Let’s Talk Defense
While reading through an article the other day in a very popular magazine, I came across a listing for persons seeking to install an underground property. Missile Bases: 20th century Castles has some extremely unique solutions that also apply to the protection against an undead invasion. Will this modern day approach work against a horde of zombies?
Of most interest, obviously, would be the underground portion of the home. Traditionally, zombies in large numbers, though clumbsy, prove time and time again to be dangerous. They have turned over vehicles and penetrated areas of buildings otherwise thought to be secure.
Yet this underground structure looks to be very solid. The entrances could easily be sealed with heavy metal doors, not unlike hatches on submarines. Plenty of living area is offered, and according to the illustration, almost more exists below ground than above. There are also further escape routes allowing homeowners to retreat if necessary into deeper recesses of the earth. There appears to be ample storage space in addition to the ability to add creature comforts so that a family could easily defend their homefront and wait out an attack of the undead.
True, the genious minds behind Missile Bases most likely did not have a zombie epidemic in mind when developing and marketing their product. However, this could easily provide a safe-haven during times of the undead.
Does anyone see any other potential strengths or even design flaws?
Comments (78)
that guy in that place on 23 Oct 2007 at 4:41 pm #
Well having the metal doors is useful, but with a few holes in them you can easily dispatch the ones that get too close by a few stabs in the head with a gaff hook.
I suggest a gaff hook because you can use the gaff to move the body out of the way if it is blocking the door.
Each level should have a locking hatch to prevent the invading hordes from swarming the place should the inevitable happen and some fool open the door to go get something from the front lawn.
admin on 27 Oct 2007 at 8:31 am #
The hatch is a great idea and should be a requirement. Do you foresee hordes of the undead being able to penetrate a large steel door, though?
that guy in that place on 28 Oct 2007 at 8:03 pm #
NO.
What I do foresee is someone being helpful by bringing the village idiot into the fortress, and said idiot deciding to open the door to see if it is safe to go outside…
admin on 28 Oct 2007 at 8:07 pm #
Very good point. I would like to think I would be able to just shoot the village idiot or leave them outside of my big heavy doors.
that guy in that place on 30 Oct 2007 at 7:04 am #
Then tasers and straightjackets should be provided in the same fashion as fire blankets and extinguishers.
Also, ball gags.
admin on 30 Oct 2007 at 11:49 am #
I really do not see it as being adequate defense if a ball gag is not included.
Chiddar on 31 Oct 2007 at 12:07 pm #
Mmm true true, one cannot feel truly safe without the ball gag.
On another note, does this diagram remind anybody else of Resident Evil (the movie)?
And I too agree that the hatch idea is good.
The cost to build something like this would be deathly expensive.
admin on 02 Nov 2007 at 6:05 am #
The diagram does appear to look like “The Hive”.
I agree about the price tag, however, how much is your life worth?
DemQ on 12 Nov 2007 at 2:12 pm #
In cases like this the problem isn’t them getting in…its when they are already in waiting for you….only 1 spiral staircase and only one way out…youve just killed your family, friends and everything you hold dear…when will people learn….as for big metal doors? hell no bullet prof glass or something strong maybe as long as you can see through….its always good to know whats on the other side….maybe i should make a career in building anti-zombie homes…
ZAC Admin on 12 Nov 2007 at 6:01 pm #
DemQ, I would hope that the area below would be sealed off thus eliminating the need to check for zombies. I guess anything is possible, however, I think it would be unlikely that a clumbsy ghoul would be able to penetrate such an area.
I still would prefer a large metal door. If you need to see out, the thick, bullet-proof glass could be used, but only sparingly, such as a small section. Even then, I would like the ability to cover that from the inside.
M4357R0 on 14 Nov 2007 at 11:03 pm #
What about using an airlock style entrance with a loud siren involved. So that when you open the first door you have to have someone close that door and open the other door for you while sirens go off or use a series of a few keys to open it up.
derkinnison on 15 Nov 2007 at 4:30 am #
There would be a need for an air filter to remove the carbon dioxide and general human smell from the air. I’m thinking space station type things. Also, either store underground or recycle human waste, and perhaps a hydroponic greenhouse, for the long term zed infestation.
groteskebill on 16 Nov 2007 at 9:21 am #
damn M4357R0! I was gonna say that!!
ZAC Admin on 17 Nov 2007 at 9:06 pm #
“What about using an airlock style entrance with a loud siren involved. So that when you open the first door you have to have someone close that door and open the other door for you while sirens go off or use a series of a few keys to open it up.”
I think that is a great method. Of course, the trouble with this is the cost involved. It would be too expensive for the average person to setup.
that guy in that place on 17 Nov 2007 at 11:34 pm #
The ball gag is for once a person gets infected, they can strap it on easily, and continue the fight until the last minute.
Zombies can’t bite people if they have a ball gag on.
ZAC Admin on 20 Nov 2007 at 10:26 pm #
“Zombies can’t bite people if they have a ball gag on.”
The most ideal situation is to “kill” the zombie rather than have to apply some other type of restraint such as a ball gag. Even if the person is bit, it would be in the interest of survival for all to immediately extinguish the zombie rather than merely restrain it.
thegreenmercenary on 22 Nov 2007 at 2:45 am #
The “underground lair” approach is an extremely practical defense option in the case of a short or long term undead infestation. But the issue of how to get in and out must be addressed.
The heavy blast doors are a good bet, but you need to be able to see outside, not just right in front of the door but the surrounding area. A small window would not be adequate.
No offense intended, but the “double doors” solution is a terrible idea. I can just see it: your rag-tag group of survivors has heard radio static for months, but decides the time has come to take a peep outside. So you send one person to check it out (according to custom, this will probably be your lone African-American). You lock him outside the inner door, and as soon as the outer door is unlocked a hoard of previously unseen ghouls descend on him in a feeding frenzy. Now you’re one person less, the living dead have added another member, and you’ve got a ton of zombies stuck BETWEEN your precious double doors, rendering them useless.
