Zombie Scenario: The Undead Grocery
Let’s face it. Nobody knows where or when the attack will come. All we know is that one day we will all have to face off against the undead. The best way to prepare is to consider as many scenarios as possible. This month’s scenario is simple: grocery shopping.
The scenario is simple: you are at a supermarket/grocery store type facility. There is a large single entrance with automatic doors. About halfway through shopping, and just as you hit the magazine isle, screams from the front of the store echo throughout the building. You hear crashing, fighting, and breaking glass. Leaving your cart you lean out from the isle and see an employee and a few customers fighting 2 of the undead. Without knowing how many more are outside, being inside with no firearm, you start to formulate your plan. What do you do next?
“Zombie Scenario” is meant as a learning and discussion exercise used as a tool for getting your mind thinking about the outbreak. It should prove helpful to think about a specific scenario and have others review your potential plan. If you have a scenario you would like to see discussed, contact us.
Stay safe. Stay informed. Stay alive.
Comments (41)
3ID on 18 Feb 2009 at 12:12 am #
Zombie in s shopping market quite cool i used to work in a market so my options would be seal off the doors you can turn off the auto door fairly easy and then move the shopping carts in front of the sliding doors the slider are shatter proof so you don’t have to worry to much then clear out the market i carry a concealed .357 only six shots but still enough but i would go to the broom and mop area and then get some duck tape and knives homemade spears but i would stock up on the can goods a get the hell out of doge back to my home were i have my rifles
jonessoda023 on 18 Feb 2009 at 12:24 am #
Well the first thing i would do would be to help the other customers fight the zombies inside off. After that whoever wasnt infected i would have help me block off the main door entrance, using shopping carts and possibly peices of the aisles, and make sure that there were no other entrances into the building. After doing that i would probably try to find whatever weapons i could for myself and what other survivors there were inside and try and hold out for a while. It is a grocery store so food and water would not be a problem so there would be no real reason to leave the building.
Ricardodude on 18 Feb 2009 at 1:06 am #
If you are surrounded, it might be possible to climb up onto the shelves.
Assuming these are “regular” zombies, they shouldn’t be able to climb up, however, they may attempt to knock over the unit, in which case you must be ready to either jump to the next lot of shelves, jump to the ground, run to the next lot of shelves in the aisle, or simply hold on.
Also, being on top of the shelves would give you a view of your surroundings, and possibilities of exits. A staff room, or back dock, could have a rear entrance, however it would only be a safe option if the area is clear, as the door could be locked, leading to you being trapped. If you are close enough to the roof, that could be a possible exit, depending on the type of roof.
And of course if the store only has a few zombies, barricading is an option.
As for weapons, well it depends on the store..
Marius on 18 Feb 2009 at 1:51 am #
I’d say break the head off of a broom for defense/offense, then try to head out the back through the loading bays. Using a firearm in this type of area, is just begging for trouble.
Simon on 18 Feb 2009 at 6:59 am #
Most supermarkets sell knives. Kitchesn knives granted but it is better than nothing. I would grab those, whatever bags i can find, grab some food, and get out of there. I would then get home however I can, grab my survival kit, and get into the countryside (I know some small Highways that noone knows about). I would then set up camp in my father’s farm, and wait… I would make raids into the 3 farming town in the area looking for survivors/supplies. The great thing about farm country: few peoplw, lots of guns, lots of foor.
Simon on 18 Feb 2009 at 7:00 am #
*food…lots of food, not foor
lithondros on 18 Feb 2009 at 10:07 am #
I would proceed to make sure that the windows aren’t broken, once I confirm this make sure only two undead are in the building. Once that issue is dealt with baracade the entrance and set up a defensive perimter in the grocery. MAke sure the survivors stay put. Then I would pick two other people to come with me to gather suppliees and survivors to return to the grocery.
Snidely Whiplash on 18 Feb 2009 at 3:10 pm #
If at all possible, get to the manager’s office. Every grocery store has video cameras set up, and there’s usually coverage of the parking lot and the back loading dock area. The manager of the one I used to work at also kept a 9mm in there, so you might get lucky.
