PREPARING FOR THE UPCOMING ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE

Oh shoot, I think I left the stove on…

Mankind has survived many ordeals over its relatively short history. A massive ice age. Incredible drought and famine. Pestilence of epic proportion. Massive world wars. And as horrible as these have been, we will inevitably face something much, much worse sometime in the near future.

A full on zombie apocalypse.

It’s just a matter of time before the dead start walking the earth and feasting on the brains of the living. So here is an outline to help you prepare for that day, and hopefully survive and even thrive during humanity’s greatest challenge yet.

PREPARING YOUR HOME

The first and most important step is to get your home ready. Your home is your fortress, and it must be fortified.

Supplies

Your home must be adequately supplied for the zombie apocalypse. Here are the most important areas to have covered:

Water: the single most important thing you can do is have a sufficient water supply. Water is likely to be cut off during a zombie apocalypse (or any emergency) and we can survive a few days without it. You’ll need at least 4L per person per day, even more if you want fancy luxuries like being able to wash your hands from time to time. You’ll want at least 7 days worth stored, although if you’re not limited by space you should really have a month’s supply.

For more information, read these articles on emergency water storage, and emergency water filtration and purification.

Food: You’ll need food stored as well. Again, a 7 day supply at minimum, ideally 1 month. You’ll want non-perishable, calorie and nutrient dense food that packs the most bang for your buck. Peanut butter, protein bars, crackers, canned fruit, are all good ideas. Remember to have variety, as it will supply more nutrients and will be less boring. If you’re feeling fancy you can go with MREs of freeze dried food as well.

For more information, read this article on emergency food supply and storage.

Medication/First Aid: Have extra medication stored for anyone in your family who needs it. Also have a first aid kit on hand. While it won’t help you survive a zombie bite, it will help treat minor wounds and injuries.

Sanitation: You’ll want things like garbage bags to remove waste, soap and anti- bacterial gel, and chlorine bleach to help disinfect water or clean up the mess of the a decapitated zombie on your living room floor.

Securing Your Home

Your next step is making your home impenetrable to zombies. While it’s difficult to make any home truly inaccessible, there is a lot you can do to increase your chances of survival.

If you have a gate encircling your home, your first step is to close it and lock it. A gate or fence serves as a great first barrier against the undead. Next, you’ll want to board up all your bottom floor windows. This makes it much less likely zombies will get in, and less likely you’ll be seen by outside forces. While there is no way to fully secure a building, keeping a low profile is your best bet in avoiding trouble.

Have a back plan if your ground level floor is compromised. Is there a secure basement you can move to? Is there a way to make the staircase unusable, so you can stay on the top floor?

If you live in an apartment you may be in luck. Most have security doors, making it tough for anyone, undead or otherwise, to break into. You’ll also be above the ground floor, which makes you harder to reach and gives you a greater vantage point of the surrounding area. Finally, you may have a built-in community of people around you to rely on for survival.

Arrgghhhh!!!

ESCAPE!

What if you decide your home is unfit for a fortress, though? What if, despite your best efforts, it just wouldn’t be possible to defend? Then, you need to escape plan.

First, you need a place to go. Somewhere far enough to be away from the chaos, but close enough to get there within a reasonable time. Do you have a crazy uncle with a bomb shelter and a gun collection who lives just out of state? He’d be perfect.

Second, you need a vehicle. Something big enough to carry you and your family, as well as some supplies. The more fuel efficient the better, as gas stations are unreliable in an emergency. In fact, if possible have some stored gasoline somewhere in your property for emergencies. In a zombie apocalypse, it will be worth more than gold.

Third, you need an escape route. Know the best way to get to where you need to go. Avoid major roads and highways as much as possible, as traffic will likely be at a stand still. Leave at off-hours, to avoid traffic as much as possible.

WEAPONS

During the zombie apocalypse, you’ll need a good supply of weapons. There’s an ongoing debate as to what type of weapons are ideal. Fire arms have a long range, but are loud and run out of bullets. Large, blunt objects such as axes and swords are quiet, effective, reusable but must be used at close range.

I’m a believer in diversifying your weapon portfolio. Have something for every occasion, that way you’ll never be caught off guard. Remember though, efficiency is key. You don’t want something that wastes a lot of bullets or fuel for every zombie kill. You’ll definitely want to avoid flashy weapons that put on a show, but are loud, close range, and run out of fuel quickly, such as flame throwers and chainsaws.

Unless, of course, you’re this guy.

REBUILDING

After everything settles down, it will be up to you and the other survivors to rebuild civilization. It’s a good idea now to build a circle of people who you know would be helpful in the event of the collapse of civilization.

Some of the qualities to consider are:
-Able to work with others
-Mentally strong
-Skilled in food production- raising livestock, farming, food preparation, etc.
-Skilled in a trade- blacksmith, plumber, electrical engineer, etc.
-Strong leadership qualities

Some qualities to avoid:
-Mentally weak
-Lone wolf/can’t work well with others
-Untrustworthy
-Someone who will take more from a community than they give
-Someone nursing unexplained wounds

The zombie apocalypse can be a major bummer. In fact, it can downright ruin your day. But with as little preparation and foresight, you can be ready for the hordes of undead with gun in hand and food in cellar. With a little work, you can survive and even thrive through humanities greatest challenge yet.

And always remember- if it looks dead, aim for the head.

Good luck and stay prepared!

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY BOOK, Rambo Moe’s 30 DAY ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE PREPAREDNESS PLAN!