Ideally, you’ll have a AM/FM and/or shortwave radio, which you’ll listen to for an all clear from authorities. But what if the radio goes silent? What it your supplies run low? What if one of your party gets sick or injured? What if you make contact with another group of survivors and need to meet up with them? Access to the bunker needs to be quick, defensible, and idiot-proof.
I think a better idea would be a tower entrance, at least 15 feet tall, solid concrete, with only door at the top. A rope ladder could be unfurled to let people in, and drawn back up otherwise. Under this tower would be the blast doors, though I don’t see how a zombie could possible get on top.
The tower approach has several advantages. 1) zombie-proof. Unless someone drives a moving staircase up to it, there ain’t no way a corpse could make its way to the top, or break it down. 2) visibility. A sniper could be stationed on top to keep watch for approaching ghouls or survivors looking for refuge. 3) access. Entrance and exit are relatively easy for a human. If an injured person needs to be lowered down (I guess you’re going to look for medical attention) a gurney could easily be fashioned and lowered by a rope and pully. 4) Position. A sniper could calmly pick off any number of swarming zombies, while they seethed ineffectively beneath.
Finally, in case the tower is compromised, there should be a second tower/entrance (possibly a third, if you have enough people to watch them all).
I believe that the tower entrance solves any shortcomings the subterranean fortress possesses. Provided it is well stocked with supplies, recreational devices, and a good radio, and hooked up to a large septic tank and power generator, I see no reason why any residents should have anything to fear, regardless of the size of the zombie outbreak.
Any thoughts?
thegreenmercenary on 22 Nov 2007 at 2:46 am #
Sorry about the long post, but I’ve been thinking about this one for a few days.
sylvia on 22 Nov 2007 at 10:04 am #
is there any like. guns or bombs or weapons in case the zombies manage to get in the house? and the spiral stairs going down doesn’t help. they’ll be trapped like mice in a rat trap.
Chuckles on 23 Nov 2007 at 3:58 pm #
i definetly like the idea of a tower entrance. very efficient, and totally zombie proof. the tower would have to built into the house, so as not to arouse suspicion of those around pre-invasion. and possibly a secondary shaft built into the house, accessible by a false wall, to help make loading the facility easier. once the invasion has begun, the tunnel leading to facility from the house could be imploded to create one safe entrance. house would also need to be destroyed to make sure that no zombie could use it to shimmy up the tower.(don’t know how that would work, but oh well)
next, an elevator would be far more efficient on the left side of the compound, instead of the staircase. you can stop an elevator far easier than you could try to stop someone from coming down an open stairwell.
plus the airvents would have to be located farther away from the entrance, making the zombies attracted to them instead of to the entrance. Secondary escape vents should connect some areas of the compound to prevent entrapment in case of zombie infiltration.
coolguy on 24 Nov 2007 at 1:18 am #
Call me crazy, but isn’t that a diagram of the house that Elisha Cuthbert (when she was on Popular Mechanics for Kids) toured in one episode. I could be wrong, but the diagram just seems so familiar.
balthazar on 24 Nov 2007 at 3:48 am #
i would do a retractable bridge type thing, with a massive hole under it, and possibly an incinerator incase the bodies pile up. the hole should be at least 1/2 a mile deep and a good distance across, zombie wont have a chance
the4runner on 24 Nov 2007 at 7:20 am #
i think all of these ideas great, but i can pick out a few problems. for instance, the tower. if there would be enough threatening zombies around (you think) that you need a tower, couldn’t the zombies make a human(zombie sorry) tower? most zombies are clever then you think. and the blast doors, if you had enough, why not make a tower in the sky, held up by columns. alot better, as you could, if trapped, blow up the walls out and run for your life. and have a helipad of the roof. i think that would be alot safer. any other ideas? (off-topic anyone ever heard of garry’s mod? you could try different build ideas on it. look it up.)
what do you think?
PeeCee on 24 Nov 2007 at 12:50 pm #
I had the same concern for about the tower entrance as The4runner. On a long-enough timeline, the flesh-hungry (either themselves still motile or their unmoving corpses after getting sniped by a shooter above) would pile up and create a pyramid. The best kind of zombie-proof entrance would demand some physical feat that they’re not capable of that would not become accessible after many had attempted it. Thoughts?
Pooperman on 25 Nov 2007 at 9:03 am #
Ever think of maybe having 2 entrances, gradually fighting off zombies as they pile in through the one entrance while retreating backwards throughout the bunker fortress. Continuing to lure the zombies deeper and deeper, until the whole remaining undead zombie horde is contained within the bunker, and then sealing it off for good, leaving the zombies to die from corpse rot or something.
It really depends on the scale of the zombie attack I guess. Anyway this bunker idea you’ve shown would definitely be a good idea, but I just think there should be another entrance or maybe an exit only, if you can figure out how to make that work. Hell you could even have rooms that you could seal off and incinerate the contents. I’m sure letting zombies pile into a room within the bunker and then turning the heat up a bit would be quite effective for eliminating the zombie threat.
Your method just waits for the problem to go away but I think some defenses or sealing them off to a fate trapped in a dark bunker might be a little more useful.
Zombies Are Coming » Top 5 Pros & Cons Regarding an Underwater Site as a Zombie Defense on 28 Nov 2007 at 10:41 pm #
[...] been looking in the wrong direction. Most recently, discussion and debate was launched regarding underground facilities and if such a setup would be the most adequate method of defense. Would underground be the best [...]
