Your plans for the zombie apocalypse

pompeyboi · 17-03-2014 11:34pm #1

Plain and Simple. What is your plan for when the Shtf?

Tzar Chasm · 17-03-2014 11:57pm

0))dont get eaten
1) establish secure base of operations
2) dont get eaten
3) farm and fish
4) dont get eaten
5)rebuild/repurpose technology to suit my needs
6) dont get eaten
7) repopulate

oh and
DONT GET EATEN

pompeyboi · 18-03-2014 12:22am

Mine would be as follows: As soon as I got word of the outbreak I would gather supplies and weapons (which wont be a problem as everyone and there mums are packing round here) Plus I have a neighbour who would have no problem lending me a .22 or shotty. I'll keep My Louisville slugger and a few knives handy aswell. I would then proceed to drive me and my family out to the country to a house where I used to live which is currently abandoned and it’s way out in the sticks, surrounded by lakes and a creek for fishing/drinking water also theres wild game around there so I'm told so thats food sorted for the most part. I know my fair share of survival techniques so that will be very useful. I would search all homes in the area for food and other supplies and try and build a strong, trustworthy group which won’t prove to difficult as I left on good terms with my neighbours and I still pop out there every now and then. Defences will be improved and mantained. We hope to ride out this sh*t storm in our little country retreat lol Life should be as good as possible under the circumstances providing we remain diligent and work hard to survive, if the time comes we'll move on but that's just my basic plan.

Kromdar · 19-03-2014 1:43am

i love how everyone that isnt irish has a stockpile of weapons and a log cabin in the wilderness. best we have is a pitchfork and a barn.

which could be handy, nonetheless.

nomdeboardie · 19-03-2014 1:51am

I, for one, welcome the zombie apocalypse – sooner those feckers get annihilated, the sooner I can sleep easy at night :eek:

degrassinoel · 19-03-2014 10:37am

Kromdar wrote: »

i love how everyone that isnt irish has a stockpile of weapons and a log cabin in the wilderness. best we have is a pitchfork and a barn.

which could be handy, nonetheless.

Cheap, reliable, stealthy and can be used at a safe enough range. Tbh, i'd say it's better than having to rely on being a marksman and needing ammunition.

AllthingsCP · 19-03-2014 5:12pm

degrassinoel wrote: »

Cheap, reliable, stealthy and can be used at a safe enough range. Tbh, i'd say it's better than having to rely on being a marksman and needing ammunition.

You can have the pitch fork give me a machine gun.{Big One}

degrassinoel · 19-03-2014 8:16pm

the machine gun i could probably manage, but you're on you're own for ammo matey :P

Tzar Chasm · 19-03-2014 10:16pm

Weapons wise, this is what I intend to get myself at some stage in the future

after an apocalyptic event there would still be plenty of scavanging opportunitys for raw materials like mercury, Suplhur, Nitric acid, lead etc..
I reckon I'll have time on my hands to perfect my fulmination and nitrocelulose production techniques,

and with the Generator running I can fire up the Lathe to make more cylinders.

laying my paws on one pre apocalypse and getting a licence for it will be tricky tho

degrassinoel · 19-03-2014 10:54pm

isn't it illegal for us commonfolk to have an operational pistol/handgun here?

Manach · 19-03-2014 10:55pm

Head to Crimea. Sure is not region packed with spare uniforms, tanks, Hind Attack helicopters etc, so as to form local defence units.

Warning given - Not the right forum for a political debate.

Tzar Chasm · 20-03-2014 9:09am

I see the mod warning, but, heres a question related loosley to the OP, if you were in the Crimea right now would you have bugged out yet?

pompeyboi · 20-03-2014 3:41pm

Tzar Chasm wrote: »

I see the mod warning, but, heres a question related loosley to the OP, if you were in the Crimea right now would you have bugged out yet?

Yeah most definitely.

degrassinoel · 20-03-2014 4:30pm

already one warning given folks, let's leave it at that yeah. It's a decent thread without bringing in any inflammatory remarks regarding the current political situation in Crimea.

