The Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse is an immersive Halloween attraction like nothing seen or experienced before. This isn’t a leisurely stroll through a haunted house. This will feel like you are in a Hollywood movie, running in and out of buildings, up and down stairs and covering a lot of ground as you flee from the undead who all want to eat your brains.

According to the official website:

A group is lead through the apocalypse by Sergeant John McKinsey. Known as Mack and with the swagger of Clint Eastwood he is a post military zombie fighter dedicated to try to help the human race survive the zombie invasion.  Mack will lead our group through this wasteland of destruction and gore keeping the zombies at bay with his Uzi 9mm (shooting blank rounds) and the help from friends they find along the way.  Will they make it through the chaos and constant zombie attacks from all sides?  If they move quickly and stick close to Mack they stand a chance, but most likely not everyone will get out alive. With plenty of gunfire, explosions, car crashes, gore, and of course many zombie attacks inside and out, this is what the end of the world would look like.

For those in the Atlanta or surrounding areas, this looks like an event you do not want to miss.  Get more information here: http://www.atlantazombieapocalypse.com

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!

For those that might not be aware (those like me) Discovery is airing season two of a very interesting and pertinent series titled “The Colony”.  According to Discovery, the premise behind this series is as follows:

“THE COLONY is an experiment that simulates a post-apocalyptic world in which volunteers are tasked with surviving and rebuilding everything from scratch, using only raw ingenuity and supplies they scavenge from their environment. Here’s your destination to learn more about these bold experiments into a dark future that holds the promise of hopeful regeneration.”

Their season premier caught my eye immediately.

But the show is not about zombies, right?

Correct.  It is not about zombies.  However, when the undead walk and pillage the earth, would that not be a global catastrophe?  Surely many, if not most, of the issues the colonists in this television series face could apply to a post-outbreak world.  The basic concepts of survival and pushing beyond such a horrific event would still apply.  How do you know that your way of finding out about the attack would not come from some type of instant quarantine where you have very little control over how you react?

Despite what many believe, when zombies attack, it will not be as simple as grabbing your fully automatic shotgun with unlimited ammunition and hopping into the tank that is parked in your backyard. You will most likely not find yourself in a totally secure area with loads of basic supplies.  Chances are you are not an excellent marksman with years of training as a survivalist.

Chances are, you are a regular Joe.  If that is the case, how would you survive.  And not just that, how you would move forward?

So while this series is fictional and not surrounding a zombie-centered plot, The Colony is great research for gathering and collecting survival tips for when we are finally face to face with the zeds.

If anything else, this site is about being aware and ready for the undead.  Much like the military, law enforcement, etc., you learn to train like you fight, and fight like you train.  Meaning, if you can practice shooting at zeds, why not practice with some realistic targets?

The kind folks at at Fork Targets have made preparing for the undead apocalypse that much easier with an entire set of zombie related shooting targets.  Why shoot anything but a zombie when trying to prepare?  You need to be ready.  You need to train your body and your mind to recognize these threats and be ready to take them out!

You can check out their available packages here: http://forktargets.com/Fork_Targets/ZombieShootingTargets.html

Since I have begun working for ZombiesAreComing.com I have had the opportunity to meet and speak with a large number of people in regards to zombies and survival thereof., online and offline. While there is a large number of people out there who have made serious preparation for surviving a zombie out break or other situations where society falls. There is also those who I have come to term, the “Armchair Survivors” who do not train, who never go to the range or the sparring room, those who think that videogames and movies will teach them everything they need to know.

It is a sad day when I meet someone who thinks that they know more than I do about something that I have been doing for more than half my life, be that martial arts or shooting. While I am more than open minded and willing to listen I truly can’t stand it when someone brings up a movie or video as “proof” that they are right. Example.

Ignorant scumbag: “Dude, like the D-eagle is the most powerful handgun ever, and you can snipe someone sooo easy with it!”