Stryke on 30 Nov 2007 at 3:09 pm #
The stair case shouldn’t really be that much of a problem as long as it’s fairly narrow. After all, medieval European castles used narrow spiral stair cases because they created a stratiget advantage. The curve of the spiral was meant to obstuct the attacker from using his sword to the fullest since the wall would be in the way, while the defender had the wide part of the curve to move in. Also if the passage is narrow, numbers become almost a moot point
Skwirral on 04 Dec 2007 at 10:31 pm #
The main problem I see is one of depth, namely, zombies have an easy time going down, not so much going up. I would suggest that at least half of the escape route consist of ways of going up, preferably by lightweight stairs or ladders that can be raised from their location so that the zombies can’t accidentally shamble up them. Ladders already provide some measure of prevention from climbing by zombies, but being able to raise them prevents the zombies from piling up a ramp of corpses and shambling up as easily as stairs. Also, another thing that can be useful is having destructible rooms or hallways, so that if retreat is necessary, the “victims” can completely prevent any sort of penetration…it is *possible* that some circumstance would allow a zombie to pass through a steel door or airlock system, but a few hundred tons of solidly-packed rubble will deter even the most persistent pursuit. That said, there needs to be at least three ways out of the base, one or two of which should be at least a mile away from the central facility, as a horde of zombies can easily flock to one place and keep the residents trapped indefinitely…the zombies don’t need to come up for food or air or supplies, and there’s always more zombies than survivors fleeing, making the odds of a sustained siege very unpleasant for the victims.
Nic (Toebo23) on 04 Dec 2007 at 11:09 pm #
Ok umm the stair case leading down. umm where is that going? I dont think down is the way you want to go.
Amyd on 09 Dec 2007 at 4:47 pm #
I myself would have 2 exits incase of penatration.Better safe than sorry.Also I would have resreve guns ,ammo and water in both exits.I would have extra medical supplies also.
spawn on 11 Dec 2007 at 10:47 am #
well what about combining both the tower for the entrance and an underground bunker for the living quarters. Think about it, you have the sniper position that everyone is asking for and you have the advantage of a large and “safe” living area.
FaceGrater on 13 Dec 2007 at 9:01 am #
The tower idea is brilliant, and combining it with the fail-safe doors (which allow retreat while blocking oncoming zombies) makes it a viable option. The sniper idea is great if you happen to have an ammunition dump in your backyard and a sniper rifle with unlimited ammo lying around…
There seems to be some doubt as to whether the undead can “infect” animals. If this is NOT the case, I would think of using creatures as allies. Assuming that most animals would not be keen to munch on the rancid flesh of a zombie, there are plenty of nasty scavengers that would do the job. A controlled rat “outbreak”
could be initiated, (which may happen narturally as the body count grows) and hypothetically speaking, hyaenas, dogs, and other rodents could set to work culling the undead. This may pose a risk to anyone on the surface, but a tower plan could negate this.
Another idea, problematic though, may work. If we knew how zombies identified the living from the dead, we could either 1) create a “vaccine” or pheromone which the uninfected could trick the zombie
nose into believing that the prey was actually one of the zombies, or 2) using the same chemical from a dart gun or something, fool the zombies into attacking their own.
The second option would be great, because the zombie population would take itself out,
there would be no zombie rats around, and we wouldn’t have to take any drugs ourselves.
Zombies Are Coming » Post-Zombie Apocalypse World? on 13 Dec 2007 at 4:07 pm #
[...] is key to our survival friends, be it underground or underwater or even having moved to some other location, defeating the dead will be our next [...]
some guy on 20 Dec 2007 at 9:30 pm #
Location, Location, Location its really depends on WHERE you are not what you build
like the tundra of greenland you can build a fortress on the ground and extras and the greenlands tundra alone will freeze any zombie during the winter like cryogenic freezing and when they come out (hopfully) due to the laws of nature the human brin will turn to a puddle of goo after unfrozen like walt disnye being frozen he can’t be unfrozen for teh same reson (even if they defrosted them slowly) the same would happen to his or any other fozen zombies and during the summer you can fish use the snow during winter (make sure its not near a frozen zombie for obviuse resons) to make drinking water and the rain and during summer to grow plantes and crops
and do you expect a large horud of zombies come out of teh water…….in truth NO mabye 1 or 2 might apper (by luck) time to time there but greenland is quiet far away from both the harbours of britain and canada (and if you insane enof) go to the polar region
and if the infcetion hasen’t (started or reached) the side of europe or britain so if possible sail to england and have a cup of tea and biscut then go eat a cake in france and chcolet in germany but if it has become that serious don’t try
or if possible go find a mountian with the ability to support life(stuff like vegitation and such) and zombies wouldn’t be able it walk up (if steep enof hopfuly) and you could sit up there for a while
and really theres no need for like uber 500 billon doller underground fortress if youc an agree with me all you need is a large concret or steel and is thick, study and defendable all you need is a good location use natrual barriers and make sure you fort can stand forced entery but if you wana have some spiffy base but make sure your in a place you know and you know you can defend
so mix artafical barrirs with natural barriars (and know how long it take for a human body to competly decay or just the brain so you know it wait PAST that and thenn send a team or if your already noticed and you have a buch of dead body infront of your fort make sure you pile them up and burn them for health hazards
Chimpy on 16 Jan 2008 at 10:57 pm #
Well I like the idea of the tower. Perhaps combine it with doors at the bottom of the tower?
I’d say many of these would be viable options as long as you installed alternate air/food/water sources. For example, have a well at the bottom of your fortress (although I’d seal it off with its own doors and make sure to filter the water in the event of a zombie outbreak).
In regards to doors – strong steel with a bulletproof glass pane with a way to make you unobservable from the outside would be ideal.
Another idea would be to have 2 towers that could defend each other with overlapping fields of fire. Perhaps install *small* firing ports in each tower?
Another idea would be to places these towers strategically so that natural or man-made obstacles would direct them either into its fields of fire or away from it.