Assuming you can’t get in the manager’s office….
#1 – Get yourself into the “employees only” section in the back of the store, which is simple enough since it’s almost always just swinging doors. In the meat department area (or produce area if you’re closer to that), you can find all kinds of wonderful knifes, mops/brooms, and tape. Combine those 3 for your weapon/defense, and grab some spare knives for later.
#2 – Find the back loading docks. Grocery stores have to get their stuff in somehow, and it’s usually from big semi trucks that pull up in back. As such, the overhead door itself is a good bit above ground level, so even if you open the door to a sea of nasties, you’ll be able to close it back before any of them get in a position to do you harm.
#3 – You’ll find roof access in the back as well. At my former store, it was a ladder, which is better defensively than stairs. If you can’t make your break for it through the loading docks, that’s the next best bet. There will be plenty of food/water sitting around here in the back of the store, just waiting to go out to the shelves. Grab what you can and get to the roof, specifically looking for some mustard to write HELP in big yellow letters on the black tar roof.
Angryvikingman on 18 Feb 2009 at 5:11 pm #
Assuming that you’re in JUST a grocery store and not say, a super walmart, there are usually large tables with items on them in the bakery area. Tear off a table leg and you have a premade club. If you cant manage that, then maybe you you can find some wood handled brooms and break the wooden handles off of the sides of a kitchen knife, then split the broom handle a bit, insert the knife tang, and duct tape the hell out of it for a spear like 3ID suggested. Usually there is a small hardware and automotive area even in the crappiest grocery store. Use your brain for something besides zombie food and engineer some weapons. And it SHOULD go without saying, deal with the zombies and kill any who are infected before they change. Despite what you think, they’ll probably still be easier to deal with when they’re alive.
Dsurion on 18 Feb 2009 at 8:52 pm #
My only course of action would be to get out as fast as possible. Despite being surrounded by food, I’d be unarmed and unprepared, and if history has taught me anything, it’s “don’t let your enemy dictate the place of battle.” If you fight anybody, anything, on ground of their choosing (even if they are wicked retarded and just want your brains), you will lose. Other people will help those already engaged by zombies and, unless there are more than two, should be dispatched quickly. IF it’s feasible, I will help them as well. If not, I won’t.
What I will not do is kill people that have been bitten. Even if it was a zombie, in other peoples eyes you will still be a murderer, and a mob can get worked up pretty fast if you start slitting throats for no apparent good reason. What I will do is approach them, explain what I know, and recommend that the bitten are restrained and put forth the contingency for if they turn; after all, we really don’t know what would happen in real life. If they listen, all the better, and if they don’t, it won’t be my problem for long because I’ll be headed back to ground of my choosing.
This is, of course, barring any sort of citywide rampage that may happen to be taking place around the block and prevents me from going anywhere. If that’s the case, well…the roof looks nice. It’s flat with plenty of other building butted against it for moving across. Also: meat tenderizer.
Spanky on 18 Feb 2009 at 11:27 pm #
The best thing to do is to stay there you will eventually come back to a store like this annyway. First and most important is to take care of the dead and anyone who is about to be. Then start working on defences and a plan because it is most likley WAY worse out there than it is in the store so it wouldn’t be wise to try to drive home in the chaos. Im still young so it would be hard for me to take control of the other customers and start a group. Hold up there for as long as posible or needed and try to keep everyone sane
Marius on 19 Feb 2009 at 1:46 am #
Given the way this Scenario is phrased, I’d book it over to the cleaning aisle, grab the first wooden broom or mop I could find, break the head off for a quick spear, and help scag the Zeds. After they were taken care of, I’d try to block off the front doors, check everyone for bites, or injurys (you know someone would be hurt), and try to quarenten them, to monitor for infection. Then I’d head for the security/managers office, to check the camera system to see what the outside looked like, if it’s a zed parade, I’d lockdown the loading bay doors, and barricade the front of the store. Depending on the type of frontage (big glass wall, or concrete with just the doors and high windows) I’d probably kill the lights to save on power consumption. If it’s the big glass wall, I’d get everyone to move back to the employee/inventory area, except at night, to pull stock from the shelves. I’d also do my best to secure roof access in case the Zeds decided to go shopping. With enough time, you could also build a fairly good barricade with shopping carts that would be almost impossible to break through.
