182crazyking's Zombie Survival Guide

Here's hoping that you like it! Please see the attatched thread (below) to discuss.

Yup, I know the format is a bit rough 'round the edges, but that's becasue I imported it directly from MS Word.

The Ultimate

Neanderthal’s Guide to Z-Day Survival!

By 182crazyking

Title	Pg. 1
Table of Contents	Pg. 2
Top 5 Z-Day Survival Rules	Pg. 3
Weaponry & You	Pg. 5
Weaponry & You > Firearms	Pg. 5
Weaponry & You > Combat Melee	Pg. 8

The Top 5 Rules of Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse

One – Find out what you’re dealing with and act accordingly. What type of zombie and/or zombie attack are you facing? Where are they coming from? How do you kill them? What are their strengths? Weaknesses? Is the force small enough to attack, large enough to run, or the right size to stay in your base? These can be found out by sending a simple scouting party out to observe some zombies. To find out how to kill them, shoot them with four bullets in different places: leg (pain on human), stomach or chest (lethal on human), throat (instantly fatal on human), and head (instantly fatal on human or zombie). Most of this guide will deal with shambling, stereotypical zombies that can only be killed by brain destruction.

Two – Gather supplies! The basic supplies you will need for zombie attacks are: clothes, food, water, weapons. The advanced supplies will be listed later in this guide. Make sure you have enough supplies to last 1 week (168 hours) at all times.

Three – Never hesitate. Chances are that whichever zombie you are facing is just a shell of a former human controlled by the virus that created it. Whatever the case, do not hesitate to shoot to kill. If a friend or loved one is infected with the virus, do not hesitate to kill them at once. Depending on the type of zombie, they might have a 0-10% chance to survive at best. Never attempt to capture an infected friend or loved one in the hope of finding a “cure” or “fixing” them. The moment they were infected was their last moment on Earth. Capturing them would serve as much purpose as capturing a dead dog in hopes of resurrecting it.

Four – Be prepared to meet other survivors. You will not be the only one wanting to survive after a zombie apocalypse. When you meet another survivor or group of survivors, there are a few basic types: Raider, Exploitive, Neutral, Friendly, or Very Friendly. Raiders (and somewhat less common Robbers) will try to kill you and/or take your supplies. This is why your scavenging teams should always carry both a sidearm (handgun) and a melee weapon. Exploitive survivors are mooches, asking you for supplies you may or may not want to give away. Remember that there’s no such thing as too much food, ammo, etc. after a zombie scenario. Neutral survivors will usually pass on by without communication or something to indicate that they will not rob you. Friendly and Very Friendly survivors will be pleased to see another surviving resident and might invite you to their base, pass you some simple supplies, etc. Beware of survivors that seem overly friendly!

Five – Training beforehand makes all the difference in the world! Your primary firearm and you should be like a well-oiled machine. You should know it inside out – sign up for a shooting range and an instructor to show you how to shoot it properly. Find an effective “kill zone” where you can shoot a cantaloupe through the middle. If possible, shoot it with every type of ammunition (slugs, AP, etc.) available. Get attachments to help you as well, such as a bipod (sold at most gun retailers). Also know the basics of where you live – does anywhere near your base carry firearms? How about neighbors’ houses: do they have emergency food? Also assemble a group with prior knowledge. Military veterans, emergency personnel (paramedics, police, etc.), and survival or weapon experts are preferred. If you cannot find these types, simply competent people or people you can be around without arguments are suitable. Just make sure they know where to rendezvous with you in case of an attack.

Weapons & You – Your Complete Guide to Salvation via Firepower

“I don’t have to be careful, I’ve got a gun”

-Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons

Ever since primitive man, there has been an insatiable thirst for having the biggest gun. After a zombie attack, that thirst will grow to a need. As there are too many types of firearms, melee weapons, and improvised tools in the world to each have a section here, this will catalogue the basic types of weapons in the world*.

*Note that this will not cover very old, uncommon, or otherwise hard-to-understand types of weapons and tools. You won’t find a Bagh Nakh in here, nor will you find your great-great-great-granddad’s musket. The exception would be ages-old weapons with new copies or obscure weapons that serve a good purpose.

Firearms

The Handgun

These small projectile weapons come in various flavors listed below. Basically any small, short-barreled weapon intended to be held with both hands on the grip is a handgun. For zombie scenarios, a handgun can be used as a last resort weapon. If a zombie grabs your arm, leg, or clothes and you need to either kill it or get away, a handgun can save your life. If you can pull your desired weapon out and execute the zombie with a headshot by simply pushing the barrel of the gun against its head and pulling the trigger, you will be saved.

