Wait and Die? I don’t think so!
The Zombie Survival Guide daily calendar, while usually a great resource, dropped the ball the other day. They offered some advice for home defense which involved making a stand on the roof.
The tip for June 10 offered this tidbit: “If you find yourself in a one-story home with no attic, grab whatever supplies you can, take hold of a weapon, and climb onto the roof.” It goes further to say “Remain on the roof for as long as you can, until supplies are exhausted or a rescue patrol arrives. It may be uncomfortable, but it is your best chance for survival.”
This is flawed thinking. Not sure about you but getting on the roof of my house is not the easiest thing to do. The ladder we have is on the lower level, and if that is compromised already by the undead, not sure how you would even get onto the roof.
Additionally, this says “grab whatever supplies you can” when we all know that we should already have a zombie plan and some supplies setup. As many here would tell you, they already have a roof filled with fully automatic weapons, tanks, and helicopters. For the average person, know where some type of weapon is and make sure you can easily take it with you.
Lastly, just sitting on the roof waiting is no plan at all. This does not even account for any of the elements. What if it is 95 degrees outside? You really want to sit and bake on the roof of the house? Since there is no guarantee that a roving rescue patrol will arrive, just sitting on a roof waiting is one of the last things you need to do.
Think about your plan, folks, so something like this doesn’t end up being your only solution.
Stay safe. Stay informed. Stay alive.
Comments (74)
Drake Groth on 13 Jun 2011 at 3:24 pm #
I agree with you.
Whoever said to get on your roof is crazy.
Not only would the zombies start to horde around your house but you would die from dehydration long before any help would(if ever) arrive.
Getting on your roof is the last thing you ever want to do.
QAZZY 1-9th on 13 Jun 2011 at 4:22 pm #
Roofs are the worst place, in terms of temperature. Here in Northern VA, roofs jump to over 120F in the summer, easy. That’s in a temperate climate. Concrete roofs aren’t much better in the heat. In colder climates, roofs have little protection against wind and the elements. My suggestion? Find a house with an attic, and use your rope (you should have one) to hook a chimney of a nearby house with an attic. You should be able to climb across, if you are fit enough and have a strong enough rope. I’ve done this multiple times as a child, and probably in a good enough shape (and has rope stronger than your standard cotton rope) to accomplish the task.
survivor811 on 13 Jun 2011 at 5:18 pm #
ha, just wait untill the lightning storms. Wow, I’d go to the roof occasionally to signal for other survivors or keep a lookout for looters and zombies. That also is taking into account my roof is flat and not slanted like many other people’s houses. I’d never consider spending more than a day on the roof.
Semper Cogitant on 13 Jun 2011 at 6:24 pm #
Good plan for a flood, bad plan for a zombie apocalypse. Any plan that includes “wait for the authorities to come save your behind” is not disaster planning at all, it’s planning for a temporary inconvenience and has no use at all here.
Better to be ready to secure your home, keep plenty of lumber on hand to be able to secure the windows and doors. Have plans to fall back and secure a room from the rest of the house if it is breached. Be ready to retreat upward, including through the roof in the house is overwhelmed.
What ever you do, if you start seeing zombies in the streets, don’t “wait until supplies run out or a rescue patrol arrives.” You are your own, and your family’s only hope for rescue.
Angryvikingman on 13 Jun 2011 at 9:21 pm #
I’ve really thought about putting a hatch from my attic to the roof. In the form of a window or some other way to the outside. The pitch of my roof isn’t crazy, so it’d be easy to walk or lay on, but not in the summer. I’d have to put a walkway or somthing out there so I could stand up there without worrying about falling off.
QAZZY 1-9th on 13 Jun 2011 at 9:44 pm #
I live in a condo, so the rooftop isn’t too bad, and I could literally jump from rooftop to rooftop. There are plenty of places to hook a zipline (I got quite a bit of climbing gear) or a rappelling line. To get out of the city isn’t too hard, and a Subaru could probably run over zombies as well as go offroad. I also have a motorcycle, and without a group (I have plenty of contacts suitable, so this is unlikely), I would take the bike. Plus with the Subaru, I can carry my bicycle to keep pedaling once I’m out of gas.
