Zombie Apocolypse - With a Twist.

[Azure Sky]

True, any severe cranial damage would kill a zombie, but using my zombie frame of reference (Max Brooks' Zombie Survival Guide) spinal damage may cripple them, but still leave the part attached to the head well and alive. And while I acknowledge that using something like a mace or axe or sword to inflict fatal wounds to the zombies is sometimes necessary, someone cannot simply pick up any blunt object and be able to consistently deliver fatal blows with every stroke. It takes practice to be truly proficient with any weapon, and it also take a cool head. If you're being surrounded by a horde of zombies, almost everyone is going to be in a state of panic and their blows will not be efficient. I'd rather be able to deliver fatal wounds with yards between me and them. Though as I said, I included a hatchet as a last resort melee weapon, and if I was able to establish a more permanent base, I would probably look for a bigger stick, so to speak. I am against the over-reliance of hand-to-hand weapons, as I think it exposes you to far too much risk.

I probably should have made the decision for camo clearer. It's not to hide myself better from zombies, as I know right well they will likely smell and hear me before seeing me, even if I'm right in their face. The camo is a long-term decision: hunting will be a key source of sustenance, and camo will obviously give me an advantage over my prey, or at least it will help even the odds.

Firearms are how humans are going to survive the apocalypse. If you'll notice that unlike everybody else who commented, I did not go with the biggest, baddest, loudest gun I could find, but rather small caliber weapons that will not alert every zombie in a 5 mile radius with every shot. Also, only in flat, unwooded areas is the sound of gunfire going to put me at great risk; once I'm in a hillier, wooded area, the sound of .22 caliber guns will be almost entirely masked.

Fair enough, I'll pay the camo.
As for killing things in close ranges, I did actually have an alternative in my own response to my OP.
Loud noises are still enough to stir them, let me put this to you.

If you are in a mini suburban area, and wanted to move, but it starts raining.
Do you move? Sure the rain may mask your movements, but the zombies are going to be agitated by the noise made by the rain.

 

[Azure Sky]

Can you sterilize them by cooking thoroughly? Or will they still zombify you?

Cooking doesn't kill all bacteria anyway.
Considering a scratch can infect, I wouldn't take the risk, personally.

 

[barbzilla]

I can't really honestly say what I would do as it would depend on the situation. I couldn't very well break into the pawn shop to steal weapons if the zombies are horded around it, but I can say that I would obtain a 5lb bag of black powder (any sporting goods store would have it, even walmart) and a .22 pistol (.22 is quite lethal in the head as it bounces around in the skull and is the most readily available ammo), also find a few magazines for the pistol (probably not more than 3, because if I need that many rounds to take the zombies down I need to be running not fighting). Finally I would collect non perishable food items and water.

 

[StevenSuffern]

Of course, any hypothetical zombie scenario would just highlight the impossibility of a zombie. How can a blood-borne virus be transmitted so easily? How come these walking dead don't decay rapidly with exposure to sunlight, oxygen, and millions and millions of bacteria? How come they don't all get eaten by carnivorous animals (and even more scavenging animals)? And if it's because the animals turn to zombie too, then how can this virus be transmittable between all species? And if animals do turn to zombies, how come we don't see people getting pecked and nibbled to death by songbirds and squirrels in the movies? And how come the zombies don't attack each other? No, seriously - one moment they'll be biting and eating each other, the next "oh, he's a zombie, better stop." If they're motivated by hunger, there's pounds and pounds of dead, shambling flesh all around them for the eating. If they're motivated by rage, there's many people around them still moving that can be attacked repeatedly. Instead, zombies work together. Why?

The virus greatly slows the decay process, though as you point out, there are lots of factors that still cause the zombies to decay. The Walking Dead establishes that the scent of the zombies is peculiar, unique to only the "animated" dead. The scent identifies one zombie to another, effectively telling other zombies "I R NOT FUD," while also repelling all would-be predators, leaving the zombies unmolested at the top of the food chain. The zombies' sole purpose is to eat, according to Max Brooks, so much so that they will literally burst themselves from overconsumption. Finally, zombies do not have any semblance of society or organization; the fact that they appear to work together is due to each zombie's singular pursuit of prey. They will mass against a fence, bash down a door together not because some conscious thought told them that was best, but simply because each zombie wanted food, and they literally have no sense of self-preservation in seeking meat.

Though, as you did note, the idea of a zombie does not fit with our current understanding of biological principles and processes. It's just fun to imagine

 

[Kufaz]

I don't feel like writing an entire description, but I would obtain an oil tanker and helicopter and live in the ocean, making regular trips inland (remote, unpopulated areas) to restock.

 

[gostlyfantom]

lol i would grab my shoes, my pocket knife and strike out for north, fuckin zombies cant catch my ass! if at all possible i would obtain some sort of hunting rifle.

 

[MasterOfWorlds]

Being the pretty good sized guy I am, and in pretty good shape, I'd say I'd be able to carry about 50-70 pounds worth of gear without too much trouble for a while.