Might I suggest a radio antenna being run up through the tower? And perhaps have the roof of the tower somewhat enclosed – warmer in the winter and it would make you less observable. You don’t want the living dead to be able to see every move you make, right? I’m thinking of a scenario where you do your best to lie low, but be ready to kill anything you have to. The idea of rats is also a good one. It would just be *very very very* important to make sure that the rats weren’t infectable. Infected rats would go anywhere that normal rats do – which is *everywhere*.
jediwannabe1 on 22 Jan 2008 at 2:36 pm #
Okay, so you do the tower entrance, but it’s inside of a redwood or some other large tree, so no one (especially people with cannabalistic tendencies) knows where it is, then there are large metal blast doors to get to the underground portion, then, on the other side, there are the glass airlock doors, then, you put a big pit with a bridge across it (None of these safety measures are necassarily activated all the time). On the other side of that there is a large wide open room for recreation, i.e. soccer, football field, which, if the zombies happen to get in, can be turned into a maze at a moments notice with all kinds of traps (this maze is put up by people with the right clearance who can see who is on the field to make sure no one living gets stuck in the maze).
Then there is a large greenhouse, living quarters and the like. Behind this will be a large armory with all of the proper weapons for fighting zombies (if you don’t know what those are you might as well forget about the blast doors and the maze). Of course there are machine guns mounted everywhere, and gun-ports on every door, except the front door (why wouln’t there be….). Then there is a massive metal door on the other end of the compound. On the other side of that is several feet of solid rock, and as a last resort, preplaced charges in the rock can be detonated to create an emergency exit. On the other side is a helicopter hidden that will whisk you away (I prefer the CH-74 Chinook, as it can hold eighty of my friends and family, or 120 if we go without supplies or weapons) Detonating these charges also sets of a self destruct sequence for the entire facility. The self destruct explosion is nothing spectacular like it always is in the movies, but just enough to destroy anything thats living but dead inside. What did i miss?
Zen on 07 Feb 2008 at 12:46 pm #
Balls Gags. You missed Ball Gags
Mouse on 10 Feb 2008 at 4:37 pm #
Well, in my experiences with Zeds, such a system would be great for servicing travelers. Once every few months, one ought to change your location, particularly if you have already fended off one or more attacks. Having such a location isn’t just great, but excellent. You have several layers of protection and plenty of room to store supplies and house refugees (But never, EVER keep them around. Fish and visitors smell after three days, and Zombies always smell bad.)
So this would be good for an outpost of a small handful of people, around 4 or 5, and able to sustain visitors up to 20 or so, and in emergency house large numbers. But there’s one big flaw: There is only one way into any of each area. Sure, the house has multiple entrances, but one can only get in and out of the second and third areas by going through the house. If the house is taken, you only have so long before your resources are drained. And what if the Zombies get through the first area? The second? You’ll have to rely on reinforcements that may not come.
So, an excellent temporary setup, but little else.
-Mouse, professional thief, Zombie Hunter, and loner
Hugh on 07 Mar 2008 at 12:33 am #
I think further defenses are required such as doors for sealing off each level in case a hoard breeches and a “total kill” system, such as a large flamethrower, in the antechamber to your entrance. your first layer of defense. Also sound dampeners are a must to avoid attracting
celtic wiccan on 26 Mar 2008 at 2:21 pm #
first of all you should start saving ammo and supplies as of now cause its only a matter of time before all hell breaks loose and the dead walk amoung us. as they said in the remake of dawn of the dead “we have sex out of wedlock, we have same sex marriges, man on man relations and we kill unborne children and we wounder how god is gonna judge us” right theres are answer. Not really its cause we all these damn terrorists and chemical warefar thats whats gonna cause the outbreak. and its gonna happen real soon so lets get together and form something like we had back than something like FVZA but we also need to help the uk cause it will start either at the UK or hear in the states
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Jordan on 15 Jun 2008 at 9:16 pm #
How’s this:
Build a series of towers connected to underwater facilities in a large system of lakes, that way you get the benefits of the towers and the submarine facilities along with the benefits of a resisting network of human beings. Combine that with sound-dampening and incinerators along the edges of the towers and you’ve got a great defense.
Data Byte Duce on 23 Jun 2008 at 3:16 am #
Ok folks, before it all kicks off go buy a copy of The Zombie Survival Guide by Mr. Max Brooks.
There are some good ideas on this page, but most are impractical. The odd of you even having access to an unused missle base are VERY low (even if you live in North Dakota).
No matter where you go you are only “safe” for a limited amount of time. The best way to avoid zombies is to avoid populated areas. Dont forget that zombies arent your only threat, in times of crisis people go batshit insane. If I knew you had a bunker, Id make my way in (under guise as a survivor), take what I needed, and leave you for zombie food.
When it all kicks off you probably wont see me, but my machete and I will be carving out an exsistance far away from the general populace.
Good luck with your towers, your airlocks, and your 1/2 mile deep hole (ha ha ha ha ha).
- Data Byte Duce
P.S.- If you light a zombie on fire it dosent stop them. It just makes them into a moaning, stinking, flesh hungry torch. So try and keep em away from the curtins right ;-).
Avery Hayes on 11 Jul 2008 at 3:00 pm #
Data Byte Bruce has a very good point in his P.S.: If you light a zombie on fire, all you’ve done is turned an undead brain-eating monstrosity into an undead brain-eating monstrosity that’s on FIRE. It would take too long to burn, especially if it’s already to close.
I had an idea that’s a lot more cost-effective than finding/buying a missile silo, but the structure is going to look pretty retarded pre-invasion. Post, though, it’ll be a life saver.
The basic idea is like a home that has stilts, but the stilts are instead angled into the ground and reinforced with some strong-ass metal so that not even an accidental explosion from some source could break it. The idea is that you’ve got a rope ladder (or something similar) that can be lowered by a survivor to help other survivors up, as well as a strong pulley-basket system to easily get supplies up so that someone won’t have to carry them on the ladder. There would be two stories, the second having several “arms” of some kind of strong material that extends out several yards from the house (an extra stilt to help stabilize them?) so that a sniper (or any gun for that matter) can have an easier time of getting a head shot.