Kromdar · 20-03-2014 7:06pm

SHTF plan would be to head to bull island, in the short term. not sure if it was discussed before, but im pretty sure the visitors centre has a diesel generator, 2 golf courses on the island so plenty of arable land, some fishing, some small boats / canoes at the sea scouts den, a small amount of old dwellings on the southwest of the island, and only 2 access points that can be crossed easily. find a way to get rid of the wooden bridge and you're down to just the causeway.

there's a garden centre at the end of black banks that could provide fertilizer and seeds. afaik there's a rabbit population that could also provide food. also there's a big beach to build a "help" or "survivors here" sign on, and its near the docks for shipping lanes.

may also be some short-wave radio gear in teh scouts den, not sure. worth a go anyway. also the shoreline opposite the island is sparsely populated for the most part, with the majority of it being st. anne's park.

fellow boardsies welcome, no guns allowed.

http://goo.gl/maps/XPUx0

pompeyboi · 20-03-2014 7:53pm

Kromdar wrote: »

SHTF plan would be to head to bull island, in the short term. not sure if it was discussed before, but im pretty sure the visitors centre has a diesel generator, 2 golf courses on the island so plenty of arable land, some fishing, some small boats / canoes at the sea scouts den, a small amount of old dwellings on the southwest of the island, and only 2 access points that can be crossed easily. find a way to get rid of the wooden bridge and you're down to just the causeway.

there's a garden centre at the end of black banks that could provide fertilizer and seeds. afaik there's a rabbit population that could also provide food. also there's a big beach to build a "help" or "survivors here" sign on, and its near the docks for shipping lanes.

may also be some short-wave radio gear in teh scouts den, not sure. worth a go anyway. also the shoreline opposite the island is sparsely populated for the most part, with the majority of it being st. anne's park.

fellow boardsies welcome, no guns allowed.

http://goo.gl/maps/XPUx0

Solid plan! But may I just enquire as to why u wont allow guns? For me they are a priority. I mean I understand the whole limited ammo and noise thing but theres only so much a a hurley can do for ya when ur surrounded by 100 flesh-eaters

Tzar Chasm · 20-03-2014 10:17pm

Kromdar wrote: »

SHTF plan would be to head to bull island, in the short term. not sure if it was discussed before, but im pretty sure the visitors centre has a diesel generator, 2 golf courses on the island so plenty of arable land, some fishing, some small boats / canoes at the sea scouts den, a small amount of old dwellings on the southwest of the island, and only 2 access points that can be crossed easily. find a way to get rid of the wooden bridge and you're down to just the causeway.

there's a garden centre at the end of black banks that could provide fertilizer and seeds. afaik there's a rabbit population that could also provide food. also there's a big beach to build a "help" or "survivors here" sign on, and its near the docks for shipping lanes.

may also be some short-wave radio gear in teh scouts den, not sure. worth a go anyway. also the shoreline opposite the island is sparsely populated for the most part, with the majority of it being st. anne's park.

fellow boardsies welcome, no guns allowed.

http://goo.gl/maps/XPUx0

have you heard of a thing called Rabbit Starvation? apparently a bunny rich diet leaves you defficent is some essential minerals and vitamins over time.

Kromdar · 20-03-2014 10:25pm

pompeyboi wrote: »

Solid plan! But may I just enquire as to why u wont allow guns? For me they are a priority. I mean I understand the whole limited ammo and noise thing but theres only so much a a hurley can do for ya when ur surrounded by 100 flesh-eaters

the idea is to be quiet and not attract them, or lure them into an area that they can be dealt with in relative safety and efficiency. guns can quite easily be turned on other people. you're less likely to start a fight with someone when they can fight back, than you are if you're aiming a gun at them. it would hopefully prevent the idea that whoever owns the gun(s) will try a takeover. also the only people who own firearms before the downfall will generally be farmers [would welcome them, realistically] or straight up crackpots/drug dealers/criminals. or the odd gun enthusiast, but i would think they're in the minority in the dublin area. sure if the military came along, we'd have to give in. i just think things would be safer.

one use i may have overlooked is defense against raiders, but if we make the island inaccessable enough it might deter them. we would have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

also on the rabbit comment [i'll learn to multi-quote someday] it would be an addition to a meal, but until someone releases a herd of cows on the island, we're sticking to bunnies.

now that i think of it there is a herd of cows not too far away on the other side of baldoyle...

degrassinoel · 20-03-2014 10:53pm

Tzar Chasm wrote: »

have you heard of a thing called Rabbit Starvation? apparently a bunny rich diet leaves you defficent is some essential minerals and vitamins over time.

plenty of fishing to be done down by the lady too, water is exceptionally clean there the last few years so there's mackerel to be had for friday nights!

