Zombies in film: Zombi 2

"The dead are among us."



Film: Zombi 2
Directed by Lucio Fulci
Written by Elisa Briganti
Produced by Variety Film Production
Year: 1979

Story: A group of four travel to an island where one of the group's father has gone missing (also the owner of the island.) On the way the group takes a little pit stop to do some shark spotting. They make it to the island and slowly members of the group begin to meet grisly ends as they meet up with a doctor who is trying to find out what the cause of the pandemic is an how to cure it. All the while the radio depicts how all of the USA is falling to the zombies. The final stand of the group has a lot to be learned involving setting up layers and layers of barricades to hold the zombies every few feet. Fire is also used to great effect in this last stand, it also shows the disregard that must sometimes be given to material things, even to the extent of your own safehouse. Finally the escape from the burning shelter was performed quick well until one character makes the fatal flaw of so many in the world of the undead.

Zombies: These zombies are what I compare zombies against. No idea how they came to be. They are slow and nearly indestructible. They have unbelievable (but not superhuman) strength. It is kind of a constant surprise through out this movie however when someone actually gets killed by one of these zombies.

Survival Lessons:

• Change your name to West.
• Body shots do nothing, even if you really want them too.
• Don't put your head against obviously weak boarding to listen for zombies.
• Don't pause for even an instant when you inevitably face a turned loved one.
• Headtshots! Come on!
• Wearing less clothing makes it easier to slip out of a zombie's grasp.
• Zombies beat sharks.
• Don't go looking for sharks if you don't want to find sharks.
• Fire is your friend.
• Sometimes you have to sacrifice your safehouse, if it's been overrun it's no good to you anyway.
• You can NEVER have enough barricades.

Warnings: It's a scary film. There are sharks.


In the end this movie showed me many things. But first can I just point out how many people named "West" survive zombies. Peter West, Herbert West, Frank West, I'm sure there will be more now that I've caught onto this trend. Ok, seriously this movie is a classic and for good reason. It was right there with Night of the Living Dead as one of the first zombie movies and has one of the greatest zombie fights known around the world, the shark vs. zombie also one of the most gruesome deaths of any horror movie even to date. It is one of the zombie movies which set the stage for everything we know today: the BJC, the safehouse, the group of survivors, and of course, the slow but inevitable hordes of walking dead.


If you'd like to have this movie for yourself click here.

Stay vigilant, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate, Mike D.

Where do they come from?

Where do zombies come from? Well in our culture it can be traced back two ways: one of which is through the word zombie itself and the other is through myths and lore.

Neurotoxins
This is where the word zombi comes from. It has been proven over and over again voodoo magic is simply feats accomplished through science or at least an understanding of how to do things if maybe not how they actually work. The simplest of these is walking on fire, or rather on hot coals. The priest gives a speech or prayer while standing very close to the fire and coals. This gives him time to build up a layer of perspiration around his skin and as long as nothing flammable touch the coals he is perfectly safe.
Using neurotoxins to create zombis is a technique used in Haiti and documented by a number of doctors and scientists, the most public of which is Dr. Wade Davis and his books, Passage of Darkness and The Serpent and the Rainbow (which was turned into a movie.)
Certain poisons slow down bodily functions to the point that the person is considered dead. The poison from fugu (Japanese blowfish) can do this is only one such poison and is the one used by voodoo priests. However movies and books constantly have our heroes being injected with poison of this nature from some source or another (some of which are credible, some not so much.)
The victims can then be brought back to the living under the effects of a drug like datura stramonium. The drug damages the victim’s brain and leaves it in a trance-like state with no memory, but still able to perform simple tasks. Add this into the mental damage of believing you are the living dead and in often cases having to claw out of a grave, which due to lack of oxygen causes even further brain damage. It is really no wonder these poor people wander around, moaning with their arms outstretched.
This has been used by voodoo priests for years to create armies of slave labor or even heartless soldiers.
 See the case of Clairvius Narcisse.