The last thing for the house is iffy and costly. A grenade hatch dead center in the house, small enough so that crap can’t accidentally fall through it, that would enable the use of explosive force to move any dead bodies that begin to pile up. (Or, hell, reinforce the bottom of the house with something inflammable and just burn the bodies.)
thoughts?
Also, Jordan: While I agree that such a building would be awesome to have, it’s just not realistic for anybody whos not filthy rich.
Weev on 19 Jul 2008 at 12:08 am #
@Avery Hayes – Good idea on the stilts, However, Nature is a…
Earthquakes, mudslides, tornadoes, Hurricanes, all things that happen regularly, would negate much of what you had built! Think deep on this one, even with reinforced stilts the nightmare of a natural disaster such as a tornado would simply destroy all you had worked for, and even worse, put you dangerously close to those shuffling below.
@Let’s Talk Defense – A underground missle silo would require a lot of mainenence, and a solid mechanical background to keep it running, so, unless you built it yourself, much of the time, you would be finding faulty lines and moving throughout your base.
Pro’s – A underground missle silo, properly supplied and converted to a bomb shelter, would indeed provide much shelter and security to those who live within. Those living undead would find it hard to get into such a place, and would leave you, and your fellow survivors, plenty of time to think of the next step.
Con’s – As I said before, upkeep and maintence of said facility, would be a hard job, leaving you with little free time to do other tasks, such as monitoring the radio’s, and jerry rigging your current defences with newer, and more convienient solutions. As with most gateway solutions, including the more ingenious ones, would be actually detrimental to your cause if you are detected. Those undead menances would at first be few and managable, but as time goes on, more and more would crowd at your doorway, eventually leading to the worst possible scenario…A Zombie Horde.
Wrapup – For long term self preservation, a large underground missle base would be almost impregnable, and your grey matter would be safe from those above, however, the technical side of things would eventually catch up to you, and you had better be prepared to face the envitability of opening that hatch, and finding yourself in a world of trouble.
Avery Hayes on 21 Jul 2008 at 9:47 pm #
@Weev
Agh, I always forget about nature. That’d suck to be in that and then get hit by a quake.
ico on 18 Sep 2008 at 1:22 am #
I think what would make this perfect is if there were some sort of escape tunnel to another exit far away. If anybody remembers the Brenden Frasier movie Blast from the Past, they were in there for like thirty years. It can obviously store alot of food and it looks big enough for you to grow a garden for even more food.
-- on 30 Sep 2008 at 2:41 pm #
Underground transportation sites could, theoretically be converted into an excellent zombie base. One key issue is the fact that underground mass transit are intended to be as easy as possible for anything to get in and out. Therefore, convert turnstiles into six-foot-thick steel doors with all sorts of strong and effective locks and bars, and also block off entrance between underground and upperground with similar doors, to create a double-door barrier. After all, two is better than one. In addition, there are countless entrances, meaning one infested area doesn’t necessarily destroy all. Of course, this brings up the issue of maintaining all these exits. The answer would be perhaps be separate guilds, each maintaining one station. Guilds that are close together may join together, forming clans, and ultimately, all these groups form a network that maintains the whole thing base together. The only issue might be inter-guild warring, which is fairly inevitable, but zeds knocking at your door tends to deter that kind of nonsense.
Fullcircle on 14 Oct 2008 at 4:55 pm #
I really have no complaints or ideas for improving this that haven’t already been well addressed, except for one.
In the event that the zombies do, somehow, manage to miraculously penetrate down to the “spiral staircase room” or to the adjoining hallway, you’re basically screwed if the horde is of a large size. One they cut you off from you exits, you’re cornered. Sure, you could stand on the stairs and cut them down, or use the narrow hallway to stop them from swarming you, but just because the area is narrow does not make numbers a “moot point”.
If there are more zombies than you have bullets, or if there are more zombies than you can handle with your melee weapon (and you only have to screw up once) then all you can really do is go down as far as possible and watch them shamble/fall down the stairs towards you until they reach you (Shaun of the Dead, in the basement of the Winchester). Or, if you managed to block them off indefinitely (steel doors) Then you get to sit and wait.
and wait.
and wait.
and run out of supplies.
and wait.
and die.
Now, if at the room at the bottom of those stairs there was, say, an escape tunnel that led away from the base and then up to the surface (not very practical, I know) Then I could find no fault with this.
Although you’ definitely want several different stores of weapons/supplies as you got deeper into the “base”…
Josh on 29 Oct 2008 at 9:54 am #
way too many people have a barricade mentality about defense. You don’t know how long zombies will be a threat. And you don’t know if its only affecting a certain area. I like the idea of a heavily fortified residential tower. With zip lines to other towers. Ziplines are you best friends. infinitely zombie proof and allows for easy retreat any time.
Blitzkrieg works better than trench warfare. I’ll be staying on the move, making large moves in bases every month. (working my way to something permanent, isolated, and able to support life.)
kevin on 08 Jan 2009 at 1:02 am #
now i find this whole conversation kinda funny, because the fact that these are called underground missile silos is because thats what they used to be, i was watching one of those design shows, and there is a guy that lives in and sells these, i don’t know where i put the site link, but i always thought they were cool, the entrance as a tower wouldnt be hard, they were mostly “hidden” as grain silos anyway, (he redesigned his to look like a tower, although it was tin or something) so it wouldn’t be a big step, i have to say the purification will be the big trick,
and the reason for the massive spiral stair case is because of the fact that it was a silo, personally i would replace that with a sturdy lift, or if you want really good speed, a slide ; )
and the price tag isnt as terrible as you’d think, there was one selling for under 500k, which although pricey is not completely unreasonable since technically the guy that sells them sells them as kick ass houses
Sharpshooter on 09 Jan 2009 at 5:37 pm #
the only problem i see with this is about air ventalation shafts….. get a zombie midget and BAM your fucked…
TheGreatBandito on 28 Jan 2009 at 12:54 pm #
The only major design flaw in the bunker set up is the fact that the silo entrence is out side of the house.
get a zombie attack at midnight then your screwed because the very thing ur trying to keep out is keeping you from your ultimate defense. I would segest a hatch with a ladder going down from a room. then the tunnel could connect to the bunker with a tower or the double lock door depending on which route u would rather go.