But a brief battle from the roof may be necessary, since clearing the way from the parking garage would be necessary for easy escape. Janitorial closets and bathrooms would provide explosive material, and Virginia likes guns, so we shouldn’t have a shortage.
UK Survivor on 14 Jun 2011 at 2:19 pm #
I live in a small suburban town in the uk there is alot of rain at all times of the year, so the houses are designed to be slanted and it would be near impossible to get up there and to keep supplies up there is realy a no go.
QAZZY 1-9th on 14 Jun 2011 at 8:56 pm #
Rain is no problem, a good pair of boots and some braided 550 have gotten my 6’3″, 197lb mass up many a slick, steep surface.
wheelgunner on 14 Jun 2011 at 9:42 pm #
He means it would be extremly difficult to stay up there. No level space.
QAZZY 1-9th on 15 Jun 2011 at 5:07 am #
Harnessing yourself and tying yourself would be ideal, but preferably with a quick-release. That would help you stay, but isn’t ideal. You should only take quick trips there, to pull off some necessary shots, or throwing some IEDs.
UK Survivor on 15 Jun 2011 at 10:29 am #
@QAZZY 1-9th the harnessing would be a good idea if i had to rappell down for a quick escape, but if my home was compromised i would jump over my back gate rather then get to the roof.
QAZZY 1-9th on 15 Jun 2011 at 3:18 pm #
Assuming your house was surrounded, get on your roof (assuming there are nearby chimneys), get a grappling hook (you mean you DON’T have one, you can fashion one my welding together bent metal bars) and make a line. You can shimmy down it, climb it with your arms, or fashion a zip line.
Considering I don’t want to do urban warfare with zeds, this is my preferable solution. I live near D.C., so before this is a major problem, I would likely be in (extra) serious trouble for shooting people. I have heard it’s harder to get guns in the U.K., but a crossbow would be a good weapon, since you can make arrows for them (most modern crossbows fire arrows, and I’ve done this before with decent results).
UK Survivor on 16 Jun 2011 at 12:20 pm #
Thanks go the advice I’m going to look up the crossbows when I have a bit of spare cash, strapped for it at the moment but there are laws for crossbows in my local area.(and I have a grappling hook but nope safe rope due to my dog chewing it)
Semper Cogitant on 16 Jun 2011 at 1:05 pm #
@Qazzy-1-9th: In DC the authorities will spend their last hours during the zombie apocalypse patrolling for people that are defending themselves so they can confiscate their guns and any other weapons. People can’t be allowed to defend themselves. Very much like the UK, where they have a legal duty to be willing victims of any violence anyone cares to perpetrate upon them.
QAZZY 1-9th on 16 Jun 2011 at 2:37 pm #
If so, my two options are to get out and go to West Virginia, where authoritiesnare not allowed to confiscate citizens’ guns under any circumstances, or to join ‘em (most likely situation, as an enlisted Marine).
At any rate, there are plenty of places to stash my guns without authorities finding them. Claiming they were lost or broken (then disposed of) in the zed attacks is a pretty good excuse.
Long term, I want to get to certain deserted military bases, because of the effects on rotting bodies.
-MWCT (cold would likely destroy any body cells, and stiffen zeds)
-Pendleton (intense heat would increase rate of rotting, or the heat would have them shrivel up and desiccate)
-Lejuene (humidity near water sources would increase decomposition)
Longer term, I want to get to Mexico. Live it up near the coast, with plenty of seafood, nice weather, and hopefully, less zeds by the time I get there (those things won’t last forever, a decomposing body would no longer have functioning muscles in a relatively short amount of time).
Semper Cogitant on 16 Jun 2011 at 3:26 pm #
I’m guessing you mean the Mountain Warfare Training Center? That would be an excellent place to be, as would the upper reaches of Mt. Shasta (where I think you guys also train in California).
Being above the snow line would probably be the best defense possible. Frozen zombies are not much danger.
Semper Cogitant on 16 Jun 2011 at 3:38 pm #
@Qazzy – Also wanted to ask, are you, or were you, actually in “the Walking Dead” as 1/9 Marines calls themselves? Very cool if so.
QAZZY 1-9th on 16 Jun 2011 at 4:03 pm #
MEU stationed at Lejuene, yes. The battalion was reactivated in ’06. I actually started by zombie obsession because of the name. MOS 0317
Oh crap, I wrote MWCT, not MWTC.