The myths range back from all over the world. In Rome the hints at the undead are everywhere, from the statement that just as many shades live under the coliseum licking the sand for blood from the fallen as there are audience members watching the slaughter, to the strict believes on burial rights and ritual sacrifice of young men and women to the shades and family ancestors, some records of which make the undead spirits seem to be less spirit and more flesh and bone.

Cave drawings in North America have depicted men being killed and buried, only for the story to continue as those men break out of the mounds and attack their old friends. The final drawings are of the men’s heads being crushed by rocks.

In Southeast Asia there is an island called the Island of the Damned (not kidding) this island is where many tribes take their elderly and ill too. They leave the dying on the shore of the island and sail away as the elders come out from the trees and fall upon those left behind. The boat waits out at sea until the elders return to the trees and if there is no body on the beach the people return to their tribe. If there is a body the people wait, they wait until the body rises and joins the elders in the trees.

In Ireland the stories of the fae are wide and strange but among them can be found myths of men made to crave the flesh of others, woman killed and raised to serve the fae in death, even stories of fae who look like humans savagely feasting on anyone they come across. The myths about these particular fae say they may have even been human at one point but no longer have souls.

The people of England has always been obsessed with stories of monsters who infect. Vampires who drink the blood of beautiful people and turn their favorites into vampires. Werewolves who feast on the flesh of any who cross their paths and infect those unlucky enough to survive. English lore is rife with monsters which look human but infect and consume humans.

Egyptians believed in the undead and the spirits living on so much that they had multiple gods devoted to it and countless rituals and spells concerning death and burial. The Pharaohs had their brains removed after death and their entire families were buried alive with them, this is the most commonly known practice however it was not the most brutal or the most sacred. In the stories of the gods Osiris is killed, ripped apart and part of him eaten, only to rise again as the undead god of the underworld while his son Horus takes his place as god of the sun. There was a cult who actually focused on this aspect of dying and coming back to life following in the living/dead gods footsteps.

The great myths are those of the Greeks and these myths are filled with spirits, shades and undead souls. Odysseus feeds the spirits a trench of blood to hold them at bay while he talks to the soul of another hero. It is quite regular for the souls of the dead to be referenced as thirsting after living flesh and blood. It was also generally accepted that these souls were not in fact ghosts but actual physical beings. Some heroes even turn into flesh eating monsters, such as Lamia who in out of grief and madness consumes children and over time her face changed though her body did not age. Hecate was the goddess of necromancy and if she were not given tribute she would, instead of protecting from evil spirits, draw the spirits to the offenders home where they would be killed and their flesh eaten.

The Salvic have a mythology which is shrouded in misinterpretations and missing information but some of what can be gathered include gaje or holy places which are fenced in cemeteries in wooded areas. The areas are fenced in and put in the woods not to keep people out but to keep any restless dead or malicious spirits in.

The Finnish are an interesting culture who seem to have many myths stolen from other cultures and their gods are all relatives or variants of the Norse gods and their monsters are called fairies, and are obviously replicas of the Irish fae. The one thing it seems is completely Finnish is the creature they call a demon, a creature which looks like a decaying human but acts worse and more violent than a goblin.

A tribe in South America trains one man from every generation with the sole purpose of slaying the breathless ones. He must hunt these cannibals who do not breath and can only be killed throw vicious decapitation.

In Canada we have the myth of the Windigo, a creature who was once human but now must eat other humans and forever moans like the wind. The Windigo is shapeless and indescribable in its horror, this could mean it is without physical form and like the wind or it could mean it can take many shapes and is too gruesome to properly recount.

These are just a few cultures of the hundreds that exist and they all have their own myths based on these creatures that were once human but now mindlessly kill and consume. So where did the zombie culture come from? Why is it so popular? Could it be that it came from our pasts? Myths are based on legends, legends are based on stories and stories are based on truth. It’s hard to say how much truth gets passed along in this generations long game of telephone but it is clear humanity has always been obsessed with the undead. Go back through and replace any italicized words with the word “zombie” and see how well it fits.


