Zombie Apocalypse

So many people make fun of the idea of the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE!!!

I think it is time I shed a little light on the subject for the general population who do not understand the zombie apocalypse. 

Being ready for the zombie apocalypse means you are ready for anything. Some preppers are getting ready for one devastating event or another. You could prep for the Yellowstone caldera to go up in a volcanic inferno devastating the USA. Prep for an asteroid impact, financial collapse, nuclear war, or any other possible catastrophe that will destroy civilization as we know it. If you are getting ready for the zombie apocalypse you are working to be ready whatever may happen. Anything from losing your job to a planet wide catastrophe.

So why the zombie reference? If there is a massive catastrophe there will be zombies. Yes, strange as it may seem zombies will rise up and come after you or you may be a zombie. Where are all the zombies going to come from? I'm going to tell you. 

There will be several groups of people who are at various stages of preparedness when a disaster strikes.

Group 1. People who have food, shelter, supplies, skills and a way to protect it all for the long term, more than 2 years.

Group 2. People who have some food, some means of protection and skills for the moderate term, 1 to 2 years.

Group 3. People who have limited food, skills and means of protecting for several weeks to months.

Group 4. People who just do not have anything ready.

Group 5. People who have weapons and are willing to use them to take food and supplies from other people.

The Zombie apocalypse begins with a devastating event that effects a large geographical area. This may be several states, nations or the world. 

The people in group 4 who have nothing ready run to the store to buy goods. The shelves are emptied in a few minutes to hours. They are joined by the people in group 5 who bring their guns to be sure they get their share. A riot breaks out and people begin to kill each other for food and supplies. 

The people in groups 1, 2, and 3 get ready for the impending zombie attack. The people who are left in groups 4 and 5 begin to form a zombie mob. Some of the people from group 4 find shelter with friends and family who are in groups 1,2, and 3. The rest try to hide or shelter as best they can. 

A zombie is anyone who has sunk into a depraved social structure with the base ideology of "I will do what ever is needed to survive."  Zombies can not grow their own food or make their own goods. They are the people from groups 4 and 5.

As the zombies consume their food and supplies they begin to look for new opportunities to fill their stomach. Some as individuals, some in small groups and some in mass start to look for a way to get  what they need. 

The people of group 4 who have so far escaped with some supplies are easy targets. Lacking adequate weapons and shelter they are the first victims of the zombies. Most are killed for their supplies.

Because zombies do not have a supply of food they must be out searching for new food sources. All animals will be consumed. Cats, dogs, rats, mice and insects will be caught and eaten. Some will also begin to cannibalize the dead. Zombies will readily kill each other.

After 3-4 days without food zombies will eat the dead.

The next targets for the zombies will be people they know who may have a supply in their home.  They will try to overpower the home, kill the people and take whatever they can use. The elderly will be considered easy targets as well as the disabled and chronically ill. People who are dependent on medications to live such as diabetics will be on the zombie target list. They will take on the weak first. Then they will go for individual single family homes. With their numbers and weapons they will over power the homes.

Within 90 days all the chronically ill, elderly and medically dependent people who are not in groups 1, 2, and 3 will be dead. They may have passed away from their disease or been killed by zombies. Many single home peppers will also have been over run.

Group 3 will begin to fail before the end of the first year. As their short term supplies run out they will need to locate new supplies and food sources. The sick, weak and elderly may be expelled from the group in an attempt to conserve the supplies for the younger and stronger group members. The expelled members become zombies or die. Some group 3 people will seek to join with group 2 and group 1 people. If they can show they have the skills and supplies that are needed by them they have a chance to join the new group. Anyone trying to join a group at this point will be viewed with extreme caution and most likely not admitted to a new group. Some smaller groups may join together for mutual protection. The zombies will continue to attack where ever they can find a group they think they can overpower and each other.

After 1 year, groups 5, 4 and most of 3 will be zombies or dead. Zombies will be much fewer in number, ammo will have become scarce, vast numbers of people will be dead. Without new food production, starvation and cannibalism are epidemic among the zombies.

As the population decreases, people in groups 1 and 2 may determine to plant new crops if they are not under pressure from zombies. Almost all animals have been eaten by the zombies.  Animals in the care of preppers have their next generation. 

After the 2nd year almost all of the zombies are dead. Some few as individuals and small groups still exist and may try to join stable groups. Other zombies will continue to raid and plunder to exist. People from groups 1 and 2 who have survived begin to rebuild what they can of a civil society. The society will be considered primitive, most likely similar to life in the 1700 to 1800s. Natural resources will have been depleted and destroyed by the roving zombie hoards. We will have to regrow from our stores all the food, forests, animals and fuels.

The unready will not survive.

  

More than just guns.

I often talk to people about being a prepper. I am amazed how often the first thing they tell me is they have guns and ammo. Not just a gun and a few shells, but lots of guns and thousands of shells.

I ask them what else do you have? I am shocked at how frequently the answer is. I have guns, I can get anything I need. Some plan to hunt and live off the land some plan to take from other people what they need or want.

If you are honestly into being a prepper you know you need more than guns. You need to be ready to live for an extended period of time on your supplies. I think a two year supply is a good amount. This is a supply of food, medical supplies, clothing, shoes, water, trade goods, gold, silver , copper coins, and yes guns and ammo, The list can be endless.

When the hard times come there will be only 2 kinds of people. The ones who have a supply and can protect it, and the ones who plan to raid the people with supplies.

I am in the having supplies and the means to keep it safe camp.

If you are planing to be in my camp or set up one like it you may want to start talking to people about what skill they have. I have heard that emergency room doctors and people with military experience are at the top of the list. Every one needs to start with some idea of the group they will have.

A short list of skill I would look for are:
master herbalist
basic first aid skills.
skill in the use of fire arms
skills in hand to hand fighting
making cloth
making clothing
bee keeping
cooking
millers
black smith
making primitive tools
farming
organic gardening
potters
basket making

There are a lot more skill to consider and no skill should be dismissed.

After the first several months of a crisis a large amount of the population would be dead. lack of medications, armed conflict and starvation will decimate the population. The serving peoples need to have some skills to start the rebuilding of society. So basic skills for primitive living will be needed.

Now is the time to think about what you could do after the conflicts are over, your supplies are gone and you need to grow your own foods, make your own clothing, shoes, weapons and tools. If your only skill was that you can shoot a gun and have a lot of bullets. You will have no value if there are no guns and no bullets. Everyone should be able to protect themselves and be a productive person with valued skills that benefit the group.

Keep a candle ready.

As the weather has changed you should be checking some of the things you need to have on hand in the case of emergency.

Candles are a wonderful thing this time of year. They can bring some cheer to the coming long nights. They are also a good source of heat and light if the power goes out. As strange as it may seem a candle can take the chill out of a room. Just one will not heat the room to a toasty warm, but it can keep the pipes from freezing. Be sure there is some ventilation. A candle can use all the oxygen in a sealed room  and could cause carbon monoxide poisoning or death. Most homes have plenty of air leaks (drafts) to prevent this. A sealed safe room is more of a concern.

If the power is out go to the room below where your pipes come into your home or the crawl space. Put a candle in that place.  Be sure it is away from anything that could catch on fire. You may want to put it on a cookie sheet so you have a surface that is not going to burn if the candle is tipped over. Never leave a candle burning unattended. You do not need to put it next to the pipes, just in the room on the side the pipes come in on is fine. This can help to prevent the pipes from getting too cold. Then turn the water in one of the taps on to a slow dribble. Running water is unlikely to freeze. It is extremely unlikely your pipes will freeze if there is a little heat and the water is running.