Our team has been working to train people for the coming Zombie Apocalypse through tools and tips learned in their various fields of expertise. We expect to give you the same tools and training to ensure your one of the survivors, and not part of the undead plague.
By keeping up to date on the latest literature, tools, and training we plan to show you how to stay healthy and avoid becoming one of the undead horde that will pillage humanity. So check back with us on a regular basis to ensure you are prepared to survive the Zombie Apocalypse
Archive for the ‘Preparation’ Category
Moving? Some Things To Look For
Recently we received the following email from our reader, Max:
I live in a second story loft with floor level access into the loft. I’m looking to move into another second story loft but I don’t know “tactically” what to look for in the new loft to help increase my defense. Do you have any articles or links on what traits a home should have to stand your ground in? Should it be second story or first story, should it be by an open area like a golf course etc etc.
Well, Max, first off we recommend reading the following articles:
- Urban Preparation: Part 1, Doorways
- Installing a Security Door
- Surviving Zombies in an Urban Area
- Walls and Zombies: How to Prepare your Home
After that, and to answer your questions a little more specifically, we have these suggestions while you’re looking for a new place. Yes, a second story (or higher) is wise if you live in an urban area. It gives you just that much more time to realize what’s going on and prepare for an attack. It’s a bit easier to defend, and if you can cut out any stairways, it becomes even easier. Read the rest of this entry »
Eating In The Aftermath: Mushrooms
One of the more important things we’ll need to prepare for after the Zombie Apocalypse will be feeding the humans who survive. Sure, for a while there will be plenty of food laying around for those of us left to enjoy, but as Tallahassee notes in Zombieland, “Believe it or not, Twinkies have an expiration date.”
Sadly, this is true of all prepared foods, not just the spongy, delicious, yellow bastards. Fruit and vegetables rot, meat goes rancid, even canned foods and MREs eventually pass their “consume by” date. After that they’re no more than fertilizer.
So one of the most important things to know after the zombies come is what is safe to eat, and what will kill you just as dead as having your brains gnawed on by the undead.
Eventually we’ll be able to farm some and grow our own food stuffs, but in the meantime, mother nature will have to provide for us. One of the most abundant items (with all the rotting flesh sitting out) will be mushrooms.
There are hundreds of edible mushroom varieties, and just as many deadly ones. So you had better know which is which. We recommend picking up a good book full of helpful pictures that will guide you to the right types to consume, and those to avoid. ”100 Edible Mushrooms
Make sure you pay close attention to the preparation requirements for the mushrooms you come across. Some will be poisonous unless boiled, and some are safe to eat right off the forest floor.
The safest thing to do will be to wash and cook anything you find to eat. No one knows what type of bacteria or other junk may be on the mushrooms you snatched. Remember, after all, where mushrooms grow best.
Installing A Security Door
Almost a year ago we mentioned that Security Doors are an important part of Urban Defense. In fact they are really the first line of defense against a Zombie home invasion, and that’s why you need one.
In the following video, you can learn the basics for installing a steel security door. As we mentioned before, you need to make sure you get an ANSI certified door to ensure the high production standards we recommend.
A couple things to note about this video. The bolts they use have roughly the same diameter as a quarter, so they’re pretty tough. It also points out that the frame is the weak point of a security door, not the door itself.
This is important to note, not because Zombies will get through the door frame, but as it is an area of concern when dealing with roving bands or humans that might see you as a threat or as week enough to attack.
For this reason we feel it necessary to stress an extra layer of protection over the door frame itself. We suggest welding a steel strip or plate over the outer frame of the doorway. If possible a single piece is preferred to two or three separate pieces as it allows less purchase for any tools used against it.
If steel is not available, then you may attempt to brick over the framework. This isn’t as secure, but it will give you enough time to make your escape or build up your counter-attack.
Zombie Infection Calculator
Ever want to know how long you’d last if bitten by a zombie. Well “The Oatmeal” has just the tool for you. Check out their’ Zombie Bite Calculator and find out how long you’d have before craving the brains and flesh of you family and friends. Here’s my personal score:
Created by Oatmeal
Looters, Raiders, And Crazies
We received the following email from Jared:
What about defense against uninfected humans? Raiders, looters, and crazies will be all over the place within the first few weeks of infection, probably die off as the population of uninfected dwindles, and then would likely reappear after 2-6 months after widespread infection. Any ideas on good tactics to deal with/avoid this potential threat?
First of all, thank you Jared for submitting the question. It’s something we should have gotten to a lot earlier, and you’re right, after an initial outbreak there will be thousands of survivors trying to make a way for themselves and survive against the zombie hordes. So what is one to do? Read the rest of this entry »
Who Is On Your Short List
You’re only going to be able to save a few people (if any) once the zombie hordes are upon us. In order to ensure you choose the right people to save you should create a list. This list will be short, very short.