Stay vigilant, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate, Mike D.

Class 1: Edmonton, CA

My interest in zombies first started when my cousin showed me one of my favorite zombie films, Undead. The next day I began reading and watching, everything I could get my hands on that had anything to do with the undead; which led to a lot of information, not just about zombies. Many works of fiction about vampires and other undead fell into my lap as I searched.

I hadn’t begun documenting my findings yet but I found a lot and I have been blessed with a great memory which kept track of vital information, unfortunately details like dates and names often illude me.
I read doctor’s reports on voodoo zombies and the drugs and physcology used to create these mindless slaves. I watched everything from White Zombie to 28 Days Later. I was enthralled.

Suddenly about four years ago my world was changed when I experienced my first outbreak report. I was in the process of reading the Zombie Survival Guide when I saw it on the news.
Man shot dead by police after killing his wife and attacking his children and police officers. The man was unarmed and had no history of violence. He just “went mad, like an animal.” One police officer was bitten by the man during the incident.

I phoned around and one of my contacts in the police informed me that the police officer bitten had died of mysterious causes, it was strange to get that information from him instead of on the news as most law enforcement related deaths are. This was my first encounter with news being withheld and I realized just how much might not be being told to the public.

The response was fairly standard for domestic violence, local law enforcement. Media footage was normal as well as the details were not hidden to any noticable extent unless further looked into. The more personal details like the deaths of the police officer or the cause of death of any of the people involved are missing.

The details breakdown-

Location: Edmonton, Canada

Time: January, 2007

Infected: 3 (estimate)

Response: Police

Media Coverage: Some footage and details.

My suggestion: Never doubt, always question, keep your eyes open.

Stay vigilant, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,

Mike D.

Zombies in film: Undead

“Crazy has come to town for a visit.”

Film: Undead

Directed by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig

Written by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig

Produced by Spierigfilm

Story: In a small town in Australia there is a fisherman everyone says is crazy because he believes aliens are coming to turn us all into zombies. When the zombies come this fisherman is a prime example of how being prepared pays off even if everyone else thinks you’re a nut job. A small group of survivors try to find their way through acid rain, alien barriers and hordes of the undead until a surprise ending shows things are never what they seem and an even more surprise ending shows that the threat is never over.

Zombies: The zombies in this movie have a few problems with them. First off limbs continue to move and attack even if severed from the body and, in turn, the head. The realism of the movie is somewhat lost on the zombies who spring back to their feet like a rake being stepped on (never mind energy drinks being able to kill a zombie.) These strange events make it hard to pry fact from fiction in this film.

Survival Lessons:

• Three shotguns are better than one.
• Five shotguns are better than three.
• You can never have enough guns.
• Grabbing a new gun is sometimes faster than reloading, reload when it’s safe to do so.
• Don’t kill everything that looks like a threat.
• Don’t climb infinitely tall, spiky walls.
• Panic rooms won’t save you.
• Never let your guard down.

Warnings: It is hard to find the truth in this film through the entertainment.

This is an extremely enjoyable piece of film and covers a wide range of events and possibilities. Including aliens, acid rain, where zombies come from and most importantly that looks can be deceiving. Not everything that looks like trouble is but in the same vein most things that look safe probably aren’t. The film also proves that you will never kick yourself for having more handguns then your average western movie but even if you are the best it only takes a moment’s weakness for you to fall.

Stay vigilent, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,

Mike D.

Morale and interaction

Hello follow survivors, this post will cover a number of topics regarding morale so strap in and put your thinking caps on.

