There are no more bullets. All rounds have been fired into head upon head of relentless zombie, including those from your plentiful .22; not like it mattered — the darn reports drew every curious Deadite and the occasional rabbit from miles around. What else to do? Your trusty AR-15 is now your trusty bayonet holder and club. If only you could retrieve your ammo, and perhaps be a bit more silent next time.

It won’t be all bullets and blades in the zombie apocalypse. Especially if your country has banned sharp and/or explody things. Enter the humble crossbow, modified, re-engineered, and accurate enough for the zombie apocalypse.

You won’t want to be swinging that sword or knife the whole apocalypse right? Your arm’s going to get tired pretty quickly. By using arrows and darts, you can retrieve that ammo, wipe off zombie goo and reload. The PSE Tac 15 is that mighty weapon which will enable you to stalk your undead prey in the dark, without risking exposure from brilliant flashes or noisy reports (and yes, suppressed fire is still loud). The Tac 15 attaches to your standard AR-15 lower receiver, and accepts all standard rail mounting hardware. Scopes, stocks, lights, lasers, grips, bipods — you name it.

Yes,  I sell it here. Click below or visit the Undead Report’s  Zombie Hunting Gear Store for the Apocalypse.

The PSE Tac-15. Click to buy now!

The Tac 15 uses special bolts designed to fly true and accurately, as well as to withstand te immense power coming from this machine. The bolts fly at 412 fps with 160 ft-lbs of kinetic energy. Yeah, you’ll kill more than  few zeds with this. Be sure to rinse off those bolts before you use them for game hunting.

See also:

Tac15.com — the official site of this mean machine.

The PSE TAC-15 super weapon of the Zombiclypse

This week, reader Vince from Texas writes in with his plan and pack details. I encourage my readers to send me their tips, objectives, plans and local information from around the US and the world.

Not every zombie plan will work in every situation; one must factor land, environment, urban density, weather, supplies, infection rate and more. If you’re in the north, bring warm weather gear. If  you’re running across Texas, you’ll need a lot more water, varmint hunting gear and sunscreen.

Objective:

Escape Austin, TX during high infestation period

Solitary travel 380 miles on foot through countryside

Reach family at end of journey and fortify

If family gone or dead Go to plan B.

Inventory:

• Paul Tawrell’s – Camping & Wilderness Survival 2nd edition
• plastic bags X4, box of 20 zip lock bags
• hunting knife, diving knife, fillet knife, pocket knife
• machete
• Leatherman(multitool)
• sharpening stone
• 100 ft. polyethane rope
• magnesium flint striker
• 300 yd. 10lb. fishing line on spool
• hooks
• single lense binocular
• 2nd pair hiking boots and clothes in waterproof bag
• cotton gloves, leather gloves
• composition notepads X2, pens X3
• fishnet
• camouflage body paint
• canteen X2 with distilling tablets X10
• watch
• compass
• maps- Austin streets, Texas highways, Texas topographical/landmark, hiking trails of Texas
• windable LED flashlight
• MRE X12
• 20 Gauge shells X120
• 20 Gauge Remington
• And next year when I turn 21 a handgun.
• Gun cleaning kit
• First Aid Kit- needle and thread, gauze, ace bandages, Neosporin, alcohol pads, small bottle of peroxide, etc.
• Night vision goggles with extra batteries
• Soap
• Two way radio, with extra batteries
• Sharpie X3

Pack Explanation

I highly suggest reading Paul Tawrell’s survival book. It covers predicting weather patterns, how to interpret a river’s current, how to hunt, how to trap, what to pack, identifying plants and animals, maps and compasses, navigation, how to build a cooking fire, how to build a campfire, how to start a fire with no tools, first aid, cooking, kayaking, surviving the elements, how to build a shelter, how to build a boat, how and when to travel, improvised bug repellents, and everything in between.

Always carry multiple knives as well as a way to sharpen them. Always be able to tell the time, and KNOW WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN. Darkness is never your friend. Keep guns clean or they will eventually stop working, or jam at the most inappropriate time. Carry plastic bags to use for collecting wild edibles, or keeping bugs off of meat you may get from game. Keep zip lock bags for the same reason. Magnesium flint strikers have about 3,000 sparks in them, work when they are wet, and the sparks are hotter than a lighter flame. Invest in a windable flashlight. When the battery dies down, just wind it up. I would suggest a normal flashlight over an LED only because the brighter the light the easier you are to see, but its preference really. I don’t plan on using it much so I use an LED.

I only packed 12 MRE to save a little weight. The MREs are like emergency food for when I can’t find wild edible or game to eat. I am an experienced deer, duck, and squirrel hunter, and I am a good fisher so I should survive.

Night vision and flashlights are for emergency only. You never know what the future holds so save batteries. Say I use the night vision to travel at night instead of the day, then when I get to my family and they are all gone and took the supplies or are dead then an emergency happens at night and I need them? I’m fucked because I wasted the batteries.

Never assume you can figure out a map and compass. Know how or else you will be lost in the woods, or limited to road travel which can be risky. Knowing how to use a map and compass lets you know how far away you are from resources like natural shelter, food, water, or dangerous areas like cities.

I chose a 20-gauge shotgun because the combined weight of the guns and ammo is substantially less than a 12-gauge, but retains a good kill range. It is also somewhat quieter than a rifle or 12-guage, and easier to handle because it has very little kick to it. On the downside the ammo is harder to find, but in my case I never plan on returning to a city, where the gun would be really needed, once I escape it.

