What is your zombie/infected apocalypse strategy?

[Rudolph Quin]

So, in the case of a scenario portrayed by zombie movies or the 28 Days Later movies, what would be your strategy?

Would you seek to survive as long as possible or... would you give up? Could you do it? Could you live in a world infested with humans who have lost their minds and have only the desire to kill you? Could you do what needed to be done to survive? Would you have the will to end it for yourself if the going got too rough? How would you go? By your own hand or... joining the legions of infected?

I was watching Dead Within which explores an infected much like the 28 Days virus. A couple are holed up in a cabin by themselves, barricaded in with wood blocking all openings. Food starts getting scarce and the husband has to forage outside and find what he can each day. And occasionally, they huddle in the dark in the middle of the room, looking around warily, holding their machetes, while growling, diseased humans, intent on their destruction, circle the outside of the cabin and attempt to get inside.

I couldn't do it. The absolute hopelessness would overwhelm me. Constantly banging your head against the wall of "what's the point?"

What if people showed up? Other survivors. If it was just you and someone(s) you were close to... would you open your heart and let them in and save them, despite the danger they might pose? ...could you leave them out there... knowing that they would surely die without you? Could you sit and listen while the hordes of undead surrounded them and ate them to death... and do nothing?

Real talk. Nobody is going to be Tallahassee, so cut the bullshit. What would you really do?

 

[darkangel76]

Honestly.........I know for a fact--and I've said this countless times--I wouldn't be able to survive on my own. At least, I do not think so. Sure, I'm smart and all that. But, even smarts won't allow you to survive such an ordeal forever. Not when you are overrun like that. I also don't think being entirely alone would either and I'm not one for large groups. But I do know I'd need people. And, sad to say, I'd HAVE to be able to rely on them. I know this. I'd HAVE to trust that they'd be able to help me because I am truly (and pathetically) useless as far as weaponry goes. Sure, I could stab something. I have no problems doing it. HOWEVER, being effective at it? That is something else entirely. I am weak. I am slow. Basically, I would totally suck and probably be a big burden to anyone I came across. This is why not only would I NEED to rely on a small group of people, BUT people I know I could trust with my life to truly and genuinely protect me (meaning that they'd WANT to protect me, otherwise I'd get paranoid and fear that they'd leave me behind to get eaten alive...no joke there). It's a very humbling thing to have to admit that you really couldn't do anything at all to protect yourself in such a situation, but I very much know I wouldn't be able to. Also, I know that staying in one place isn't the ideal. In such situations, you HAVE to move. Unless you can very seriously fortify? Forget it. You move. And you move a lot. Would kill my lungs, but I'd do my best and again, rely on others for protection assuming I could find those willing to do so that hadn't already been turned.

Now, if I couldn't find anyone and I was stuck? Now.........that would leave me in one hell of a predicament because I don't think I could allow myself to knowingly be turned, not if I could help it anyway. The other issue I face is that I get stressed easily. VERY easily. I have a tendency to go from 0 to 1,000,000 in no time at all. >.< And it may not take much. So, in this type of scenario? I can't even begin to truly imagine how I'd be. I'd probably be in a state of constant melt down, which would probably piss off a lot of people. So, I'd be difficult to talk to, get distracted, you name it.... Man, yeah... I'd be the biggest burden ever. It truly would take great people to want to take on the job of protecting me. And yes.....I would need it. Weak, slow, clumsy.... me.

So, if this apocalypse ever does come? A huge thank you to whoever protects me during it....... seriously. Even if it is for 5 minutes. >.<

 

[Rudolph Quin]

If I were to try to actively survive, the only point for me would be to protect the people I love. Human relationships and connection at that point would be the top priority.

I would look after you, dark, especially knowing you and understanding you the way that I do. ^^ <3

 

[darkangel76]

Aww, Quin, you are awesome. A BIG thank you to you for saying that. Seriously. I know I'd be a burden to people given my nature and other faults. So knowing someone had my back is a pretty big deal. Especially those who do understand that way I tick. *nods* I have to agree that if it came down to one of those situations where the inevitable was set before me, I'd go down for those I cared about (count yourself among them, Quin!). Knowing that I am indeed a burden and that those I trust and care about are willing to do so much for me? Yeah, if it truly came down to it........even if I didn't want to go down that way, I'd sacrifice myself that way if it meant I could save my loved ones. Strangers? I don't know if I could for strangers. Maybe for kids. But just run of the mill strangers? Might sound a bit cold, but it would probably depend on the situation because I'd rather go some other way than become an undead that would just potentially kill/turn others.

