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!

Whether you are trying to get to your stronghold or trying to get away from it you going to need to pick a means of transport. Here we take a brief look at various means of mobility, from your mom’s sedan to your own two feet and grit.

Even if you think you have prepared for every possible event there will still be those that you don’t think of. Those events are the ones that will cause you to reevaluate your situation and eventually you may have to abandon, either under your own accord or under fire, to a possibility more secure area, simply to flee your own death. The cause of your flight might mean that you have no other option other than to use your feet, on the other hand you might be able to pick the means by which you leave, and if that is so you will have to weigh the advantages and disadvantages.

Cars, Trucks, and other Gas Guzzlers: While any kind of large vehicle will mean that you will be able to carry far more than you would otherwise be able to on you back they are not perhaps the best choice if you are planning to hold out in an area of an extremely extended time period. First off even with stabilizers fuel will only last so long and there are other issues, such as the batteries to be concerned able when dealing with a vehicle that will sit for months or years at a stretch without significant use. Also, another concern that some may have is that modern vehicles could possibly be disabled if a nuclear device were to be exploded, be that at low level or at high altitude, which in turns means that the options for motorized transport are severally limited. Barring nuclear war, the fact that modern vehicles are often not the easiest to maintain and once all fuel has been used they become little more than an obstacle in traveling down a deserted road. Also, another concern would be agility and the ability to maneuver in close contact with hostile, dead or alive, as well as the fact that a running vehicle in a world devoid of such things would bring more than a little interest from the locals, even if they were not hostile.

Bicycles: While they are not as fast or do they as easily haul as much as a car or truck they are easier to maintain and the necessary parts to do repairs are not as numerous compared to having to lug an entire transmission just in case the current one goes to hell. They are also much quieter than almost any motorized vehicle and that gives you a better chance of seeing a possible ambush before you are in it. However, a bicycle offers no armor except what you might be wearing on your person. A skilled marksman might very possibly be able to take you out before you are able to react or put up a fight, also a single strand of wire across a path or road could mean you death if you choose to take the path of least resistance. However, for ease of use and the ability to care more than what you could just on your back with less work they are hard to beat.

Trains: While the idea of having a large heavy vehicle that could simply run over an obstacle that is in it’s way may seem like the perfect idea the train is simply not that. The modern pseudo-tactical gamer who thinks they know everything, and think a dessert eagle is not only tactical but can be fired quickly and accurately, has long held that bigger is better. I name this the tank mentality. The bigger, the heavier, the more bang, the better whatever it is. Supersize it and paste a cannon on top and nothing can stop you, forget what common sense says and run everyone over. A train might seem ideal for transport but their possible courses are easily found and either blocked or destroyed all together. Trains also bring the issue of a learning curve that a train is not something that you can simply jump in and drive. But together the requirement for training, the fixed courses, and the great consumption of fuel, a train is perhaps the worst possible choice, next to a skateboard, or a unicycle.

On Foot: Unless you are missing a leg or confined to a wheelchair you standard means of motion are your own legs. From time immemorial man has moved across countries and continent on his own two feet. While you do not have the ability to carry luxury items that you might with a truck or even a car, or the mechanical advantage of a bicycle, walking has the advantage of not having to worry about mechanical failure. While you are still open to the element being on foot means that you will be able to more readily disappear into the brush, maneuver past obstacle, and in general hide from hostiles or sneak around those who might do you harm, be they living or undead variety. With some keen wits, and a little training this very well might be your best bet when your survival is at stake.

• Stab Vests: Designed to stop knives, this vest will not protect you from many other sharp instruments, such as nails, ice picks, needles, or other small diameter stabbing weapons.
• Kevlar Vest: This is primarily worn to stop small arms fire from pistols, Sub guns, and will protect against some shrapnel.
• Ceramic Plates: These range in ratings from small arms protection, to military rifle protection, and the level 4A will even protect you from a large range of sniper rounds.
• Helmets: The “Mich” and the PASGT helmets will stop small arms fire and some shrapnel, but do not protect so well against blunt force trauma.

A lot of people are worried about comfort, weight, heat, and other inconveniences. When your life is on the line everyday, can you really be worried with such things?

Stay safe.  Stay informed.  Stay alive.

While many of us out there spend days trying to prepare the best we can to survive the zombie apocalypse there are some things that slip the mind. We gather weapons and munitions, food and water, and mentally prepare to pull the trigger on a zombie as they move towards us. But what about the little zombies out there?