Occasionally flip on your two way and scan all the channels. During an apocalypse communication with military personnel or reclaimer groups could be useful. Always carry a sharpie especially when in the cities. Write on walls, doors, highways, sidewalks, or street signs. Write down useful tips for other wanders. If you want to join groups leave notes of where you are going, were supplies are, if the city up ahead is gridlocked, warn of over infestation, warn of bridges out, or point to good safe zones for others to take a break. I would appreciate finding helpful suggestions every now and then, and am more than happy to leave some for others.

When fleeing an infested area you will more than likely have to kill your fair share of zombies, which means you will probably get blood on you. So, wear gloves, long socks, glasses, hat, long sleeves, and handkerchief around your neck. Carry a second set of clothes so when you are done fleeing you can dump your blood drenched clothes and have something clean to wear. Also, carry soap. A clean body is a happy body.

Morale is a huge factor in survival. If you lose the will to live you will lose your life. One way to keep morale up is to keep a journal, draw pictures, maps, or anything with pen and paper. Keeping track of everything you do will keep you going, as well as help discover patterns. If you document every zombie encounter and read them all over once in a while you may discover things about them or yourself you didn’t know. Such things like you should watch your back more, zombies are sneaky, zombies have bad eyesight, zombies have bad hearing, or zombies only live for about 2 weeks. Since no one knows how zombies are actually going to act or function, having a detailed psych analyses, habit analyses, physical analyses will help you determine exactly the enemy you are facing. We cannot rely on stereotypes in modern entertainment to accurately display zombies. It will be up to us as individuals to determine these facts. Also, if you complete a composition, memorize it then leave it behind. Hopefully your 50 pages of observations will aid others who come across it. I would suggest buying brightly colored ones and leaving them enclosed in something until done with it. That way other survivors who happen through the area can easily identify it, and always label it. I chose ZOMBIE ANALYSIS: IF YOU FIND ME READ ME. So when the apocalypse happens and you find a bright yellow or green composition book with that title, you’re welcome.

Lastly I suggest going to a library and reading books on how to sew, tie knots, detailed instructions on first aid, and any other miscellaneous info that you may need during an apocalypse and practice it all. Knowledge is life, and repetition is the father of learning. Suggested reading: Boy Scout Handbook, Air force pilot handbook(kind of hard to find), Sewing books, Nursing books, Plant Identification books, Animal Identification books, Tracking animals books, Nutrition & Diet books, Psychological Analysis books(how to observe mental stability in others, yourself, and zombies), Physical therapy books, and lock picking books. If you come across a locked door there is probably something useful inside. Remember PRACTICE!

The Plan

First Outbreak (nation) – pack goes from closet to truck, within 100ft of me at all times.

First Outbreak (Local) – This is a single account in the city. Something small that could be controlled. If it is not controlled then it moves on to the next step in the plan. I call in to work, fortify 2nd floor apartment, and warn everyone of the disaster to come!

City Overrun Begins – Set out on foot during next available sunrise. Leaving midday could leave you in the suburbs in the dark, and that is obviously a bad idea. I will have gun in hand, but any local law enforcement or survivors will understand why I have a gun by this point, if there are any left. Stay on small neighborhood roads, and make no attempt to contact or recruit. Going through backyard would be safer until a scared survivor misjudges you and boom your dead. Once out of the city head away from civilization toward family.

380 mile travel – I will travel on small highways, no interstates, stopping only for water or the occasional game I may use for food. Travel stops 3 hours before sundown. First hour is used to head away from the highway. Second hour is used to cook and move further away from the highway, and where you cooked (smoke as well as food smell could give you away). Third hour is used to camouflage a sleeping spot. This continues day in and day out until I arrive at destination.

My Apocalypse Theories

Zombies

I highly doubt that the actual “undead” zombie could function. My research leads me to believe that a “rabid” zombie is more likely. They will have lower intelligence levels than normal, but can still understand basic concepts like doors, noise, urban vs. rural areas, and other easy concepts. My theory on surviving them is hiding. If they can’t see me or signs that I am around such as fire, backpack, etc. they will not find me. That is why I suggest the Air force pilot’s handbook. It is for when a pilot ejects over hostile territory and goes into great detail on natural camouflage and improvised equipment. If they do find me I will treat them as any other person attacking me. One to the chest, and if that doesn’t work then one to the head.

Other survivors

Check on no one. Help no one. Any help I have to offer is done during the first local outbreak, if they didn’t listen the first time their screwed not me. Avoid everyone no matter what. People are too dangerous in a time like this. They will either steal from me or want to tag along. I have packed enough for myself to survive, not enough for me and the occasional straggler or looter. Tag alongs will ALWAYS get you killed. They are untrained, unprepared, and scared. Fear causes mistakes under pressure. Now having a plan with a group who are prepared, aware, somewhat trained is a different story, but I will be traveling alone so…

My Plan B: When things go bad

My plan B goes into action when either I arrive home and my family is dead or gone, or total overrun occurs. By total overrun I mean no military, no civilization, nothing.

At this point I will have come across a world map during my travel which I will then use to navigate to South America. Somewhere in Brazil probably where there are no people. I feel I could survive in a jungle better than any other type of terrain and maybe 4 or 5 years later head back to check on how the area previously called the US is doing. If my theory of the “living” zombie turns out to be true then each zombie could survive between 1 week and 2 months depending on how fast the virus degrades brain function or the level of brain loss, initial infecting wound size, and how much nutrition they take in via human flesh. These estimates are obviously a long shot, and no were near accurate. This is why I chose to remain in Brazil for about 4 or 5 years, but who knows how long it would take them all to die out before you can return to what use to be home.

Other Thoughts

Personally I would avoid any military personnel in the case of an outbreak. The military, in the case of a nationwide outbreak, would more than likely abandon survivors or exterminate everyone. Gather supplies in small towns only if you are 100% sure you will survive. Entering a large city alone or in small groups could be a devastating mistake. I believe zombies will roam, but only from urban area to urban area. With an instinct to hunt for humans they would probably stay in or near civilization simply because that is where most survivors would stay, and this is the reason I choose to flee the city. But, like I stated earlier this is all just guess work.

