Zombie Apocalypse Basics: Guest Post by Jennifer Joseph

I know almost nothing about zombies. In fact, I haven’t even seen the second season of The Walking Dead yet because I don’t have cable. (Yes, I know. Missing Game of Thrones, too.) So I’m not the one to help you in the Zombipocalypse. Fortunately, the awesome author and blogger, Jennifer Joseph of Slacker Heroes renown, is well-prepared to lead us should the speculated rise of the flesh eaters become a reality. She is graciously providing us with this guest post to help us avoid becoming Walkers. Thank you, Jennifer!

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Zombie Apocalypse Basics

By Jennifer Joseph

Before I begin to school you on how to survive the zombie apocalypse, I want to thank Piper for allowing me to do a piece for her blog. You should thank her, too. Because of her generosity, you will now have a better chance of staying alive once the walkers rise.

Since so many people do not believe that a zombie apocalypse will eventually occur (the fools) I’m going to give advice for the unprepared. Those of you with a backup machete don’t really need my help.

A zombie apocalypse will occur when a viral or blood borne epidemic starts, turning your sweet neighbors into ravenous creatures who thirst for your brains. Depending on the type of outbreak you may or may not have time to collect your loved ones and flee. Let’s be optimistic and say you’ll have the chance to kill that neighbor who always has loud sex with his skanky friends. Below is a list of what you’ll need and where to go should an outbreak happen.

Food & Water:

Forget about Twinkies, canned goods that have pop tops will be your best friend. If you’re eating on the go you can even use the top as a spoon. Bend it and scoop those pork n’ beans. You might be gassy later but that just means you’re alive. Don’t forget about water because soda can only take you so far. You crazy kids out there who have a problem with your foods touching each other better toughen up real quick because believe me, zombies don’t care if your brains are mixed with blood. In fact, they like it that way.

 

Clothing:

Like your mom always told you, wear layers. If you idolize James Dean now is your time to show him some love. Zombies do not grow special teeth like vampires so jeans and a leather jacket will be the most fashionable and protective gear. Women, you will look way sexier with a large gun than a pair of high heels. Lace up those sneakers and get moving.

Weapons:

If you’re like the average person who doesn’t live in the South or a small town in the middle of nowhere Nebraska, you probably don’t have a gun or any kind of weapon besides the knives in your butcher block. That’s okay. With enough force behind it, a knife will slice through a zombie so start working out more and you’ll be fine. And for goodness sake don’t grab the paring knife. Your best bet is to load up on supplies and get to a gun shop. Don’t forget to stock up on ammo.

Where to Aim:

The head. End of story. Don’t get squeamish or you’re toast. Bloody, gory, gooey, toast. Aim for the head if you have a gun or chop the head off and be done with it. Don’t try to hack away the arms or legs because that will not stop them. Pretend that zombie is the fifth grade bully you never got a good swing at and fire away!

Where To Go:

I don’t care what you’ve seen in the movies DO NOT GO INTO A FARMHOUSE OR SHOPPING MALL! You want someplace with very few exits to cover and ready access to a variety of supplies. I recommend a Wal-Mart Supercenter. There are only a couple of exits in the front and back with plenty of supplies for everyone in the group. If you get bored you can even create your own ‘People of Wal-Mart’ photo shoot.

 

Fortify:

After you’ve (hopefully) barricaded the front and back entrances of the building be sure to set up alarm systems that will tell you when unwanted rotting visitors have arrived. String empty tin cans behind the barricade and large objects that zombies can’t hop over. As a second line of defense I recommend large cardboard cutouts of Justin Bieber. Zombies will try to eat the cardboard while humans will kick it aside.

Technology:

Thanks to today’s technology we can find out who is alive by checking their Facebook status or Twitter stream. Your cousin in Arizona hasn’t tweeted in a few days? They’re probably dead. While you’re in Wal-Mart grab an extra charger and you may as well steal an iPad while you’re at it.

Saying Goodbye:

If someone in your party is bitten do not under any circumstances have a drawn out goodbye. This is no time for a soliloquy. “What’s that over there?” you ask and then shoot them while they are turned away. It’s best for both of you if you aren’t shooting them between their sad doe eyes while they plead for five more minutes with their loved ones.

