For those of you who follow The Walking Dead television series on AMC, you should have caught the ending of episode 5 where it was revealed that the locked barn on the property was being used to “store” the undead.  We have to ask ourselves, what is the reasoning behind keeping the undead like this?  Is such an experiment too risky? We will leave this a bit open-ended here to see what your thoughts are?

For those of you in the area of Lenexa, Kansas, Westlake Ace Hardware has a special section of their website just for you.  Turns out this location has also been awarded a Zombie Friendly Business Certification as well.  It is a shame that more hardware stores are not doing the same thing.  Many of us have questions, need ideas, and will eventually require supplies to mount a proper defense.  Westlake Ace Hardware has a comprehensive FAQ section that can help you prepare for a proper home defense.  Great advice for fortifying your position for the day that the dead walk the earth!

Stay safe.  Stay informed.  Stay alive.

“CDC has a fun new way of teaching the importance of emergency preparedness. Our new graphic novel, “Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic” demonstrates the importance of being prepared in an entertaining way that people of all ages will enjoy. Readers follow Todd, Julie, and their dog Max as a strange new disease begins spreading, turning ordinary people into zombies. Stick around to the end for a surprising twist that will drive home the importance of being prepared for any emergency. Included in the novel is a Preparedness Checklist so that readers can get their family, workplace, or school ready before disaster strikes. ”

View the entire document here.  Found via Laughing Squid.

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.

At some point during the zombie apocalypse, you will be running.  It is just a given fact that it will happen.  Hopefully when you are preparing for the day the undead walk the earth, you are doing so with comfort in mind.  With that said, you need to think about what shoes are best to run in.  Thankfully, RunningShoes.com has put together a great list of shoes that are worth consideration.

Check it out here: “Best Running Shoes for Zombie Apocalypse Survival”.

Stay safe. Stay informed. Stay alive.

What kind of training will most closely resemble the kind of shooting you will have to do after the fall of man? What shooting skills will you need to learn? Short of military training, the next best thing is professional training at facilities like Blackwater, or Frontsight, but what if you barely have enough money in your budget for bullets? What should you do? ZAC suggests that you get involved in a practical shooting organization or take an NRA sponsored civilian marksmanship program.

There are many practical shooting organizations, but two of the most wide spread and best known are IDPA and IPSC. ZAC further suggests you get involved in 3 Gun shooting.

3 gun is a type of shooting that involves a military style rifle, shotgun, and pistol. You transition between all three weapons during the stages, shooting for the most accuracy in the best time. It hones your skills with all 3 weapons simultaneously. However, both of these groups have independent shotgun, pistol, and rifle matches. Learning to shoot against people with a better skill set is the best way to hone your speed and ability. It may be frustrating at first, but you will get better as you train and compete.

Other training organizations can be found through the NRA. One of the best is the Appleseed Project. It teaches you marksmanship at ranges beyond 100 yards.

ZAC encourages you to do your own research, find clubs, and organizations that you like and practice the shooting skills that could save your own life, as well as others.

After Z-Day, blades of all sorts will be a major part of everyone’s life. Every day you will have to use a blade for work, protection, and lots of other things. What kinds of blades and blade shapes will serve you best? In this article we’ll look at different types, sizes, and shapes of blades and their uses.

EDC Blades: (Every Day Carry)
These are blades that you carry at all times, even when carrying other blades. They can be used for many things, like: cutting food, whittling, processing game, even self defense when the need arises. They’re usually smaller folding blades, but can be smaller fixed blades. ZAC suggests one folding plain edge knife and one fully serrated folding knife.

Work Blades:
Usually a mid sized blade, usually between 9 and 15 inches, but this category can include machetes for felling trees, chopping, and polling firewood. The uses are only limited by the imagination of the user. Generally the best overall and best multi-purpose knife.

Fighting Blades:
From 10 to 48 inches, this category covers anything from boot knives to swords. Best to carry at least one blade from this category.

Single or Double edged?
This all depends on the user. For a fighting blade, double edged is preferred, but not necessary. For EDC or a work blade, a single edge is best to keep from injuring yourself during use when even a small cut can lead to infection or death if left untreated.
You will need to care for and sharpen your blades, as they can often mean the difference between life and death in a survival situation. ZAC recommends the Smith’s Tri-Hone system for sharpening. The honing oil provided with the system is OK, but spit or water works just as well and costs less.

ZAC recommends that you learn to sharpen a knife for its purpose. A general use knife doesn’t need to be razor sharp and this can lead to extended life for the blade, while over sharpening can lead to the blade failing or dulling extremely fast. Fighting knives need to be extremely sharp to serve their purpose unless they are swords. Swords need to be sharp, but not razor sharp. The weight of the sword causes a cleaving effect. Lighter swords do need to be sharper. EDC knives vary. If you use them on hard surfaces, or for prying, then a 25 degree rough edge will do fine. If you want it razor sharp for finer use, then you want an 18 degree edge. This video is a good guide to beginning sharpening.

How great would it be to have a zombie safe house designed by an architect, with all of the bells and whistles for the ultimate defense built it?  Well fellow survivors, that is not too far of a stretch of the imagination.

We just got word of a “Zombie Safe House Competition” where several architects submitted their plans for the best safe house.  To see all of the entries and to vote for your favorite, check out their official page here.

Which one do you like the best and why?  How would you change up the plans?

Stay safe.  Stay informed.  Stay alive.

We can talk about scenarios, weapons, vehicles, and plan like there is no tomorrow.  But to be honest, there are times during the day when we get sidetracked.  We lose sight.  Planning takes a back seat to our regular routine.  Thankfully there is an answer. We were very fortunate to get our hands on the Zombie Survival Guide 2011 Day-to-Day Calendar from the kind, and survival-minded, folks over at Andrews McMeel .  What better way to keep zombie awareness fresh in your mind than a daily reminder?

According to the publisher:

There’s no time to lose. It could happen at any moment. It may have already begun. Everyone must prepare for the zombie apocalypse. “Other monsters may threaten individual humans, but the living dead threaten the entire human race. Zombies are slate wipers,” warns author Max Brooks. Based on the best-selling book of the same name, the daily Zombie Survival Guide 2011 Day-to-Day Calendar  provides on every page valuable information needed to survive a zombie outbreak: the most effective weapons, combat techniques, how to adapt in any situation, and so much more. Be vigilant. Zombies are coming, and they’re hungry.

One other helpful feature, that many desk calendars do not include, is a mini-journal. The journal gives you an area to document date, time, location, distance away, and other specific information from the outbreak.  But in case the outbreak has not yet taken place, this is a perfect location for maintaining notes, numbers, addresses, formulas, and other important information you could use when the outbreak is upon us.

The great thing about this is that in a pinch, you can grab your notes, throw them in your MZPK , and hit the road!

Do not hesitate friends, get yours today! Be sure to check out some of their other zombie related merchandise.  We have some 2 more reviews that will be on the way shortly!

Stay safe.  Stay informed.  Stay alive!