 

[BennyQ]

My principal knowledge of zombies comes from World War Z (the book, not the movie) and the Survival Guide that came with it. I would most likely face it alone for the most part, hiding in basements or high places. Now I live in Canada, which is sparsely populated, very large landmass, and not as many guns available as there would be in America. This calls for a stealthier strategy than going rambo or some other "guns ablazing" method. I'm sure there would be isolated farms that I could discover, eventually taking for my own if the inhabitants fled or became infected themselves. My weapon of choice would be a spear, reusable, silent, and efficient for thrusting and withdrawing, though making it would be a problem. But as the World War Z book taught me, masses of people would flee to the Canadian wilderness as well, hoping to find refuge in the wide wilderness and freezing cold that would slow down a zombie. This would result in any food source or arable land becoming swarmed with crazy refugees for the first part, and once starvation sets in those very same masses become hordes of zombies. The only option would be to head south to avoid winter and starvation, but face the risk of entering the more populated regions of North America, increasing the risk of being mauled by more zombies.

Of course, I doubt I very much would survive the opening stages of a zombie apocalypse. If winter or starvation didn't kill me, my loneliness would probably drive me to despair and eventual insanity. Being an introvert and having a lone wolf mentality, if I didn't die from being overwhelmed by zombies or my own hand, I would probably be a threat to other bands of survivors out there. Who in turn, having the numbers would probably eliminate me. In other words, there's no hope for BennyQ either way.

 

[Isenhart De'Rathe]

I've been working on my zombie survival plan or several years now, on and off as a joke project, but I have decided that if something this bat-shit crazy were to actually happen then my joke plan would become my real plan. I do not need to stockpile food, guns, or ammunition - I already do that. I live in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere and I try to be as self-sufficient as I possibly can. As such, I grow a large garden every year and I've got a stockpile of self-canned vegetables. I also hunt, hence my gun ownership and my reloading station to allow for the reuse of the brass casing that makes up most firearm shells. I'm good in those departments. I got food covered.

Shelter and transportation are what I would need to secure and I have come to what I believe will be the best solution. My plan is to load up my truck and head into the nearby town. Yes, I am going TOWARDS the town if the zombies hit us. Why? I am going to secure and lock down the local train station. This will give me sturdy shelter that, pending on how well I can barricade the doors and windows, will be almost impenetrable by the living dead (provided they cannot use things such as cars to bust the walls out, and I have never heard of zombies driving before, so we're rolling with it). Once I learn to operate the train, it will also give me a means of armored transport to almost any location. Most of the US has train tracks somewhere and most of that network is connected. Safe shelter and armored transport are my main objectives in the event of a zombie outbreak and I think a train depot would serve me well.

After that, it would be all about finding survivors and starting to rebuild society. I hate people, but I hate being alone even more so in the event of a Z-Day apocalypse I am stuck with the lesser of two evils.

 

[Jolie]

After that, it would be all about finding survivors and starting to rebuild society. I hate people, but I hate being alone even more so in the event of a Z-Day apocalypse I am stuck with the lesser of two evils.

God, I love a man who takes charge. If I'm not a zombie, I hope to find someone with this kind of save-the-world drive. If I am a zombie, I'll just try to eat his brains.

 

[Isenhart De'Rathe]

After that, it would be all about finding survivors and starting to rebuild society. I hate people, but I hate being alone even more so in the event of a Z-Day apocalypse I am stuck with the lesser of two evils.

God, I love a man who takes charge. If I'm not a zombie, I hope to find someone with this kind of save-the-world drive. If I am a zombie, I'll just try to eat his brains.

Well when the world ends, you can hop on my train and let me take a quick ride in your caboose.

I'm sorry, that joke reached out and slapped me in the face. I couldn't resist.

 

[Archmagos Issac]

Assuming that the apocalypse has just started, the first thing I'll do is go through the building I'm currently in and go to each and every bathroom or kitchen. I'd plug up the drains and get the water running so I have a source of water before electricity goes out and I can't get water from the public water. That would mean I'm filling up sinks, tubs, and the tank of the toilet (it's clean water haha). An average kitchen sink can hold anywhere from 15 to 20 gallons of water, though it depends on the sinks dimensions. An average bathtub can hold about 60 gallons of water (again, this depends on the dimensions of the tub). An average toilet tank holds roughly about as much as the sink. I have a 2 bathroom house and a kitchen. If I were to hold out there I would have roughly 165-180 gallons of fresh and clean water. The human body requires about 1 milliliter of water a day to survive. That would mean I have roughly 624593-681374 days worth of water. To put that into perspective, that's enough water to survive almost 1710-1865 years. But that is just drinking water and lord knows I would probably use more than that for cooking.