Be Prepared To Run:

As previously mentioned, Hollywood studios don’t know much about the impending zombie apocalypse. Zombies may or may not go away in 28 days and they may or may not be able to outrun your lazy couch potato ass. Always keep a go bag near and keep it stocked with the following:

  • Water
  • Food
  • Map
  • Extra guns
  • Ammo
  • First aid kit to include antibiotics and cough drops (Your cough WILL attract zombies)
  • Sunscreen (You’d look pretty stupid dying of skin cancer while zombies are roaming around)
  • Toothbrush, et al (Hygiene is all that separates us from the zombies. Well, that and lovely conversation. Don’t forget to floss!)
  • Swiss army knife
  • Extra cell phone and charger

Did I forget something that’s essential to your go bag? Would you go somewhere besides Wal-Mart? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

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21 comments to Zombie Apocalypse Basics: Guest Post by Jennifer Joseph

  1. Very good tips here. Insightful and thorough. I don’t think people are taking this Zombie Apocalypse serious enough. ;)

    Wal-Mart Super Center idea is a gem for supplies, however I have found that Wal-Mart currently ATTRACTS zombies. I might suggest a hit and run for supplies instead of barricading one’s self in…

  2. you forgot pop tarts. no self respectin’ ferret goes anywhere wiffout a shiny wrapper.

    and we aint afraidyscared o’ no zombies anyway, but the whole go bag concept is good for me

    i tweet at @Samuel_Clemons

    p.s. when guest postin’ do you actually do the replies, or has PB enslaved you to do dat part too? I hear she is a harsh taskmaster when home sick

    • Jennifer Joseph says:

      I always reply when doing guest posts. It keeps up the illusion that I’m a friendly person. :) I just hope her being at home sick isn’t code for “infected with zombie virus”.

      Pop tarts… goes without saying. I have a special pocket on the side of my bag just for pop tarts.

  3. Gene Lempp says:

    Awesome primer, Jennifer. Couple things to add.

    First, pick up a katana at a local flee market, not the cheap kind, an actual steel one and sharpen it. You’ll look way cooler killing a zombie with a katana then a serrated bread blade from the block. This item is also useful for opening cans that don’t have pop-tops, accessing vending machines, and gives better reach to catch fresh rat, er, meat, when it scampers into a hole.

    Second, carry a flare gun along with the bullet variety. Flare guns can blow up gas stations, cause useful distractions and, if used creatively, cook the fresh meat you caught with your katana.

    That’s all that comes to mind at the moment, but I’m sure there is more. Off to sharpen my swords.

    • Jennifer Joseph says:

      Your reasoning for a katana reminds me of Deadpool, who is awesome. I prefer a short machete but I do like katanas.

      Flare guns are a smart choice. You, sir, seem prepared to fight off zombies. Good luck to you.

  4. Hi Piper! Since you have a guest poster, I have Tech Support here to offer guest comments! ;-) Go easy on him, he is only 12.

    Great tips!
    Our local Wal-Mart might not be a good choice because the front has huge glass windows that could easily be smashed by zombies if they were determined to snack on my brains. I would hide in the produce section of my local Wegmans. :)

    Sincerely,
    Tech Support

    • Jennifer Joseph says:

      I don’t know what Wegmans is but the glass doors of Wal-Mart are a valid concern. If you can learn to barricade well, you should be fine.

      Don’t just randomly stack things like lawn chairs in front of the doors as I’ve seen people do in movies. Because then you deserve to be snacked on. You are intelligent enough to be reading Piper’s blog so I believe you can do better! :)

  5. tomwisk says:

    About the next door neighbor, can I “borrow” one of his skanks after I put a round between his eyes? I think he’s a zombie because he’s eating my sanity with weekend beer busts and revving his Yamaha. Really nobody will miss him.

    • Jennifer Joseph says:

      Sounds like you’ll be doing the neighborhood a favor. Take everything you can carry but make sure he’s a zombie before you waste him. I hear killing people is illegal. Happy hunting!