QAZZY 1-9th on 17 Jun 2011 at 4:01 pm #
I’ve also decided, I’ll take my brother on Z-Day. He’s Marine reserve, and forming a zombie obsession. Also lives in Arlington, VA. While I’m the better long range shooter, he’s better close combat. He has similar accuracy to me at 100> yards, but at a quicker pace. I also hear when he was in the sandbox, his M4 ran out of ammo, and he took a guy out with his boot knife. Better martial artist, real good with a knife (he carves the turkey with a KA-BAR). I just swim faster (he’s a better runner).
QAZZY 1-9th on 17 Jun 2011 at 10:33 pm #
Hmmm…. I like my team up CQ/sniper plan better. Finding more people to supplement our team (gov’t contacts are handy to find former/current special operators) would be easy to do.
Rope, kerosene wine and condoms? Interesting…
wheelgunner on 18 Jun 2011 at 1:14 am #
What is your standard carry?
Angryvikingman on 18 Jun 2011 at 12:36 pm #
I’ve had the ending to terminallance #131 before. That was a good night.
My standard carry is my CZ75 SP-01. 3 mags at 18 rounds each.
Angryvikingman on 18 Jun 2011 at 1:14 pm #
Of course I also have a 32 rounder too.
QAZZY 1-9th on 18 Jun 2011 at 6:31 pm #
Glock 17, 17 round mags. Also have a 33 rounder. Also have a Ruger 22/45, bull barrel. Considering a good .357 Magnum handgun. Any suggestions?
QAZZY 1-9th on 18 Jun 2011 at 7:35 pm #
Excuse me, Glock 34. I confused it for the longer barrel 17 that the 34 replaced.
Maybe for the .357 a 31? I’m really smitten with Glocks. Great handguns. My concern with the CZ is availability of parts. Glocks are pretty common. I wouldn’t get anything more powerful than .357 Magnum either. For this, I would use the .45ACP. It’s larger, allows for a lower ammo capacity. A 9mm is just as capable for a headshot (my theory is that zeds are susceptible to all damage, since their organs have to function too), and is cheaper.
@Angryvikingman: is terminallance #131 a sexual reference. Anyone in the military or formerly in it knows about the stories. We could share, but it would no longer be relevant to zombies…
Angryvikingman on 18 Jun 2011 at 7:54 pm #
I got blown while playing call of duty: MW2. Screwed up my game, but it was worth it.
wheelgunner on 18 Jun 2011 at 10:33 pm #
Argh. Taurus made the .357 that I shoot. Love it.
QAZZY 1-9th on 19 Jun 2011 at 6:13 am #
Like humans, zeds are going to be of different sizes and builds. 5.56/9mm will be standard for the more average-sized fellas, while the .357 will be for the bigger ones, as is the shotgun (you can also use it as a grenade launcher, and if you’re really experienced/crazy, you can turn the round itself into a grenade). Deer slugs are pretty over powered for even deer, so I’d use them for only the biggest guys.
Ah, the pool parties in high school…. the chicks would do something called the ‘waterboarding challenge’, see if they can blow a guy, and finish on one breath. Some girl who was some crazy ass swimmer finished on me, she could hold her breath for about 4 minutes, and another girl finished on a guy in about 1:30, but he never got some before that. We’d also dig a a shallow pit, line it with a tarp (not in high school, in college, spring break), fill it with mineral oil, and have girls wrestle in it while wearing string bikinis (single, not double knotted). Mix it with some beer, and things WILL get interesting.
Angryvikingman on 19 Jun 2011 at 10:44 am #
Ah, the good ole days. Shit like that doesn’t happen anymore. At least not for me. At any rate….. I’m gonna post a new topic soon.
QAZZY 1-9th on 19 Jun 2011 at 2:05 pm #
Maybe because you’re married, but I’m still getting some.
Maybe waterboarding will be useful on survivors to find the location of their supplies. Wouldn’t work on people who went through SERE or a similar program, but that’s not the general population.
Angryvikingman on 19 Jun 2011 at 2:20 pm #
LOL! No, I still get plenty. Just because I’m married doesn’t mean I don’t get any. Just means its from the same woman.
