The Zombie Apocalypse Thread

[Master Gunner]

There have to be low-population areas closer to you than Africa. There's plenty of coastal islands near me with enough wildlife to support a small population (Pictou and Anticosti come to mind). Even just heading into the local wilderness, New Brunswick has a population density of ~10 people per square kilometer (concentrated in the south-east of the province). Empath is even better off, Newfoundland having around 4 people per square kilometer.

[The Jester]

Protection against zombie bites? Not as hard as you might think; wetsuits. Have you ever tried to bite through one? Human teeth aren't made for it, so unless the zombie virus also has a mutagenic effect that alters the teeth of the victims you should be good. Wear a wetsuit under your clothes.

Get even safer by wrapping the wetsuit in duct tape, or if you haven't got a wetsuit wrap your clothes in it instead.

You might have to get a bit creative about protecting your neck and face/head, but even if you can't find a motorbike helmet or something, protecting the vast majority of your body with a wetsuit would be far better than nothing.

[Jamfalcon]

Protection against zombie bites? Not as hard as you might think; wetsuits. Have you ever tried to bite through one? Human teeth aren't made for it, so unless the zombie virus also has a mutagenic effect that alters the teeth of the victims you should be good. Wear a wetsuit under your clothes.

Really, even a leather jacket or a heavy winter coat will probably more than enough. Heavy duty jeans, reasonably tough gloves, and solid hiking boots for the rest. Like you said, a motorcycle helmet is probably a good choice for the head.

[Metcarfre]

Protection against zombie bites? Not as hard as you might think; wetsuits. Have you ever tried to bite through one? Human teeth aren't made for it, so unless the zombie virus also has a mutagenic effect that alters the teeth of the victims you should be good. Wear a wetsuit under your clothes.

Get even safer by wrapping the wetsuit in duct tape, or if you haven't got a wetsuit wrap your clothes in it instead.

You might have to get a bit creative about protecting your neck and face/head, but even if you can't find a motorbike helmet or something, protecting the vast majority of your body with a wetsuit would be far better than nothing.

Now, for your next trick, try running in it!

[viscomica]

Yeah... cardio!!

[The Jester]

It's ok. Slow-type zombies don't move very fast anyway.

[Ptangmatik]

I have a wool overcoat that will afford the same protection without reducing mobility. If it really comes down to it though, you can always duct tape magazines around your forearms, upper arms and ankles

Ooo.. There's a thought: a wetsuit won't protect your neck, prime biting target right there, whereas I can turn my collar up (also my shirt collar to protect from the itchiness)

[viscomica]

I have a wool overcoat that will afford the same protection without reducing mobility. If it really comes down to it though, you can always duct tape magazines around your forearms, upper arms and ankles

Didn't that happen in that World War Z film?

[empath]

There have to be low-population areas closer to you than Africa. There's plenty of coastal islands near me with enough wildlife to support a small population (Pictou and Anticosti come to mind). Even just heading into the local wilderness, New Brunswick has a population density of ~10 people per square kilometer (concentrated in the south-east of the province). Empath is even better off, Newfoundland having around 4 people per square kilometer.

[Ptangmatik]

I have a wool overcoat that will afford the same protection without reducing mobility. If it really comes down to it though, you can always duct tape magazines around your forearms, upper arms and ankles

Didn't that happen in that World War Z film?

Oh yeah, so they did. It's possible I read it somewhere long ago, it's just one of those sensible moves. Instinct makes us defend our faces with our forearms, so it stands to reason that in a frontal attack our arms would get bitten. A zombie without legs would only be able to reach out and grab our ankles. The problem is the neck and shoulders. A crash helmet/wetsuit combo would leave a gap at the neck and it's not somewhere you can duct tape magazines. Hence my theory about the 'popped collar' coming back as a fashion statement

[Hepheastus]

There have to be low-population areas closer to you than Africa. There's plenty of coastal islands near me with enough wildlife to support a small population (Pictou and Anticosti come to mind). Even just heading into the local wilderness, New Brunswick has a population density of ~10 people per square kilometer (concentrated in the south-east of the province). Empath is even better off, Newfoundland having around 4 people per square kilometer.

27 per square kilometer is the average across the continent, there are many coastal regions where i'ts below 2 per square kilometer. Besides the main reason I said Africa was for the climate. Nothing destroys dead things quite like heat and bacteria. The cold is also very good at it but the only reachable cold place is the north coast of Scandinavia which would be a more difficult journey.

Primarily my first task would be getting as far away from London as I could, there are more people living there than Estonia

[GaProgMan]

Being an out of shape, nearsighted software engineer doesn't bode well for me. I would have very little value in the a zombie apocalypse, initially. There aren't that many situations, during a zombie apocalypse, where the heroes call for the software engineer.

That being said, I'd be more than willing to learn new skills to help out the survivors I find myself with. As soon as my glasses are smashed, though, I become an extreme liability. Perhaps I could provide some kind of distraction while other survivors are under attack or something.

Bleak, I guess.

[Robo4900]

My top Zombie Apocalypse tip is to stay inside a bear-proof shelter until things calm down.

[viscomica]

I have a wool overcoat that will afford the same protection without reducing mobility. If it really comes down to it though, you can always duct tape magazines around your forearms, upper arms and ankles

Didn't that happen in that World War Z film?