  6. Awesome post Jennifer, you obviously think about this stuff as much as I do. You forgot the all important vehicle. I’m thinking side matters here, you want to get as many people as you can in some kind of comfort plus your supplies. Big wheels are a must so you can just drive over the walkers. Gas shouldn’t be a problem because most people will be dead. I’ve also wondered where would you end up, like after the madness stops, you can’t run forever and at some point the cans are going to run out and we will need to farm and grow stuff. It needs to be somewhere without extreme weather that you can defend easily…… In the UK that would be the Isle of White. Like i said, I’ve given this a lot of thought…….

  7. Hi Jennifer. Useful stuff. I have a go bag in my MRAP. It’s pretty useful being mine protected, and zombie guts wash off easily (at least according to the sales brochure, haven’t had the chance to try it out yet). The MRAP has a second advantage being a great machine for ram-raiding. You know, if someone got to Wal-Mart before you.

    Cheers!

  8. Great stuff…I’m an actual zombie survivalist and you’ve done a terrific guide to the basics of survival. Personally I prefer Naginatas and/or scythes as a weapon because of the reach…but it’s a personal choice. Claymore mines are great if you can find any (hint: it’s great if you live near an Army base.)

  9. BigWords says:

    Canned food is something which people (even now) really under-appreciate – the contents will be edible (and nutritious to a degree) in a hundred years, irrespective of whatever is printed on the can as a “best before date”. You want proof? Pre-war tins have been opened and found to be edible by researchers into the tinning process.

    As for the sneakers idea… Sorry, but proper hiking boots (with thick socks) are much more useful. There’s impact tests which show how much longer they last in day-to-day use, and you really don’t want to have to stop off at every small town you pass to pick up a new pair of shiny sneakers.

    The technology advice is, sadly, not helpful. Keeping ‘phone networks up and running is a lot more complex than batteries can solve, and as power will (at best) hold out a week or so, you will find that the more complex technologies will go down first. Those satellites? They’re not held in place by magic, whatever some people insist. Make yourself comfortable with morse code, short-wave radio, and other “primitive” technologies. You’re going to be using them a lot when society breaks down.

    You forgot to note the importance of compasses – a map is all very well and good, but going off-course by as little as one degree can result in the end destination being missed by hundreds of miles. There’s probably use in packing a couple of traditional hunting books (using snares, the trees themselves, all kinds of defensive techniques) as the need to stop random walkers – and pick up some food – will become aparent after the first few months.

  10. [...] Jennifer Joseph of Slacker Heroes guest posted on Piper Bayard’s site this week with what has to be the funniest post of the week (at least from my perspective) – check it out! Zombie Apocalypse Basics. [...]

  11. lisaaalford says:

    I have to say… GREAT TIPS!! and tho I DO like walmart I LOVE target even more… Going on the theory that the Zombies may head for anything RED thinking its BLOOD!!??? Target will keep them confused while you pick them off one by one!!

  12. Victor Dominguez says:

    Nice article but not without flaws. Some serious bad advice on where to go could get everyone killed if not by zombies then by themselves. Wal-Mart, really? You think it’s bad there on black Friday, try the zombie apocalypse. My group of friends, family and I agree to make a run for the Home Depot. It’s something of an impractical yet obvious solution that not many people would consider. There we’ll aromatically be equipped with defensive items, fortification objects, and all the water we can drink. It’s an automatic safe house which could turn into a community save haven if everything goes well. On top of that, it’s not far from food and other goodies which we could make short pilgrimages back and forth until help arrives.

  13. Realistic Person says:

    Guys,guys, guys. I can’t believe you think that a ‘zombie apocalypse’ is real. And you know what? The 21st of December, 2012 was fine. There were no disastrous earthquakes or tsunamis that wiped out the human population. And there were certainly no zombies coming for us, wanting to eat our brains. The world never ended. The 21st of December, 2012 was just another normal day in history. I feel sorry for doomsday/zombie preppers because they wasted their time and energy on something that (obviously) didn’t happen.

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