Sharpshooter on 19 Feb 2009 at 4:47 pm #
ok well since i dont carry a small amory under my clothes like some people on this website claim i would have my pocket knife (not hat great but hell its better then nothing right?!) and i like that idea about heading to the knives section of the store for more weaponry. that would be my first objective. second objective:stay or flee. i would personaly want to flee to my house and start calling and gathering my friends and near by neighbors who are good in a fight. but if im stuck in their for a while then i would take shopping carts and pile them up at the entrance gather all the food and supplies i could grab and hold up in a backroom… maybe something like a lunch break room or the office that looks out over the entire store that they have at the usual super market i got to (its a safeway in case anyones wondering) and then wait it out till i thought it was safe or untill i was forced out for lack of supplies. not the greatest plan but i just typed what i first thought of. so im hoping that would be my instinct instead of going all Rambo on their asses and probably dieing in the attempt.
McLuvin on 19 Feb 2009 at 11:43 pm #
Kill the two you spotted and, while keeping lookout for more, fill your cart with canned goods. Hopefully the outbreak is still in it’s early stages and you can get to your car.
Dump your cart in the trunk and head to your primary defense location. Let somebody else try to defend the produce.
James on 20 Feb 2009 at 7:02 pm #
Oh god, if anyone has seen ‘the mist’ (I think it’s called that), you’ll understand me if I say i’d high-tail it outta there for home/place of better defence. If you haven’t and you think it’s a good idea to stay put, keep an eye out for any religious fanatics, christian, jewish, muslim, buddist, game worshiper, whatever! Just listen out for any suggestions that the gods want this and they want a sacrifice. At that point you whip out whatever you’re packing and blast the bastards head off before anyone gets thrown out to the zombies!
Okay so seeing as I live out in the country and the only groceries I would be going to is in town and is a massive tesco store.
Prep:I would head over to the meat area and make up a homemade spear, using mop handles and a knife joined with duct tape/meat string. Then I’d grab a mop and snap a length of wood off it and put it thru my belt for a short bludgeoning weapon.
Escape: Head on through the emplyee only area and into the loading bay. I’d then get out the back, over the fence into the local 4×4 dealership, slip into the managers office and pinch a set of keys. Drive out the front make a left and head on through the gate onto the old road that runs parrallel to the duel carriageway (parted by a ditch) then turn off onto the country lanes that would take me back to my house where I can close the gate, park the car up against it and break out the spam….
ThaddeusP on 20 Feb 2009 at 7:06 pm #
I used to think about this all the time when i bagged groceries. I think that, while the location itself might not be ideal for weapons and fuel, it would be a critical place to maintain as survivors are going to get desperate and come there for the food when they run out. So, I would run to the produce department first and grab the two machetes they use for cutting watermelons and such. Then, I would convince the store manager that we needed to lock down (probably the hard part). Then its to the wine aisle to set up a Molotov assembly line (wine out, charcoal lighter fluid in). Meanwhile, Start moving bags of salt or charcoal or woodchips or dirt or whatever large heavy bags we have (depending on the season) to the front of the store. Cover that big long display window in front with the shelves of the aisles and brace them with carts or shelves from the lanes. in and around all the entrances, dump vegetable oil or other slick oily liquids and station some bad mothers to take out the zombies that make it through. Ok, that should hold them for a little while, now its to the roof with the Molotovs while others build weapons and armor from what they cant find in the store/ what they can recover from nearby stores before the attack actually hits. On the roof, get a few hoses connected up and i guess a sniper rifle would be nice too. Once the attack begins, focus on maintaining the front lines and let the zombies accumulate a little. then its Molotov time. let those babies do the hard work while you keep the store from burning to the ground with the hoses. Eventually, we would be able to barricade all the entrances with the bodies of the burned and redead zombies. As survivors arrived, I would allow them to take food in exchange for service fortifying the store or weapons and ammo etc. Eventually, It would be a fortress provided everyone was vigilant. In the event of a bite within the ranks, the infected would be given an effective weapon that we could spare and left outside to take out as many as they could before turning or getting eaten. Unfortunately, i have no contingency plan for dissent or mutiny….I should probably work on that.
