How To Survive a Zombie Apocalypse

Some of us believe that it is possible, or even inevitable, that one day the dead will just not stay dead, and will rise from the grave with a hunger for human flesh and brains. Perhaps you’re one of us who believe we should be prepared for that day, or maybe you’re a skeptic with friends who all talk about their Zombie Plans. Hopefully at least of my readers has come to the page in the future, after the first reports of the Zombie Apocalypse have filtered through the news channels. If such is the case I urge you to download and print a hard copy of this page as it may be what separates you from becoming one of The Walking Dead. In any event, take heed of the words contained within this guide and clutch hard to your humanity.

Step One: Have a Zombie Plan

If you’ve ever heard of your friends or those geeky guys at work talking about their Zombie Plan then you should seriously consider making them your new best friends. Having a Zombie Plan is the first and most important step of Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse, because you are taking the mind set that survival is a possibility and that a Zombie Apocalypse is inevitable. If you really want to be prepared here are a list of things to consider while establishing your Zombie Plan:

Invest in Shooting lessons and guns.

Invest in Machetes, Knives or other Melee Weapons.

Map out your Retreat location Needs to be in a rural area, sparsely populated. Needs to have supply run locations nearby for the following necessities Medical Supplies Canned Food Gasoline Water A location near a water source is great. Remember to boil your water first.

Join the boy scouts, 4H or some similar group now. Knowing how to start a fire with branches, tie knots, etc are skills that will come in handy.

Go Hunting. Learn how to clean your kill If you want fresh protein you’re going to need to know how to hunt for it. While hunting keep in mind that you may not have the luxury to sit in a tree for hours when there is the potential for a zombie attack at anytime.

Learn how to weld Being able to reinforce your defenses, vehicles, etc will greatly increase your chances of survival.

Stockpile nonperishable food supplies near your retreat spot.

If you’re really prepared and are wealthy you’ll know that no amount of wealth is going to help you once the end begins. So you’ll make wise investments with your financial gains, like building a fortress that is zombie proof. Here’s an example:

Step Two: Watch for Signs of the Zombie Apocalypse

If you’re one of us then you’re intimately familiar with the various Zombie movies, television shows, books and graphic novels that dive deep into the Zombie Apocalypse. If that is the case then you have already been given all the training that you need to know when to put your Zombie Plan into action. If you aren’t familiar with Zombie Apocalypse movies, however, you may find yourself in the dark – and without knowledge we are surely lost. The beginning of a Zombie Apocalypse will happen quietly.

One theme is true for every type of Zombie: if you get bit, you will turn into one of them. The way that this happens is different in every story. Either the bite contains a virus or infection that literally invades the nervous system and extinguishes life, turning a once normal human into a Zombie within hours of being bit, or the bite simply passes the infection and when death occurs the change is made from corpse to the Living Dead. In some instances the infection is airborne and all that is required to become a Zombie is to die. This is why its a Zombie Apocalypse and not just a Zombie Bad Day. The amount of the infected quickly grows – especially in large cities.

The first moments after the Zombie Apocalypse begins will be quiet. No one will be prepared for their friends, neighbors, loved ones of acquaintances to be hungry for human meat. It is because of this shock and unpreparedness that the Zombie condition is spread rapidly. At first the signs will be so faint only the trained (and probably paranoid) would notice. An increase in bite wounds admitted to hospitals in densely populated areas is the first sign. The bite victim might not even go to the hospital they may use phrases like “I got mugged, and the crazy guy bit me” to describe their exciting morning – but their day is about to take a turn for the worse.

Its at this point that news reports will start to trickle in on television radio about the outbreak. At this point you should already have your Zombie Plan swinging into full effect!

Step Three: Get Out of Major Cities

At this point in the Zombie Apocalypse the military has been involved and have been sent to the major cities to help take them back from the dead. If you’ve invested wisely you’ll have a CB radio and you may get a broadcast that <Insert Random Major City Here> is safe from Zombies. In 1% of cases that may actually be true, but the rest of the times it is either a trap designed to lure people in or the city is only temporarily safe. The more densely populated areas are going to be riddled with Zombies so the intelligent move to make is to get to the countryside where people are fewer and further in between. Most major Zombie Plans involve this strategy and I highly recommend that you take heed of this warning.

