Important skills to have for the coming zombie-pocalypse (Page 4)

Prepare for the worst by assuming they can do all that.  Do we include those things in "I am Legend?"  Those things could do some freaky nimble jumping and climbing.  Apparently they couldn't swim so the sea option scores points when it comes to those critters.

My neighbor's brother lives on a sailboat with his girlfriend. Has been doing so for years. They cruise all around the Gulf of Mexico. According to them, lots of people are out there living on sailboats. And they aren't even running from zombies! They seem to think it's a great lifestyle. Weirdos.

It's not as hazardous as you make it out to be. And less hazardous than living on land will be when you and yours become zombie bait.

I have to concede that I'll need to learn to handle weapons of some kind. Sea piracy and general lawlessness.

Since I know now to be prepared because zombies may be able to climb and jump, I've decided I'm going to move to Florida, with my dogs, and be prepared to stowaway on Renee's boat. I do have farming, firearms, and first aid skills.

This might be a hijack so I would need to start a new thread but depending on what kind of Zombies we are talking about the weapons and tactics will be different.

With the slow moving undead one a .22 and well placed head shots would do the trick. I could theoretically just sit on a roof top with a box of 550 .22 LR and my scoped 10/22 and do some work. With the undead there is no time limit on how long you have to hold out so it’s a fight to extinction.

Where the virus ones would take a while to bleed out from a head shot but still should die eventually. The good part is the virus ones have an expiration date so if you have a good strong hold then you can wait them out. In 28 days later and 28 weeks later they did not cross water but the birds did get infected.

Edited by Big Appa 2010-09-23 8:33 AM

And I guarantee you they are stopping in port from time to time.  I know of NO ONE who is living at sea 24/7.  Even aircraft carriers have to dock occasionally.  What happens if your boom breaks?  A sail rips? You capsize?  Now you are at the mercy of the sea. 

Even the best meteorologist could not tell you a hurricane is coming (with enough warning) from visual observations.  By then it's too late to get out of the way.

In my (not so humble and experienced) opinion, living at sea forever is not a viable option.

It's easy to avoid hurricanes. Cruise off the coast of Panama - hurricanes never turn into that area. They are situated in a geographically advantageous spot.

I already mentioned sail making/repair skills in my original post. Any skills relative to maintaining a sailboat or sloop.

Sure there are hazards at sea. Just as there are hazards on land. I'll take my chances at sea. Safer there. Fewer zombies, fewer Lords of the Flies. You can't convince me that proximity to hordes of zombies and desperate humans is safer. Cuz it's not.

I know I'm going to die. It's the living I'm concerned about. I'll live on my own terms, at sea.

I need to add to my list of food supplies: oatmeal, brown sugar, coffee.

Where are you going to keep said supplies for maintaing said sailboat?  Remeber we are talking about a lifetimes worth of repairs.  Same for food supplies if barge does not pan out?

Exactly what I have been asking.  It is critical to know which ones we are talking about first.  I sided with Renee if they are the "I am Legend" freaks. 

Holding up in a Sams wins if we are talking about the "28 Days" version.

"Night of the Living Dead" things are a whole other animal because you have to really strategize long term since they will never go away.

I think that wherever I keep them will be safer than having to scrounge for food, water and supplies on land.

We have tons of buoys out in the Gulf. Put extra supplies in a dry bag, attach them to the buoy. Do this 20 times. Plot where you've dropped them so you can retrieve them for future use. Sure, some of the will disappear. Some won't. Drop supplies on an abandoned oil rig. Sail into a marina and grab more supplies. Use your imagination!

No doubt, commerce will spring up to accomodate other sailors. Barter fresh fish for supplies. You'd probably soon see neon lights on an oil rig, inviting you in to barter.

Food - take up fishing. They make nifty electronics for finding fish. Also, make sure you have a spear fishing friend on board.

I'm not saying I'd NEVER have to go on land again. I'm saying that staying at sea for 98% of my time will keep me much safer than otherwise.

I won't even bother to punch holes in the arguments in favor of staying on land. That's just too easy. It'll be like non-stop hunting season and you're the game. In some cases, you are the game that is confined in a building with determined humans outside your walls. Not only will you have to fend off humans that want to dine on your brains, you'll have to defend against humans that want your gas, shelter, food, water, woman, etc. Good luck with that!