Once I've filled all the sinks and tubs, I'd immediately get high. Ideally I'd want to be in an apartment building with a flat roof with a stairway up. I'd quickly isolate the level I'm on, either by blocking off the stairs or destroying the stairs all together. Once I'm certain I have that part of the building on lockdown, I'd begin gathering supplies. Preserved foods, perishables, medical supplies, weapons, tools, etc. Once I have that, I'd gather clothes so I can make a rope so I can get down to the lower levels so I can look for supplies once I run out. The roof I'd convert into a garden area so I can remain self reliant. I would also put as many empty containers so I can collect rain water and have a supply of water. That's about as far as I've thought so far haha.

Equipment wise? I'd try to find some riot gear. The armor, the helmet, and if possible a riot shield. The riot gear alone is designed to withstand slashes with a knife, bites, or chewing. Weapon wise I would try to keep it simple. A crowbar if possible. However, my holy grail of weapons I would look for is the "Zombie Annihilator". I would cream my pants if I could get my hands on that beauty. Combined with the riot shield, riot gear, and a narrow staircase? No undead asshole is gonna get to my juicy brain anytime soon

 

[Trygon]

I have immediate access to several nuclear reactor equipped Navy ships within three miles of me, and one particular would-be survivor with intimate knowledge of those machines, enough to teach other people to operate the reactor and the ship as a whole, and also maintain it.

Getting to the ships would be hairy, of course, but the rewards of infinite energy and a floating base are clear. From there, it's up to Alaska to let them know that the apocalypse has come and they now have the best real estate.

 

[Karameida]

My strategy? Errr....not die?

But so long as they can't run or climb I'd be relatively ok. But if they start running I'm dead. I run, I'm slow as shit and can be outrun by a fucking sea turtle but I do run. Though I guess at that point it'd be considered fast walking?

But wouldn't do me any good cause I would be able to "run" for about 20 seconds before collapsing breathing heavily. I DO have a redeeming quality of sorts. I'm a pretty decent shot with a bow and arrow. Haven't shot a gun but I imagine I'd be a quick learner.

As far as strategy? Find a very large group. SOMEONE in there has to be slower than me. Or at the very least I could trip a few people. Especially if I dislike them. << >>;;; But I'd do my damndest to protect people important to me and not break down into hysteria over the fact that MOTHER FUCKING ZOMBIES WERE REAL AND KILLING SHIT....no guarantees on that. I'd be able to manage until we were at LEAST relatively safe. Buuuuut. Yeah.

EDIT :::

In reading some of these replies I change my strategy. I'm gonna find Trygon and go with him.

 

[Onanisama]

I am ten minute drive from a military base, I know where I am going and where I am going to lock myself away at. Especially since they have 3 massive fence lines and they aren't just made out of barbed wire.

 

[Revnarh]

The best strategy to survive a zombie apocalypse is by not encountering/approaching any zombies.

Learn the following stuff to increase the rate of surviving in the wild:

making traps
fishing (either with arrows, a net, a fishing rod or some other way)
hunting with a bow or a slingshot
making bows, spears, arrows and traps
building shelter in high places
starting a fire without burning down a forest
treating wounds with herbs
creating medicine from plants
finding fruits and other edible food in the wild without getting poisened

Train your body to be strong enough to carry what you need as well as to be fast enough to run away in case that you encounter a zombie and to have enough stamina so you won't get exhausted too quickly. Do not try to kill the zombie even when there is only one unless you are far away enough to use a bow and arrows. Guns are noisy and attract more zombies which reduces your chances of survival. What will you do when you run out of ammo, use a weapon like a baseballbat or something else to get some zombie blood on you? That will only be a risk of getting infected and turned into a zombie. Better be careful and take them out from a safer distance so they can't find out where you are. Don't try to loot an abandoned town, village, city or building. There could be too many zombies there. Live by hunting, fishing and collecting wild plants. Don't stay at one place for too long, always wander around the planet. Sleep in a high place and bind yourself with a rope to a tree so you won't fall down. You can do this strategy alone or in a small group as long as nobody carries a gun with them.