As far as where to go once you get out of the city, there really isn’t any one place that is any safer than the next. You will also need to keep in mind that Zombies aren’t your only concern. With the collapse of government comes a new, lawless state of existence and your fellow man may not be as willing to help as you’d think. As you find a place to call home (for now) make sure that the people that surround you are of high moral fiber otherwise you will need to watch your back even when Zombies are not present.

Step Four: Prepare for the Long Haul

So, you’ve found a place that you want to make home for the zombie apocalypse. Great. Don’t get comfortable. If you get lazy and develop a false sense of security in your new found hideaway, you will inevitably be unprepared when the dead find you – and they will find you. If you have the fortune to be in a location away from the undead you’ll need to start the process of fortification. You’ve most likely found a rural location away from major cities but not too far away from some smaller suburbs or towns so that there are supplies nearby. You’ll want to invest in defenses that will help protect your from those zombies.

Build a Fence to Separate your from the Zombie Horde

If there already is a fence at your chosen hideout, then its time to fortify it. If you don’t have one don’t underestimate its ability to deter the mindless undead. Zombies don’t see very far past their own nose, and if you get creative you can really protect yourself. Of course the fence will also lead to a false sense of security – no matter how strong your fence is it won’t hold up against lots of undead. Consider spreading a little dead zombie gore over the sides of your fence to deter zombies who have a strong olfactory sense for living flesh. If you’ve got welding skills really go to town on that fence. Add metal reinforcements, spikes, the whole nine – this is your first line of defense.

Create an Early Warning System

If the dead manage to break your defenses you’ll want to know as soon as possible so you can quickly deal with the problem before you are overrun. Trip wire with explosives would do the trick but risk attracting more zombies to you. If you’ve got a supply of batteries you could use a trip wire that causes a walkie talkie to be activated. The sudden crackle of your walkie talkie would signal danger. However it might be worth it to consider more archaic systems that are sustainable. Homemade fireworks, miniature catapults with rocks aimed at a metal siding of your home. Anything could suffice – the point is without a early warning system the rest of your days will be spent constantly keeping your eyes on the fence separating you from the zombie apocalypse.

Be Wary of Strangers who come to your Door

As mentioned the lawless state of the world now will lead to all sorts of dangerous types of people being prominent. If someone shows up at your door don’t be thankful for companions just yet. First you’ll need to check them for bites – the number one killer of survivors in the Zombie Apocalypse is letting in a stranger with a bite. Think of it like the Trojan Horse of the zombie apocalypse. Even if they are not bitten you can’t know what kind of person they are. Its best to keep your gun on them at all times until you really feel like you can trust them. At the same time having an extra pair of hands and eyes that you can honestly trust is invaluable in this new world. Just be sure to vet your companions as best as you can.

Make a Map of your Surroundings

You’re going to have to leave the safety of your fortress eventually for supplies. The best thing you can do is scout ahead, map out your surroundings including known Zombie masses or hot zones, and choke points where you can make a defensive stand if you’ve hit a rough spot during a run. You’ll want to know where the supply depots are at – look for supermarkets, hospitals, pharmacies, gas stations, etc. If you go on a supply run you’re going to need a way to transport goods. Vehicles are great but they require gasoline and you will eventually run out. Be prepared for all situations, consider a horse or beast of burden and custom made saddle bags to store supplies. Unless of course you happen to be an engineer and can come up with a way to build a engine that runs on zombie parts. You’ll never run out of those.

What’s Your Zombie Plan?

There’s much more to surviving the Zombie Apocalypse. In fact we plan on bringing you quick tips throughout the life of this blog to help you be a better survivor. This post is just an introduction to the series. To get started with we want to hear what your Zombie Plan is! Just leave a comment in the section below with the details that you’re willing to share about your plan (remember not to give away locations, addresses, etc…you risk copycats!). Thanks for reading!