You’re short list should look something like this:
- Self
- Husband/Wife or Boyfriend/Girlfriend
- Children
- Siblings or Close Personal Friends*
- Parents
- Anyone helpful and close
That’s the entire list. If you don’t have a significant other, children, or your parents have passed, then save yourself and then your friends. Make sure those “close personal friends” are just that. You don’t want to be stuck the rest of your life living with someone you can barely stand. Read the rest of this entry »
What To Expect After
The day will come when all the zombies are gone. They may be buried, frozen, dissolving at the bottom of the sea, etc. but they will, for all intents and purposes, be gone. At this point humanity, if we have survived, will have to rebuild.
If we are lucky and have survived through the zombie apocalypse there will be little or nothing left of the world and society we now know. Humanity will have been knocked back beyond the Dark Ages to a place little advanced from the Stone Age. Read the rest of this entry »
Automatic Or Semi-Automatic, Which Is Best For Fending Off Zombies
When it comes to killing a zombie horde, what’s better; a single shot or a hail of lead flying through the air? Well, it might surprise some to find out that, when faced with the flesh eating undead, the single shot is the better option, regardless of the number of walking corpses headed your way.
Yes, when dealing with the zombies there’s one thing you want above all else in your weapon, and that’s control. A semi-automatic weapon, one that fires a single shot each time the trigger is pulled, is preferred highly over those that fire multiple times per pull, known as automatic weapons. The reason for this is simple physics. Read the rest of this entry »
There seems to be a great deal of confusion on whether or not zombies will attack animals, and if they do, will those animals become infected, simply die, or go on with their lives. As this video shows, some types of zombies will indeed attack animals that enter their vicinity, but this is not always the case.
Some types of zombies will indeed attack an animal, though those same types will typically attack any warm or moving object. Some types of zombies will only attack certain types of animals (e.g., mammals but not lizards,) and some types of zombies will only go after a human being.
To make this a little more straightforward we have come up with the following lists to help you in knowing whether or not your family pets are safe.
Zombies that Will Attack Animals:
Zombies that Will Only Attack Humans
- Chemical Zombies
- Nano-Zombies
- Techno-Zombies
- Other Miscellaneous
To understand how to identify each type of zombie, please click on the links above and review the various articles. This will advise you on how to identify your zombies, and find out whether they are a threat to only you, or if you need to protect your pets as well.
One important item to note when reviewing the articles, not all zombie types can be spread to your animals. So while you may want to protect Spot from being eaten, if he does get bitten, you do not necessarily need to put him out of his misery.
If your pet/horse/cow/sheep does receive a bite, and you are unsure what type of zombie you have encountered, the safest option is to put the animal down. We understand that this is difficult (nigh on impossible for some.) We are pet owners and animal lovers ourselves, and to have to put down your own animal is one of the most difficult decisions one can make, even if it isn’t due to an infected bite from a zombie.
That said, the infected pet is no longer the loving, caring creature you have shared time and adventures with. If not now, then soon it will turn into a vicious, ravenous creature with only your death in mind.
If you cannot bring yourself to put your pet down, and you have not been able to identify the type of zombie bite it has received, you have two options.
- Have an acquaintance do the dirty work for you. Do NOT let a friend do it. It will ruin your relationship completely. You will always question your decision, and if a friend has to put down your beloved pet, you will forever look at them with that question, and that anger. Make sure the person you ask is someone you either don’t like, or don’t have a close connection with. It will change your relationship with them as well, but it’s less likely to ruin a friendship. Ironically, it may even lead to a stronger connection with that person.
- Lock the possibly infected animal up and monitor it over the course of several days. An infection that can spread to an animal will show its signs within 72-120 hours (three to five days.) If your pet is still its same old self after that time, you can consider yourself reasonably safe and release them.
NOTE: We cannot stress enough how dangerous, and frankly stupid this option is. Primarily, keeping a potentially infected animal locked up for up to a week can cause issues of its own. What if you have to move because of a coming horde? What about the animals natural biological processes and the necessary cleanup? Where can you keep a horse locked up that where you can guarantee it won’t escape, break free, etc.?
Additionally, there is no guarantee that even after five, ten, or even 100 days that your pet is guaranteed infection free. All creatures have different resistances to infections. Your chihuahua may be naturally immune to the zombie bacteria, but can still pass it on if he bites you. The only way to guarantee your safety from your pet is to put it down, no matter how difficult the decision.
To be blunt, it’s you or them. In a war against the zombification of all humanity your pet may become collateral damage. It’s sad, it’s difficult to come to terms with, it’s your only guarantee for safety.
In the war against zombies, animals are often caught in the middle. Many people are forced to abandon their pets when they go on the run. Even more are turned and have no recollection of their family and friends, much less their pets.
While some animals are trained to help humanity against the zombie threats, many are left to fend for themselves and have been known to become a danger in themselves. Feral packs of both dogs, cats, and even escaped zoo animals have been known to roam urban wastelands after an outbreak.
For these reasons, we recommend that if you are a pet owner and you realize that an outbreak is occurring, please do something about your pets. They will not likely be able to make it through the outbreak alive, and may even become a danger to you and your survival group. We know it’s difficult, but it may become necessary.
Video Credit: VideoSlave