Revolvers – These guns have cylinders that rotate with each pull of the trigger. When the trigger is pulled the hammer strikes a bullet currently in place and fires the weapon, simultaneously rotating a new bullet in place. It pays to know your revolvers – DAO guns cannot be cocked, D/S guns can either be cocked or fired fast, and SAO guns can only fire after being cocked. Remember that cocking a gun gives it an easier trigger to pull, but firing it double-action is faster. The “magazine” size is usually limited to 6 rounds, depending on the caliber of bullet and the size of the weapon. For example, small .38 revolvers might have a magazine of 5, while .22 LR revolvers may have magazine sizes around 20.

Semi-Automatic – Use your finger to squeeze an imaginary trigger in front of you as fast as you can. That’s how fast a semi-auto pistol can fire. Each pull of the trigger fires the weapon and blows back the slide while a spring in the magazine loads a new bullet into the chamber. These have better accuracy and magazine size than revolvers, but serve the same purpose. Note that for an inexperienced survivor, a revolver might be better, as the mechanism of this pistol can hurt your hand if you place your fingers in the wrong place. The recoil can also be very shocking for a novice user.

The Rifle

Since the American Revolution, rifles have become an American way of life. From cheap .22 rim fire weapons to the multiple-thousand-dollar .50 scoped behemoths, chances are that you can find a rifle right for the job any day. For zombies, that rifle will probably be something that can penetrate ½ inches (12.7 millimeters) of plywood will be able to do the job properly. If your desired rifle can penetrate ¾ inches of plywood, then it will be able to punch through the skull and destroy a zombies’ brain. Some rifle types are listed below.

Bolt-Action – These rifles are very common. They use magazines, but instead of being semi-automatic, you must pull back a bolt to eject a spent round manually. To chamber a new one you must push the bolt back in. Due to their accuracy, they are often fitted with scopes. If you need to defend your shelter from zombies and Raiders, this will do the trick in either a medium- or long-range battle. Some bolt-action rifles can only hold a single bullet – to chamber a new round you must eject the shell and load a new round manually. These are usually highly accurate, but too slow to be considered a “wonder-weapon.”

Semi-Automatic – These rifles are usually very accurate as well, and their lack of bolt action makes them easier to use. If you are on the run, these are good rifles to carry, due to the fact that if you are surrounded you could punch a path through multiple skulls quickly.

Pump-Action – This type of rile is somewhat uncommon; some people have never heard of one. The idea is the same as a shotgun: when you fire the weapon, you must eject and re-load a bullet with the pump. They can usually be pumped somewhat fast, but be careful of damaging the oft fragile mechanism!

Lever-Action – For a blend of accuracy, ease of use, and speed, turn to these somewhat common riles. They are very accurate, and their lever makes sure that they can be fired fast. They are also very easy for beginners to use, as the lever is easy to work. They usually come in a higher caliber, such as .30-.30 as opposed to .22 calibers. · “Sniper” Rifles – Cards on the table: “sniper rifle” is a military/police term that means a scoped rifle with long range. Since any rifle can constitute as a sniper rifle if you just fit a scope on it, there will be no further outlining on “sniper rifles” in this guide. The attachments section details various scopes, though.

Fully Automatic – Fully automatic rifles are a waste of ammo if you are dealing with zombies that can only be killed by weak points. Then again, zombies that are indiscriminate of their kill zone can be easily killed by one. If you find one (which would be rare in the United States), switch it to semi-auto if it has select fire.

The Shotgun

In the right hands, shotguns can spell doom with a capital “D” for anything unlucky enough to attack those hands. In the wrong hands, they can be recipes for disaster. They usually fire a handful of small projectiles in a certain spread pattern. The force of these projectiles alone can be enough to penetrate the skull and destroy it. However, there are other ammunition types that are not listed here (seek the appropriate chapter). There are relatively few types of shotguns suited for realistic* combat, but they are listed here nonetheless.

*Note: for realism, things such as revolving drum shotguns and fully- or semi-automatic shotguns have been disbanded from this list. It would be like telling you how to use a nuclear bomb; it just isn’t a realistic scenario.