Zombies are depicted in a variety of ways in media nowadays. In both movies and videogames you get zombies that range from the mindless shamblers to fast moving zombies that have stamina that meets and exceeds that of the average person. Occasionally you might even get a zombie that has basic reasoning skills. What you do not often see in these various forms of zombie media are little zombies, zombie children, zombie babies, whatever you wish to call them.

Most pop culture zombies are cookie-cutter zombie cast from the same mold, same height, movements, same anatomy, and weaknesses. In reality you will come across a venerable plethora of the types of zombies from old to the very young, ones that walk(shamble) tall and other who are bent and some of which don’t have the use of their legs, if they even have legs. However, the most disturbing zombies that you will come across will be the very young children zombies and zombie infants. These zombies are possibly the most dangerous since while clearing building and ever just a crowd parking lot these small zombies might slip your sight since you may be look higher up, they may even cause you to hesitate to act since they are in the shells of little children, the very meaning of innocence. You must remember that these zombies that you meet, any zombie that you meet for that matter, are no longer the people that they once were, they are killing machines that hunger for your flesh.

The Christmas holidays have come and gone, and no zombie apocalypse.  While good news, this most certainly does not imply that we are out of the woods.  In fact, this is actually a very dangerous time in the realm of undead defense. Here are five helpful holiday zombie survival tips.

1. Travel: Many people are off work during this time and on vacation visiting family.  While this is great in terms of traffic, it also means that many are in areas where they are not totally familiar with their surroundings.  If you are traveling for the holidays, make sure you are able to navigate the area, keeping escape routes in mind.
2. Supplies: If you are traveling out of state, out of country, or even visiting friends or family just a few hours away, make sure you have access to supplies (i.e. MZPK).  It is one thing to find yourself in an unfamiliar environment, but  it is a totally different thing to find yourself in that environment without any means to survive or defend yourself.
3. Visitors: You may not be the ones traveling, but you might be host to visiting family or friends.  Should this be the case, you have a decision to make.  Either you will execute your zombie defense plan and leave your visitors to fend for themselves, or you will include them in the plan.  If you plan to include them, they need to be aware of your plan to the point where they will not slow you down.
4. Maps: Since many do travel during the holiday season, the airports and highways are usually full of “out of towners”.  Normally these places are to be avoided during an outbreak anyway, however, a map of your area, and all surrounding areas should be within reach so that you can safely navigate backroads to where you plan to make a defensive stand.
5. Remain Vigilant:  It is great to relax and enjoy the holidays, but that does not include letting your guard down to the point where you are no longer safe.  With family and friends around, take some time over dinner to run some zombie scenarios by them. This is merely common sense.  The outbreak could happen at any time and there is no vacation or holiday from that fact.

Stay safe.  Stay informed.  Stay alive.

An often overlooked, yet critical, aspect of zombie survival is communicating with other survivors and allies.  The exchange of information during the apocalypse will mean the difference between life and death, so contact through any means available will be vital.  Many a team will undoubtedly drive or hike several miles to find a hardware store or loot an Army Surplus store only to find the stores empty or the local zombie threat unmanageable.  Since it won’t be possible to snap on the television for updates or scan the local classified ads, how will a survivor know what’s going on beyond the walls of their own fortification?

CBs, in use since the mid 1940s, are a good option, and have the added advantage of mobility, but they are becoming increasingly rare thanks to the invention and popularity of internet chat rooms, mobile phones, and the like.  One advantage the CB has over its’ modern cousins, however, is its’ use of common airwaves, currently set to use 40 channels, as opposed to the availability of internet servers and satellites.  This would be a great asset during the apocalypse as minimal infrastructure is required.  One of the downsides, of course, would be the limitation of simple two-way communication, although the CB is not the only device with such limitations.   Having a CB in your vehicle as you drive to a safe zone could be useful as a way to coordinate raids and warn other survivors of road hazards and zombie threats.

Walky-talkies have also been around since the 1940s and are also a good portable option, but , in most cases, will rely on the availability of batteries or chargers, and communication will be limited as far as range.  The possibilities are a little broader with these devices since there are many different kinds available.  They can be very cheap models in the shape of a cartoon character on a Wal-Mart shelf, or they can be waterproof marine units, depending on how much a person wants to spend or what can be scavenged.  They are small, light weight, and fairly reliable, although with growing popularity comes limited bandwidth.  This is a great choice for communicating with other members on your team over a dedicated frequency, but it may be utterly useless as to getting news from somewhere farther than across the street.