As was mentioned - arable land on the golf course. Protective marshes would effectively bog down anything attempting to come through on foot, just one route to defend. Remote enough to house at least a score of people, not so remote you wouldnt be able to raid by dingy into clontarf, raheny, sutton, bayside, and howth. If you were desperate enough you could get to Wales in a few hours with an outboard.

laoch na mona · 29-03-2014 9:38pm

set up shop in a local strong point invite my neighbours create our own little woodbury without the fascist leader

pompeyboi · 29-03-2014 10:00pm

laoch na mona wrote: »

set up shop in a local strong point invite my neighbours create our own little woodbury without the fascist leader

Haha I like it!

bushball · 30-03-2014 6:59pm

Has anyone thought about using an old castle for a bug out point?
Not the ones that have half the building missing but the ones that are in good nick and have been restored. I mean theres plenty of room, easily defendible, usually on a lake/rivers edge with limited ways in. It seems like the perfect place

kieranfitz · 01-04-2014 11:38am

bushball wrote: »

Has anyone thought about using an old castle for a bug out point?
Not the ones that have half the building missing but the ones that are in good nick and have been restored. I mean theres plenty of room, easily defendible, usually on a lake/rivers edge with limited ways in. It seems like the perfect place

I suggest that you re-read World War Z. Most "castles" that are reasonably intact are designed and built as homes, not fortress's

ScumLord · 01-04-2014 6:38pm

I'm staying put, I'm in a small town, have access to a factory with a backup generator, metal and woodworking facilities. There are plenty of springs in the area for fresh water. Farm land all around.

I'll get into the factory which already has high walls and start making weapons.

Maximus Alexander · 11-06-2014 2:05pm

I've always struggled to understand why people are so concerned with merely surviving in the post zombie apocalypse world. My main goal would be the eradication of the zombie threat, so that the vastly reduced population could reclaim the much emptier world and all of the riches that would bring.

Some speculative numbers:

Assuming that 20% of the population are either killed outright in the initial panic, murdered by other human beings in the aftermath, dead due to long term illnesses that require treatment or medication which is no longer available, or completely dismembered by the horde.
Assuming that 79% of the population become zombies, of which 20% become entrapped, dismembered, or otherwise immobilized and neutralized as a threat due to their stupidity.
1% of the population remain unaffected, either through immunity or managing to escape the grasp of zombies and other humans.

In the Republic of Ireland, that leaves us with around 46,000 survivors, who are by default almost guaranteed to be fit, reasonably smart and able bodied.

It also leaves us with around 2,900,000 zombies that are free roaming and dangerous.

The survivors only need to kill 63 zombies each to clear the country. So, that's my plan. Kill more than 63, encourage everyone else to do the same. Profit.

ScumLord · 11-06-2014 3:04pm

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

It also leaves us with around 2,900,000 zombies that are free roaming and dangerous.

The survivors only need to kill 63 zombies each to clear the country. So, that's my plan.

The problem would be that those 46,000 survivors would be spread out and wouldn't be able to act as one force. where as the zombies would probably be in large clumps of hundreds if not thousands. There would be a horde of hundreds of thousands spreading out from Dublin picking up stragglers.

I think the bigger percentage would be people who die of starvation, leaving a smaller zombie number. So perhaps the zombie horde won't be quite as large.

Maximus Alexander · 11-06-2014 3:10pm

ScumLord wrote: »

The problem would be that those 46,000 survivors would be spread out and wouldn't be able to act as one force. where as the zombies would probably be in large clumps of hundreds if not thousands. There would be a horde of hundreds of thousands spreading out from Dublin picking up stragglers.

I think the bigger percentage would be people who die of starvation, leaving a smaller zombie number. So perhaps the zombie horde won't be quite as large.

This is where the old "are they runners or walkers" question raises its head. Humans are smart, zombies are not.

Once the initial panic is over, the survivors are going to find ways to split a large horde or corral smaller groups. Trap them and kill them off.

I don't think there's anything scary about slow zombies, they'd be easy to pick off and outmaneuver. One able bodied man could potentially slay dozens of them every day.

Runners are a whole other bag.

degrassinoel · 11-06-2014 5:21pm

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

In the Republic of Ireland, that leaves us with around 46,000 survivors, who are by default almost guaranteed to be fit, reasonably smart and able bodied.

It also leaves us with around 2,900,000 zombies that are free roaming and dangerous.

The survivors only need to kill 63 zombies each to clear the country. So, that's my plan. Kill more than 63, encourage everyone else to do the same. Profit.