Have skills, will travel. Come on board! Bring the pups, too.

I see as many holes in the sea based option as you do in the land based one.

On a side note:  the new zombie series: Walking Dead is starting on AMC on Oct 31st.  Trailer looks pretty cool.  (Notice no one is on a boat )

http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/08/24/see-the-official-release-of-the-comic-con-trailer-for-the-walking-dead-series-premieres-on-halloween/

I think we need a poll thread based on the options we've presented so far:

Sailboat
Home Depot
Sam's Club
Heading far north away from most humans

Edited by TriRSquared 2010-09-23 9:01 AM

This brings up a good point. You won't know what you're dealing with! It's not like they'll have an ambassador saying "We are the 28 Days zombie contingency." It won't be like in the movies.

You have to make decisions without full knowledge of their abilities. Whatchagonnado?

No, you don't. And here's why: math.

Population on land: gazillion.

Population at sea: some

Population = hazard.

Ergo, sea = extremely fewer hazardsⁿ than on land.

Math always wins!!!

BTW - I like the extreme reaches of the planet approach, for the same reason that I like the sea approach. Fewer population hazards. My only hesitation with land it's not as easy to escape on foot as it would be by boat. Your shelter and food is in a fixed position; not so on sea. At sea you are a moving target; this increases your odds of survival. Otherwise, I like the far North or far South as land-based options.



Edited by Renee 2010-09-23 9:08 AM

the thirty guidelines presented in ZOMBIELAND seem pretty reasonable..

but mainly to run and gun... is most important.. (not wasting ammo)..

I'm starting to think I will just join the Zombies and eat brainzzzz, some of you guys have to be pretty tasty.

Hence the value of this critical thinking exercise.  Think them all through and know the strengths and weaknesses of each so you can react accordingly.  It's why we drill and drill and drill in sports and the military.  When the situation arises, you react instead of thinking.  My problem is that I'll probably shoot on sight before I get to analyze the movement.  LOL

Pector, here's the scenario:

Dude on the news: Zombies!
Pector: What kind?
Dude on the news: And we don't know what kind!!!

What do you do?

Wow, I'm really beginning to not enjoy this anymore.  It's no fun to argue with someone who knows it all.  And who tells me what I know and what I don't.


Edited by TriRSquared 2010-09-23 9:12 AM

Don't blame me. Blame math.

OK math. 

Land = near infinite supply of drinking water.

Sea = no drinking water without a desal apparatus that is prone to breakage.

infinity > 0.  math win.  See I can be snarky too.

This was an exercise in what skills we would need to acquire. I covered that base.  See: Water treatment skills (under need to acquire).

Post-zombie survival skills are nothing to joke about.

The problem with holding up in a Sams Club or a Home Depot is that it would probably be pretty stressful knowing that the zombie hordes are so close and constantly worrying that your defenses are enough to keep them out, it'd be hard to sleep.  Plus the constant scratching at the doors, bellowing and moaning the word "brain" over and over just outside the fortress would probably be like chinese water torture after a while and would greatly reduce my enjoyment of the zombie NFL games.

Here's how you can both be right.  Just find a giant iceberg to live on.

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! RUN FOR THE BOATS!!!!!!!

Find out. 

In the meantime, load all magazines and contact my group.  There are 5 families who would be together through this.  All of us have former military experience and quite the firepower.  Amongst us, I would guestimate at least 100,000 rds.

One of the biggest problems with the sea, from my experience in the Navy, is space and the rationing of supplies.  That is one of my biggest apprehensions in using it.  I would opt for land unless it simply wasn't a viable option.  I think you have a good point in that there would be more fighting involved but to be honest, that doesn't bother me.  If it's necessary, it could happen because I have faith in who I would be with. 

Overall, the zombie exercise is never about actual zombies.  The exercise is all about survival in the event of anything the disrupts normal life as we know it.  It could be a rouge meteor, an EMP blast, war invasion, etc.  I guess that's why I don't get too hung up on arguing about it all.  It is fun though.  It keeps life in perspective and allows us to appreciate former generations who had to do a lot more to just live a normal life.