First we start by mentioning games, which serve a number of purposes after the fall. The number one reason for games is to occupy your mind. The long term effects of boredom can be devastating.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=bored--find-something-to-live-for

This article is one of many that can be found  describing the effects of boredom. The most interesting thing mentioned here is this, "This heightened appreciation of self and immediate surroundings also lies at the heart of mindfulness." Now when could one be bored during the zombie apocalypse one might think. After all you will appreciate your surroundings a lot more. But boredom also has to do with growing tired of repetitive tasks, lack of entertainment and a number of other things which will still effect a person even when the undead have taken the world.

In an ideal situation you will be bored a lot. If you’ve done your job and are in a safe location your contact with the undead should be at a minimum leaving a lot of time in your hands. There are many ways to use this time. Here are a few: Building/setting/checking traps, Farming/gardening, Caring for animals, Prepping food, Searching for supplies, Training/practicing, Exercise.

These are just a few of the ways to pass the time and they should all be done regularly but you will still manage to find time in which your mind needs to refresh. These tasks are quite mundane and after doing them for even a short period anyone will begin to grow tired of them. One way to refresh the mind can be in the form of talking with other survivors but that brings about its own problems. Social interaction in the post-apocalypse can be strange and foreign. After all many of the things we talk about everyday will seem very minor compared to the daily fight for your life. You will also find that you are forced to be with people by circumstance who you may never have interacted with in our world.

But these are not as large of obstacles as you may think. You can still talk about the past as you would talk about it now. The main difference is to be aware that it is in fact the past and your new life doesn’t have to be horrible but may seem as such when compared to the past. For this reason I would still suggest staying away from the topic unless all survivors involved are fully settled and accepting of the new life they lead.

Some things to think about your new life are: no longer having to pay insurance, no more bosses or managers, not having to pay for anything really, learning new things like the barter system, fewer hate crimes, new social order, no traffic laws, never having to pay for parking. The list of things better about the apocalypse are almost numberless though they appear small. It will be in this time that the people who can appreciate the small things in life will serve a better chance of making it in the long run. It is so easy to lose hope in our world as it is, once most of the world is dead hope and happiness will be hard to find but rest assured it is there! Being able to find the joy in the small things will help you stay in high spirits which is one of the most important parts of surviving any battle, any military mind, sports fan, soldier or player can tell you that most of the battle is in the mind, if morale is low chances of winning drop to zero but if morale is high every movement and task seems easier. This fact is so true it even affects our relationships and chances of success when dating or doing daily tasks like laundry and cooking: which will still exist after the fall.

So as long as people are able to live in the current world and not lose hope then talking about the past can be both therapeutic and entertaining. Another caution though is to let go of judgments passed on past lives. It is good to know a person’s skill set from before but their “social rank” no longer applies. A homeless person will have a completely different skill set then a lawyer and it will not matter how much money either one has after the fall. Each person must be judged solely on their merits. Not on how much of the idea of money they possess.

To understand this, understand that money is only an idea. Money is the idea that the whole world agrees how much wealth a person has. If the whole world decides that money is no longer worth anything then those people who are rich and powerful suddenly lose all status. In the end knowledge and training, skills and materials will become what is truly of worth and value: money will be an idea without a purpose or meaning therefore no longer giving those who have it power.

The more people to talk with the more there will be to talk about and more opinions to bounce ideas off of and topics to talk about. This however can also be a downfall of many groups. So many opinions and especially too many leaders in a group will lead to group separations or worse, groups staying together and eventually destroy themselves. Never be afraid to split ways with the people you are with. This will in fact increase your chances of survival as you will have multiple groups with good relations too each other and you can potentially  get help from if you are ever in need and manage to find them. Smaller groups are also easier to hide from hordes or belligerent raiders.

As you discover these other survivors who you never would have known otherwise you will be able to share completely different viewpoints and experiences. Don’t be afraid of this. Learn to accept each person’s opinion as valid and every idea as a possibility. But also beware of people who will try to use you and give nothing back or who lack moral fiber. In the final days any person will be welcome from the loneliness but every person becomes a potential enemy just as much as a potential ally.

