the many other typical ideas in between?
Either way, this is a general guide of what to do in case of a zombie outbreak, because no matter what, the worst case scenario is a zombie horde, a mob of uncountable numbers all shuffling or running at you at once, all lusting after your flesh. So lets begin…
1. The First 24 Hours..
are a vital time. With the internet on hand, you will probably hear of a zombie outbreak faster than you will see it. Twitter in this case is your friend! In the first 24 hours this is the time to gather supplies, and set yourself up a base. Whether its gathering ammo, gather food or modding your house and car for the ultimate zombie protection, use this prior knowledge to protect yourself.
Food: Gather all the food you can – the perishable goods should be consumed first, as the non perishable can be held onto for longer.
Water: Gather as much as you can, preserve it in anyway possible in as many containers as possible, this is a vital necessity that you CANNOT go without. Prepare to go without showers etc. when this event happens. You will be dirty.
Weapons: If you can get your hands on a gun or guns, fantastic but more than likely you will have to go without. A chainsaw may seem like a great idea in a movie, but the noise it makes will just attract more zombies and will get you in very close with them. Try something that gives you the best chance of hit and run like a baseball bat. If you do happen to get your hands on a gun, go for one with accuracy and quick firing capabilities, a shotgun may seem like fun up until that vital point where you have to reload.
First Aid Kit: Keep everything necessary for healing cuts, and keep any injuries covered, one drop of zombie blood into your system and you’re more than likely going to be joining their ranks.
Make Contact with Others: Travelling in a group is one of your best bets at survival, in those vital moments where you can;t defend yourself, someone else just might save your life, particularly in your vulnerable moments like sleeping. But keep in mind, people can turn on you, in this world, its kill or be killed, and people will do anything to survive, a crazy human can be much more dangerous than a horde of zombies, remember that. Oh and if one is bitten, put him down. What’s worse, killing your best friend or your best friend nibbling on your brains?
Make Lists: A list of everything you have, everything you need to do and a third list of everything you need to get, these will be vital. If you forget you need nails but you have plenty of boards to block up your windows, they’re useless.
Emergency Bag: Create an emergency bag just in case you ever need to escape, this should contain enough essentials to get you through at least week before you need to stock up again. Stock carefully, only bring essentials, clothes, water, a weapon etc.… Oh and choose your colours carefully, no one wants a bright orange bag making them a stand out target.
Now that you’ve stocked up and have thought about all the necessary supplies and such, think about your back up plan, Do you stay in the one place, and board yourself up? Do you ally with others? Do you go it alone (No one wants to have to kill a loved one)? Or do you simply give up and let what happens happen?
Well if your striving to survive there a few more notes you need to take.
2. Other Human Beings..
Chances are, you are not the only human alive. In an event such as this where the entire world is literally against you, it is probably best to team up, but make sure you team up with people who aren’t going to sell you out to the zombies for their own survival, someone who isn’t going to trip you up when you’re both running away just so the zombies get momentarily distracted.
The only thing worse than a friend turning on you in this terrible situation, is a friend turning on you and getting the better of you, always be prepared to throw away your loved ones. Everyone is dispensable, particularly if they have been bitten. If its a Zombie Apocalypse then there is no cure, and you aren’t going to be the one to find it, If you were smart enough to stop this plague, you’d be locked away safely in some military lab.
So in short, DON’T TRUST ANYONE! You might not come out of this alive.
3. Killing Zombies..
If you were lucky enough to get your hands on a gun, fantastic, you’re doing ten times better than the man to your left holding a hammer. He won’t survive.
If you have access to a gun there are a few simples rules. A. Ammo does run out. B. Long range weapons over short range ones any day. C. Carry a back up. D KNOW HOW TO USE A GUN! D. Aim for the head, if you can use as little ammo as possible the better you are.
If you are one of the unfortunate ones to have no access to a gun and can’t pilfer one from your local farmer/cop then the next best thing is a hard blunt object you can get a good clean hit with. A hammer seems nice, bit in that long arcing moment you can have your armpit bitten off. Never underestimate a zombie, even the slowest ones.
And remember, if it comes down to it, Fight or Flee? FLEE! Flee like there's no tomorrow, because if you fight, there probably won’t be.
The most terrifying thing about zombies, its not that they’re the undead, reanimated corpses than are out for your flesh. The scariest part of a zombie apocalypse is the sheer force of numbers in which they might attack you. One Zombie = Easy Survival, five is a little tougher, Hundreds and you might just not make it. Particularly if they can run…
4. Final Advice..
Chances are, you won’t survive, but in the small instance you do, here a few more thing’s you should always remember.
A. If you can hide there, its probably a good place to inhabit. (Windows are your enemies, zombies like to break through them, avoid large shopping centres unless you can lock them down.)
B. Learn to read a map, if you have to move, you want to be able to move fast and know where you’re going.
C. Learn to Cook, no one wants to be eating pre packaged crap all the time.
D. Along with that, learn to grow your own, chances are you won’t be getting much else if you plan on surviving an extended period of time, everything has an expiration date.
E. Never Shout – it only attracts the worst kind of attention.
F. If it moves and grunts, kill it!
G. Grab every opportunity, never pass up a chance at safety, first aid kits, ammunition, or food, they will come in handy.
H. Be prepared to kill your best friend if he turns, you two weren’t that close anyway right?
Some sort of protective gear might be handy -– but can you afford to be slowed down? Do you carry something like a sword or a chainsaw for very close encounters, or are you dead by then anyway?
Chances are a Zombie Apocalypse won’t ever happen in our time, but it’s never a bad idea to keep in mind that it could. Be prepared. And remember this How To if it ever comes down to it. It could save your life some day.
For more information on this subject, Max Brooks has an entire collection of books on surviving the Zombie Plague that you can pick up a most book stores. This man takes his research very seriously:
Amazon
Happy Z Day!
