How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse
There is a zombie craze going on. With so many shows, novels, movies, and survival guides out there, it is not surprising that theories about how to survive the zombie apocalypse run rampant. But, the real question is, what would you do in an apocalypse (zombie or otherwise)?
Let's set the stage. I was out on a walk a few days ago. It was warm, buggy, and a little--well mostly--silent. And I began thinking to myself, what would I do if the end of the world came upon me in that very moment? Would I survive or would I, like the majority of people, perish? I thought back on all the survival theories I had created with my friends. I thought about the "hostile intruder" training I had taken at work.
Run, Hide, Fight.
What would I do? I am not a violent person. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't think violence is the answer in most (kinda all) situations. But, if put into a truly survival situation, would I be able to put aside my sensitivity and fight? Would I know what to do in order to survive? Would I be able to keep my sense of humanity? If you have ever thought about the zombie (or other) apocalypse, then I hope you have thought about at least one of these questions in the past. If you haven't. Think about them now. Especially the one about maintaining a sense of humanity. But, I digress.
Survival theories are fun.
Theorizing about what we can do to survive and how we would react in a given situation is entertaining. And, as I continued walking along the trail, I began thinking about how I would survive in that specific area. Build a wall. Reinforce it. Drawbridge to cross a divide. Use the natural landscape. Essentially, take everything that I know about early warfare and apply it to surviving an never-ending siege.
Also, follow the Girl Scout--and Boy Scout--motto of "Always be Prepared."
I was not super prepared on my walk, by the way. No water bottle on me. No rope. No gun. No future.
Now, I've read a lot of the books. I've watched a lot of the movies & TV shows. I've had plenty of conversations about surviving the zombie apocalypse. And, I've even played Zombie Flux:
(I know. Not the most inspiring testament)
Here's what I think the 8 key components are of surviving the zombie apocalypse are:
(1) Get out. Like as far away as possible. Further, if possible. And keep going. In the event of an apocalypse, zombies (and people) are going to turn into killing machines real fast. So, get as far away from people as possible.
(2) Don't do dumb things like leaving weapons behind. Take them with you. Anything that constitutes as a weapon. Guns. Baseball Bats. Swords. You know, the works.
(3) Backpacks are essential. They level out the weight evenly. They make it easier to travel with lots of supplies. See something you need? Throw it in the backpack. Need to leave in a rush? Throw on the backpack. Going back to earlier, having a backpack prepared with at least some of the essentials is important so that if you do get overrun, you can leave quickly and still have a minimum supply of something.
(4) If you are going to try and develop a safe haven, build a wall. Reinforce the wall, and then continue building layers of walls. Think Attack on Titan style. I would suggest concrete on the inner and outer layer of a single wall with a filling of dirt in the middle. That way, it's sturdy & you have a walk way on which to patrol.
(5) Find a group of people who each have unique skills that can contribute to the survival of the group. Doctors/Nurse. Farmer. Hunter. Mechanic/Tinkerer. "Politician." In the event of a zombie apocalypse, I'm pretty sure going back to a caste system based on our skills will be necessary for survival. And, have these people take on apprentices so that if anything happens to them you're not left in the lurch with no one else who knows how to do their part. It's old school, but effective.
(6) If a person can be saved, don't leave them behind. OK. I know this one will probably rub some people the wrong way. How can other people be trusted? We've seen this, especially in The Walking Dead. People. Living People will be more detrimental to the survival of people than zombies will be. Why? Because we have a primal instinct to survive and throughout history we have done very bloody and terrible things to do so. However, if we are to continue surviving as a species, with any sense of humanity, we have to be willing to save others-even strangers. We have to be willing to take the risk. Otherwise, what's the point in surviving the zombies if the world we would live in is completely broken Mad Max style?
(7) Don't leave supplies you can take behind. Early on in the zombie apocalypse, and really any disaster, people tend to leave things behind that they later realize they need. Like water. Food. Clothes. Flashlight. Etc. My suggestion, if you start hearing rumors about riots that can't be explained and people coming back from the dead, just go ahead and back that backpack and get the hell out of dodge. And, if you see things along the way that would be helpful, go ahead and take them.
And, finally...
(8) Learn how to fight. Everyone in your group should learn and condition themselves. I'm not the strongest person or the most adept at fighting. But, in a survival situation, no one should be a liability. Even children should learn how to do basic fighting. Whoever your person is that knows how to fight should take on a group of apprentices and then have them teach everyone else.
So, do you think you will survive?