Ryan on 21 Feb 2009 at 2:06 am #
I like the idea you have there Thaddeus, but there are 3 flaws. First is any food that can go bad and/or start rotting needs to be gotten rid of as soon as possible be it eaten or thrown a safe distance from the store to prevent any sickness. Second is that the smell of dead bodies alone in massive numbers is enough to make anyone vomit on top of them being a health hazard, dead/rotting creatures in mass are bound to cause a plague and any infection they may carry can be spread this way as well so they to need to be moved far away from the store. Third is a grocery store can and will run out of food eventually if there aren’t going to be any new trucks comming to bring goodies. Aside from those 3 its a great plan… if it can be pulled off. Sadly for every great plan there is always a downside, unless it involves becomming a superhuman who can repel any kind of dammage and make whatever tried to hurt you explode just by thinking at it… and hey even thats got a downside if you can’t controll it.
Marius on 21 Feb 2009 at 2:57 am #
Ryan, you’ve got good points, and so does Thad. But a better use for the fire is for the redead bodies instead of the walking.
JOEY on 21 Feb 2009 at 11:55 am #
i kinda skimmed thru a lil but from what read everyone is looking for weapons and not a serious way out. first i would make my way to the meat department and get as much raw steak as possible . zombies love meat and blood , well give it to em. u should be able to occupy the dead long enough with an overturned cart full of raw meat to evacuate the store. just make sure u keep a lil meat on u incase of an attack outside the store. throw some down and run.
The Doctor on 21 Feb 2009 at 6:38 pm #
You, know in the situation it says you dont have a gun, but yet magically some people do.
another mike on 21 Feb 2009 at 9:01 pm #
Wasn’t “Grocery Store” on the list of places to never be at in a zombie outbreak? Right along with “Police Station” and “Hospital”? Just saying you might not want to dig in there. Rotting food, indefensible display windows, and every unprepared wahoo showing up were some of the reasons given.
Dusting the two deadites inside is a good start. Then get out and away, far far away. You probably don’t have time to finish shopping. Just grab what you’ve got and go.
But what groceries should you go for if you’ve got the time? Well, nothing. If you’re really prepared, you have a victory garden or even a hobby farm at your stronghold and you are at the store just topping off your stockpile. Because you do practice stock rotation to keep your supplies fresh right?
OK, so you are still setting up your stockpile and aren’t making your own supplies yet. Canned vegetables, canned meats, noodles, soups, and condensed milk first obviously. Then other staples like flour, sugar, coffee, yeast, cereals, bread, and grains. All the non-perishable goods. Non-food items like soap and bleach are important, too. Frozen meats and vegetables should be next since they’ll keep longer than fresh ones. Grab fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, milk, and cheese last. The target is to be able to keep up a healthy balanced diet for as long as possible.
/be prepared
Dsurion on 22 Feb 2009 at 12:06 pm #
another mike has an excellent point, that grocers=bad news. Although to be honest, I’m not sure how many bags of groceries I want to lug home knowing there are zombies about. Were I grabbing things, I’d get mostly things that can store for a long time and don’t weigh much; granola/energy bars, dehydrated foods, cereals, unrefrigerated juices, spam, Guinness.
