Zombie apocalypse guide - be prepared!

[Fairley B. Strange]

I wouldn't count on .22 to reliably penetrate from all angles, so try to develop some tolerance to recoil.

As a lateral thought: Why not camouflage and hide amidst the herd?

Some tattered clothes (preferably suitably antique as if one was buried not recently, so holders of old SP kit would be at an advantage), some grave-dirt, and a few smears of decomposing matter... affect a shuffling, lurching gait, and... voila!     Zombi-flage.

I should be alright - most people already look at me and don't immediately think 'Brains'... 

[Xeroen]

I do like the idea of Zombi-flage - it worked too well for Bill Murray though, which I think would be one of my biggest concerns.

[Lazaras]

Another concern is whether or not it'd actually work on the zombies.

[Will Howard]

BUT- what if it fooled a well-armed NON-zombie???

[Lazaras]

See also Bill Murry. That's how he died in Zombieland.

[CapnHarlock]

In the States, anyway, you can pick up a folding (or non-folding) wrist-braced slingshot, a couple spare tube/pouch sets, and a few packs of steel ball-bearing ammo for less than $20, at nearly any 'megamart". Keep one in your bag, one in your vehicles, one to practice with at home.

The rubber tubing spares can also be used with a straight pointy stick (or better with a real barbed head) as a "Hawaiian Sling" fishing tool to get you food.

Stopping zombies is good, eating dinner, too,  is even better

[Lazaras]

Any suggestions on bicycles in and around the united states? I know the ones from *mart tend to be... well... crap for long duration/stressful going (might be good in a pinch but far from best pick.) From what I can see you'd have to deal with offroad and potentially needing to get replacement parts. So offroadability (along with roadworthyness) and repairability seem high.

Honestly Zombie Apoc is a great shorthand for 'any situation where basic services break down.' Makesfor a great thought experiment.

[psn1der]

I know nothing about the bicycle transport question, but it did spur this idea.  

Might be good to know where your nearest Land Rover/Humvee dealer is located.  I feel breaking and entering would be the least of anyone's worries in case of Zombie-lypse.  A nice smash and grab for the keys and you'd have pretty fortified transportation.  

And a run-over zombie is just as dead as any other zombie.  Probably more so.   

[Lazaras]

Most Hummrs in the states are flashy showpieces that were designed more for looking 'rugged' while offering few if any of the perks of the old H1.

[Prof Marvel]

I wouldn't count on .22 to reliably penetrate from all angles, so try to develop some tolerance to recoil.

Greetings Monsieur Strange-
Whilst I generally agree and personally prefer a larger bore (eg my 1863 .54 Sharps Breechloader replica using 90 gr of loose 2F
pushing a 485 gr Sharps bullet  ) I believe that actual penetration tests show the .22 LR out of a 20" rifle barrel can reliably
penetrate a coconut or  "critter skull" out to ~ 30 m.

In the States, anyway, you can pick up a folding (or non-folding) wrist-braced slingshot, a couple spare tube/pouch sets, and a few packs of steel ball-bearing ammo for less than $20, at nearly any 'megamart". Keep one in your bag, one in your vehicles, one to practice with at home.

Ah My Dear CapnHarlock!
 I heartily concur and endorse your idea, and in fact I do have a couple of the things - great fun too!
However, I prefer to ditch the steel balls and use only cast lead Round Ball ~ .380, .45 or .50 - they have greater mass which leads to better penetration and the way lead deforms upon impact provides both better energy transference and less chance of ricochet.

If you can ever lay your hands on the "tapered" bands buy as many as you can! Not only are they more efficient (rather like a compound bow vs a longbow)  but I know the inventor/patent holder from 40 years ago in college! it took the poor bloke forever working with Wamo to bring it to market, and still has only a miniscule market share :-(

Any suggestions on bicycles in and around the united states? I know the ones from *mart tend to be... well... crap for long duration/stressful going (might be good in a pinch but far from best pick.) From what I can see you'd have to deal with offroad and potentially needing to get replacement parts. So offroadability (along with roadworthyness) and repairability seem high.

My Good Lazaras -
Having gone bi-cycle camping in my mis-spent youth, and seeing firsthand the rigs some local vagabonds have bee using,   my first advise to to avoid bi-cycles for such events
 My misgivings come from personally experience showing the high amount of energy spent for low amount of travel achieved is depressing (althoi it is better than walking) , and if one is Bi-Cycle Travelling, it is most difficult to be aware of hazards around one - witness the inumerable bi-cycle accidents on major roads - and that is without things actively trying to eat you  

Further, the load-carrying capability is limited unless one utilizes a tri-cycle or a bi-cycle trailer. When one adds hills into the mix, carrying a load becomes quite umm burdensome, and going off-road biking with a load is somewhat ill-advised.

Now having said that, I believe what you desire is not any of the BigBox children's toys, nor the excessively priced performance units. Whilst it is not light, one of the old-style bullet proof steel framed Schwinn 10 speeds (ie Varsity model) can work pretty well if equipped with rugged thorn-proof tires. I used one for ~ 8 years bi-cycle camping and commuting all over a hilly college campus.  Unfortunately I have no idea what models might correspond to that in today's market.