Also, you could invest in some bunker defense weaponry like flamethrowers, a stationary gun on the tower, etc.
this list is pricy but again it’s for a good cause, which is saveing the lives of you and your family, loved ones, friends, that one hobo you feel bad for because you never gave him money, the list goes on
SURPRISE! That hobo is probly some kick ass marine who is down on his luck. He could down more infected then the rest of your family together. I would allways suggest to get the x-marine hobos to help your family.
roger bacon on 08 Feb 2009 at 8:00 pm #
you know as soon as a zombie outbreak happens the government is going to nuke everything around you so you have to line the walls with lead and hope you dont die of radiation and you better hope you have enough food to last till the radiation dies down
Abraxas on 12 May 2009 at 10:03 am #
You people have ignored the possibly most important factor, location. Some of you say use redwood trees as towers, that means California, which means tons of zeds from the massive population, and earthquakes. Some of you said underwater, but unless its the ocean it’s never really that deep, and so zeds can find it and bust in somehow, and if it is in the ocean, then you deal with seismic activity and tsunamis. Personally I want Alaska, where the population is small, the land is huge, there are only zed-cicles, and geothermal power is an option. sunlamps and a hydroponics garden facility provide food, satellite up links for communication, limited aboveground facilities, if any, to draw attention, and any sort of facility can be built. All in a enormous underground bunker. Security is handled with camera security along with serious construction, and maybe even a fortress style complex on the surface.
And, by the way, there is a way of preventing zeds from getting in when you check if there are any out there… KNOCK.
Trail on 08 Jun 2009 at 10:30 pm #
I like M4357R0′s idea about the doors there should absolutely be two doors to the outside both of which cannot be opened at once.
Tom on 16 Jun 2009 at 7:46 pm #
I can’t believe you’re all discussing your zombie survival plans here. You’re actually giving other people the opportunity to follow you and take your shelter idea before you can, or use your idea to set up another survivor group in your area.
When it comes to the zombie epidemic, the LAST thing you want is a rival group, or a lot of people in your own group. Resources become very precious when every forage risks zombie feasting, and you don’t want someone else taking what could be yours- whether they’re already yours but used to feed someone else in your group, or you can’t get them because your rivals found them first. Of course in the long term a different gender partner is essential for repopulation, but in the short-term, whilst the zombies are still widespread, the last thing you want is someone you have an emotional attachment to.
The only way to do it is alone. And I don’t intend to let anyone in on how I’ll do that, or else I’ll start having competition.
vincent on 21 Jun 2009 at 1:15 am #
i know this is off subject but i think the government is setting us up for a apocalypse
#1 they teach us not to hit someone back
#2 they teach us to get the local authorities for help
#3 in school they teach us nothing about guns except that supposently there bad
and #4 to never kill any thing
you guys agree with me???
HVACBALLA on 21 Jun 2009 at 5:42 am #
Wow, those are a lot of great ideas, but how about this.
If there were no way birds could be infected like they were in the Resident Evil 3 movie then all the tower theories would be a great idea. If birds could be infected, bunkers would be the best structures to build. Ok noone said this as a defense, Tar moats surrounding all entrances and exits. If they were good enough to kill dinosaurs, saber tooth tigers, and wooly mammoths then there good enough for zombies fast ones and slow ones.
It would have to be long enough to stop cheetahs from jumping them. If moats were used you could even build them around entire villages, you wouldnt even need walls. Use the lack of walls as decoys. Picture this, tons of uninfected people as a mass decoy for all zeds hey they’d walk right into the moat and sink a 1/2 mile to their doom and be there for 10,000 years or more. That way there would be no need for guns after the moat is constructed.
Another thing you’d be killing masses of zeds without firing a single round. So a moat is the ultimate zeds defense, guns would only be used for rescue and serveillance missions. Now if birds were a factor forget about seeing the sun ever again unless you could build an electrified dome the size of the New Orleans Saints Super Dome, this would protect against birds, now you may say that blood from the birds would fall through the fence but thats where a Bio-Sphere would come in handy. Miles of Bio-Spheres used until all birds are irradicated.
Huge biospheres surrounded by a bigger electric sphere with a 1/2 mile deep and long tar feeled moat. So forget about sound dampning, you’d want these zeds to smell us and come and meet there doom.
The tar would also get rid of the smell of death in the air.
Another thing, dont think about incenerating them because you could make the stinking virus airborn, then you and everyone with you’d be fucked.
PS: If theres a ZEDS epidemic, money would be obsolete and couldn’t even be used as Ass paper from fear of chaffing, OUCH. All that would matter is raw materials and baby making, yee haw.
Shoku on 13 Jul 2009 at 1:56 am #
The issue with a tower is pretty much someone driving a truck into it. Usually not going to have zombies doing that but unless you pack a place like this full way beyond capacity you’re going to have to turn people away from your tower from time to time and given the possibility that will mean driving some armored vehicle into your snipers nest.
As for the airlock style entrance people greatly underestimate the ability of machinery to mangle human flesh- if you doing it right the people inside the inner door could just turn a crank to force the outer door shut again and then all you have is a handful of zombies in an enclosed space that could be pretty easily dealt with if they don’t stop moving of their own accord after a couple of days.
Seeing as people kept mentioning submarines it seems odd that nobody wanted to install some sort of periscope for the doors. The submarine version could be easily blocked or destroyed but if you stuck it within one of the black glass ceiling bubbles a lot of supermarkets stick their cameras in you’d mostly do away with both of those problems and you’d need someone drive-a-truck-into-your-tower crazy to really render it useless. Well, total darkness would also make it pretty nonfunctional but if you’re underground for very long and not in blinding darkness yourself you’ve got a way of lighting things up.