The good, gun totin’ folks  at DPMS Firearms in St. Cloud have produced a fantastic zombie hunting event with various stages, scenarios, tactical situations, reactive targets and more. A prize table includes excellent zombie rifles, lasers, optics, mounts, kits and more!

Edit: www.OutbreakOmega3.com/

DPMS Firearms, LLC and Del-Tone/Luth Gun Club are hosting another “fun shoot” at the Del-Tone/Luth Gun Range in St. Cloud, MN on April 24-25, 2010.

This is one of the largest zombie shoots in the US. This is a “fun” shoot, any and all are invited.  Saturday night includes, a Zombie Hunters Ball, featuring a live band and a pig roast. Staff at the event will be zombified! come as you are, whether it’s a pizza delivery man, ninja, tacticool operator, or office worker. These are real live firearms here, aimed at zombie targets, dummies and the like. This isn’t an HvZ Nerf shoot or a Paintball shoot.

There will be several scenarios to join and shoot at to test your mettle, shotgun skills, rifle skills and reloading abilities.

Up Close and Personal – A nearby farmhouse has been overrun with the undead, but it is full of ammo and supplies, so get a clearin’.

Twinkie Factory – Clear out and hold the Twinkie Factory (Zombieland fans?) and a night’s sleep and Twinkies are your reward.

Live Zombie Open Range – You know what to do. Shoot anything that’s already dead. Rifle/Shotgun/Pistol

Air Drop From Heaven – An air-dropped crate of ACR’s? Retrieve it and then get a shootin’!

Sound The Alarm! – Eliminate all resistance swiftly and sound the alarm. You have 60 seconds to ensure the safety of your fellow survivors!

Anybody Home? – After walking the wilds of Central Minnesota for what seems to be an eternity, your small band of survivors has come across an abandoned house. Guess what? You drew the short straw and you get to make sure it’s clear before you stop for the night. Shotguns.

From the Waters of Lake Luth - These zombies are very active both day and night, straining the senses of the watch crews, and can only be killed with a perfect head shot.   Rifle/Squad shot.

Rule # 32: Enjoy the Little Things – Trap shoot.

Un-Load and Un-Lock - Navigate your way through a series of locks and doors in 60 seconds or the cure is lost!

Zombie Assault Training Site -  These 2 stages have multiple head target and you must wager your skills and life on your training and your shotgun.

The Wooded Valley of Undeath – Guard duty in the forest with your shotgun.

This weekend, St Paul is the place to put your mouth where your money is.

This week, UndeadReport.com reader Mr Match from Australia writes a thorough guide covering weapons and armament for your long term survival.

I am going to have to agree with ‘GoingToSurvive’ that everybody here is focused on how to fight zombies more than actually surviving a shit-hits-the-shit-that-hits-the-fan scenario. But I think that’s just because it’s the fun part, so that’s what I’ll be discussing first. My opinion is that your strategy, and therefore your tactics should revolve around lasting (as in living) as long as possible, in a zombie situation given that the majority of the population (whether local or global) has zombiefied, the cliché ‘the best defence is a great offence’ may not be the best, there are a number of reasons as to why avoiding confrontation can be beneficial but three of the main ones that I can think of are:
Confrontation will most likely draw attention to yourself, making you a target.
Resources i.e. bullets are finite, conservation will make them last longer, more so true if you only have what you have prepared.
Why put yourself in a dangerous situation and risk your life?

In my tactics, if you can call it that; it simply involves staying hidden and only engaging in confrontation if absolute necessary.

Some people have raised the point that you will be most likely taking on multiple targets if it comes to having a fight, yes it’s a good idea that you should have a proper force that is capable of take down large numbers of zombies and who wouldn’t love one of those full-auto shotties that everybody here goes nuts for, but if you try to avoid the zombies as much as possible then you wouldn’t need to fight them, and therefore the most common encounter involves you taking a zombie on one-on-one in sudden situations where you have been jumped by a zombie that you were unaware of, for example walking through the streets and there’s a zombie hiding behind a car or if you’re in the process of looting a building with many obstructions/obstacles, etc.

A good way to avoid the aforementioned situations is to stay in clear open areas i.e. in the middle of the street rather than next to a car or next to walls/buildings, however this also means that you will be spotted easier but lucky for you (or so I hope) zombies don’t use ranged weapons. If you really must travel in technical areas such as a trashed shop or a street full of crashed cars (for some reason movies love to depict the apocalypse as a destruction derby released onto the streets) then just ensure that you’re checking every single blind spot around you.

OK now to the fun stuff, Weapon selection!

Weapons

There are a few prerequisites for choosing firearms, the four major points of concern for me are: reliability, sustainability and compatibility, firepower and rate of fire, and finally ease of use. They are discussed in detail below.

1. Reliability, speaks for itself however this is often subjective. A gun that is broken-in and shown faithful flawless operation that you commonly use is ideal for weapon. One thing you really need to do is ensure that you have a field cleaning kit and reasonable access to replacement parts if anything should fail or particularly susceptible to failure.
2. Sustainability and compatibility, choosing a calibre that is common is a double edged sword; it means that your choice of ammunition is widely available, from firearm stores, military forces, milsurp, police stations and even companions. However everybody with a gun has the same mindset as you, so it really is a matter of luck whether you can ransack the ammo before someone else does. It does however provide you the second chance to salvage/request ammo from other sources such as other survivor-turned-zombies or just plain survivors, military personnel/vehicles/compounds, LEOs and LE vehicles. However if you have some knowledge of firearms or even common sense then you should know that you should resort to ammunition of unknown origin last, particularly handloads. For you unawares, handloads are ammunition produced with simple machinery with commercial components, they are often produced to certain specs for utmost accuracy or stronger loads, or even both. However you cannot know what is inside, ‘hot’ loads could put much stress on your firearm, while component and manufacturing quality is questionable.
   But when it comes to calibre choice, they are listed most commonly available from left to right.Small rifles: .22 Long Rifle, 9mm Parabellum, .357 Magnum .44 Magnum, 17 HMR

   Rifles: .223 Remington (a.k.a. 5.56 NATO, beware they are not always interchangeable), 7.62×39, .308 Winchester (a.k.a. 7.62 NATO), 243 Winchester.