What? Guinness? Yes; because once the water supply starts fouling, beverages in containers are a must…plus Guinness is like a meal anyway. Lots of carbs for the inevitable zombie sprint. Then I might grab some fresh fruits and vegetables for more-or-less immediate consumption. After all, it might be the last banana I see ever. Vitamin pills or nutrient supplements might be a good idea too, for the future when essential food groups start running out.
Then proceed across the very convenient flat store roofs the three blocks home. Also, as I mentioned before, try not to kill anyone; removing a potential zombie is always a good idea, but getting yourself lynched (or shot by the National Guard) because of it isn’t.
It is important to keep a good balanced diet for as long as possible, but you shouldn’t need to visit the grocers when the zombies hit to do so.
Leor on 22 Feb 2009 at 1:33 pm #
First thing I’d do would be to get some heavy cans and brain the zombies I could see. They’d probably be too busy with the people already fighting them to notice me so I’d try to get behind them.
My next actions would depend on the situation outside the store.
in any case I wouldn’t waste much time trying to explain anything to the crowd and I definitely wouldn’t bring up the word zombie, but if anyone of them was infected I’ll tell them the Z’s had a kind of quick spreading rabies or something.
If the outside seems Z free I’d bail before anyone started asking why I’d killed two people. On the way back I’d call a group of friends of mine and plan for the apocalypse.
if there is a reasonable amount of chaos outside, I’d try to get the doors locked long enough to get supplies starting with rubber gloves (so as not to get infected from blood splatter), a weapon: I’d start with a broom/spear and try to get a bludgeoning weapon such as a regular hammer or two cause broomsticks and duck tape aren’t very reliable.
Like Dsurion said Vitamins are a pretty good Idea but I wouldn’t waste my time with anything fresh or anything that wouldn’t stand being thrown around a bit although I might be able to plant fruit near/in my permanent base. I’d also stock up on plastic bags, duck-tape and cleaning materials.
Almost under no circumstances would I plan on staying over half an hour, any advantages a grocery store may have are practically worthless in the long run.
GreenEyedBandit on 22 Feb 2009 at 3:38 pm #
Get out of the store as fast as possible.
Sure you’ve spotted 2 of them but who knows if there are more lurking around somewhere else and an aisle in a grocery store is no place to be hangin’ out when zombies show up.
Atakino on 24 Feb 2009 at 2:22 am #
First I’d take a look where I am.
A grocery store isn’t actually a good place to be (although many would be survivors would think so); easy to get surrounded, too many windows/entrances, lack of good defense items. Also, in the long term, the rotting food can pose a serious health risk. I’ll write my response assuming I know the layout of the grocery store and am familiar with it.
First off I’d find anything near by that could be used as a weapon; most likely a blunt one. If I have any sort of backpack with me, I take some basic supplies as I pass them but I DO NOT go looking for any. I do not carry anything in my hands other than a weapon, either.
Then I’d get to the back of the grocery store, as it would be furthest from the outbreak and most likely have the safest exits. From there, I’d find some sort of exit to the ‘warehouse’ area.
It’d be a risky exit, but it would be likely for me to find a better weapon.
From there I’d find an exit; most exits would be locked only from the outside.
Outside, I get to a street as soon as possible (and quietly!). From there I can take a look at the situation and see if traffic has stopped (bad) or if it’s a rather small outbreak confined to the grocery store area.
The grocery store I go to (thankfully) is on the very edge of town and there are many good places to hide if I had to, including a few construction areas.
If things look good, I make an escape to my car and leave so I can gather my things at home and any team I might have set up and go with my regular plan at that point.
If things look bad, and there are zombies everywhere, I make an escape to an industrial steel mill that’s not far off; it’s the nearest place that I can think of that would be defensible.
phantom-edge on 26 Feb 2009 at 11:20 am #
simply,stock up and get out.
I don’t care what’s waiting outside i’ll most likely have a better chance than inside.
plus there will be ALOT of people escaping the town~asssuming the infection just began~
so it will make my job alot easier in escaping and establishing my original escape plans.