QAZZY 1-9th on 19 Jun 2011 at 2:52 pm #
No, if you’re married you just can’t do that kind of crazy shit I’ve done. Which kinda sucks, because this shit relies on more than one woman. At the same time. One is great, but more than that…
QAZZY 1-9th on 19 Jun 2011 at 8:17 pm #
On Z-Day, for those of you without a sexual partner with your, bring hand lotion. We experience urges in the sandbox, so expect them on Z-Day. Off the topic of our sexual exploits, and onto the intended topic: the role of the roof in zombie survival.
If you are in a two-floor house, destroy the second floor. If you HAVE to get on the roof, since there is no attic or the other floors have been overrun, here’s what you can do, on the order of least to most recommended:
-Shoot or blow up/burn all the zeds surrounding your house, and make a mad dash out (preferably with a motor vehicle).
-At the first sign of apocalypse, bring up building materials, and build a shelter. Strip off the tiles to reduce the heat.
-Establish a rope or zip line to the next building and escape.
Just because it’s not recommended doesn’t make it non-viable.
wheelgunner on 20 Jun 2011 at 12:10 pm #
Least whores will be easy to spot. Why destroy the second floor?
QAZZY 1-9th on 20 Jun 2011 at 2:25 pm #
Assuming zombies overran your house, then destroy the second floor, with zombies on it. Idyllically, you would destroy the stairs, and stay on the second floor. The whores will be dead. Who said bite is the only way for the virus to transmit? Plus, AIDS would screw you up.
wheelgunner on 20 Jun 2011 at 4:14 pm #
I said easy to spot, not prefered service provider. Besides, without all those drugs, they won’t last all that long.
You just said detroy the second floor, then run out into the horde. Was a little lost.
wheelgunner on 21 Jun 2011 at 12:47 am #
Nice. To give you some idea of how things are around here, I can’t really even imagine a building with twenty floors.
QAZZY 1-9th on 21 Jun 2011 at 10:25 am #
Where in the U.S. do you live? (state, nearby notable city)
I love Virginia, gun laws, proximity to D.C., high median income, still close to the country.
wheelgunner on 21 Jun 2011 at 2:16 pm #
Louisiana, North East. No more need be said.
big bear29 on 21 Jun 2011 at 9:45 pm #
The problem with this topic is that it shows that some one is taking advice from max brooks . That guy is an idiot that has no idea what he is talking about .
The roof of your home is the hottest part of your house during the day and part of the night . The roof of your home will absorb heat and retain it and it will feel like you are sitting on top of a grill after a few hours .
Around here the average temp can hit triple digits in the summer and the materials that a roof are made up of can get hot enough to leave you with 1st or 2nd degree burns just from touching them , I know this from personal experience . Almost every year the local weather man will go out and show how hot it is by cooking eggs on a piece of metal that has been sitting out in the sun all day . It usually takes him less than thirty seconds to cook an egg on that piece of tin roof .
QAZZY 1-9th on 22 Jun 2011 at 7:12 am #
Then again, none of us truly know what we’re talking about, since none of us have encountered zombies. It’s just that some of Brooks’ tactics are questionable.
Am I the only one that thinks zombies are set up to fail? We are their top predator, source of food, and source of reproduction. It’s like a seal chasing a polar bear, hoping to eat and/or screw it.
wheelgunner on 22 Jun 2011 at 12:15 pm #
No, its like a rat with fleas carrying the Black Death. And, as you say, who know? Maybe other things will be infectable.
QAZZY 1-9th on 22 Jun 2011 at 3:33 pm #
No, a virus is wired to a certain genome. Why malaria isn’t fatal to the mosquitoes that carry them. In could, however could infect all mammals, like rabies, but the chances are good that it wouldn’t be as effective on some animals as it is on others (mad cow disease, a prion which could induce zombie-like symptoms, theoretically). A virus, attached to a prion (most likely an influenza-type virus with a modified mad-cow like prion) probably couldn’t be attached to another virus (rabies?). Since the zombies are wired to cannibalism, any zombie animals would eat each other. A virus, could however, mutate to infect SIMILAR animals, like infecting great apes, but chimpanzees are too few in number to be a threat. However, you can shoot a bull ape several times, seemingly fatally, and it can still kill you before dying.
wheelgunner on 22 Jun 2011 at 7:27 pm #
Exactly what I meant. They carry, whether it kills them or not.
