How would you survive a zombie apocolypse?

[Tinkerbell]

I'd grab all the supplies I could, arm myself (don't know where I could get guns, but at least grab plenty of knives) and try to work out what kills zombies. Any voodoo tricks that'd work?
I live in the country, so I'd probably be safe at home for a while, grabbing all the supplies I can, and formulating strategies. Maybe head to a military base, although London'll be crawling with zombies. I'd head north, into the hills and away from civilisation.
It'd probably be safest to stay the countryside, somewhere with low population density, ergo low zombie density. Bring my books, try and see what's edible or poisonous. Keep on the move - assuming zombies walk slowly and unsubtly, it's probably safest to be out in the open, with time to run.
We'd have to set up a camp somewhere with a good look-out, with plenty of escape routes. Maybe an old castle? Something built for defence, but nothing so ruined the zombies can crawl in the gaps. Fill the moat with anything that hurts zombies.
The important thing is for survivors to stick together, and improvise long range weapons to take out the zombies. We'd probably have to form some sort of temporary communism, as trading on the move will just waste time. We'd also need to sort out leaders, and not waste time bickering over who's in charge when there are zombies to worry about - just pick a leader, with emphasis on military experience and brains, rather than charisma.
There should always be a group of people on guard who can see on lots of directions, so we can pack up camp and run at a moment's notice. Can zombies drive? We could take turns driving a bus, and cover a huge distance each day before stopping to eat and sleep.
Maybe work towards an eventual goal to finding a boat and sailing past London to France, avoiding Paris, to see if mainland Europe's figured out any way to beat the zombies. Even if they haven't, the warmer the weather, the less trouble we'll have in winter. During a zombie apocalypse, hypothermia is not an acceptable way to die.
If there's no remaining civilisation on land, then maybe work towards building some sort of existence on sea. Fishing, water distillation, floating farms; it could be done. Or maybe find a deserted tropical island, if I had navigation I could trust.
We'd have to keep humanity going, but no baby-making until we're relatively safe. Pregnant women are a liability unless we have vehicles and enough food. Women are more important than men, and children are most important.

It's always good to have a plan

[Norse Fire]

Originally Posted by Captain Harkness

WE ARE THE RESISTANCE!!!!

Don't John Connor us.

Sorry Captain, but in all honesty I never saw the new movie and don't even remember the trailer for it. Besides, it's true in this scenario.

Also, Tinkerbell, zombies can't drive and the warm weather would be beneficial to you as it would hasten the decaying of the zombies, both making them more noticeable and killing them faster.

[Captain Harkness]

Originally Posted by Norse Fire

Sorry Captain, but in all honesty I never saw the new movie and don't even remember the trailer for it. Besides, it's true in this scenario.

Sorry it just sounded awfully cheesy given the topic were on. But i agree we should try and stick together. We are allies with the same goal as humans. Zombies are the enemies, fighting among ourselves helps no one.

[ofthenorth]

My plan which I've just copied from my post on another site asking this same question is as follows:

Well the start of the plan is simple. Survive the initial onslaught. That being said time to move on to the details.

I'm already prepared (along with my roommate) with a Mossberg Persuader, a .45 S&W, and I just got a new FNP-9. Along with that we have multiple melee weapons including machetes, katanas, US Army style tomahawks, and the always trusty baseball bat. For clothing I'm sticking to steel toed military issue combat boots, good fitting jeans not too loose but not tight, dark tshirt and leather motorcycle jacket. I have a back harness for one of the katanas, a drop leg holster for a handgun, and belt sheaths for my Ka-bar and tomahawk. There are multiple old model trucks that are easily hotwireable and I have my car if all else fails. Granted vehicle transportation is risky as roads will be congested but given a good truck and the short distance of travel on land that my plan involves I don't think it'll be a problem. Most logical first stop will be an gun and ammo store. Load up on weapons and ammo, there's many pawn shops and a few walmarts on my way out of town for those. Granted there may be trouble with the store owner but given some negotiations I'm sure we can find a store and an owner willing to help out if not come with (if he causes trouble later on, just shoot him, only show sympathy for friends and family, stragglers are expendable).

Next stage of the plan is get to the coast. I live in a fairly large city, obviously want to get out fast. The nearest coastline is approximately 45 minutes by road without traffic. A safe judge would be making that a 2-3 hour trip. Once on the coast I have multiple friends already ready to go with boats. Few smaller craft and a few larger ones. Also there are many marinas including one on a military installation in that town of which will be easy to access. The yatch club will not be a high security point and it's only protected by a 5ft brick wall.