 

[Nature Girl]

Well if I were in 28 Days later, I'd stick it out with Cillian Murphy just for the wonderfully distracting eye-candy!

But seriously? If I were barricaded in with no way out, nowhere to go and the food all gone, I'd have one choice. I'd make a Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Bolivian-style break for it and to hell with the consequences. I'd have to go out with a 'glory' gesture before bodily and mental weakness stole my life - never mind the zombies!

 

[Asphodel Terrarium]

The choice of locking oneself in the basement and barricading seems a bad one. When the zombies have a greater advantage when you do come out. They can attack you easily since you are on lower ground; they have gravity on their side. Barricading oneself in higher ground maybe better since when you go out. You can quickly attack from above. It would help if you have weapons such as guns and arrows. But I wouldn't really like that either.

The best for me would be to find other survivors and band together. Strength in numbers. If I'm a lone survivor, then either I indeed lock myself in isolation or kill myself with my own hands.

 

[VitaObscura]

Home: Secure all entry/exit points, fill every container with water, check and double check my gear, Emergency Bug Out Kit ( Earthquakes and Zombie Apocalypses, yo ), firearms and close combat weapons before accessing the situation and evacuating to an area to meet up with other friends and family, eventually leaving with them in tow.

Not at Home: Try to get Home.

Exit strategy: Get to Angel Island

Profit

 

[Asphodel Terrarium]

The best strategy to survive a zombie apocalypse is by not encountering/approaching any zombies.

Learn the following stuff to increase the rate of surviving in the wild:

making traps
fishing (either with arrows, a net, a fishing rod or some other way)
hunting with a bow or a slingshot
making bows, spears, arrows and traps
building shelter in high places
starting a fire without burning down a forest
treating wounds with herbs
creating medicine from plants
finding fruits and other edible food in the wild without getting poisened

Train your body to be strong enough to carry what you need as well as to be fast enough to run away in case that you encounter a zombie and to have enough stamina so you won't get exhausted too quickly. Do not try to kill the zombie even when there is only one unless you are far away enough to use a bow and arrows. Guns are noisy and attract more zombies which reduces your chances of survival. What will you do when you run out of ammo, use a weapon like a baseballbat or something else to get some zombie blood on you? That will only be a risk of getting infected and turned into a zombie. Better be careful and take them out from a safer distance so they can't find out where you are. Don't try to loot an abandoned town, village, city or building. There could be too many zombies there. Live by hunting, fishing and collecting wild plants. Don't stay at one place for too long, always wander around the planet. Sleep in a high place and bind yourself with a rope to a tree so you won't fall down. You can do this strategy alone or in a small group as long as nobody carries a gun with them.

Scrap the idea of being in isolation. I'm going with Revnarh. Revnarh, I'm coming for you!

 

[Revnarh]

Only up to twelve people are allowed to join me on the daily quest of survival. The smaller the group the better the chances are to hide from others who want to kill you for your gear and other things.

We'd need a meeting point on the planet earth since I live in Germany right now. That way we can gather better and then wander around as a group.

 

[Aida Rose]

I dunno. I've been invited to a couple zombie survivor groups. One girl's in particular, sounds really good. She's an environmental major, very smart and knowledge having, so she laid out a plan for sustainability that confused me but seemed clever as fuck.

So either that, or suicide pact, probably. Pretty much because my twin's response to all this planning was, "Nope. Beam me up Jesus. No wifi, no plumbing, no me." We like to stick together lol. And I'll be real, my nickname's been princess before and those people weren't wrong. I don't know what I'll do if I can't find the conditioner I like. Literally, this is what I'm thinking about when watching the Walking Dead or whatever.

That being said, I'm really good at archery, Revnarh...

 

[Absinthresher]

A) Are you in the city? GET THE FUCK OUT.
B) Go to the country, somewhere remote as fuck. Find an abandoned house if you don't already own a cabin of some sort.
I'm not talking "Twenty minute drive from Red Deer". I'm talking "Nearest town is 5 hours away".
C) Farm, Hunt, Etc.

This can change depending on where you live, but here's some extra steps if you live in a place like Alberta.