If you yourself are a leader you should find people who will follow you and have skills you can use examples might include: soldiers, firefighters, sports players, construction workers, mechanics, handy men, Scout leaders, cooks, drivers, hospital staff, university teachers, technicians, entertainers.

If you are a follower you will need to search for a leader who will keep you alive. You are likely to find leaders among the following groups: police, criminals, hospital staff, writers. Leaders are hard to find, they can be found in any group as any person can be a strong leader, they are often the people who in the real world stick up for themselves and the people around them. They are the people who rock the boat OR make the boat run smoothly. Leader are not the type of people you want following you but they can make very valuable allies and if you are not a leader or an extremely talented survival expert, your best chances of survival are finding a leader to join with and having skills that leader can use.

Being alone is another option but requires a great deal of skill, combat ability and luck. Everyone will have to spend times alone and in these times the weak will die and the true survivors will be left to fight on. But the time alone can be minimized by finding a good leader or being a good leader.

Having people around also offers the ability to play more complex games. As I mentioned, games can be a valuable asset in fighting off morale, fear and in being prepared. There are many zombie games available which keep the player in the mindset of surviving and thriving in a world covered by undead. Obviously these games are not completely representative of the true apocalypse but they can offer suggestions, ideas and allows the players to play test scenarios which may come up in the real world.

Films are also a good source of preparation. The opportunity to watch films may not come up often as time passes after the fall, nor should time be wasted in front of a television BUT nothing will boost morale quicker than a movie night after a long time away from them. And many zombie movies offer different view points on the undead. Views which you can either confirm or deny based on your real life experiences. A film may also provide ideas or tips on defending against the undead or destroying the undead. It may bring up things you never thought to ask yourself about. This is especially important before the apocalypse, to be prepared for as many potential situations as possible. It is not yet known how the virus spreads except via liquid transfer with an infected. Thus the many outbreaks around the world are unexplained as to how they first come about. Many films offer suggestions on how the virus transfers besides direct contact and thus provide ideas of things to avoid or protect yourself against.

I hope this article helped with suggestions about morale and its importance. Also giving some brief insight into interaction with other survivors.

Until next time, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.

Survival equipment: Gear kept in Vehicle

As promised here is a detailed list of gear to keep in your vehicle for use in the final days.

Gear:

• Hatchet
• Flashlight (wound up and battery powered)
• Knife
• Sewing kit
• Screw driver set
• Cross wrench
• Battery booster
• Crowbar
• Spare tire
• Blankets (at least one)
• Energy bars
• Juice boxes
• Pad of paper
• Pen
• Pencil
• Extra shoes
• Change of clothes
• Mini-car jack
• Booster cables
• Lighter and matches

Hatchet:
The uses of a good hatchet are harder to count then heads in a horde. The most obivous use of this item is as a weapon, so obvious it barely needs mentioning. But I will anyway... in another blog. The other uses of this weapon are a great many and I will begin to list them only to show how versitile an item this can be. The hatchet can be used to break glass should you be stuck in the vehicle or find yourself underwater or cut your seatbelt under the same cercumstances. It can also be used to hack through ice which may get your vehicle stuck or be between you and an objective. It can be used to break down doors or weaken walls. It can be used to cut down small trees or break objects to be used for resources (burning or building). As you can see this item is a very valuable asset to your survival efforts. Not to mention the uses of this item as a weapon are almost as varied.

Flashlight:
I mention two flashlights for a very specfic reason. First of all if you aren't alone. It will make things much easier on yourself and raise your survival chances if you do not have to provide the only source of light for a group of any size larger then yourself (ideally every person should have a light source of some kind but you need to balance that with space in the vehicle and resources avalible.) I suggest two types of flashlights also. The reason I do that is battery powered flashlights are easily more reliable and easier to use, thus if you can use it you should. However as time passes and stores become looted and people realize what they need to stock up on batteries will become harder to find and thus a more renewable source of light will be required, thus the wind-up flashlight. Use this whenever you have the luxury of time and relative safety to conserve on the battery life in the better flashlight. Note if possible have a hand-held flood light as well: these are ideal but may be harder to aquire. Make sure for your vehicle to have the battery varity and not the one's which must be plugged into a soccet.