Once we've gathered the boats the plan is to head north on the east coast to a town about 2 hours by road and estimating about a day travel by boat. In that town there is a few historical forts one of which is on the water. Plan to anchor a few hundred feet off shore and use that fort as a rendezvous point for our other members of our group that didn't make it to the boats in time. We will wait out for a few days there either in the fort or on the boats. After a maximum of ten days we begin our travels north. We'll tow 2-4 jetskis behind the larger boats to use as runabouts and to make shore trips for fuel and food and other supplies. We'll keep a distance of about 5 miles off the coast so we can see the shore but be out of range of even the largest of commercially available rifles (the .50cal Barrett has an effective range of about 2200 yards and total range just over 3000, a 5 mile distance will be significantly out of range). We will travel north around the tip of Maine and New Brunswick. Following the waterways we'll make our trek towards inland Canada. Our final destination will be northern Ontario. There's a place I used to vacation with my family. The nearest town is 15 minutes away with a population of 300. Within 6 hours driving in any direction you will encounter at most 50K people. Nearly complete isolation. It is here we will establish our base and begin our new civilization. There are plenty of lakes in the area, large lakes with scattered islands. Plenty of perfect natural protection. Large fresh water supplies. Many farms with which we can either scavenge from or make trade agreements with the owners as in such a remote location they'll be just trying to survive as well. Also the campground that we vacationed on and will be establishing as our base has a dam that produces a limited amount of hydroelectric power. Along with that, much of Canadian power is hydro therefore there's a high possibility of continuing power after people are gone.

This is the plan. Obviously there may be a few hitches in it, problems may arise such as medical needs and the such but this is a basic overview. I don't try to plan to meticulously because in emergency situations plans fall apart and if you're too stuck on a single plan then you risk not being able to cope with changes.

One of the major problems I see with a lot of these plans that are on here is that some rely too much on government assistance and the continuing of normal society, (dicedare for instance, you mentioned buying a shotgun if you had the cash, that most likely won't be a factor as this is an apocalyptic scenario thus cash would be useless, you also stated going to a military institution which would probably be vacated due to military deployment and the collapse of govenrment).

Another problem people have with their plans, staying in cities. Places with high concentrations of people will be hit hardest and usually will create mass anarchy, think New Orleans after Katrina but on a national or global scale. One of the contingency plans that myself and my roommate considered was the Blue Ridge Mountains. He's got a place up there and it's pretty isolated, but it's still within 2 hours of Atlanta. A mass exodus of survivors from the cities will overrun places that close to hotspots. The trick is to get as far away from civilization as possible. Be able to be mobile on a moments notice, and be able to establish a defensive perimeter at whatever location you decide upon.

[Norse Fire]

Originally Posted by Captain Harkness

Sorry it just sounded awfully cheesy given the topic were on. But i agree we should try and stick together. We are allies with the same goal as humans. Zombies are the enemies, fighting among ourselves helps no one.

Apology accepted. You should join our new coalition to destroy the zombies. You can find a list of potential members in the thread. To survive, we must band together and pool our resources and knowledge. Forewarned is forearmed and...
NOW YOU KNOW, AND KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE!

VIVA LE RESISTANCE!!!!!

[ofthenorth]

Originally Posted by Norse Fire

Also, Tinkerbell, zombies can't drive and the warm weather would be beneficial to you as it would hasten the decaying of the zombies, both making them more noticeable and killing them faster.

Would it hasten the decay? Also, though it is Hollywood, in both Land of the Dead and Resident Evil Extinction, at the end they proceed north to Alaska because the cold weather kills the virus, the zombies can't survive in the cold. And even if the movies are faulty in their logic of the virus not surviving the cold weather would at least slow down the zombies, which would be a very good thing considering the most logical and likely form of a zombiepocalypse would be a variation on rabies or mad cow that infects humans thus creating a rage virus a.k.a. FAST zombies (think 28 days later). So any ability to slow them down would be beneficial.

[Night-1991]

Originally Posted by ofthenorth

a rage virus a.k.a. FAST zombies (think 28 days later).

Or Left 4 Dead :P

[Captain Harkness]

ofthenorth has thought things through perhaps too well. However he has underestimated the struggle of the initial few days of the onslaught which are always going to be the hardest till food etc runs low. Also in that situation i don't think government computers would be up to much so would be easily hacked. My main concerns rest though with a permanent food supply and some electricity. Been mobile makes farming impossible. And electricity although many would agree useless in this situation would be good if only used to search for radio broadcasts. They signify life that also survived.

[Norse Fire]

Originally Posted by ofthenorth

Would it hasten the decay? Also, though it is Hollywood, in both Land of the Dead and Resident Evil Extinction, at the end they proceed north to Alaska because the cold weather kills the virus, the zombies can't survive in the cold. And even if the movies are faulty in their logic of the virus not surviving the cold weather would at least slow down the zombies, which would be a very good thing considering the most logical and likely form of a zombiepocalypse would be a variation on rabies or mad cow that infects humans thus creating a rage virus a.k.a. FAST zombies (think 28 days later). So any ability to slow them down would be beneficial.

Depends on type of Zombie. Resurrected corpses or the living dead would be susceptible to warm, moist weather because the bacteria that cause rotting and flesh decay thrive in that climate. Of course, since this is the "living" dead, it's a better long term plan for several years after the attack as that way most zombies' bodies would be collapsing from decay and the weather would permit agriculture which equals a steady food source=stable infrastructure for attempts at rebuilding.

On an unrelated note, good to see everyone has some sort of worst case scenario contingency plan.

[444]

With a gun and lots of ammo :|

[Night-1991]

But what if the Zombies arn't the typical "rise from the dead" types. But instead, infected with a rabies like virus (thinking back to my knowledge of L4D).

