Kam47
Today, 12:21 AM EST
I live in a desert-like area suburb at the base of a mountain chain. Directly behind my home are the foothills with an expansive system of trails that lead to the larger mountains, and a few miles away is a concrete plant surrounded by nothing but sand and rocks for a few miles in all directions. I think my plan may be to hold out at home for as long as I can until its time to grab by bob and hit the road (or in this case the dirt). I may either head into the hills and try and hold out for a while till some of the ruckus dies down or i see signs of millitary presence. From there you can see the entire county for miles and miles (and i mean to the horizon). Theres no homes the further you go and it is very secluded. The highest lying homes can be looted when abandoned for food and water through trails running just beyond the fences of the backyards. There is also a small reservoir somewhere within walking distance in the area. Possible dangers are Rattle snakes (by the barrel full), coyotes, cougars, heat, exposure, and a lack of water (provided none cn be found at the previously mentioned places).

Or I think heading to the concrete plant may be a good idea. It's in the middle of what we in the area call "the wash" which is basically a large strip of flat, barren, desert terrain with a small creek running through it. The creek is actually technically a river but it seldom has enough water running thorugh it to justify calling it one. The concrete plant is in the middle of a makeshift "crater" with dirt/rock walls 100-150 feet high due to the mine work and digging. There are actually two plants, an eastern and a western, maintained by the same company maybe just 1/2 mile apart, connected only by a walkable dirt road used by the heavy construction type vehicles. Each plant has a central mining facility at its center . They have a few rooms and offices located at the floor level but to be safer I may want to stay on the upper levels. Only trade off is its compeletely open up there and exposed to the elements. Perhaps due to its location, it may not be a target for Z's because I would think they would stick to the towns and cities where the prey the crave would be. However, you can't exlcude the possibility of some roamers making their way out into the wash. I hope to combat this by staying invisible and out of sight for as long as possibe until food runs low and i'm forced to move again, following the same process.

This Concrete Plant is also very near an old millitary air force base which is nearly abandoned now. There are occasional zepplins that land and take off from this location and small private planes and helicopters but for the most part it is now an airplane bone yard with empty hangars. This air force base sits maybe 3/4 of a mile east of the eastern most of the two concrete plants, making it about 1 1/2 miles from the one I would most likely stick to. It is right next to major roads and a few major retail distribution centers which could attract visitors. The Base itself may in fact be converted into some sort of refugee center for displaced families or could even be used as a base of operations for millitary or other authority persons given its history and adequate space and facilities. All that aside, this may be a grand location to hold up a while due to its vast room, usuable buildings, and very close proximity to a major supermarket distribution centers. The base itself would have some food and water as there is a small restaurant in the front parking lot. I have never been INSIDE this base myself so its contents and interior are a complete mystery to me.

In addition to the other facilities previously mentioned, there also happen to be two gun practice ranges within 500 yards of the western most concrete plant, one on each side. They are both quite small, but still in fact active. This is made apparent each day due to the gunshots that can be heard daily from morning to sundown, and sometimes after. Perhaps in the event of a major cataclysm, ammunition or even guns themselves may be left behind. Not all that likely, but not impossible. Definately worth a looksy. Overall I feel this to be a generally good location as I do not believe it would be a target for anyone for any reason really. Pretty much the only reason to make your way out there is to go to work, something that would be far from anyones mind. One drawback however, is the range of visibility. This happens to be a very smoggy and polluted area, (I do believe we do in fact have some of the worst air in america actually) and from ground level you can only see a distance of a few miles or so, sometimes less on worse days. This would make spotting possible help difficult and hinder visual communication signs.