Oh yeah, so they did. It's possible I read it somewhere long ago, it's just one of those sensible moves. Instinct makes us defend our faces with our forearms, so it stands to reason that in a frontal attack our arms would get bitten. A zombie without legs would only be able to reach out and grab our ankles. The problem is the neck and shoulders. A crash helmet/wetsuit combo would leave a gap at the neck and it's not somewhere you can duct tape magazines. Hence my theory about the 'popped collar' coming back as a fashion statement

Or a surival statement

[Kapol]

My top Zombie Apocalypse tip is to stay inside a bear-proof shelter until things calm down.

Oh my god... ZOMBIE BEARS.

[Dutch guy]

As I live in a very densely populated area of the world, I'd be pretty much screwed. Not many guns around here and even fewer places one could hole up and ride things out.

[viscomica]

My top Zombie Apocalypse tip is to stay inside a bear-proof shelter until things calm down.

Oh my god... ZOMBIE BEARS.

I've always pondered if the zombie thing was a human thing only, or if it could be possible for animals to get infected too

[Dix]

Pro Tip #1: STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ANY MILITARY INSTALLATION.

Seriously. Everyone and their infected mother will be going to the nearest one and they'll be hotbeds for infection.

[Lord Hosk]

Gather your allies, go to home depo/lowes/menards or whatever big box hardware store you have.

Step one all doors and windows get boarded up.
Step one.five build a secure living area and get all the food and tools in there
Step two all but two small doors get bricked/cemented up
Step three build a parimeter inside those two doors.
Step four build a second parimeter
Step five prepare for scouting parties.
Step six scouting parties. if discovered lead zombies far away then loop back dont just run right back to shelter. Never Ever approach the zombies or others you think might be zombies

Alternate theory i heard once.
Get a boat and grt zombies attention, back off a little. Once they all pile onto each other and start to get close, back up again. Repeat untill all zombies have chased you into the sea and Died. Walk ok the zombie brick road back to land and be hailed as the worlds greatest champion.

Both of there assume, raaaawrrr slow i bite you now you are a zombie, zombies.

[Master Gunner]

Pro Tip #1: STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ANY MILITARY INSTALLATION.

Seriously. Everyone and their infected mother will be going to the nearest one and they'll be hotbeds for infection.

Hence my plan to be just close enough that they'll come to me, instead. In the meantime, I'll be hanging out in some steam and maintenance tunnels where most of the entrances have already been welded shut.

[Metcarfre]

When it comes down to it, my apartment building is pretty secure. Shut down the elevators and wedge shut the ground-level fire exits - which are already very secure - and all remaining entrances have multiple levels of security - secure partially underground/fully barred in parking area with steel garage doors/exit doors with fob locks, followed by fob locked steel doors, followed by unsecure steel doors to the stairwells (which could easily be wedged shut, as they open in). And on the apartment levels, the apartment entrance doors open in and are quite secure, while the walls are concrete.

[My pseudonym is Ix]

Pro Tip #1: STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ANY MILITARY INSTALLATION.

Seriously. Everyone and their infected mother will be going to the nearest one and they'll be hotbeds for infection.

In 'The Enemy' (or I think it's that one), Charlie Higson makes a similar point about the countryside; everyone thinks that by getting out into the country they can be away from most people and go all Bear Grylls on them, but all that ends up happening is every field in the country turns into a bloodbath. Staying in urban areas, where there should at least be food, is a better tactic

[empath]

Pro Tip #1: STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ANY MILITARY INSTALLATION PLACE OF ANY KIND THAT WILL BECOME A GATHERING POINT FOR PEOPLE (and potential infected).

Honestly, the best thing to do is go full-misanthrope; take you and your close family/friends and seal yourselves in a panic room with food and water (oh, and waste disposal facilities ) for a month and sit it out...

[Metcarfre]

The thing I like about zombie scenarios is that it hopefully gets people to think about disaster planning and being ready for an actual disaster that could reasonably happen - storms/hurricanes/blizzards, floods, earthquakes, etc. It can be easy and cheap to prep yourself - in university on no money I washed out and refilled every 2L Coke bottle I had with tap water and tucked it in the bottom of my cupboard, kept my leftover hiking food and gear (including first aid kit) close at hand, got a case of baked beans for like $8. Good enough to ride out a week or two.

Generally, it's recommended to have at least a week's worth of water (4L/person/day - flats of 24x500ml bottles are like $3 at Costco), food (again, beans, dehydrated soup/noodles, canned meat and fruit, peanut butter - I probably have a week's worth of stuff in the dregs of my pantry just now as it is), fuel (bbq and camp stove both use Coleman canisters as is, plus my lightweight rig for BOB has a big can), medicine (fortunately not a consideration for me, though I've stocked and saved some basic Pepto, painkillers [advil/T3s], cold/flu, anti-histimines), TP (essential!), flashlights(hopefully one shaker/windup one)/batteries/radios, backup phone charger, basic tools, etc etc.

Also, keep some cash and change on hand if possible - when I did disaster prep with the military, I was told in the event of an emergency most civilian phone channels (home phone, cell) may be shut down, and in that event, the only backup is pay phones. So, keep some quarters at hand! Also, make a plan with family/friends for someone to contact out-of-province/state/what have you. For example, in the event of a disaster we have a friend in Saskatchewan to call to confirm we're all right with each other, in case we can't reach each other/our families.

[viscomica]

No more crazy preparations for the impending zombie outbreak? Mankind is fucked!