Zombie apocalypse guide - be prepared!

[Banfili]

And hot chocolate, for the marshmallows!

[elvisroe]

Ahem ... Opera House ... last I heard Oprah didn't own it!
Fort Denison is a good choice - plenty of Port Jackson sharks, & a fort! What more could you want!?

   oops!

[Banfili]

S'ok - after her trip out here you could be forgiven!

[Anastacia]

I'm with you jedediah. Except living in a harbour city I think I'd set up on a nice big yacht and cap the undead at a distance with a hunting rifle. There are also plenty of great little islands in Sydney harbour that one could quickly dezombify an live quite comfortably.

I am still of two minds about this - within an hour or so, I can be onto a sailboat in the Chesapeake Bay.  In the same time,  I can be in a very nice secluded spot in the Eastern hills of West Virginia, Both spots could be pre-stocked with food, gear and weapons. Fresh seafood and 1-2 comrades/family members, or a big garden and 5-6 person community to share the work?

On a boat/island you'd have the peace of mind of knowing that no dead dudes are likely to wander in while your sleeping.

I know various interpretations have had zombies wandering around under water but I think it unlikely one could stroll through the harbour without being caught in the rocks and seaweed or carried away by currents or sharks. I suppose a corpse could float across but you could certainly take precautions.

My question is, if the undead are wandering about on the sea floor, are they contagious enough to contaminate the various ocean life? If you know fish, you know they love to pick at dead tissue, so what kind of effect would that have on any stranded fishermen depending on them for sustenance?

[Aleister Crow]

Zombie Sharks! 

[akumabito]

Question: Is anyone here playing DayZ? I actually just found out about the game.. looks intersting!

[Ulysses Reynolds]

Playing but on hiatus. I fried my mobo.

[akumabito]

My computer has decided not to like DayZ - so instead I'm playing Die2Nite, lol.. not quite the same level of action.. but it's free and it'll even run on my phone..

[CapnHarlock]

Give some thought to this as a part of your Z-day preps:

http://gizmodo.com/5935104/

A no-power, hot weather  food refrigeration/chilling system using 2 large terra cotta pots, cloth, sand and water.

Some plastic  sheeting or glass panels might extend the season a bit in cooler climes, and with appropriate protective measures, it might be able to also act as a grey water /saltwater reclamation still.

[akumabito]

That's all nice and all, but when the day comes, I plan on having a proper refridgerator, large freezer, a microwave, electric oven and all other creature comforts (minus perhaps TV, telephone and internet).You see, lately I've gained interest in a neaby wnd turbine. Seems just about perfect. It's in the middle of a pasture, making it hard for things to sneak up on you, there are field of crops to the side of that. It's less than 200m from a canal (unlimited fresh water, yay!) It's only a few km from my town, and 12 or so from a small city. Just disconnetc the power lines from the national grid, scavenge all the metal fencing material you can find on construction sites, and start fortifying!

[CapnHarlock]

After a minor accident early this morning involving a dark staircase and a very friendly feline (the cat escaped completely unharmed, I sprained an ankle), I would suggest something I THOUGHT I still had both at home and in vehicle bag (but didn't) - a roll or 10 of "VetWrap" (this is the US brandname, at least) - a self-sticky, flexible and stretchy first aid wrapping gauze material.

If you get this at a pharmacy or an athletic shop, it costs about twice as much as it does at an agricultural supply store, and does not come in interesting colors.

This stuff is great for wrapping sprains/strains/splinted limbs etc. with no pins/clips/tape required.

[Herkimer]

I agree this is an interesting thought experiment.

I've got the tools and materials on hand to board up the  house, and keep the fridge and freezer on for quite a while. I have enough toys that go bang and the ammo to run through them to deter even most hardened bands of looters. I'm not saying I'm invincible, just a heck of a lot more work to knock over than it would be worth. There will be many other places that would be easy pickings by comparison. 
That might sound callous, but I can't protect everyone.

Having said all this, I do have a few tips for a real life disaster that some of you may not have considered.

#1 Keep your mouth shut.  If you are stashing anything extra to provide for yourself, and or your family, don't spread the word. Frightened people can and will rob you.  Don't put yourself in that position. You can't provide for everyone.

#2 If you are going to bug out in anything like a modern vehicle, make sure you know where the "inertia" switch is for the fuel pump.  Better yet, bypass it.  That way when you run over Mr Zed, or get involved in some other collision the engine will still get the fuel it needs to run.
  
#3 Keep your mouth shut. This is worthy of repetition.  I know I am sort of breaking my own rule, but nobody on here knows who I am. At least nobody near enough to show up on my doorstep.