QAZZY 1-9th on 22 Jun 2011 at 8:50 pm #
But if you mind your own business, they shouldn’t attack you. Animal carriers are of little concern.
wheelgunner on 22 Jun 2011 at 9:08 pm #
Less you go to eat them, are forced to camp, have livestock, pets, or own a house, thenyour stucj with them.
QAZZY 1-9th on 23 Jun 2011 at 11:57 am #
I think heat could kill the virus, and it’s very likely that the virus won’t survive outside of a human.
wheelgunner on 23 Jun 2011 at 3:34 pm #
Speculations on speculations about a speculation. I’m just assuming that everything will probably kill me in the event thereof.
QAZZY 1-9th on 23 Jun 2011 at 3:40 pm #
Agreed, as for cooking animals to kill the virus, I’ll find some poor sucker to feed, then quarantine him to see if it works. I’ll be waiting. With a tomahawk.
QAZZY 1-9th on 23 Jun 2011 at 5:12 pm #
Speculation? Zombies are real, go to the Swedish parts of San Francisco or D.C.
Arrows on 23 Jun 2011 at 7:37 pm #
earlier up here someone said something about crossbows firing arrows…umm er…no. Crossbows, especially modern ones, fire extremely stiff bolts…stick a modern arrow in it and watch it explode in your face. Crossbow is a horrible weapon for fighting period…zombies or no. Crossbows take WAY too much time to load, archery tackle wise if your going to have to use it, needs either to be done in mass volume…or in stealth.
QAZZY 1-9th on 25 Jun 2011 at 4:59 pm #
Did I say Swedish? Stupid autocorrect didn’t know I meant seedier.
QAZZY 1-9th on 26 Jun 2011 at 9:34 am #
Arrows, most commercial crossbows today are made to fire archery arrows, like mine. When your ammo runs out, crossbows are a fine weapon. They are more accurate and easier to use than bows, and the reload time isn’t so much of an issue if the adversary can’t find you.
Angryvikingman on 26 Jun 2011 at 10:26 am #
I agree on the mass fire, but try firing a crossbow, they aren’t quiet by any means. Yes, quiet compared to gunfire, but not by much.
QAZZY 1-9th on 26 Jun 2011 at 12:25 pm #
Get those ‘silencers’, they help. Of course, with the exception of weapons in which you stab, none are truly silent. But a zed will have trouble distinguishing the direction that the shot came from,especially since they wouldn’t have the logic to use the direction at which another zed fell. It’s a sniper’s weapon.
There is a guy that makes magnetic risers for bows, so your arrow is levitating before you fire it, and the only thing it touches is the bowstring, which would be the only thing that makes noise. The only thing you need to do to the arrows is stick on a piece of magnetic tape.
McLuvin on 26 Jun 2011 at 4:12 pm #
I’m with Arrows. There is a distinct difference between arrows and crossbow bolts. Arrows are usually longer and much more flexible. Bolts are shorter and considerably stiffer. I also agree that crossbows are way too slow.
QAZZY 1-9th on 26 Jun 2011 at 7:32 pm #
My point is that crossbows do have a crucial place during Z-Day, and that many modern crossbows fire the flimsier arrow.
Angryvikingman on 26 Jun 2011 at 9:44 pm #
The newer crossbows for hunting fire an 18-22 inch “bolt”. A normal arrow is usually around 28 inches. They’re not substantially different in construction. Carbon fiber, or aluminum, they’re not the heavy shafted bolts of the medieval era or anything. Although, they are hella slow to fire. Assuming you have a foot rest and you can yank it up the first time, every time, then you may have a chance of getting off like 5 in a minute if you’re extremely practiced. I’ve seen a Zen archer score 20 hits from horseback in 1 minute, so you’re definately at a disadvantage over the regular bow as far as rate of fire is concerned.
wheelgunner on 27 Jun 2011 at 12:21 am #
Good luck arguing him outta that crossbow. I’ve been trying for weeks.
wheelgunner on 27 Jun 2011 at 12:30 am #
And we really should take this arguement back to the Bow page. All things in there place.
QAZZY 1-9th on 27 Jun 2011 at 4:19 pm #
Agreed. But there is a real possibility that we could be stuck on a roof at one point, so any suggested strategies? The longer you wait, the more zombies will be at the bottom.