   Larger rifles: 30-06 Springfield, .30-30, .303 (In Commonwealth countries). These rounds for larger rifles are widely available and often much cheaper for stockpiling. But they are excessive and probably more firepower than you need, not to mention they are all very old calibres too, bulky and much heavier to carry and WILL put much more strain on your body to carry/shoot.

   Shotgun: 12 Gauge, 20 Gauge

   Pistol: 9mm Parabellum, .45 ACP, .40 S&W, .357, .44 Magnum, .38 Super, .38 Special (Our police force are equipped with k-frame six shooters in Victoria, Australia)

3. Firepower and rate of fire, Having the comfort of full auto is pleasing but probably not often utilized (from what I understand it’s not that easy to get in America either, near impossible in Australia =/) whereas sustained well-placed shots is always going to be better than sending as many rounds as you can downrange regardless of zombies or normal people targets. I think any of the calibres in the ‘rifle’ category listed above is capable of doing the job properly, on the other hand I’ve always thought that if you were to engage a low number of zombies (1-3) from a distance of around 50 meters/yards in offensive mode, then you could probably take them out with a .22 rifle, the abundance of these rounds and rifles means that you wouldn’t need to hesitate about taking as many shots as necessary, sure they’re a small round but if all you’re aiming for is headshots, they are fully capable of penetrating a skull. Think about this, a 50 round brick of .22 is almost as big as a 10 round magazine of 223. Remington
4. Ease of use, this is one part many people overlook. BE FAMILIAR with your choice of weapon, and I don’t mean just reading the instructions once, know that shit. IT WILL save your life, proper and safe handling of weapons is of utmost importance, learn how to strip, maintain/clean your firearm, and of course learn how to hold your weapon properly with the proper stance, don’t fall into bad habits and get yourself into a shooting education program, especially organisations such as IPSC. Two things that you can benefit from learning is how to reload your gun on the fly in a high-stress situation, sure you can do a mag change on a bench at the range, but how about cowered in the drivers seat of your vehicle? Or bracing against a door with zombies trying to get in? OK these things might be a bit much to train for (IN FACT I HIGHLY DISCOURAGE YOU FROM TRAINING IN YOUR CAR, AND ESPECIALLY DO NOT TRAIN WITH LIVE AMMUNITION,) but the point is get familiar with using your firearm, become proficient and use it as an extension of your body. You don’t want to forget how to use your gun when you’re in the same room as a Zombie, you’d like to use it as if it were the index finger on your hand.

It should be noted that these are ALL equally important and not really written in order.

Australian Apocalypse Survival

Here where I live, Australia we have many restrictions on choice of guns. We pretty much have access to bolt action long arms, lever actions long arms, pump action ‘rifles’, break-open shotguns, combo guns. If you can be bothered, you can get a handgun, magazine limited to ten rounds, minimum barrel length is 100mm I believe, and some limits on calibre choice, I mentioned if you can be bothered because part of the licensing requires that you enter a certain number of ‘shooting competitions’ and ‘training sessions’ per every handgun category in which you a gun, i.e. IPSC 9mm, Metal Silhouette .44Mag. It works out to about 9 range sessions per category.
My current arsenal includes:
Ishapore SMLE in 7.62 NATO, 10 round bolt action rifle
Remington 7600 in .30-06, 10 round pump action rifle
Remington 7615 in 5.56 NATO, 10 round pump action rifle (My primary)
Marlin 81TS in .22LR, 17 round bolt action rifle
A .177 Air rifle

I am currently saving for a shotgun, IAC Model 87 which is a lever action shotgun with a 5 round tube mag, totally legit in Australia. It’s the shotgun Arnold has in Terminator: Judgement Day. It’s china build quality, but the highest cap, quickest action available to me. Look it up on YouTube and you’ll find a video of some guy who has become incredibly fast at it. When I get out of university, I will start attending my pistol range once again and keep my attendance up, I’ll probably go for a 1911 variant chambered in .38 Super.

I also have various china/eBay ‘samurai swords,’ knives, a long pole.

The American Option

Here’s what I’d get if I was in America,

Some kind of ar15 variant, I’ve never really looked into the brands because I have no hope of actually picking one up. If I had the option, then I’d take an m4 any day or failing that a burst fire or full auto sear will suffice.

I love 1911s, and would probably pick one up in .45acp however the relatively low mag count and functionality isn’t very convincing. But on a more practicality based recommendation I would suggest a full sized Glock in any chambering, some of the benefits are a higher capacity magazines, safety that doesn’t have to be disengaged manually as such and thus pretty much in condition 1 or other words ready to rock and roll anytime, it’s also lightweight and cheap to buy.

And to round it off, you need some kind of back up melee weapon; I’d suggest some kind of war axe with a spike on the top. I think these three weapons are enough to get you by; carrying more than one long arm and sidearm is ridiculous. You have a reasonable level of stopping power will these selections, keep in mind that your targets will not go down easily from being wounded, they will only stop from the quintessential headshot, so having the biggest calibre you can possibly shoot will not help at all, nor will a knife and a sword is unlikely. Try not to add too many accessories to your guns, sure all the add-ons look awesome but you really need to keep it light weight as possible, having said that a spotlight and quality sling is an absolutely necessity in my opinion.