#4  If you have a portable generator, try to bring it inside at night.  If you must run it, secure it as best you can, then remove the spark plugs from all other small engines on your property.  Thieves often will pull your own mower next to your generator, and start it up. Then they'll disconnect your generator and make off with it.  Since most portable generators and lawn mowers sound similar, you are unlikely to wake up to the change in sound.  


#5  Keep your mouth shut.   I'm serious here...

#6  Start a pantry and keep a couple extra cases of bottled water at a minimum.  A pantry is a handy thing to have, no matter what. If you buy things you eat when it's on sale, and make sure you rotate out the older stock before it goes bad, you'll save money.  Not just on food, that isn't getting any cheaper, but you'll also save yourself a lot of extra trips to the store.   Include extra shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc. etc.   You'll be surprised at how often you save yourself a lot of hassle by having extra's on hand.  

#7 Keep your mouth shut.   Don't flaunt it when you've got it and nobody else does, or else you will regret it.  


I am not saying that you shouldn't help others in need. Just be aware that word will spread that you stocked up when everyone else didn't and there are quite a few philistines, (who had the same opportunities as you) who feel they are entitled to what you have.  
Either be prepared to hand it all out, or else keep it as quiet as possible.

I'll give you an example.  I have a thing for flashlights, so I always have a surplus on hand. Some years ago when we had a power outage during an ice storm, I had plenty of lights and batteries for myself and nearby family.  I loaned out a couple LED flashlights and a small propane heater along with a fresh 20lb cylinder to a nearby disabled gent.  Within an hour 7 or 8 neighbors had come by wanting to borrow lights or heaters. I handed out several more lights but had to keep my only other heater to keep my family warm.  I never got back all the lights, and one neighbor tried to guilt me into letting them have my only remaining heater because their kids were cold.  I barely knew these people, but they very nearly got ugly with me over my own heater.  At one point they wanted me to set the heater up at their place and let us stay with them.  I don't want to be a jerk, but I had elderly family to think about.  You seriously can't expect me to move a bed ridden 93 year old on oxygen... yet that is exactly what they demanded.  


    

[Herkimer]

On a lighter note.   

I'll sneak past them in my washing machine! Nobody, living or otherwise would suspect brains to be contained withing such a conveyance.

http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,37277.0.html

[akumabito]

On a lighter note.   

I'll sneak past them in my washing machine! Nobody, living or otherwise would suspect brains to be contained withing such a conveyance.

http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,37277.0.html

Rofl, epic bug-out vehicle..

[CapnHarlock]

#6  Start a pantry and keep a couple extra cases of bottled water at a minimum.  A pantry is a handy thing to have, no matter what. If you buy things you eat when it's on sale, and make sure you rotate out the older stock before it goes bad, you'll save money.  Not just on food, that isn't getting any cheaper, but you'll also save yourself a lot of extra trips to the store.   Include extra shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc. etc.   You'll be surprised at how often you save yourself a lot of hassle by having extra's on hand. 

An excellent idea for everyone. Get stuff you use. If you read a 'survivalist' list that says "Stock at least 200 cans of Spam", but you would prefer to put a gun-barrel in your mouth vs. Spam just STORE SOMETHING ELSE.

Your personal Zed-Day can be something as mundane as losing a job. Spend an extra dollar (or pound or Euro) every time you go shopping, and set it aside for "in case"

[Screaming Lord Pea Green]

Question: Is anyone here playing DayZ? I actually just found out about the game.. looks intersting!

I am, and it is just as distressingly alarming as I was warned it would be, I sincerely hope the people who play it aren't the survivors I meet after Z-Day, seeing as how everyone adopts a "shoot first - ask questions later" approach.

After a minor accident early this morning involving a dark staircase and a very friendly feline (the cat escaped completely unharmed, I sprained an ankle), I would suggest something I THOUGHT I still had both at home and in vehicle bag (but didn't) - a roll or 10 of "VetWrap" (this is the US brandname, at least) - a self-sticky, flexible and stretchy first aid wrapping gauze material.

Here in the UK I believe it goes by the name of "Tubigrip", and I must concur, excellent stuff. Also, compeed would be useful for anyone who frequently suffers from blisters after a hike.

It's less than 200m from a canal (unlimited fresh water, yay!)

I live in a house surrounded by canals and I wouldn't drink the water if you paid me, before our cat commited suicide it used to frequently catch mice and rats from the banks of the canal, dread to think what illnesses i'd catch from that water, and that's before thinking about the yobo's piddling in the water too!

after considerable thought into the matter my Z-day plan is thus:
1) grab shotgun from gun cabinet.
2) realise i have no shotgun shells.
3) kak pants.
4) place apple in own mouth and await inevitable outcome.

of course, all this would have to be done with a stiff upper lip, t'is the expected way for a brit to go after all.