Fullcircle on 26 Feb 2009 at 8:58 pm #
Well, this is one that most everyone has thought of. I’m at the store by myself, and the shamblors (I’m assuming they’re shamblors) are coming to chew my face off.
omgwtf do I do??!?!?!
Alright, So it said I was in the magazine aisle, right? I’m assuming that since I’m out shopping and about halfway done, I assume I’ve got some food and stuff in mah shopping cart.
Upon seeing the zeds, my first instinct is probably going to be to help whoever they’re attacking. Since it seems like ramming them with the cart might knock them over or some such thing, I’d do that.
Might help, might not.
Anyway, assist in killing the two Z’s and look outside. If there seem to be a large amount outside, then I’m leaving my cart and making a sprint to the back of the store (Kroger, for argument’s sake) where there are a few cheap kitchen knives. Rip those out of their packaging and head for the back, employees-only section. The store would presumably be under some sort of lock down or somthing, with the police arriving and such if the outbreak ismn’t in full swing. If this i the case, getting caught in an employees-only section probably wouldn’t look very good, so the plan here is to avoid everyone and take a peek out of the back door. If there’s a significant lack of dead people meandering around outside, then it’s out the back door and stealthily back around towards the front, hopefully slipping around behind the zombies that are now chewing on the front doors of the store.
In the evnt that there is a significant amount of zombies up and about out back, then it’s off to the pharmacy section where there is a drive through window that comes out on the left side of the store. The plan here would be to vault the desk and be out the window before anyone gets the chance to stop me.
Either way, the plan is to sneak to my car and (traffic permitting) make my escape towards my house.
If there is much too much traffic to drive away, then the plan is to quickly and quietly run to a decent looking hiding place and take stock of the situation.
If it seems that walking wouldn’t be too endangering, then I would set off towards my house. Otherwise, it’s off to a slightly safer spot to begin to dig in (haven’t decided where to go yet).
ANd that, as they say, is that.
sean on 27 Feb 2009 at 12:51 am #
well considering i work at one of said grocerystores i could just escape through the back entrance,i would think more scenario’s but i am tired so i must rest
because hey they could come tomorrow for all we know
ZackaryL on 27 Feb 2009 at 12:15 pm #
Well, I would want to help the people being attacked, at the time they would be the only people willing to help because they know what is going on. I wouldn’t hesitate in helping them, for it would not be a huge risk seeing there is only two. After the situation is settled, check for bites and wounds, and who ever has bites…dispose of them later, use them for what I can now. I would ask the employee to lock the doors, after observing how many zombies there are outside. If there is a minimum amount of zombies, I wouldn’t want him to lock the doors, in fact I would want to venture out and start our(if people would be willing to follow) way to a safer place for the night, and let the apocalypse commence
If there were a lot lock the doors, and flood the entrance with karts. Afterward, ask the employee for other exit’s and entrances, and a way to the roof top. We need to get to the roof top to check the area. If we are surrounded, then we would only last so long before they got to us. If there were a way out, I would ask for all help to try and escape the market.(seeing this as a Safeway rather then a Wal-Mart or a shopping center of that kind with a gun rack or knives)
So after deciding on that, if we were to be venturing out, I’m sure the market would have backpacks of some-sort so we could designate pack-mules that would carry food and water. Everyone would have to have a blunt object to fend themselves, and we would need to stick together, they would become my closest friends, and my new family.
I am 98% against holding up in one spot. I want to be on the move, preferably in forests, fields and less populated area’s. The survivors and I would need to leave the town as fast as possible and become nomadic people. The more you move, the less zombies can gather up around you, but I am also assuming there will be lots of people holding up that would let us in(A bad assumption, but still..).
That is how I would want to deal with that moment, and further into the zombie apocalypse
Dave on 01 Mar 2009 at 11:33 am #
Deal with the two Zs before 2 become 4, 4 becomes 8 and so on. Lockdown the store. Then get people calm. Beware someone hitting the fire alarm (the alarm may override the locks or even automatically open the doors). Only now do you have time to formulate a plan.
