September 19, 2016

Halloween is just around the corner, and so is the Season 7 premiere of The Walking Dead. More than likely, a lot of people have zombies on the brain (pun intended). This rise of zombie culture in the last ten years has begun to beg the question of what would happen in a real-life zombie takeover.

It would take a lot of dedication and will to survive. The disease, which is how the undead rise in typical lore, would spread in waves, starting in major cities. Shelters and medical centers would arise there as well. People would flee to the country to escape the disease itself, but others would go to the cities for medical help. To each their own, though; it is a personal choice as to where you go. Either way could be dangerous or beneficial. Most experts, however, suggest going to the country. It would be logical, though, that medical centers would appear in places with a large population density.

There’s no way to understate the importance of the group you travel with. A good size is about five people. That is a sizable number to ensure protection, but small enough to keep track of and be able to agree on most things. Choose your group carefully. You won’t be able to trust just anyone in the apocalypse, so try to stick with family and close friends, people that you’re comfortable putting your life in their hands. Make sure each person has a unique skill set, if possible. Veterans are good to recruit. For the most part, they’re loyal, and they have combat and survival training.

Aggression can be a fatal mistake. In a majority of apocalyptic fiction, there’s a person or group of people that attack their fellow survivors for the fun of it. Don’t be that person. It only makes you enemies. Don’t steal from others, because you never know how aggressive they are. Try to strike trade deal diplomatically. People that aren’t in your group can still be allies. Even though morals are still important, you need to take care of yourself first and foremost. That being said, do so in a way so that you won’t meet much opposition.

Find a balance between important supplies and those you can get rid of. You want plenty of food, water, and medical supplies, but not enough to slow you down. Focus on surviving and not on fighting. Don’t go out hunting zombies to be a vigilante. Leave that to the military, because that will be their top priority without a doubt. Civilians won’t know the proper way to handle the undead. Avoid them if at all possible. It might not be the most “fun”, but you’ll be safe.

Last but not least, don’t rely on fiction as your survival guide. Use your instinct and intuition instead. Surviving is all about logic; make sure you have plenty of it, or have someone in your group that does. The biggest problem if the zombie apocalypse became a reality would be people using what they’ve seen on television and movies as fact. Tips could be taken from those things, but it would become a problem when people began acting like they were in an episode of The Walking Dead. Most likely, real-life zombies would be very different from the way they’re portrayed in popular culture. Zombieism would probably appear in the form of a parasite that would attack the brain. Medically speaking, that would cause them to have the physical capacity of humans, but not the mental capacity. In simpler terms, zombies would be as fast and strong, but not as intelligent and keen. Completely relying on pop culture will just work against survivors.

All in all, a lot of people believe in the possibility of a real apocalypse. Whether you do or not, it’s better to be safe and sorry, so it’s smart to prepare. Never use only one guide, but perhaps this one can help you in your post-apocalyptic endeavors. Remember, logic is your new best friend. You can make it. Just keep your wits about you, and always keep moving.