Personally I would go with a shaft-drive motorcycle in the 900 cc class as a minimum, but actually prefer the old ca 1955 Dodge Power Wagons or the Famous Toyota 4WD Hi-Lift for a bullet-proof pickups (but the trucks are hard to find, expensive to purchase and  parts are nonexistant).

WRT actual economical vehicles In my neck of the woods the Subaru AWD are hard to beat - they just keep on going and going with little maintenance; parts are available and cheap; and the cars are readily available used. You would be amazed what a Subaru can do in ice, mud, or snow, and the Forrester has more "actual" ground clearance than many pickups (ie - the tranny or differential  won't get hung up on a huge rock ... )

I just wish they would import some of the foreign trucks - my dream vehicle is a diesel Mercedes MOG, and I would run it on used french fry oil.
 
but any subaru with a trailer would make a great Zombie Bug-Out vehicle (or vacation car!)

yhs
prof Marvel

[Will Howard]

How about crossbows?  In emergency, extra bolts can be made using dowels, a hacksaw, a large pencil sharpener, & heavy cardstock or milk carton plastic for the fletching.  Take extra strings, as well.

Should work on vampires as well, if your aim is true.

[TVC15]

Just wondering if anyone saw on History International (called H2, now) Sunday night the quasi documentary on the Zombie Apoc? I came away with the impression that the entire human race is doomed and survivors will eventually regress to post stone age culture. 

[akumabito]

About bicycles: No good as a primary getaway vehicle due to low load-bearing capacity.

However, once you made camp somewhere, the bike is probably preferable over any other type of transporation. It's low maintenance, doesn't require fossil fuels, it's quiet, reasonably quick, can easily be hidden somewhere, spare parts are eay to locate, and it's easier to transport stuff by bike than by carrying it..

I think I would prefer a hybrid.. a frame of an old fashioned cargo bike with front and rear luggage racks, but with the tires, gears and brakes of a modern ATB.

[Lazaras]

A pedacab?

[greensteam]

Next opportunity to try these all out: Zombie Walk 2012, Glasgow, 28 Oct 2012. the organisers have just notified the council of their intention to summon 3000 zombies to Kelvingrove park.

Glasgow city council enables these Zombie Invasion Full Dress Rehearsals for the emergency services most years, but missed last year due to the Zombies failing to confirm availability.

[Fairley B. Strange]

Umm... this could all go so terribly wrong.

Enter stage left - a flashmob of Zombiewalkers
Stage right - one or more fervent readers of the ZA Survival Guide

Group 1 commences 'Thriller' dance routine
Group 2 grabs their BOBs and releases lovingly polished safety-catches


Ooops!
"Sorry, Your Honour, I just thought the ZA had started, and so I...."

[Lazaras]

This is why you hesitate. Focus on crowd clearing BEFORE you start shooting. I think that's going to be the hardest thing if you plan on confronting zombies. It has a human face. Most people will hesitate, at least at first. For now that's a GOOD thing.

We don't want the thriller mobs to not happen do we? I love that song.

This is also why my plans tend to be avoidance.

[elvisroe]

Re .22, you CAN bring down just about anything with one of these but you've got to be good! I've seen a .22 slug bounce off a goat's head at point-blank range so it would not be my choice of firearm v zombies. Having said that, one makes do with what's to hand!

[Fairley B. Strange]

Hmmm, what about Option B:

Enter stage left - the shuffling hordes of the real ZA
Stage right -a flashmob of Zombiewalkers

Group 2 hits the volume switch and commences 'Thriller' dance routine

The ZA horde....? It is an infectious tune, perhaps infectious enough...

Now all I need is a tight red vinyl bling-jacket, and I can have a Zombie Army at my command!
[cue evil world-domination 'bwahahaha' laugh]

[akumabito]

Brilliant..

[Lazaras]

Only problem there is what happens when the music stops?

[Banfili]

Some years ago I used to be pretty accurate with a .22, & more recently with a small bore air rifle - dead centre (vertical & horizontal) at 20 metres - target was a Foster's beer tinny (empty, of course!). I still have the tin stashed somewhere as a trophy!

Weapon of choice is a standard longbow, but could be easily persuaded to try a crossbow for short range, & the modern catapult (slingshot) has a lot going for it.

[akumabito]

Y'know, apparently we have plenty of time to discuss the zombie apocalypse and prepare for it.. so why not design a dedicated anti-zombie melee weapon? A zombie clobber if you like? Something not too big, not too heavy.. something that could still be swung at a zombie's head if you were caught in a narrow hallway..

[Evelyn Adler]

We could also design Zombie-safe houses, on stilts for example.

[Wormster]

Y'know, apparently we have plenty of time to discuss the zombie apocalypse and prepare for it.. so why not design a dedicated anti-zombie melee weapon? A zombie clobber if you like? Something not too big, not too heavy.. something that could still be swung at a zombie's head if you were caught in a narrow hallway..

S'already been done, it lives by the bed, say hello to my friend the long handled 4lb twatting hammer!, it does a good job repairing vehicles, acting as an anvil, making rocks smaller, general burgular deterrant and and a push a zoombie head splatter!