Zombies don't give a flying braineating-fcuk about borders, so ye can add in the population of Norn Iron to that equation too

And possibly the Isle of Man, consider they dont use their lungs and can walk almost indefinitely underwater

Maximus Alexander · 11-06-2014 5:25pm

degrassinoel wrote: »

Zombies don't give a flying braineating-fcuk about borders, so ye can add in the population of Norn Iron to that equation too And possibly the Isle of Man, consider they dont use their lungs and can walk almost indefinitely underwater

Fair enough on using the island as a whole, I had thought about that - but the ratio would be unchanged. It would still be 63 zombies each, no matter what the population was! :pac:

As for walking under water - have you ever tried it? I don't think they'd get very far.

ScumLord · 11-06-2014 5:32pm

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

I don't think there's anything scary about slow zombies, they'd be easy to pick off and outmaneuver. One able bodied man could potentially slay dozens of them every day.

The thing that is always overlooked in the movies is that somehow zombies are infectious enough to infect the entire planet but not infectious enough to infect the people turning them into mush. I think it'll be a huge risk hacking your way through a horde of zombies. If it's a bacteria or virus it's going to infect you once you come into contact with it through bodily fluids.

The only way to combat that would be with makeshift hazard suits. That on top of armour is going to weigh you down and turn the inside of your hazard suit into a sweat sack.

The other thing is if you come across another survivor and it's a prolonged disease like I think, how are you going to trust that they're not infected? If it's prolonged most people won't want to get within 10 feet of someone they don't know. Any meeting is going to have to include a quarantine time to ensure the people you're dealing with aren't a threat.

degrassinoel · 11-06-2014 7:55pm

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

As for walking under water - have you ever tried it? I don't think they'd get very far.

Me? I'm not a zombie, not yet anyway :P

I refer you to 'The zombie survival guide' - (Max Brooks) and 'Land of the Dead' -George Romero 2005.

RE: TZSG

The lungs of the undead continue to function in that they draw air into and expel it from the body. This function accounts for a zombie's signature moan. What the lungs and body chemistry fail to accomplish, however, is to extract oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. Given that Solanum obviates the need for both of these functions, the entire human respiratory system is obsolete in the body of a ghoul. This explains how the living dead can "walk underwater" or survive in environments lethal to humans. Their brains, as noted earlier, are oxygen independent. -related note: At the end of the Battle of Yonkers, a themobaric weapon was detonated to cover the U.S. Army's retreat. A morbidly interesting after-effect is that those zombies present who were not outright destroyed by the bomb had their lungs pulled inside out through their mouths as a result of the bomb's implosion. When the U.S. later retook the New York area, they found hundreds of zombies oblivious to their lungs dangling out of their mouths, unable to moan

RE: Land of the Dead
This still is the only one i can find without actually sticking in the DVD and screencapturing it - the zombies pictured below just prior to them being fully submerged walking towards the secured survivors enclave

Maximus Alexander · 11-06-2014 8:29pm

Oh I get that the movies have done it, and I've read TZSG, but it's not the ability to... not die underwater that I'm talking about. Physically putting one foot in front of the other won't do much to propel you when completely submerged, even in a completely still swimming pool. Add in the sludge, silt and ocean currents, I don't think they'd make much progress across the sea floor.

degrassinoel · 11-06-2014 8:37pm

I can see the current working to their advantage, and maybe trapped air working as buoyancy but it's a longshot if they were intent on following a sound directly to it's source.
The current probably would wash them way off course, that's not to say that they'd never make it to a coast again.

Sporadic amphibious zombies, complete with starfishies on their heads would be a fate worse than a fate worse than death

bushball · 11-06-2014 8:48pm

Along the way they would probably be torn apart by rocks

ScumLord · 12-06-2014 2:42pm

bushball wrote: »

Along the way they would probably be torn apart by rocks

They would be at the mercy of the ocean that's for sure, currents will drag them around battering them off anything they come across.

There's some pretty hardy species in the ocean too, if there's anything that can eat a zombie without dying it's probably in the ocean somewhere.

ShowMeTheCash · 16-06-2014 4:33pm

I am from Donegal. I live in the country on the cost and own land.
So that on its own is a benefit.

If you live in the city you are zombie chow!

I also own a recurve bow, which over the years I have gotten pretty got at using.

The bow is silent, stealth is key in avoiding giving Z your location.
Also arrow retrieval is possible if Z is well and truely down.

Also ammo, making arrows is doable, I know nothing about making bullets or gun powder.

I also own 3 canoe's and a rowing boat, if things get hairy an escape to near by non inhabited island is possible... 8Km from the coast.