Now gauge the situation outside. The circumstances will likely dictate strategy – whether to lock-in or run for it. How bad is it out there? The car park may be overrun. Is it an out-of-town supermarket (not a bad place to be) or in a populated area?
Even if you escape it might be beneficial to lockdown the store behind you, with one door barred but accessible. You now have a potential safe spot and resupply point. Of course whether this is time well spent depends on circumstance.
I’m not convinced by knives. If bites pass infection then it’s likely the saliva which surely means the blood too. Stabbing and slashing sprays blood which you could breathe in, I’d be doing for a blunt instrument to clothed areas.
HUNTER101 on 02 Mar 2009 at 8:18 am #
I’d held whoever wasnt infected find a broom and attach a piece of broken glass to it with some tape or rope id make like 10 then get a
$hit load of food seal off the doors so none of the zombies can get in and hightail it out the back door go break in to canadien tire get a gun/bow a crap load of ammo/arrows and go home and sit on my roof and shoot the pieces of zombiefied crap!
Amy on 05 Mar 2009 at 8:15 pm #
Well, so far many people seem to have good advice. The way I see it, there are a few things you can do to ensure your survival if caught by a zed attack in a grocery store.
First, assess the threat level. Only two zombies coming through the front door means that a full scale attack hasn’t occurred yet, but is likely on the way. While I personally would help fend off those two Z’s, it’s not a bad idea to take a peek out the front doors. If the parking lot is full of zeds, then it’s time to eliminate any zeds inside and then lock the place down. If the parking lot is relatively empty, then give yourself 5 minutes to load what you can into your vehicle and get out.
Why only 5 minutes? Because you don’t know how many more are out there, or what situation the rest of the city is in. Taking any longer than just a few minutes could mean your window of escape-opportunity disappears, and then you’re left with no alternative but staying put.
Why get out at all? Many grocery stores are built as temporary bomb shelters, and have enough canned food for a long siege. However, it’s also the place any other survivors are going to be flocking to. It may sound cold-hearted, but being the one (percieved) as hoarding all the food is a good way to get killed. Not by zeds, but by your fellow survivors.
If lockdown is your only option, then use shelving, shopping carts, bags of cat litter, anything heavy to barricade ALL the exits. This includes things like small windows, air vents big enough for a small child to crawl through, everything. (You don’t know if animals can be infected, and a swarm of z-squirrels is NOT what you want waking you up some morning in your grocery-fort.) Make sure you have access to the roof, and spend some time AFTER you know you’re safe from break-ins building a rope ladder in case your fort becomes compromised, and for daytime excursions into other nearby stores for supplies.
Then it’s simply a waiting game. Eventually, you’ll either get the all-clear (unlikely), or your scouts will find a safer, easier to fortify place to live. Don’t demolish your barricades when you move out though, always have a place to run to if possible. Keep moving this way, old fort to new fort, safe location to safer location, until you’re out of the city and can find a good place out in the countryside to defend and start civilization anew.
Amy on 05 Mar 2009 at 9:16 pm #
Quick addition on improvised weaponry and morale, while held up in your grocer-fort.
The broomhandle/kitchen knife spear idea is a good one, for keeping zombies away from you, and perhaps disabling their legs by slashing muscle and tendon. However, the amount of force it would take to drive a kitchen knife through the skull of an average human being would most likely destroy your spear.
I would suggest taking one of those canvas bags most grocery stores sell to avoid plastic bag waste, and putting one or more LARGE cans in it, like the ones they sell bulk tomato sauce in. Or even better, depending on the store, a pair of bricks. There you have a nice improvised mace. Messy, but effective and will be more difficult to break, and easier to remake once they do.
Keeping morale high will be difficult. I suggest using a reward system. Have people take turns scouting (in groups of at least three), and reward those that return. Give them alcohol, first pick from what they risked their lives getting, etc. Do the same with anyone making obvious effort to make your fort secure. Anyone who sits around whining and complaining will quickly learn that work equals reward.