Ham radio could also be considered, as people with a working knowledge of electronics could construct one,  but parts  may also be rare, and it will eventually require the use of a generator, which means fuel.   It has been estimated that as many as five million people currently operate an amateur radio, so finding someone else who is broadcasting should not be difficult, and it is, in many cases, transmitted as FM signal just like your favorite station programmed into your car stereo.  Do not be fooled, however, by the word “amateur.”  The people who operate this equipment have more knowledge than   the Morse code you learned as a boy scout.  It goes without saying, of course, this  is not the choice for you if your goal is mobility.

Carrier pigeons, smoke signals, semaphores…clearly, there are many options.  How will you stay connected in the age of the undead?

A. Christensen Johnson

Against the undead there is often the idea that distance mean safety. So, taking this stratagem to the next level why can’t we just use our great technology and advancements in the art of air power and bring collective hell down on the heads of the undead where they can’t even touch us?

You no doubt have seen the videos of smart bombs disengaging from the bottom of a jet fighters or falling from the bomb bays of bombers and falling through the air, making minuet adjustments so that the target, often times a small window is hit dead center. With current advancement in thermo baric devices and a plethora of others including atomic weapons it is understandable that these weapons that are thought to be able to win wars would be of great advantage against the undead.

Over the past century air power has become one of the deciding factoring in conventional war. He who controls the skies controls the war. This is in conventional warfare, not guerrilla, and certainly not against the undead. The undead that mankind will face are not the herds of the movies, are not semi-moronic ones that still have some idea how everyday item may. They cannot work door knobs, they cannot drive cars, and they know not enough to even turn on the lights.  The point is, that the undead will likely stay where they rise, unless that is in the streets or fields. Unless you want to flatten everything in the country, and I do mean everything, you will not be able to win the war by air power alone. Also, even if you do try to use air power to completely eliminate the undead, there will be those who flee to the underground, those that are alive and either infected or whom are overrun by the infected in there shelter. Be that the sewers, bomb shelters, of just the subways, places that bombs cannot reach and when the area is repopulated the threat from these areas will hang over the heads of those there until every zombie are dead.

“You can keep your atom bombs, your tanks and your airplanes; you”ll still have to have some little guy with a rifle and bayonet who winkles the other bastard out of his foxhole and gets him to sign the peace treaty.”
General George S. Patton

Every day you will be exposed to potential infection due to the very nature of the enemy you will be fighting. Infection can come from a scratch, bite, or exposure to bodily fluids of the infected enemy.

Gear to prevent infection:

• Bloodborne pathogen prevention: A simple bandana over you face and safety glasses arent going to protect you from “splatter” infections. When fighting in close quarters or simply slipping in a pool of blood, you run a high risk of infection. For protection of your facial mucous membranes, (Eyes, ears, and nose) you need something capable of forming an airtight seal. Gas masks, fireman’s mask, and things of that nature are best, but if you cant get your hands on those, a ventilator mask and goggles would be suitable. A motorcycle helmet would work as long as it has a full face shield. If your face were covered in gore, the vents in front could become saturated with infected and it fluids could drip inside the helmet or become an aerosol inhalant to to the air being forced through the vents. Sweat could become mixed with infected fluids, and run down into your eyes or mouth, what is why things with airtight seals are best. That is also why just a bandana and glasses are a terrible idea. Your mouth is almost in direct contact with the bandana, and the fluid can seep through coming into contact with your mouth, causing infection.
• Clothing: Anything that provides a suitable barrier to bites, scratches, and other ways infection could be transmitted. Military or tactical clothing is probably best due to the fact that it is by nature designed to resist failure from rugged use in battle conditions. A BDU top will resist snags and penetration from large briars, so it could keep you from being scratched, and possibly provide you with enough protection to keep your skin from being punctured by a zombie bite, although there probably will be a good deal of bruising. The same can be said for any other military/rugged use clothing. Thick denim, or even leather jackets or pants are also better protection than you think. In cold weather, layers can mean the difference between life and death. Not only from the elements, but from the zombie menace as well. Gloves should also be worn, as your hands will most often be the tools you use for your survival. A small nick, bite, or cut on an unprocected hand could cause you to become infected. Leather or military/tactical gloves will provide better protection than cotton garden gloves. It may also be a good idea to wear latex gloves under any other gloves. You may have to carry a wounded friend, move carcasses for burning, or other chores that would require your hands to be exposed to possible infection. Microscopic cracks in the skin on your hands are very common and are viable avenues of infection.

Exposure prevention procedures:
Everyone should be checked when returning from outside of your base. Check for bites or wounds that could possibly cause infection. Men and women BOTH should be stripped to their underwear for examination upon arrival, and their clothes and gear taken to be immediately sanitized. Everyone returning will bathe in an anti-viral/anti-bacterial rinse, and should be taken to a debreifing session.