3-15 INF on 02 Aug 2009 at 10:30 pm #
The problem is you’d never get to use the place cuz the authorities cart you off to the loony bin or raid the place like Waco long before the outbreak. An island with a bridge access and fence and gate blocking the road in would offer better protection and longer term survivability. Plus, we ahve all seen what happens when your’e underground surrounded by zombies and the lights go out- no thanks! I’ll stay away from the underground TOMB
angelo on 21 Oct 2010 at 4:15 pm #
ok heres my idea and its a lil cost effective to ppl. you know those containers they ship things in across the ocean on ships. well use those as a start for your facility. use 1 as a kitchen/dining area use 1 as a living room and use 1 sectioned out for sleeping quarters. hell you can hang about 15 hammocks in the first ten feet. then use 1 for a supply “closet” accesible from all rooms. now take several of them and while still buried preinvasion use them end to end to make a tunnel extending away from the house. the entrance is a shed facing away from any other buildiings(facing woods) but with window slits to see the surroundings. it could be concealed as a dirt mound. also from the edges of the underground compund set 2-4 containers on end and cut access doors from compund into conatainer(towers) then build small spiral or rope stairs up to the top. use these for sniper position and to check for advancing horde. the snipers are supposed to pick off the far away deadites(army of darkness reference) the close up ones will most likely come down front drive. the main acces from above is the main drive or through abandoned house(which is already locked up). the main drive will be built with fences to “funnel” the undead into a small area by large “blast doors” that can then be shot, burned, clubbed (too risky) or blown up with large basketball bombs of gunpowder and shrapnel. burning is used to get rid of rotting stench smell and to remove large clumps of bodies. they must be brain damaged before exiting compound to move said bodies. the vehicles can be kept in aboveground but contained area protected by sniper fire. the lower areas are accesible through 3-4 doors similiar to submarine doors(multiple locking points to create tight seal against depressurization) also the air vents are camoflauged away from base so cooking smells are masked or routed through water vents or placed near “burning pit” the main compound is below ground and can be evacuated through exits painted with glow in dark paint and emergency lights like in businesses. also the towers have option of a zipline exit to a building 40-80 feet away that has only second floor access. the building has several moto cross motorcycles or atvs in it that are jumped out of a slight (like a 3 feet ramp) to clear a 15 foot gap and land on down ramp to ease landing and then hightail it outta there. the first one out though is the biggest atv (like a gator 6×6) that can just ram anything big outta teh way. or hell just leave a truck up there and build a big enough runway. btw helicopters take too long to start up. use an ultralight instead bc the motor cranks right over and they can land about anywhere. as for the main entrance from house you can use blast doors but just lock them in the house and use gunports placed in nearby wall to pick em off. also keep lights used at night at a minimum to attract lees attention and no sirens! use a small beep or animal noise or a click. if house gets swarmed and need to leave quick keep weapons handy and supplies stocked in 2-3 locations to help gain access to other entrances. also getting refugees in will involve mandatory strip search and quarantine. think movie outbreak and dawn of the dead and lockdown all in one
big bear29 on 22 Oct 2010 at 9:47 pm #
I know that this is an old forum but there are a few things I want to point out about the converted missle silo / fortress idea .
First these old missle silos are used by the military for about twenty years then they are abandoned , because the weight of the soil surrounding the silo slowly pushes inward and that weakens the walls and can result in a cave in .
Second the silos are prone to taking on water , there is the water that seeps in from the surrounding soil and the condensation that forms on the steel and concrete .
Third due to what they are made of the silos tend to stay cool year round , which means you will likely need to heat them constantly for the majority of the year just to stay warm .
Four the biggest issue your going to have is power . Once the outbreak happens the power plants will be abandoned and without people there the plants will run on automatic for about a day some will last longer. So unless you have a miniature nuclear reactor in the basement your underground fort will become your cripyt .
Five unless you were planning for the $#!+ to hit the fan you will not have a hydroponics farm in your silo which means that you will need to leave the silo for food and that is when you will likely die . Because your exit is smack dab in the middle of zombie central and the only thing on the menu is YOU .
Six the main problem with the silos is a shortage of exits . If your silo gets penetrated you are boned because there are usually only two ways to get in and out , through the main entrance and the air shaft and it is very likely there will be zombies at both spots .
So to all the people out there that think that the silo will be your salvation , go ahead have at it . Because it will likely be your tomb instead .
ronald on 29 Nov 2010 at 11:04 pm #
Ya well no one thought of when the idiot doe get zeds in that there is no way out so someone might have to put a ladder to the top or elavator or for godsake a rope to get back to the top
World War Ted on 09 Dec 2010 at 9:48 pm #
Old thread but why bother with the underground thing?
You’d have to do a stupid amount of logistical preparation and maintenance of this thing before Zeds ever appeared. If you build your billion dollar zombie-proof fortress (underground is freaking expensive realestate) and never use it, you’ve spent a billion dollars for peace of mind. Plus, you’ll have to upkeep and maintain it over the period before it is needed. And you’ll have to be extremely careful as to where you put it – if it’s below the water table, the balloon will go up, you’ll seal yourself in and then discover that everything (weapons, supplies, hydroponic farm, etc) more than six feet below ground is completely inaccessible owing to seepage.
joaquin on 08 Mar 2011 at 8:32 pm #
do you know whats the best way to defend your house from zombies?not actually defend it,but just put bathroom and food and beds and kitchen in the second floor,brake any stairs,and put the hand climbing stairs(i dont know the name for them,sorry,but im from south america,and i havent been teached that word yet,hope you understand) and zombies will never get to you.thats it.
big bear29 on 16 Mar 2011 at 3:27 pm #
@joaquin
The word is rope ladder . Also simply hiding on the second floor won’t work forever . If enough zombies are pressing against the outside of your house or the inside they will either form a mountain of bodies from try to climb on top of one another which will allow them to eventually reach the second floor or the sheer weight of all those bodies pressing against the side of your home will just topple it over killing you and the zombies around and inside it .