So, my equipment? Military flashlight with red and green filters, about a dozen D batteries, about 50 feet worth of lightweight nylon rope, my Roman dagger (~8-9 inches of near razor sharp folded steel in a scabbard), scoped M14A1 with about 100 rounds of ammo in clips, 2 one litre bottles of water, gun cleaning kit, first aid kit, small hatchet, gloves, 2 rolls of duct tape, bandana, safety goggles, mosquito net hat, military grade bug repellent, fix a flat, and a bike pump. I have a bike too, which would be quieter than a car, and doesn't need to be gassed up. I'd also bring some canned/dried food. Oh, and my Swiss Army Knife.

Edit: Since the zombies are still physiologically human, I'm not going for the head shots. I'm good, but I'm not nearly good enough to make consistant head shots. I'm aiming for legs. If the muscle in the legs are destroyed, they won't be able to walk and will be even slower. This is only when I have to though. I'm not firing a single shot unless it's really needed.

 

[ecoho]

speaking of witch how much preparation time do we actually have?

Lets see... Depends by what you mean?
If you mean 'Time after it first becomes an apparent threat'.
Then probably about a week, as that is when the infection starts.

If you mean 'Time after I find out about it'.
Then a day, maybe a few tops.
Depending on how much news you read/watch and how accurate it is.
Unless you are in a primary infection zone, in which case, zero. =3

id go about my daily life seeing as my staes borders would be CLOSED the second this became a real threat. but if this must be a run for your life thing. pack up my dogs, family ,and my asorted ammo and guns then drive my ass to the national gaurd armory 2hours away. live for 40 plus years as the zombies go nuts trying to find me.

 

[StevenSuffern]

As for killing things in close ranges, I did actually have an alternative in my own response to my OP.
Loud noises are still enough to stir them, let me put this to you.

If you are in a mini suburban area, and wanted to move, but it starts raining.
Do you move? Sure the rain may mask your movements, but the zombies are going to be agitated by the noise made by the rain.

Hah, I finally reread the first post and recognize you as the creator of this zombie apocalypse.

Looking at your response, you do have a good idea with the walking staff, as it definitely makes for some fun games of zombie-tipping. The Deagle, though, is definitely overkill. You can get the same lethal result from a smaller gun, like a Glock 17, but with the glock you would have a better gun in that it is lighter, more accurate due to less recoil, with a larger clip (you could spring for an enlarged clip that holds something like 30 rounds, like the Arizona shooter had, if you didn't think 17 was enough) and much easier-to-find ammunition. Also, assuming we are purchasing some of these weapons beforehand, due to our high-strung paranoia XD, a Glock is much, much less expensive, for the gun and ammo.

And with your rain example, what is the effect of these agitated zombies? Are they more alert for other noises for some reason? Because otherwise if i needed to haul ass, that is when I would do it.

 

[Rayne870]

Really slow, really strong, really stupid, unlikely to starve variety.

Uh...so all of their prey is faster than them in exception to Bob the guy with no arms and no legs, and everyone is smarter than them except my ex. So they don't starve by catching and eating 1.5 people?

 

[Azure Sky]

As for killing things in close ranges, I did actually have an alternative in my own response to my OP.
Loud noises are still enough to stir them, let me put this to you.

If you are in a mini suburban area, and wanted to move, but it starts raining.
Do you move? Sure the rain may mask your movements, but the zombies are going to be agitated by the noise made by the rain.

Hah, I finally reread the first post and recognize you as the creator of this zombie apocalypse.

Looking at your response, you do have a good idea with the walking staff, as it definitely makes for some fun games of zombie-tipping. The Deagle, though, is definitely overkill. You can get the same lethal result from a smaller gun, like a Glock 17, but with the glock you would have a better gun in that it is lighter, more accurate due to less recoil, with a larger clip (you could spring for an enlarged clip that holds something like 30 rounds, like the Arizona shooter had, if you didn't think 17 was enough) and much easier-to-find ammunition. Also, assuming we are purchasing some of these weapons beforehand, due to our high-strung paranoia XD, a Glock is much, much less expensive, for the gun and ammo.

And with your rain example, what is the effect of these agitated zombies? Are they more alert for other noises for some reason? Because otherwise if i needed to haul ass, that is when I would do it.

The overkill on the gun is more to do with me probably not being the greatest shot. even if I hit its chest or such, I want it on the ground having difficulty getting up.

As for the rain, more alert but more importantly, moving around.

 

[Azure Sky]

Really slow, really strong, really stupid, unlikely to starve variety.

Uh...so all of their prey is faster than them in exception to Bob the guy with no arms and no legs, and everyone is smarter than them except my ex. So they don't starve by catching and eating 1.5 people?

It's more of a case that when you stop and rest, they keep going. They don't sleep either.

 

[Rayne870]

Really slow, really strong, really stupid, unlikely to starve variety.

Uh...so all of their prey is faster than them in exception to Bob the guy with no arms and no legs, and everyone is smarter than them except my ex. So they don't starve by catching and eating 1.5 people?

It's more of a case that when you stop and rest, they keep going. They don't sleep either.