Alas..you have Zombies that can move fast. Also you can't go to the Army, because even if not bitten, you'll remain a carrier of the infection.

[Captain Harkness]

true a Zombie could be a mutation of humans. Which would make them faster and stronger than we are. Damn natural selection.

[Norse Fire]

True, I guess those poor, unprepared fools without getDare will be our guinea pigs to test the zombies' strength with.

Harkness, you ripped on me for referencing Terminator, but your profile says you're at Skynet HQ, why?

[ofthenorth]

Originally Posted by Captain Harkness

ofthenorth has thought things through perhaps too well. However he has underestimated the struggle of the initial few days of the onslaught which are always going to be the hardest till food etc runs low. Also in that situation i don't think government computers would be up to much so would be easily hacked. My main concerns rest though with a permanent food supply and some electricity. Been mobile makes farming impossible. And electricity although many would agree useless in this situation would be good if only used to search for radio broadcasts. They signify life that also survived.

Why do you say I've underestimated the initial attack? I gave no mention of what to do during that period. In fact, that'll be the easiest time to make a move. The government will still be slightly intact, probably with some form of checkpoints and evacuation routes out of cities, if they're trying to quarantine well there's plenty of forest routes out of my city as well as marshland with plenty of "soon to be abandoned" air boats along the banks. The initial onslaught will consist of many people in shock as to what's happening, it won't hit as fast as other "natural disasters" would as people will think of it as curable and many will turn to the government for help at first. It's prepared people like us that know the government will not be able to contain it that will survive.

I'm not sure what you're trying to get at with hacking computers, and whatever point you're making, just because the people aren't there to run them doesn't mean high security firewalls and other invasion software and security protocols won't stay in place through automated means.

Being mobile does eliminate farming. However, I did not say stay mobile. I said, be able to go mobile on a moments notice. You got to find a place to settle but you also have to know that eventually the zombies may make it to wherever you are. The trick to survival is being able to pack and go instantly if necessary, but it doesn't mean you have to move every few days or even weeks. Once you find a place isolated enough stay settled as long as you can but always be ready to move if you have to. Send out scouting parties for new locations if this happens. Always keep backup plans.

Finally, on your "critique" of my plan. The electricity comes in use much more than just radio signals. Flood lights for defense and border protection of your colony, water purifiers, heaters in the winter, medical equipment you may acquire, water pumps, radios, chargers for batteries for flashlights, walkie talkies, and other equipment needed for protection and communication. So don't underestimate the need for electricity. Granted if you know how to survive without it that's great and it's a must, because nothing in a post-apocalyptic world is guaranteed, however, if you got it, use it.

Originally Posted by Norse Fire

Depends on type of Zombie. Resurrected corpses or the living dead would be susceptible to warm, moist weather because the bacteria that cause rotting and flesh decay thrive in that climate. Of course, since this is the "living" dead, it's a better long term plan for several years after the attack as that way most zombies' bodies would be collapsing from decay and the weather would permit agriculture which equals a steady food source=stable infrastructure for attempts at rebuilding.

On an unrelated note, good to see everyone has some sort of worst case scenario contingency plan.

Granted you are correct in saying the warm weather will prove to decay actual "text-book" rise from the dead zombies. However, as I stated in an earlier post, the most likely cause of a real zombiepocalypse will be a mutated virus strain. Rabies, mad cow, etc. One of these, if mutated to infect humans on a wider scale, would cause the biggest threat of a zombiepocalypse. Rabies especially as it is transmitted through blood or saliva, causes aggression, and would incline the infected to bite the other person, the only way to diagnose is to remove part of the brain (destroy the brain) in a 100% fatal procedure.




And yes I have thought this over way too much. I'm a zombie fanatic. I've created plans, developed back up plans, I have friends that are aware of and know their part in the plans and I'm stocked up ready to go.

Watch the news, it's not too farfetched. Back in January there was an outbreak of rabies in Central Park. Over 20 reported cases in one month when there had only been 8 reported cases in the previous 10 years. Arizona, Tampa, and Asia all had increased newsworthy reports of heightened rabies outbreaks. In southeast Asia there was an account of 80 human deaths including human to human transmission of rabies. It was on a small island so it was contained but imagine that happening in a large urban city. All it takes is a dog to be playing fetch in the park, get bit by a rabid squirrel or raccoon, go home, lick the face of it's owner and get saliva in the owners mouth, that owner kisses their bf/gf, they sneeze on the subway, rabies doesn't show for 2-3 days at which point it's nearly 100% fatal, there's only been one known survivor in the past twenty years. An outbreak could spread like wildfire in those 2-3 days if it was mutated and potent enough to incubate fast enough.

Watch your back. You never know when it'll strike.

[Norse Fire]

Granted, under normal circumstances you would be correct, North, but given these alarming statistics you presented us with and the fact that 2012 is practically around the corner, the risk of a biblical scale "living dead" zombiepocalypse is all too real. I say we stick with the general view, "Fellow getDarians must band together. Screw those foolish and unfortunate enough to either not check this thread or be related to us".