Me: “One, the IMI Desert Eagle is not the most powerful handgun ever. And two, this really being the most important thing, you aren’t going to ‘snipe’ someone with a handgun, especially not one weighing in at three pounds, and you sure as hell are not going to dump the magazine and hit anything that is more than ten feet away with any degree of reliability.

Ignorant scumbag: “You don’t know (Insert your choice of expletive)”

Me: “Where you getting your data points?”

Ignorant Scumbag: “I play (Insert popular video game shooter, I.E. “Modern Warfare,”  “Counterstrike” ect.) Where you getting your info?”

Me: “Military vets with twenty years of experience and personal testing.”

In the end I usually end up leaving with sore knuckles and they are carried away, but I digress.

For those of you who think I am completely mistaken please by all means pick a place, I’ll stand 400 meters away, I’ll even handicap myself and use my 5.56 and you can have your beloved .50AE Desert Eagle. We’ll see who draws first blood.

For those of you out there who think that you know something about survival but have never sweated in real training let me educate you on how things work here in the real world.

1. With some training you can actually run father than twenty feet at a dead sprint. Try it.

2. Running with a knife does not mean you run faster, it only means that you give me less stress when I have to shoot you.

3. While we are on the subject, knife fighting is high stress, high intensity. Slashing at me is not an insta-kill. A bullet in your brain pan is! :)

4. Sniper rifles are for long range, fifty feet is not long range.

5. Just because the gun is different does not mean that it does different damage.

6. There is a point to camouflage, other than trying to look cool. Red tiger strip is a target.

7. Gravity is a bitch! It pulls your bullet down. Where you aim is not necessarily where the bullet will go, especially at a thousand meters.

8. Throwing knives are useless! Lose the pig sticker and bring more bullets!

9. Do you really think you can shoulder a 28 pound M240B and hit anything while moving?

10. There is no radar in your HUD in real life. You will not know where I am at, only that your buddy is dead and you are alone.

11. Ever hear of back blast? No? Come here and stand behind this RPG while I fire it, I’ll show you.

12. You have to aim to hit a target that is more than ten meters away. That is what sights are for, use them.

13. You cannot mod in real life.

And last but not least

14. There is no restart.

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.

The key to defeating, any enemy living or undead, is to make them fight the battles on your terms. When the dead rise, and the world as you know it has collapsed you will need to understand that you will have to make the undead fight you on your terms and not simply run at the horde baseball bat swinging and guns blazing every time you see them, or hear their moan.

For centuries armies fought battles primarily in the day. Why? Because, human beings lack good night vision. We as a race cannot see in the dark well enough to identify friend or foe at any great distance. Zombies, however, don’t care if its day or night, they hunt using all of their senses, hearing, sight, and very likely smell. Humans, on the other hand, primarily rely on their sight to maneuver and function. While, there will be those who will say that they can fight the undead in the dark here why these engagements are highly discouraged, except in controlled engagements, and as a last resort.

Night Vision Devices: Since the Second World War nations have worked on and developed, some may even say perfected, devices that attempt to turn night to day. Everyone, who has not been living under a dark rock, has seen combat footage of American soldiers fighting in darkness through the lens of a camera equipped to film in the dark. These green hued films may make many think that getting a set of night vision goggles, will make them the next Sam Fisher and the key to ending the zombie threat. In reality, and not video games, night vision goggles have short battery lives and narrow the line of sight of the user. Also, they make aiming a firearm with any degree of precision difficult.

Fire: While fire as a weapon is not highly recommended, except when the trap for the undead has been properly prepared, it’s use as a means of illumination is invaluable when dealing with a society that no longer has the advantages and luxuries that we are currently use to. However, to use fire as illumination for night fighting, first you must know how to make a fire, something that has fallen by the wayside. A fire, also needs to be fed, which may be difficult in combat, and it will also attract attention from things other than zombies. And, of course, if the fire gets out of control, the results can be disastrous.