Quarantine:
Anyone with bites or suspicious wounds will be quarantined in their own cell for as long as needed to determing if they are infected or not. (As we don’t know the time it will take for a person to turn from infection. Many factors could influence this: a person’s natural immunity, weight, metabolism, ect.) Quarantined individuals will be debriefed as soon as possible. Visitation with the quarantined will be allowed, but in a “Prison style” visitation area where the quarantined cannot have physical contact with the visitors.

While there are many of us who have worked many years and taken an active interest in preparing ourselves physically and mentally for the trials and tribulations that the world may send our way. In a complete collapse we may be surprised at some of the scenes and acts that cross our path 

When the world as we know it comes to a smashing halt and everything is crashing down it may be surprising to some that there will be happenings that nearly boggle the mind and at times will truly disgust one.

1. The first incident that one should prepare for is suicides. Those who are unable to stand by and watch the Faberge egg of their life that they knew crumble may be in a state of despair and unable to take this new strain. In this situation they may take their own life. This, however, is not nearly as disturbing as the ones who will take their entire families with them to the grave in a scene reminiscent of the emperors of China who had their wives and concubines buried with them. If you search an abandoned house be prepared to find the very worst.

2. Whole sale destruction. Once the zombies walk the Earth be prepared to see scenes that would seem more appropriate in a special on World War II and the fire bombings of Europe. There will be vandalism, destruction of property, and attempts to control the zombie population that will go horribly wrong. Also take into account those who will fight among themselves or those who will use Molotov’s in situations where a bullet would be better advised, also there will be those who decide to destroy everything that they own rather than see it fall into the hands of others. It is very possible that you will see areas that you once frequented and find them unrecognizable.

3. Cannibalism. Yes, while the undead will be seeking out your flesh there will those who will resort to cannibalism to save themselves. This is one sight that if mankind survives those who survived may recall seeing. While there may be those who resort to it as an emergency means, and may show mental scars from the incident afterwards, there will be those who see long pig as little more than another menu option that serves multiple purposes of not just feeding them but eliminating the competition.

4. Lastly, there will be the threat of gangs that form from the gang members that survive the initial outbreak. Gang members have an unfortunate advantage over the average person in that they are use to what most would consider horrid conditions. There are many times where police will do a raid on an apartment and find little more than the suspect and an air mattress. These people, if you can call them people, are ultraviolent, have no qualms about killing or inflicting pain, and have been desensitized from a life living at the very lowest rung of society. These gangs and gang members may actually be more of a danger in some areas than the zombies themselves, and almost as voracious in their appetite for destruction.

In the end, there will be those who can adapt and those who can’t.

While we all hope that when the time comes to combat the undead we can do so at a distance, there may be times when distance is a luxury that we do not have. It is at these close distances that we must rely on close combat techniques, and perhaps a little bit of luck, to save alive.

In this article I would like to bring forth the idea that those aware of the threat of the undead should work towards creating a group that practices hand to hand combat and other techniques, such as knife fighting or how to use your primary firearm as a blunt weapon, may save your life.

Those of us that practice martial arts can look at this as and refine those techniques, and train other, where we can quickly free ourselves or throw our opponent off balance and to the ground. While it may seem practical to train in only techniques that we can use to gain leverage to neutralize or eliminate the zombie, one’s main concern when engaging the undead at biting range is to get away and get distance without being bitten. For encounters where we are surprised at close range without a weapon, a good possibility if you are away from you home during the beginning of an outbreak, training to simple shove the zombie away is plenty good to keep your skin in one piece. Also training and cross training in other techniques and styles not only give you a large selection of techniques to choose from but also training, martial art training in particular, also helps increase endurance, strength, and most of all mental and physical discipline.

However, before you go running off to start your training there are a few considerations that you need to take into account.

• Firstly, zombies feel no pain. Training and trying to use techniques to soften up, or distract them from their primary objective, your flesh, will do no good and are wasted effort.
• Secondly, avoid the fancy stuff. If you see it in a movie, chances are it is stylized and useless in actually application, though there are times where this is not true, but beware nonetheless. If you are looking for good, simplistic and brutally effective style for all look to Krav Maga, the Israeli defensive combat system. It will need some modification for combating zombies but the system was designed for easy of learning and to allow young and old to use it effectively.
• Lastly, train, train, and train some more. They technique is no good if you never do. The moves must be instantaneous with no hesitation or thought.