Ok now you’re thinking these sounds like boring suggestions, everybody has one right? Think about it, that is exactly why you want one. Spare parts, magazines, ammo, knowledge, aftermarket support are all extremely plentiful. As you can see they can reasonably satisfy all the prerequisites mentioned above.

This all is of course dependent on whether Zombies are actually going to eventuate, logical? Not really, doubtful? Yes, possible? My logic also yes! but I’m terrified of zombies and thus I’ve given them some consideration in preparing my bug-out bag and home survival kit, which is catered for all situations, from earth quakes, floods, black outs, biological outbreaks etc. You should be prepared for almost any situation and ensure that you’re always aware.

But remember these are merely tools. Your most useful tool, weapon and advantage is your brain.
Hope this was helpful!

S#it just hit the fan. The zombies have come. The infection has spread. They’re neither fast, nor slow, but they do attack and they do kill, and the infection is spreading, and you probably can’t tell the infected from survivors until it’s too close or too late. This is the moment you haven’t been adequately planning for.

Let’s go raid the gun store! No, let’s go hit the military base that just happens to be in my city! Screw it, let’s get out of town. FAIL. There will be no gun store, the military base will shoot anyone within 100 yards, and every road will be blocked.  Luckily, the fellows over at Cracked have already thought of why your plan will fail. Here’s a counterpoint.

#5 — The gun store / military base run.

Cracked has it spot on here — you’re not going to be able to run to the gun store when things get bad, and if you can, expect to be met by many other people and the store owners. With that many guns, it won’t just be the infected getting hit. Stock up before hand, and if there are no firearms in your region (or they’re even  banning knives), you had better be damned creative, or else be really accurate with your stone throwing. Your best advice is to run and bash in some brains while wearing some biological protective gear.

#4 — Leave town.

Seeing as around 50% of the population now lives in urban areas, you can expect the roads out will be crowded and moving slower than an LA rush hour in a snow storm. Cities also breed filth, infection and disease. Expect zombie infection and attacks to be at an abnormally high level in a metropolitan area. You will have a very short time before you are attacked, infected, or caught by angry mobs or survivors. If you find yourself caught, stay put temporarily, then wade through the madness. Stick to back roads, but not so remote as to be slaughtered by gangs or bands of survivors.

#3 — Fortify your defenses.

If you’re making do in that urban stronghold, it won’t last forever. In the rare instance that you have a bomb shelter, congratulations as you are in the top percentile of likely survivors. Most of us are apartment or common home dwellers, and such luxuries are unavailable. If you can support yourself for about a month, you may have an edge to ride off the initial infection and retaliation stages, but after that you will need to resettle and re-secure the area. While Cracked is using undead as their zombies, in reality the zombies are alive, can and will move about, passing infection to other areas as they run out of food and aggressors.  You will need to cordon off and fortify the rest of your area, not just your dwelling.

#2 — Use melee weapons when possible.

Cracked has it spot on — you don’t want blood and infected flesh getting on or near your person, even if you have a biological contaminant resistant suit. Max Brooks is just foolish when he says to use blades or staffs when possible — you want the infected to be as distant from you as possible when they die. Carry a fireaxe, kukri, aluminum bat, staff or other strong blade on your person for emergencies and close quarters, but be proficient with that firearm first. You will most likely be able to fight through or evade most attacks before they happen. Remember to always put distance between you and any aggressor. Distance = safety.

#1 — Always aim for the head.

Headshots will permanently disable your aggressor, though you are targeting a much smaller and harder to hit area. Center of mass will still work against the infected. Severing limbs will slow them down and blood loss will eventually kill them.  An automatic weapon will serve as a morale booster and can plant several center of mass shots, but it will burn through ammo if you’re not careful. If you have a headshot, take it to kill and conserve ammo, but certainly you can puncture a heart and lungs and kill them that way. Distance first, then destruction.

Thanks again Cracked, for pointing things out to a wide audience, though remember, we will be fighting “new” zombies.

And now some teaser info:
There’s a new breed of zombie interaction coming to Chicago. Zombies Attack Chicago is a live interactive event incorporating mixed media, make-up, special effects, and stage violence. Think of it as an interactive  “Chose Your Own Adventure”.
Every October Friday, $15 @ The Spot 4437 N. Broadway Ave, South of the Wilson Redline. More information soon, and special deals for my lovely Undead Report readers.

Well, it’s not something I’d like to be on the wrong side of. One part electric chainsaw, plus one part tactical rail mount equals twelve parts zombie decapitation. There are distinct benefits to using this weapon attachment – you won’t need a strong body to kill the undead, there is a great morale boost to carrying one of these around, it would be handy for carving particularly thick-skinned venison. As the video below shows, sometimes a zombie head won’t be destroyed by bullets alone.

Yeah, it’s pretty badass. As a tactical zombie weapon, it has some merit. When you run out of ammo in a tight spot, an electric chainsaw attached to the end of your rifle will be a nice thing to have, but you must realise you risk contamination, friendly fire and other hazards by waving that thing around. It should be your last defense. If a zombie infection is a blood-borne pathogen, you won’t be wanting any of that getting on you. The bayonet could come in very handy for entering places and point defense / room clearing. Carrying around a charger and spare batteries will cause problems.

There’s plenty of mess to clean up after you’re done carving those heads. I’d say leave the chainsaw bayonet as a novelty. You don’t want blood in your eye and if the power goes out, you’re not going to find any extension cords handy. I must admit, however, that it would be a great tool to have for de-limbing trees. And zombies.