Flashlights: Flashlights, an item that almost every home has at least three of sitting around, though not all will likely have batteries, have advantages and disadvantages that intertwine with the two above. First, they require batteries that may become hard to find, and will run. Secondly, they attract attention, and as fire will, they degrade your natural night sight, meaning that other survivors may be easily able to ambush you. However, flashlight are readily available and cheap, generally speaking, something that cannot be said of night vision devices. Also, they are simple to use, and are not likely to cause runaway fires that burn down your base of operations.

In the end, what you have on hand will likely affect what means you use to fight the undead. However, it is ZAC’s recommendation that you avoid combat with the undead at night, unless that is your only option. Make them fight you on your terms, and give them only the minimum number of advantages.

Off the coast of Delaware sits the cozy Plum Island where two families are locked in a struggle for power, as it has been for generations.  The O’Flynn’s, headed by patriarch Patrick O’Flynn (Kenneth Welsh) approach the zombie plague with a shoot-to-kill attitude.  The Muldoons, headed by Shamus Muldoon (Richard Fitzpatrick), feel that the zombies should be quarantined and kept ‘alive,’ in hopes that a solution will someday be found.

The O’Flynn’s, who are clearly outnumbered, are forced to exile Patrick by boat to the mainland, where he meets up with a band of soldiers, headed by Guardsman Sarge (Alan Van Sprang). They join forces and return to the island, to find that the zombie plague has fully gripped the divided community.

As the battle between humans and zombies escalates, the master filmmaker continues to reinvent the modern horror genre with wicked humor and pointed social commentary.

SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD premieres on VOD, Amazon, Xbox Zune and Playstation April 30 and will be in theaters on May 28th .

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Stay safe. Stay informed. Stay alive.

Many of us have already seen Hollywood’s production of Zombieland and admired the rules portrayed.  It was refreshing to see a character in a zombie film actually have some very common sense guidelines that were followed on an almost religious basis.  However, it is still Hollywood and they are bound to screw stuff up.  So without giving away too much of the film for those who have not seen it, let’s focus on one of the rules mentioned in the film: “Survival Rule #22: Know Your Way Out”.

To avoid any spoilers, there is a scene toward the end of the movie where some of the characters make a very poor decision as to where to they feel would be a safe place to hide from the undead.  What they actually did was place themselves in a very dangerous situation that without assistance, they would have never survived.  When I got to this point in the movie, I actually thought they were dead because of the poor choice they made.  When the undead are coming after you, think quick, be aware of what is around you, and always have an exit.

• Pay Attention: When you are on the move you have to think quickly.  You could easily have found yourself in a new location and have no idea how to get out.  If you run into a building, pay attention to possible exits or “safe spots”.  You have to have 360 degree view.  It is not enough to merely run away and hope you end up some place safe.  You have to scan the area in case you need to come back.
• Leave a Trail: Also from Zombieland, regarding Survival Rule #22, we saw one of the characters in the film pay careful attention to this.  During a run into a building, and before heading back to a more suspicious area, this character propped open a door in case a quick exit was needed.  Naturally, you want to quickly scan what is on the other side, but leaving a trail or a marker for quick escape routes can make your life as a non-zombie a little longer.
• Known Locations: If you are going to hold up in a specific place and plan on being there for a while, you should always have an escape route.  Hollywood brought this point up with Night of the Living Dead when several survivors attempted to wait it out in the basement of a house.  One way in, one way out.  In our opinion, this is a very poor strategy and we saw how it paid off.  Whenever possible, have an exit and memorize it.
• Scenarios: The best way to stay alive is to run through scenarios.  That is why we post them here.  They keep you thinking.  If you are out to eat, think about what would happen if zombies invaded at that moment.  Think about your home, work, car, friends apartment, video store, strip club (now there would be an interesting scenario), etc.

Remember, Hollywood will usually get it wrong, but we can learn from their mistakes and increase our ability to survive the undead apocalypse.

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.