Survival is a strange game, and is both simple and complex at the same time. The complexity comes from realizing just how truly dependent we all are on other people to provide the essentials for us. Turn on a tap, clean water. Flick a switch, light. Heat or cooling is just a turn of the thermostat away. Food comes from the grocery store, packaged, sanitized, frozen or chilled. Take-out saves you hassle of cooking. Drive-through saves you walking. You are likely so removed from the supply chain that you don't really know where any of this stuff comes from.

But once you are forced to fend for yourself, to supply everything you need to live, (need, not want. Two very different things.) you realize just how simple it can be. All you really need is:

Food and water: Recent changes to the recommended intake suggest 2,900 calories for men, and 2,320 for women. You need about 4 litres (1 gallon) of water a day.
Health and security: You need to avoid being injured or sick, and avoid attacks from people or animals.
Shelter and warmth: There is a common survival rule called "The Rule of Three", which says that you can survive 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, but only 3 hours of exposure (heat or cold). Typically, cold is the bigger killer.

Simple, isn't it?

It gets even simpler. There are two general states of survival: Bugging In, and Bugging Out. If you prepare for both of these, you will have covered almost all eventualities.

This guide is to help you get yourself ready for a Zombie Apocalypse. That said, the knowledge and advice found here may be applied to help prepare yourself for any disaster you may be faced with.

These six sections will assist you:

Essential Skills - Skills that will assist you in every stage of Z-day survival. (Under construction)

Bugging In - Building your survival shelter.

Bugging Out - Time to haul ass!

Living - Making a life after Z-day

Weapons and Gear - The type of gear suited to zed-warfare and long term survival.

Acronyms and Slang- Common slang and abbreviations used by ZSDW members.

At no time during this will there be region-specific or zombie archetype-specific information. Geography and politics have nothing to do with providing the essentials to life. Similarly, whether a zombie is fast moving, slow moving, has a heartbeat or not, plays no part in your preparations.If you do want survival advice/information specific to your area, you may consider navigating to your country/region's page on the ZSDW's Global Survival Guide.

Good Luck, and Enjoy.

For further research a Torrent of sources may be found on the Mega Survival Database page