If you can, get your hands on the AA-12. And somebody please send me one to review!

If you found yourself trapped in a gymnasium with hordes of brain hungry zombies coming from every door and window, what would you do? Fight? Flee? Scream? You’d probably die, because you haven’t seen the second hand tacitcal simulation that is being demonstrated here in Chicago. A small group of survivors has been banding together in a gym and running repeated drills on zombie holocaust survival and zombie elimination.

The Sandbox Theatre Project is running a preparedness simulation called “Multi Purpose Doom“, which is performed at 9pm every Friday and Saturday night through August 23rd at the Menomonee Club in Lincoln Park. The exercise consists of several groups of day-to-day people who have inadvertently been overbooked in the same gymnasium. The jittery self help group, a woefully unprepared and ditzy high school reunion organizer, and the jocks all try for their right to own the space for the night. The typical survival character archetypes shine after the inevitable (and bloodily hilarious) zombie outbreak.

The production values are quite high with blood filled theatrics, moulage, costume design and dismemberment. From ballerina to nervous life coach, all manner of zombie come out to feast on a half dozen survivors. Slow moving, brain eating zombies are a highly unlikely scenario, but the director uses them to create great comedy and tension building. Of note is that particular zombies exhibit character traits of their recently lost humanity. These low-memory zombies present several problems that our heros must quickly and creatively deal with in order to survive. Reactionary and improvisational fighting is key to fending off an attack in unfamiliar and undefended locations, especially if the zombies exhibit low-function thinking.

The survivors demonstrate proper infected restraint techniques, but fail to adequately barricade entrances and exits. Melee or close combat weapons are also missing. As one unfortunate survivor demonstrates, I suggest not going alone for ammunition and provisions.

The production is full of excellently choreographed gunplay, combat, suspense, humor and tension. The producers have taken certain liberties to include the gunplay in a family-friendly house, but it is still quite effective in illustrating proper zombie removal techniques. Zombie movie cliches are seen as each survivor has their shining moment towards the end of the play, but this is will written with a nod to popular zombie cinema.

“Multi-Purpose Doom” is a must see for any zombie fan. As zombie preparedness training exercises go, it’s top notch and the high quotient of humor is a must for keeping your sanity. If you failed to collect your shwag at this years earlier events, you get a killer Zombie Survival Merit Badge for coming to see the show!

The exercise runs Fridays and Saturdays July 18th -> August 23, doors 8:30, play 9:00.
Menomonee Club 1535 N Dayton, Chicago $15

Multi-Purpose Doom at Sandbox Theatre Project

Update 2009-05-14:

You can buy some of this stuff in the Zombie Apocalypse Store!

Personal Defense

You will need some sort of personal protection, and bullet resistant vests aren’t going to cut it. Yes, they are necessary, but only to a point. More appropriate would be hard impact bite and puncture resistant armor. The vest will be essential during the early stages, as a precaution against looters and hoodlums with guns, and general hysteria. You’ll want the hard shell armor for ongoing protection against damage and the undead.

There are several options available to the general consumer now, the pre-war time. Hockey and sports gear just won’t cut it. Sorry, Casey Jones. Some offer large amounts of padding, and others offer protective hard shells. Damascus Gear FlexForce is a fine set of protective gear. Billed as riot gear or crowd control gear, it will offer considerable protection against small melee battles with zombies.

The system protection from blunt force trauma without sacrificing fit or comfort. The suit is lightweight and allows for rapid mobility and flexibility, covering legs, front and rear torso, shoulders and arms. It can be found at various online realtors for under $500 USD. Alternatively, you can buy only the pieces you need. Hatch Centurion armor, while offering less protective gear, is another fine choice. Don’t skimp here. While a zombie may be able to bite you un unprotected areas, and you’ll still be easily ripped apart by a dozen zombies, not only will you be able to better defend yourself, you’ll look really cool.

Life Support

Things will stink. Literally. Rotting flesh, the dead and undead, garbage, sewers, health hazards, overturned trucks or trains. The apocalypse will be a messy, smelly, dangerous place to survive in. There are several options to make life last a little longer.

You will need a system for personal air filtration. Don’t buy a gas mask at your local Army Navy surplus store. They’re crap, they’re old and the filters won’t stop a fart. You’ll need something new and most likely, not as extreme.

If you were facing a human menace, a full head gas mask may be appropriate, but you won’t be. There will be no tear gas, CS gas VX gas or anything nasty like that. You may want a gas mask for the initial happening to prepare against the use of tear gas or crowd control agents, but after that, a respirator will suffice. It will be less weight, offer great mobility and ease of use.

The North 7700 half mask respirator will get the job done for you. At less than $30 (excluding filters), it’s a wise investment. You’ll need the best filters for the job though, HEPA P-100 filters help defend against nuclear biological and chemical agents, as well as asbestos and bacterial. You may find yourself in some nasty old buildings with three foot cement walls and asbestos floors. You’ll want this.

Daily Operations

Footwear

You’ll need tough gear to survive the aftermath. Do you think footwear manufacturers will still be making boots after the 2012 zombie holocaust? Then congratualtions, you’ll be left behind. You’ll want a fine pair of boots for the miles of walking you’ll doubtless grow accustomed to, and tennis shoes or sandals won’t cut it. They’ll hardly protect you from a puddle or dog poop, much less climbing over mountains of corpses.

You may find combat boots at your local milsur store, but for durability and longevity, you should go for something a little more refined. I recommend 5.11 Tactical’s boots. Tough, durable and comfortable, they offer hours of support and mobility and have several models available.

That’s right, you can run marathons in them. Besides comfort, they also offer chain-link fence climbing grips, rappeling grips, and options of side zippers and safety toes. 5.11 boots also come in kid and women friendly sizes.