RiderOnTheStorm · 16-06-2014 7:50pm

Not convinced that a bow is good at dispatching Z's. It would take a very very accurate shot to hit the right part of the brain to stop the Z. An arrow in the eye / heart / vital-organs will kill a human, but wont do anything to a Z. On the other hand, bows are ideal for killing game for survival (quiet & possible to make your own ammo - unlike guns). Would be very handy to defend yourself against other survivors / raiders.

The boat idea is great. Many fans of that plan here (myself included).

ShowMeTheCash · 17-06-2014 11:15am

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

Not convinced that a bow is good at dispatching Z's. It would take a very very accurate shot to hit the right part of the brain to stop the Z. An arrow in the eye / heart / vital-organs will kill a human, but wont do anything to a Z. On the other hand, bows are ideal for killing game for survival (quiet & possible to make your own ammo - unlike guns). Would be very handy to defend yourself against other survivors / raiders.

The boat idea is great. Many fans of that plan here (myself included).

You would be amazed at how accurate a bow can be. But true it is not going to do the same damage as a rifle...

I think a watch tower is also a key.
If years of strategy games games taught me anything being able to see things coming and being able to attack from high gorund makes a huge difference.

RiderOnTheStorm · 17-06-2014 12:12pm

ShowMeTheCash wrote: »

I think a watch tower is also a key.....

yup, big fan of height also.

Been thinking recently about transport & fuel. I think a diesel car / jeep would be very good (secure & fast) but fuel is the problem. Then I realised that lots of farms will have diesel tanks ready to pump fuel to tractors etc. So come the Apoc, you can put an (empty) fuel tank in a trailer, and drive around your local farms and help yourself. OK, diesel (and petrol) will loose their spark after a while, but I think diesel will last longer, so you should be ok for a year or so. With diesel, you can now fuel generators (so lights, cameras, water pumps, etc)

Wabbit Ears · 18-06-2014 5:46pm

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

Not convinced that a bow is good at dispatching Z's. It would take a very very accurate shot to hit the right part of the brain to stop the Z. An arrow in the eye / heart / vital-organs will kill a human, but wont do anything to a Z. On the other hand, bows are ideal for killing game for survival (quiet & possible to make your own ammo - unlike guns). Would be very handy to defend yourself against other survivors / raiders.

The boat idea is great. Many fans of that plan here (myself included).

Watch this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHSDB664SJk

ScumLord · 19-06-2014 2:32pm

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

Not convinced that a bow is good at dispatching Z's. It would take a very very accurate shot to hit the right part of the brain to stop the Z.

The thing is though you don't have to rely on accuracy with zombies, they're not exactly hard targets to hit. You can let one walk right up to you so it's easier to hit.

Tzar Chasm · 19-06-2014 8:43pm

My plans just took a serious setback, the firing pin mechanisim on my shotgun is irreparable, I just cant afford or justify a new gun at the moment.

On the subject of fuel, you can dilute diesel with up to 50% veg oil in most modern engines.

PucaMama · 19-06-2014 8:55pm

ScumLord wrote: »

The thing that is always overlooked in the movies is that somehow zombies are infectious enough to infect the entire planet but not infectious enough to infect the people turning them into mush. I think it'll be a huge risk hacking your way through a horde of zombies. If it's a bacteria or virus it's going to infect you once you come into contact with it through bodily fluids.

i dont know if you read, but in one book of the "Autumn" series by David Moody the survivors get sick from contact with the zombies. its a good series, set in the uk.

RiderOnTheStorm · 20-06-2014 10:35am

For the bow & arrow thing (as well as rifles) , they cause a lot of damage (and death) to humans ..... to a Zombie, you have to hit the base of the brain (the medulla oblongata) which is the size of a matchbox. This is the only part of the brain thats still working in a Z and controls the body. The Zs dont pump blood, dont breath, digest food, feel pain, or think. Only the most base motor-control is working. You need to hit this to stop them. Stabbing them in the eye or forehead (like Walking Dead style) wont do it. I would not rely on a bow or rifle. A shotgun will cause major brain damage , and the general consensus is that will do too, as well as any other form of total brain crush.

laoch na mona · 20-06-2014 3:20pm

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

you have to hit the base of the brain (the medulla oblongata) .

not necessarily it depends on how the infection/virus works

badger57 · 23-06-2014 7:52pm

Watch The Walking Dead again for survival tips

Your plans for the zombie apocalypse

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