Pump-Action – These shotguns are the stereotypes of the shotgun world. Like pump rifles, each shell is ejected and loaded with the pump. The difference is that the pump is much larger, and so is the kick. Noise also goes up considerably. When using a pump-action shotgun, make sure to keep it firmly planted into your shoulder. If it is not, then the kick could cause minor pain or even dislocate your shoulder if it is a high gauge (or, in this case, low gauge – a 10 gauge is much more powerful than a 20 gauge).

Over & Under – These shotguns consist of two barrels, one directly atop the other. It can hold two shells per reload, but it can get rid of those shells in a hurry. The single trigger models cannot fire both barrels at once, although even with a double-triggered model it is not a good idea. In a zombie scenario, this is a good choice for a shotgun if a pump is not available. In theory the recoil would push one barrel onto the target if the first barrel fails to complete the job.

Double Barreled or Side by Side – the terms are one and the same. It means that there are two barrels, each located side by side. Older models have two triggers, one for each barrel. Although it is possible to shoot both at once when dealing with these outdated models, it doubles the recoil and the damage to the shotgun. The newer models have a single trigger, making each pull fire a barrel. If you do have one of these (or one of the above), make sure you know what type of shell to use. For example, firing a standard smokeless round out of a Marlin double-barrel will jam it and make the weapon a sort of handheld bomb as the ammo is destroyed in the barrel.

Lever-Action – these shotguns were used during older times, but several have been recreated. The idea is the same as the lever-action rifle, except for the fact that it fires shotgun shells. Although they are rare, that doesn’t mean they’re valuable. If presented with one over the other, pump-action shotguns serve the same purpose, if not better.

Melee Weapons – Combat Melee Weapons*

*Note: Combat Melee Weapons means that they are designed to be used in close-quarter battles.

Swords & Other Blades

From medieval knights in shining armor to silent-but-deadly ninjas, swords have been known in the old world as dismembering and decapitating machines. A sword is a piece of metal on a handle with an edge ground or hammered to a blade. When choosing a sword, be careful that it’s not a stainless steel cheap display model or replica. The types of swords are listed below.

Katanas – Images of Japanese or Chinese samurai conjure up pictures of this bladed weapon. Although it is somewhat heavy and cumbersome, it is easy to swing and decapitate a zombie with. Try to aim for the neck, right around the area a male’s Adam’s apple sits at rest. Depending on the zombie, if you sever the spinal cord they will be disabled or killed. Make sure that you always swing with power when trying to decapitate a zombie.

Bastard Swords – These swords are the classic, straight-edged Renaissance style swords. They are sometimes shaped like a cross, and are as suitable to decapitation as Katanas. Bastard swords can sometimes be heavier, though, and a bit harder to find.

Rapier – These swords usually have complicated hilts with sharpened ends used for thrusting. Although you can achieve a cutting edge by sharpening the side, the thrusting power is much more viable. For zombie elimination simply thrust through the eye into the brain. That was easy.

Sabre or Saber – Imagine the classic Pirates of the Caribbean sword with a small hand guard and a simple blade. That basically describes these weapons, which can be used to decapitate a zombie or stab its brain.

Machete – These weapons are the best of the lot listed here — they can be used as a tool (cut through a bunch of plants) and a weapon (decapitation — need I say more?)

KA-BAR – These weapons are usually U.S. military grade long knives. You can stab through a weak point of the skull to the brain case if trying to kill a zombie, although decapitation is not usually an option.

Battle Axes – If you can find a working replica, a medieval battle axe would do the job perfectly (though weight may be a caveat). They were designed to cleave through armor, so it would be natural to assume that they could split a skull or decapitate a zombie in a heartbeat.

Knives

From huge display daggers to tiny pocket knives that can cut your arm off, knives will always be a common melee weapon after Z-Day. You will probably find at least one knife or two in each home you look in. Note that kitchen knives and other weapons not made for combat are covered in the Weapons of Opportunity section.

Switchblades – These knives are usually small and light. They consist of a blade loaded with a spring. The blade retracts into the handle and is released by pressing a button or switch. The hollow, fragile switchblades could slit or stab a human throat, but against zombies, the blade is not strong or long enough to stab them lethally.

Semi-Switchblades – The official term is “switchblade” still, but to avoid confusion, this guide will call them semi-switchblades. They consist of a blade on a hinge that can swivel into the handle or out easily. They provide a step up from fragile, short switchblades, being large enough to usually kill a zombie if stabbed through a weak part of the skull.

