Many people have seen movies such as Zombieland, I Am Legend, Mad Max, and The Road. If you have not, I suggest you stop reading this and rent them before you no longer have the electricity (due to the inevitable zombie apocalypse) to power your DVD player. In these movies as well as one of my favorite series, The Walking Dead, you see the survivors driving around in cars and using guns. That is all good and well if the breakout has just recently happened. And if cars and guns are what you need to make it through the initial event, then by all means do so. However, there is going to come a point where you will run out of the resources we as a civilization have become accustomed to over our history on this planet.
I am not sure how many people walking the planet after the outbreak will be experts in metallurgy and know how to make bullets. Even if you do come across that person you will have to find the necessary tools and materials to make the bullets for your specific gun and you will also need to know how make gunpowder.
I am not suggesting that you do not learn how to use a gun or stockpile firearms and ammunition. What I am recommending is that you do not become dependent on guns, that you use them sparingly and only in situations that cannot be fought out of with knives, bats, arrows, etc… The time you devote to weapons training should be more focused on weapons that can be made from things found in your environment. You can teach yourself how to make a bow with arrows as well as spears, knives, and axes.
Vehicles are so commonplace in our society that even if the zombie apocalypse did not happen, but suddenly all the cars disappeared, there would be riots everywhere. We have become so dependent on them that it will be natural for people to try to survive with their cars. I do not need to tell the advantages of having a car versus being on foot are. What I do need to convey is that there will come a point (much quicker than people want to believe) that there will no longer be accessible gasoline to keep the cars running.
When it all goes down auto part stores will be raided heavily, but you do not find auto stores in the middle of nowhere. They are closer to towns and cities, which are the areas you want to avoid the most. So even if you do make it through and find a store there will probably be nothing left on the shelves, well except maybe for a few “New Car Smell” air fresheners. Similar to guns and ammunition, it would be wise to stockpile on motor oil, wipers, coolant, transmission fluid, break pads, etc… But remember, do not depend on them.
I know a lot of people cannot stan
d walking on a treadmill or going for a run, but I am sorry to tell you that you need to suck it up and get used it. Otherwise, you will be the first to become dinner. Remember, zombies hate fast food. When the modes of transportation are gone your only option is to walk. You think you will be one of the lucky ones and score a boat? Is it possible that you can find a horse? Sure, but are you going to bet everything on that?
Let us say you have learned how to defend yourself with weapons made by hand and you have no problem walking for many miles at a time. What about the three basic needs everyone always talks about? Food. Shelter. Clothing. Yes, Twinkies can survive a nuclear explosion, but once the world ends, all manufactured goods production comes to a terrifying, screaming halt.
There will be no more canned foods, no more bottle water (gasp), no bags of potato chips or boxes of crackers. Better learn how to eat off the land. Even better than that, learn the basics of farming. Learn what water is safe to drink and how to collect it. Also, start to train your body to need less calories because after the outbreak there are no more buffets or super size value meals.
Raiding department stores can work for quite some time in order to stay clothed properly. But like everything else I have discussed, manufactured clothing and shoes will eventually be gone. One thing you will need in order to survive is how to make clothing from animals and other raw materials. It might sound silly, but being able to walk barefoot on any terrain is a major advantage. Most of us are so used to only going barefoot in our homes and that stepping outside hurts. If you can build up calluses you will be able to walk and run on just about any surface. To compliment that you can teach yourself how to make shoes from the same materials you use to make your own clothing.
Shelter can be the easiest of the three basic needs to get under control. Most buildings and houses will outlast your lifetime and c’mon, we all know that once the dead start walking our life expectancy drops significantly. Out and away from major populated areas you can find abandoned buildings, warehouses, homes, and farms. You might stumble upon a cave or figure out a way to make a tent from animal skin or tree branches. In fact, you can even use any of the vehicles that are scattered everywhere that no longer work.
I know this information is not that glamorous and does not get your heart rate up. I am well aware that I am basically telling you to go out and get all your badges as a boy scout. However, surviving the zombie apocalypse (and do not kid yourself, it is only about survival) is more than just running around with a fancy axe cutting heads off. Surviving the zombie apocalypse is figuring out how to keep your heart from stopping and this involves knowing how to defend yourself, how to travel, what to eat, what to wear, and where to get rest.