I swear by 5.11 Tactical boots. I’ve been wearing my pair almost daily since I bought them two years ago. They remain durable, comfortable and can still take a shine for those formal events.

Gloves

Don’t forget your hands. You’re going to get dirty. And cut. And you’ll need to punch, rip and stab things. I wish i could offer an end-all be-all glove, but I can’t. So you’ll need several, and there are a few shining options you’ll need to carry on your person at all times.

For serious protection, I recommend the Ironclad Extreme Duty II. This mother rips through steel (if you’ve got the muscles) and offers a face-pounding diamond rubber palm and grip, rubberized knuckles and a gauntlet to prevent debris or infected brain matter from ruining your watch. The features on this glove may seem extreme, but you’ll be glad you have a pair when you’r reduced to smashing heads with big rocks and then throwing corpses onto a fire all day.

You’ll also need a pair for daily use and protection, or depending on if you’re trying to survive in a cold or hot climate. Under Armour makes all-purpose tactical gloves that offer insulation, grip and comfort. You don’t want to slip negotiating rickety ladders or having a lobotomizing weapon fly out of your hands to leave you defenseless.

Survival Gear

You will also need a full complement of gear for day to day survival, but this will vary widely depending on your situation and locale. I recommend a list of the following posessed by at least one member of your small and tight knit survival party.

• Crowbars / Sledge Hammers – useful for not only entry, but also smashing Zack’s head.
• Machetes / Blades – as Max Brooks points out, blades don’t need reloading. Preferably you’ll find one with a long, stay sharp blade.
• Torches – those crank and shake flashlights just don’t cut it n the long run. You’ll still need the power of super bright, long lasting LED torches or Maglites.
• Fire – you will need a sure source of fire, preferably attached in front of some kind of propellant. You’re gonna want to torch stuff at some point.

The apocalypse will be a scary time, and it won’t be for the timid. Whether its in 2012, 2009, or tomorrow, you’ll want to make sure you survive with your brain intact. The best way to do that is by preparing for the worst. Remember, use your head – destroy theirs.

Resources

• Damascus Gear FlexForce Armor
• North 7700 half mask respirator
• 5.11 Tactical ATAC Waterproof boots
• Ironclad Extreme Duty II Gloves
• Under Armour Tactical cold condition gloves

The most common primary weapon will probably be rifles, as machine guns and sub-machine guns are currently hard to come by for the general public. After the fall of military and policing units, they may be easier to acquire. Also common and equally as important, if not more destructive, is the shotgun. Current civilian shotguns are ususally limited to 2 or 5 rounds, or in the case of police issue Benellis a chamber of 8. This can be quite limiting when faced with large quantities of the undead. You need the rapid reload, fire and ammunition capacity of a sub-machine gun while harnessing the destructive power of the 12-gauge shotgun. The answer lies in a devestating new weapon being developed: the AA-12 Automatic Assault 12-gauge shotgun.

The reliability and usability of shotguns during a zombie outbreak is a hotly contested issue. On one hand, their ruggedness and stopping power are not to be underestimated. On the other hand, they take considerable time to reload and their muzzle climb and recoil negatively affect accuracy and successful headshot capability. The AA-12 seeks to eradicate these problems.

Carrying a 10, 20 or 32 round clip, firing a devastating 300 rounds per minute and having almost no muzzle climb or recoil, the AA-12 is the ultimate weapon for a zombie invasion. The only potential setback is such a weapon is not legal for a civilian to own as it has no legal sporting purpose. Durable, relaiable, strong and machined to withstand various climates, weather, water and grime, the AA-12 will maintain itself as a steadfast and deadly weapon for repelling undead hordes. Videos after the jump.

Now, my friends over at Zombies Are Coming have complied reasons as to why a shotgun does not make for a good weapon in a zombie outbreak. Five bullet points are presented, and the AA-12 fires every one.

• 1 – Ammo Capacity: Even the Benelli Super-90 only holds eight rounds, and as evidenced by a panicked Ving Rhames in “Dawn of the Dead”, 8 is not enough. The AA-12 holds a minimum 10 rounds in a quick loading box, or 20 or greater in a fast firing (and easy to load) drum.
• 2 – Reloading Ability: No longer is the shotgun operator stuck opening the breech or sliding in shell after shell – just drop and replace a clip or drum with the AA-12.
• 3 – Rate of Fire: No contest here. The AA-12 Automatic Shotgun produces an incredible 300 rounds per minute – thats 5 rounds per second you’re pumping into zombie heads, always on target. You can even mount it on a vehicle.
• 4 – Range and Power: You certainly don’t need to worry about range and power when your grouping and accuracy is so tight. Not to mention you can fire grenade rounds 175 yards – more later.
• 5 – Ease of Use: It may be heavy, but it’s rugged and reliable, and incredibly easy to use; even a 100 pound woman can fire the weapon one-handed. Point and shoot – it doesn’t get any easier.

Currently being developed for SWAT and military CQB (Close Quarters Battle) operations, the AA-12 will augment our offensive capability in securing and clearing urban and interior environments of hostiles. As the video below demonstrates, the weapon is amazing in both capability and design. Note the lack of recoil and ease and speed of reloading. The gun can even be fired one handed, upside down. Also note the consistent, tight shot grouping – hard to do with current shotguns.

As if the capabilites listed aren’t proof enough that this is the ultimate offensive weapon, special rounds have been developed for the AA-12. In addition to standard shot, there also exist door breaching rounds, slugs, and devastating grenade rounds called the FRAG-12. The FRAG-12 comes in at least three flavors: High Explosive, Fragmentation and Armor Piercing. The grenade is a fin-stabilized warhead that can launch up to 175 meters, and produces a blast radius of 9 feet. Just imagine what nine feet of exploding shrapnel will do to some undead heads. Incredible. The video below demonstrates the capabilites of the grenade rounds. Note again the grouping of shots and the low recoil and muzzle climb.