Defending a building is definitely most viable in an urban environment, especially since your enemy cannot utilize explosives. There are other high buildings that you can easily move to, plenty of supplies (in an office building, there are a surprising amount of high-energy goods), easily destroyed passages (zeds can’t operate elevators, most stairs can be destroyed with manual tools), and durable construction (here in Arlington and D.C., schools can built like prisons).
wheelgunner on 27 Jun 2011 at 8:19 pm #
Couple of buddies of mine theorized moving dirt to the roof for a garden, and bringing up materials to build structures on the roof. Simply move everything up a few feet with you.
QAZZY 1-9th on 27 Jun 2011 at 8:45 pm #
Yeah, I already grow some of my own fruits, veggies and herbs. A good meal every once in awhile can do wonders for morale, being stuck in the desert being fed MREs makes you realize that.
CompShooter on 02 Jul 2011 at 6:54 pm #
My plan to retreat to the roof is having a way off from there by storing a sledge and crowbar to make a hole. (assuming there is no other escape route) Once you tree a prey it dont end well.
QAZZY 1-9th on 02 Jul 2011 at 8:43 pm #
Since I’m in an apartment building, I can hole up for awhile.
big bear29 on 03 Jul 2011 at 10:24 pm #
I don’t understand how a lot of you guys get off thinking you will be able to stay safe by holing up in an apartment complex . The first time there is a fire and there are no firefighters around to put it out entire cities will be reduced to ash .
Every time the power goes out there is widespread looting and vandalism and there are always some idiots that are going around setting shit on fire because they are a bunch of little pyros . During the outbreak there would be a lot of people running for their lives but there will still be plenty of people that will treat it as an opportunity to break every law of man and common sense . I live in an area that sees dozens , sometimes hundreds , of house and wild fires every year and I know that if the fire departments weren’t there to stop it that it would just keep burning up the country side until it eventually burns out .
So the first time some idiot goes sround setting buildings on fire for his own amusement he will likely end up burning down an entire city . And please don’t anybody say that they will be safe because they live in an apartment building made out of brick . Because I have seen plenty of those burn up and leave only the scorched walls behind .
QAZZY 1-9th on 07 Jul 2011 at 5:40 pm #
Fires are an issue, but fortunately, Z-Day will be weeding out idiots like that. They may also smarten up and recognize the gravity of the situation. Evacuation is aided by the fact there are nearby buildings to hole up in. At one point, you will have to stick in a building, and I’d like a big, sturdy apartment building.
wheelgunner on 07 Jul 2011 at 11:14 pm #
I know that I’m in favor of just burning them down to get them outta the way. Safer, and opens up the land more.
QAZZY 1-9th on 09 Jul 2011 at 7:21 am #
I’m in favor of keeping them. Later on, when there are less zombies, I want some materialsto rebuild society with. I don’t have the skill to forge large pieces of steel, make concrete, or carve large pieces of stone.
Better yet, you could reinhabit those empty buildings.
big bear29 on 14 Jul 2011 at 7:10 pm #
@QAZZY 1-9th
Those big sturdy buildings require regular maintenance and you will need access to those same supplies , that you can’t make , in order to maintain them . Also apartments are like wal-marts , everybody plans on going there during an outbreak and its likely that there will be infected people that go into those buildings to find a safe place to hide from the zombies . So you will need to sweep each room floor by floor to make sure there are no soon-to-be zombies hiding in the apartment complex , unless you want one of them to find you while you are sleeping or on the can .
3-15 INF on 20 Jul 2011 at 11:24 am #
Oh boy, took him out with a boot knife, huh? wow, the big fish stories you here on this….
beast on 01 Aug 2011 at 3:58 pm #
well what I would do to hold out Is keep all my wepons loaded then I saw them coming Id be poppin there heads off with my 22 and 30.6
wheelgunner on 18 Aug 2011 at 12:47 am #
I believe that there is a 0 between the . and the 6…And good luck with that.
tha real deal on 28 Dec 2011 at 9:29 pm #
I live in des moines and my ideal plan is to get an angry posse and
Get any weapons available and go zambie killin. Anyone who gets bit
Would be dismissed from the group. Look for survivers and more weapons
I know its not particularly smart to have a large group but there are advantages
as well.