Dagger – Daggers are short knives with double-edge blades, usually used for stabbing. For zombies, most modern daggers will do the trick perfectly when stabbed into the skull or eye.

Butterfly Knives – Butterfly knives are short knives with one split handle on hinges. When concealed, the handles can swivel up and totally conceal the double-edge blade. These are somewhat like semi-switchblades, except more heavy-duty.

Bayonet – If you do not have a rifle sighted for bayonet use (during WWII some Russian rifles were sighted at the factory for bayonets), don’t use them for sniping. They affect the accuracy of weapons due to the bayonet making the rifle slightly heavier. However, any bayonet could penetrate a zombie skull, so definitely fix one if you can when, for example, clearing a room. As another plus, some bayonets were designed with alternate functions – for example, serving as an emergency handheld knife and/or in-a-pinch screwdriver.

Bludgeons

Bludgeoning weapons have long been used in real and fictional combat. Against a zombie, some bludgeons are better than others. Remember the rules of thumb when choosing weapons: can it kill or incapacitate in one blow, and is it made of quality material?

Police Batons – These bludgeons are used by worldwide police forces to break up riots. Sadly, they are non-lethal weapons when it comes to zombies. They cannot crack a skull, but if a zombie lunges at you, they can be used to block the attack. However, they are not very viable options.

Firearm Stocks – If a zombie grabs you, your first reaction should be to whip out your sidearm and shoot it in the head at once. However, if you are grabbed by a zombie when you are holding a rifle or shotgun, you can beat off the attack in a few ways. One would be to shove the stock into its head to knock it back or possibly kill it (metal or sturdy wood stocks). One could also swing the weapon around to the zombie’s temple, knocking it aside and buying time for you to escape.

Maces – These weapons evolved from basic clubs. They consist of a metal head attached to a long metal shaft. They could smash a zombie’s head easily; this is especially true for maces that have semi-pointed heads or spiked heads.

Quarterstaves – These are long clubs designed for two-handed uses. They are sometimes enough to kill a zombie, and can fend off attacks.

Brass Knuckles – For a perfect mix of implausibility, impractical use, and hardcore stupidity, go and bloody your knuckles on a zombie’s head. Brass knuckles might be illegal to be sold, depending on your state/province/country. They also have a low chance of killing a zombie in one blow. For example, a zombie could grab you if you just break its nose and bite you. Why go completely hand-to-face with a zombie when you can smash its skull from afar or just slice its head off?

Nunchaku – One of the lessons valuable for Z-Day: you are not Bruce Lee, nor are you Chuck Norris, nor are you Mr. Miyagi. You cannot kill a zombie with your bare hands, throwing stars, etc. etc. Nunchakus are the same: if you try to swing these shafts-on-a-string weapons at a zombie, your end result will be a satisfying whack! sound and no kill whatsoever.

182crazyking	Latest page update: made by 182crazyking , Jul 13 2010, 6:31 PM EDT (about this update About This Update Attempted to fix spacing issues - 182crazyking view changes - complete history)
	Keyword tags: 182crazyking guide survival zombie zsg More Info: links to this page

Threads for this page

182crazyking

Personal Project - Zombie Survival Guide

Jul 14 2010, 12:44 PM EDT by 182crazyking

Thread started: Jul 13 2010, 6:27 PM EDT Watch

Why hello there. How are you this fine day?

I have worked for a few days on this as-yet-incomplete Zombie Survival Guide. Not only will it chart weapons, tools, defense stratagies, leadership skills, etc. important for a "Z-Day" scenario (a term that I may be using too loosely, haha!), but it will also have factual survival notes.

However, I have no survival experience. I haven't even got around to reading the SAS survival manual (yet).

That's why I am humbly asking the experienced people of the ZSDW for help writing this guide. If you have a sugguestion or would like to add anything, please post here and tell me.

Please do note that the guide is in a rough format (due to Wetpaint not liking direct copy/paste items from MS word much) and is still incomplete.

Thank you!

Do you find this valuable?

Keyword tags:

Post reply

Show Last Reply

Post a new thread

Showing 1 of 1 threads for this page

Cheapest stocking up food?	Clothing / Armor	Think about it.. really...
recent string of school murders in china	When it comes to the mini-14...	Something that seems to be missing from a lot of plans.
Wait a minute....	WHEN	Discussions, and suggestions for other movies.
Got a plan for that!	Skills	The Trek to the North - Eastern Contingent

182crazyking's Zombie Survival Guide

Threads for this page

Related Content