BOB on 24 Mar 2011 at 8:12 am #
All you need is a island,a defense system that shoots down any air crafts which has infected humans on it,and the new machine called the “3D printer” which makes anything u want if you input the correct materials.Now thats a perfect base of doom you could even research on the anti virus since you have unlimited supplies and no zombies trespassing.
BOB on 24 Mar 2011 at 8:19 am #
Or there is another way
DIG YOUR WAY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH
get saved by natural disaster such as tornadoes ,land slides and earth quakes which will probably kill the zombies (just like Japan tsunami and earthquake)As we know it 2012 is doomsday and it is true the sun got nearer to earth that explains the moon got brighter and war appears to be 75 percent around the world(in Egypt ,Afghan and Korea)
Pyro_Magnum on 02 Apr 2011 at 2:10 pm #
In response to someone’s concerns about the lower levels being compromised, and about the upper levels as well in some cases, I have found through sources that in extreme temperatures it is impossible for any creature, living or dead, to survive. It is quite possible that if one put a small sealable hallway (both ends), into their base with the ability to use fire or liquid nitrogen as an excellerant (sorry cant spell that) inside, one could eliminate the zombies before any damage can be done to the area or inhabitants. But this would work in an enclosed place only. and it would have to be heavily reinforced. The explosion from the excellerants (sorry) would most likely be powerful depending on whats used. And a weak structure would only add to the compromised nature of the facility.
Although, really, any powerful excellerant (again, sorry) might work, something proven and powrful would most likely be preferred. Like lava. Or flamethowers. Or grenades. These work quite well. Ad they make pretty colors! XD
Pyro_Magnum on 02 Apr 2011 at 2:23 pm #
To HVACBALLA, I have only a few replies:
The first being, even if there is a tar moat, the walls would provide higher ground, and would give defenders better firing positions. They also would attract a few more zombies.
The second, you neglected to mention how one would cross this “tar moat.” That’s an important part of your stategy missing there. Because if you cant get in, you also can’t get out. And zombie moles might exist. They can dig under the moat and then back up.
The thing I like was your thought of the electric barrier the size of the New Orleans Saints Super Dome, but I think that you might agree that it is a little lacking. However, if one were to, I dont know, connect with other survivers in each city containing a super dome and if eah dome were capable of being put into th city power supply instead of the rest of the town it would be able to get rid of the bird problem, along with quite a few zombs. But the drain on power would be so great that it would be nearly impossible for you to use them for very long.
However, if you were able to shut off everything else in the surrounding cities, and if there was a renewable enrgy source, then one could power said domes until Hell (a.k.a. Earth by now) freezes over. Or the cows come home.
Caleb on 21 May 2011 at 11:26 pm #
The picture here is an nuclear middle f classified site. My dad wants to buy one for nuclear warfare and zombies. The uderground base/house has many exits. It also has 2 1000 pound blast doors that seal locktite there is plenty if storage space in the missile silo. This thing could take a DIRECT hit from a nuclear bomb and still be fine. Of course is might be exposEd after the hit from the dirt flying up. But wen WW3 comes along and everyone drops nuke on each other this is where you go. I don’t think there is actually a driveway to it. However there is a runway for airplanes.
steven on 31 May 2011 at 5:08 am #
o just request and ill tell you my whole set up if i had the money and resources like location, weapons, vehicles, structure, security, etc i already thought of a zombie apocalypses long ago and what i would do :)
steven on 31 May 2011 at 5:09 am #
o and for the missile silo its a good idea for zombies but for WW3 how do you know they wont nuke it to be safe as it might be a sleeper launch site for nukes ?
Demont Contross on 03 Jun 2011 at 8:56 pm #
use your surroundings. i live next to a bridge, tech. 4, 2 one way 2 the other. plenty of space, and because of the highway i have a pretty clear veiw for a great distance. nothing could sneek up. only downside i can think of is trying to blow off the ends without weakining the stucture. plus ours have ladders for matenience so use boat transfer so no need to connect to land. their is even 2 small islands between all 4 bridges. both islands have concrete docks so can be used as a waystation. just build walls in case deadheads can walk underwater that distance. sorry no bunkers in florida…
tatsu432 on 14 Jun 2011 at 10:14 pm #
Alright, I wasn’t going to post this, but armor is the best offense and the best defense. If the zombies can’t bite you, can’t take the armor off of you, and their fluids can’t get into your body. Your zombie killer god wander the earth ending the disease one zombie at a time or several at once depending on gun or blade. Secondary worries food and a proper and safe place to sleep. Armor up any survivors you find and remember in the movies its always the face the arms/hands or the legs. Then you must remember the panicy stupidity factor; such as the original night of the living dead when getting gas for the truck they blow them selves up and the crew got to eat kentucky fried chicken(no really thats what the zombies[actors] where eating after that exploding truck).
pyroman16 on 23 Jun 2011 at 6:20 pm #
I’ve been working on my own plans for a fortress, but looking at this, I’ll need to update my plans. My fortress shall be impenetrable to zombies and bandits. It will have a barrier on the outside created using all the features each generation of the Berlin Wall used, along with some modern touches like turrets and sniper towers, and amazing acid bullets and lasers like the ones that you can find on Kipkay.com. There will also be solar panels, wind mills, water mills, a bicycle powered generator, and a diesel generator that also runs on gasoline. There will also probably be a moat around the compound entrance. Also undergroud there would be a completely self-sustaining biosphere.
OliverCthulhu on 10 Jul 2011 at 6:15 pm #
I like the tower concept. In fact, I’ll use it as one of my defense mechanisms. With the tower, I’ll have ladders and one of those airtight doors like those in submarines. There’ll probably be more than 3 airtight doors going up the tower. If zombies are ever so smart enough to open it, I’ll be long gone by then.