Lastly, fill any empty containers with water as soon as they’re emptied. If and when the power goes out, the milk jugs and anything else perishable will go fast. Use what you can, then empty them out and fill them up, because you never know if the water will get shut off next or get contaminated somehow.
Random Dude on 28 Mar 2009 at 10:48 pm #
smack ‘em with a stale french loaf.
Sharpshooter on 31 Mar 2009 at 5:02 pm #
I’ve noticed that everyones asuming that they are going to survive. not trying to be a pesimist just pointing that out. what if you get bit? im a survivalist not a suicide i dont really think i could kill myself
Karl on 14 May 2009 at 10:52 pm #
Quick series:
1. Kill zed-heads
2. Check parking lot
2a. If no more: get home
2b. If escape impossible or unlikely: call on employees to lock main doors and drop security shutters
3. Divide anyone still inside into two groups: those wishing to stay/those wishing to leave
4. Send those wishing to leave out the back
5. Secure all exits
6. Arm and give remaining people things to do
6a. One person uses the security cameras to watch outside
6b. 1/2 of people reinforcing exits
6c. One person seeking outside communication
6d. Remaining people setting up fallback points and helping wherever necessary
6e. Self: helping wherever necessary and waiting on communications
7. live in the fortress until it is no longer viable or until way home is usable then get home.
Ronin666 on 01 Jul 2009 at 7:24 am #
Out the back door , find transport,get to safe place.
Adam on 20 Jul 2009 at 8:57 am #
This one isn’t so bad. A supermarket has plenty of possible weapons. I would probably try to kill the zombies and save as many people as possible, while blocking up the door. Once is done, i’d try to seal the other exits, while organising the panicking mob of unhappy shoppers. Once everyone has calmed down, i would use the announcing system to tell everyone what’s happening, and tell them to arm themselves. While they do this, i would equip myself with weapons and “armour”. Multiple shirts and jumpers will do a decent job of keeping them from biting you, and while a bucket on your head may look stupid, it could save your life. Also, thick gardeners gloves might be a good idea.
Finally, after stocking up on food supplies with varied use-by dates (don’t take just things with long useby dates, because you can save them for when everything else has gone bad), i would unblock the main door and we would all charge into the parking lot and attempt to kill the zeds while escaping to our vehicles. if possible, i would try to steal a nice big delivery truck, and get supplies and people without a vehicle in the back.
Hatchet on 07 Oct 2011 at 2:56 am #
I would grab a watermelon and get out the back exit.
I wonder when or if anyone will see this…
bubdude on 07 Nov 2011 at 8:56 am #
well seeing as how it would be the start of a zombie apocolypse, id grab a few non-parishable foods first before the shit hit the fan any store-wide panic occurs. also i would check for any kind of thing that i cna use as a melee wepon. with everything coming from the front id most likely head to the employee stock area and either look for a back door or a ladder for the roof. if i get on the roof first then i can get a better view of how bad it looks. if required to then id camp out on the roof until it calms down enough to make my escape.
zombiekiller1318 on 13 Aug 2012 at 1:49 am #
These scenarios are cool, and good for planning. One of the best things is visualizing different scenarios which can help you prepare better….
I know I’m way behind here but oh well. As for the scenario…I am sorry but I read somewhere that someone said they would help the people being attacked by the zed…I would not, not going to risk myself for people I don’t know or give a shit about. If the door is clear for the time I would try to get to my truck and get the hell out of dodge. However, I don’t think this will be the case. If I cant get to my truck out the front door then I would try to lock the door. The scenario said no gun but this is not realistic for me as I always carry my Glock 27 everywhere I go. At this point the zeds attacking the people and probably the people being attacked would need to be dealt with accordingly. I don’t normally carry a go bag with me so taking extra food would probably be out of the question. I would get to the back door where the deliveries are made and see if the coast is clear. If it is then I will try to make my way back to my truck and get home. I can think of a couple other scenarios but its too much to type so I’ll stick with this for now.