That's still fairly meh for me, I mean hell if I had a bicycle I could set huge amounts of distance between myself and the zombies and live rather zombie free somewhere in the middle of the Trans Canada Highway, lord knows there's enough moose to eat. Zombie skunks and bears would be a buzzkill though.

 

[StevenSuffern]

The overkill on the gun is more to do with me probably not being the greatest shot. even if I hit its chest or such, I want it on the ground having difficulty getting up.

As for the rain, more alert but more importantly, moving around.

Haha, fair enough. Might I recommend a .45 then? More manageable than Deagle, of course with a hell of a lot more kick than a 9mm. Also, since we both seem to be reasonably well versed in zombology, you want to be zombiepocalypse buddies?

 

[Azure Sky]

The overkill on the gun is more to do with me probably not being the greatest shot. even if I hit its chest or such, I want it on the ground having difficulty getting up.

As for the rain, more alert but more importantly, moving around.

Haha, fair enough. Might I recommend a .45 then? More manageable than Deagle, of course with a hell of a lot more kick than a 9mm. Also, since we both seem to be reasonably well versed in zombology, you want to be zombiepocalypse buddies?

But but but the d00gle holds a soft spot from back in CS days. >.>

As for zombies, I always pin myself as a lone wolf tbh.

 

[emeraldrafael]

I live outside a major city. So I grab my broadsword, my two 1889 Winchesters, 2 1862 Colt Navys, 3 1863 Colt Armys. Pack my dufflebag with ammo, food, water, and medical supplies, then get my sturdy heavy jeans, my hardened leather vest, my tennis shoes, and my t-shirt. oh, an my hoodie.

I'll then get in my uncle's car (since he's never let anyone or anything touch it, and only runs it to make sure it gets enough use to run), drive to pick up a few friends who will all be armed, then drive to the city. Stop at the regional major bank, and pick up a few armour trucks they use to transport the money. Drive to the sporting goods and camping stores, picking up food, then to a library and pick up books and maps. Drive to the River, find a boat, clean it out, then plot a course to a small island. Sail to said island, clear out any inhabitants that are zombified, then start living again, swiss family robinson style.

Its actually really simple.

 

[JemothSkarii]

Alright, I'm going to do this with stuff I have, and without the hindrance of my physical disability ^^:

Weapons:
Iaido Katana: It's sharp, decent length, good for decapitating zombies.
Friend's 30-06: He lives across the street, we live out of any major towns and he likes to go hunting, so I could drag him along with me. He's also got a couple of shotguns, .22's, and this big bolt action rifle from WWII (we're in Australia).

Apparel:
PAN microfleece hoodie from ThinkGeek (Hooray for 11 Pockets)
Russian WWII gas mask (The same type as the one in Dead Man's Shoes)
Camo Cargo Pants (Thick, plenty of pockets)
Light Kevlar Vest (Dad has one, he's a cop)
Thick hiking boots.

Gear:
Home made jerky
Backpack (Decent size)
300+ .22 rounds
Unknown amount of 30-06, probably 200
4 bottles of water.
Hunting knife
Lighter
First Aid Kit

Plan:
Go up into the Warby Ranges (basically live in them) Raid Glenrowan when we need supplies (Population of about...200 people? Spread out quite a lot too), then move onto Wangaratta if needbe (Quite a bit larger...40,000 people I think). Should be pretty safe up in the mountains, lots of trees, no snow, few people.

 

[AssassinJoe]

Dude, slow zombies are boring. My weapon would be a pair of comfortable walking shoes.

Personally I think slow zombies are scarier the running up the street, yelling at the top of their lungs zombies we've been getting lately. Because they swarm and are quieter. You never know if there's a whole group of those bastards around the next corner, until you walk right into them.

OT: Metal baseball bat, a few cans of food (at least 10 cans), a can opener, 6 bottles of water, matches, 2 jackets, a book, 2 frying pans (1 for cooking and 1 for bashing zombie brains; must not mix up), 2 rolls of duct tape (because when do you not need duct tape?), a backpack to carry it all in, and a towel (cause I wouldn't want to go anywhere without my wonderful towel!)

My plan would be to try and find my friends and head north. Hopefully the zombies' body temperature will be low enough so that they freeze in a cold environment, if not... well, I try to stay positive!

 

[EMFCRACKSHOT]

I dress in my BDUs, put on my tac vest and grab my .22 air rifles for which somehow i've accumulated about 12000 rounds of pointed ammo for. It fires at about 1100 fps and should serve adequately. Its also relatively quiet.
I fill my two canteens and grab a few rat packs (in july i move into a new house and plan on stocking up on at least two weeks worth of MREs) and grab my fishing gear.
Dressed in the garb of a member of the british army, i requisition a sturdy 4x4 and head to one of the small islands around scotland. (on the way i'd stop at a b&q and load up on compost, seeds, gardening equipment etc and a sturdy tent)
Then i create an island paradise, safe from zombies =D
of course, a trip to the mainland to acquire a female and some books would have to be in order.

 

[Nouw]

I need a flare and a ladder.

Go up a building, set the flare off and get saved!