D) Get a bigass diesel truck and fill up a bunch of slip tanks with fuel. Trust me, you can find a fuck ton of these
in any major city in Alberta, plus a lot of smaller towns and such.
E) Make weekly raids to Home Depot, but always go to a different one if you go to the same city.
You'll be drawing zombies/infected to a different location each time.
F) Honestly, Generators aren't a must but a nice alternative until you can get 'natural energy' set up. You WILL run out
of fuel eventually.
G) Wait for Winter. Canadian winters are fucking brutal, and the zombies will last all of a few days of that shit before they
freeze to death.

 

[AlluringEnigma]

See, I am the biggest believer in the "McDonald's" strategy, which is a term I've just made up.

Essentially it boils down to this. Boom; the apocalypse just hit. With great speed, I rush over to steal some sort of school bus. Using this vehicle, I drive around to nearby fast food chains and find the most sedentary humans I can find. Living in America, I don't think it'd be hard. Essentially, I'd load the bus with the most obese people I could find.

Ever hear the idea that if you go bear hunting, bring a friend you can outrun? Well, this is the same idea. If shit ever hits the fan, I'll be protected by people much slower than me.

Now, this might sound horribly cynical at first glance, but think optimistically for a second. If everything goes according to plan, through the rationing and constant running, the obese people I picked up would become extremely fit from the rigors of the post-apocalyptic world. Essentially, I could create the world's greatest fitness program ever made.

Now consider this; when the world is eventually reclaimed by people with more progressive plans, such as the people in this thread, I'll be world-renowned. Think of the sponsorship deals! I'll be the next Richard Simmons! It's genius and nothing could go wrong.

Of course, if everything goes absolutely wrong, I'd find a way to die in the most interesting position possible, therefore confusing future archaeologists.

Either way, I'm famous.

 

[red eyed demon]

I would hide under a dumpster.
Walking Dead fans will know

 

[November]

The element I hate about zombie movies is the wish fulfillment fantasy that everybody thinks they're smarter than 99% of the world and boy if society broke down you'd turn into Daryl Fuckin Dixon overnight. Unless you're planning for a zombie apocalypse right now, AND have military and survival training AND have a couple layers of backup plans (aka you're literally insane) you're probably going to die like the rest of us, because like there's 50 wackos in your town that are going to do the same "clever plan" you have.

I'd kill myself in a zero-hope situation, like I wake up and they're at the door, but I'd figure out a strategy in the moment and act on it like everybody else.

But really, all of the zombie movies ignore/underestimate the US military. Those guys would quickly adapt to any situation and destroy the fuck out of those things at the first sign of trouble. The Pentagon literally has plans for a zombie apocalypse. They're just theoretical but like I said.

http://nerdist.com/here-is-the-militarys-plan-to-stop-a-zombie-apocalypse/

And with the internet? Nah. Zombies lose 100% of the time, Semper Fi, etc.

 

[Mitsu]

I find myself agreeing with November.

I'm too out of shape, and I haven't been in a fight since I was in elementary school. I've never been in a life threatening situation, or contested myself against nature in a survival situation. Realistically, I have zero chance of surviving the zombie apocalypse. I have no plan, no strategy, and no experience that would allow me to come out ahead. All I know is the basic things that any person in this thread has likely said: find a remote/safe area, gather supplies ahead of time, and know someone with guns. That's all basic, but putting it into practice is probably easier said than done-- unless you are already in a position to do so.

I also agree that the military would be on it. Any military fortification would be able to deal with most zombie situations. Unless there are hundreds and hundreds of fast ones swarming an understaffed fortification, a few .50 machine gun placements, a mortar or two, and some SAWs will mow down any straight-on zombie charge. Hell, put a fucking copter in the sky with some guns and the zombies are sitting ducks. If you have a big enough swarm, then send out the Abrams and decimate it. The ONLY way I can see the military failing is if the infection spreads ridiculously quickly, the zombies move as fast as the body allows, and they are in some way organized. Before you say anything about resources, that's the first thing the Military will look to secure. They would have that figured out as soon as possible, because they know how vital it all is. Every competent military in history knows how important it is to secure resources and supply lines.

If you have it in your mind, at all, that random fuckos out there can survive the zombie apocalypse, then the military will certainly. Personally, my chances are pretty damn slim.

 

[Lady Rinne]

To be honest I am almost certain to be a casualty very fast. Society would break down and I wouldn't be able to get my medicine, or even if I somehow managed to get a large supply, maybe by raiding a pharmacy which I'm not even sure would work I'd eventually run out and with my other health issues I would be an almost sitting duck...

But I would try to find other people and to survive that way with a group. Still I'd probably be almost dead weight.