It is of strong concern that even a semi-automatic version of this weapon be made available to the general public. In the event of a rising of the dead, a strong and reliable firearm is mandatory for every survival group. I only hope development and deployment of the AA-12 is complete by then – say before 2012. Oh, and if you’re mobile, you can mount it as a remote-controlled, double AA-12 platform called the HAMMER.Resources

• Mid America Recreation Inc – AA12 Automatic Shotgun
• Top 5 Reasons You Should Not Use a Shotgun for Zombie Defense
• Defense Review – Auto Assault 12 Combat Shotgun for Mil/LE Special Operations
• Defense Review -AA12 Machine Shotgun/FRAG-12 Grenade Weapon System
• Benelli M3 Super 90
• Future Weapons: AA12 Automatic Shotgun
• More Industries – HAMMER Dual AA12 remote firing system

Stuff I recommend if you’re anxious to shoot stuff. Read a book in the meantime.

Ever find yourself waking up in the morning and thinking: “Boy, if there was a zombie infestation today, what would I do to protect myself and those around me?” If you don’t you are a total selfish jerk who should be more concerned about the important things in life, such as not being eaten by hordes of the undead. If you’re like me and don’t much favor the idea of having your flesh decompose in the bowels of the living dead then I have the solution for you. In this article I will be discussing the pros and cons of a variety of firearms and other weaponry that could make you a survivor instead of a snack.

Now I know what you’re thinking: “Kender, why should I listen to you? What do you know about firearms and fighting off an army of the walking dead?” To answer your question, I was a Deputy Sheriff for two years and in that time I learned a lot about ballistics and the operation of many firearms; I was also born and raised in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and as a Yooper I spent a lot of my time shooting guns and hunting stuff.

There are some basic rules to zombie slaying, first rule – Unlike the movies, fully automatic weapons are not the best. When you’re dealing with an enemy that can only be “killed” by being shot in the head and doesn’t have any sense of fear, throwing a large amount of lead down stream isn’t going to do you a lot of good. Full auto is great for living enemies, getting hit by one of those multiple rounds will wound or kill your target, and it can also be used to keep them bogged down behind cover. All full auto will do against the dead is eat up your limited supply of ammo, and during a full-blown infestation you need every round you can spare. Single shot weapons (bolt or pump action) are good for limiting the amount of ammo you waste, but it also slows you down, and when you are out numbered ten to one you need every second you can spare. My recommendation is semi-automatic fire arms, you’ve got speed and ease of fire in a battle, but aren’t tempted to go all willy-nilly and waste all of your ammo.

The first weapon we will discuss is the M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle. The Garand has a long history, it was originally developed in the 1920’s to replace the bolt action Springfield 1903 rifle, and after more than ten years of testing and design what is now known as the M1 was produced. Production was slow prior to the war, but with the outbreak of war in Europe production increased, and by 1941 the American Army was completely outfitted with M1 rifles. By the end of the war almost five and a half million M1s had be produced by several different manufactures, including Springfield arms, Winchester, and Beretta to name a few. WWII General George S Patton was quoted as saying that it was “The greatest implement of battle ever devised.” The Garand saw action during the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War until it was officially retired from service in 1965.

The M1 rifle is a gas-operated, semi-automatic, clip-fed rifle. By modern standards, the M1′s feeding system is archaic, relying on clips to feed ammunition, and is the principal source of criticism of the Garand rifle. Officials in Army Ordnance circles demanded a fixed, non-protruding magazine for the new service rifle. At the time, it was believed that a detachable magazine on a general-issue service rifle would be easily lost by U.S. soldiers, and would render the weapon too susceptible to clogging from dirt and debris (a belief that proved unfounded with the adoption of the M1 Carbine), and that a protruding magazine would complicate existing manual-of-arms drills as well as firing and reloading the weapon in the prone position. As a result, inventor John Garand developed an “en bloc” clip system that allowed ammunition to be inserted from above, clip included, into the fixed magazine. While this design provided the requisite flush-mount magazine, the clip system increased the rifle’s weight, and prevented it from being fired without a clip, such as while reloading.

The Garand is loaded with a full clip of 8 cartridges. Once all eight rounds are expended, the bolt will be automatically locked back and the clip ejected, readying the rifle for the insertion of a fresh clip of ammunition. Compared to contemporary detachable box magazines, the M1′s “en bloc” clip is light, simple, and only has to be oriented with the bullets pointing forward prior to charging the rifle (the clips have no top or bottom).

PROS:

• Powerful round, capable of penetrating a skull or doing massive damage to CNS.
• Ammunition readily available, can be purchased in eight clip bandoleers via catalogs or gun shops. Should be pretty easy to track down during an infestation, 30-06 is a common hunting round.
• Eight round clip reduces the need to reload.
• Quick reload, just place full magazine into open magazine and it chambers the next round itself.
• Sturdy weapon, can be used as a club / melee weapon
• Easy to field strip / clean.
• Bayonet mount, so when the going gets tough at least you’ve got a blade on the end.
• Relatively easy to find, US Government had a few million of them made between WWII and the Korean War and many of those are still functioning.
• Highly accurate up to and past 500 yards.
• Battle tested. (Mother approved)

CONS:

• Heavy – Weights over 10lbs.
• Has to be loaded with special clips, clips are ejected out the top when they are emptied so you need to keep track of them and try to pick them up if you get a chance.
• Loud as all hell.
• Hard to be accurate in the dark with iron sights.
• Ammunition is large and heavy, can’t carry a lot easily.