Knife:
DO NOT USE A KNIFE FOR COMBAT AGAINST A ZOMBIE! I will go into this more when I review knives in terms of combat use but this is a warning. A knife will get you too close and unless you are an expert at hand-to-hand combat you will not kill a zombie with a knife. It can be used in combat with raiders or animals however. Regardless of it's inability to be used against the undead effectively this is a valuable piece of gear. It can be used to skin or prepare meat or other food better served cut up. It can be used to sharpen wood to form tent poles, spears, arrows, or impropto building material. A knife can be used to open cans, either cutting open the top: stab it into the side of the can near the top and cut around until it come off or for many cans stab the knife in between the lid and the side and pry it off. A knife can obviously be used to eat with. These uses may seem obvious but can be easily overlooked when looking at an item so often used as a weapon. The list of uses continue and include cutting rope, seatbelts, anything stuborn and needing a good slice through. It can also be used to cut out the seats of your cars to use as blankets, you can pull out the stuffing and sew the seat covers together to make pillows, blankets or if needed clothing. Knives are one of the most useful items to have in a survival kit, the full extend of which cannot be covered in such a sort time but you will see the uses begin to pile up as the blog and survival tips continue.

Sewing kit:
See above for easy use of seat covers to turn into many objects. Sewing kits can also be used for simple repairs on clothing. The more thread you have the more you can do, even creating your own clothes. This requires practise to do well but it's not a difficult to learn the basics of. Put the thread through the small hole in the needle, pull it a couple of inches so it won't easily slip out, then put the edges of the two things you wish to sew together touching, fold over a tips of each piece of cloth and feed the needle through them, then feed it back the other way, continue to do this until you have done the repair or run out of thread, near the end of the thread/repair tie a knot into the thread on both ends so it won't slip through and undo your hard work as easily. This is a very simple explaination but it is actually that simple to sew, however becoming good at it or creating clothes does require practise or lessons. A sewing machine would seem to make a creat asset but infact sewing kits for minor repairs or extreme cercumstances are useful. Sewing machines are large, can be hard to find, heavy and the need for homemade clothing will not be that great. With the amount of retail outlets and "Urbanwhatever" stores everywhere in every city and the break down of society you should be able to have your choice of clothing.

Screw driver set:
Uses for this tool are fairly obvious and those are pretty much all they are good for. But that will come into use if you need to make any emergancy repairs or take pieces from other vehicles. A solid set can be used for prying as well for this reason I suggest having one solid Philips screwdriver (most common in vehicles) and a set with multiple sizes and heads in one to save on space and convience. The solid screwdriver can also be used as a weapon if need be, with enough force the metal end can pierce the skull of an undead making it a good last ditch weapon should you have little to choose from (which if you follow this advice you will have two other more suitable weapons to choose from).

Cross wrench:
Used to change tires. Also usually quite heavy can be thrown at raiders or animals.

Battery booster:
Can be used to boost your vehicle or the vehicle of another friendly survivor. Can also be used to boost a new vehicle to either add to your convoy or replace the one you have. Some boosters can be used to run small appliances or charge batteries. Also light enough to throw but heavy enough to hurt. Don't recommend that type of use for it though.

Crowbar:
A nice reliable crowbar is a priceless ally in the battle against the undead. Uses include: prying open doors (cars or buildings), breaking through objects (walls or windows), opening secure boxes, removing pieces of vehicles. It never hurts to have a long piece of iron around. A solid crowbar can also make an excellent weapon, it's solid enough to break bone and has a sharp enough end to go through most materials with a good amount of force.

Spare tire:
You should be able to find an actual tire somewhere to replace the spare tire that comes with most vehicles. The advantage of having this is that you will not need to change the tire again when you find a new one but simply find a new spare. Here is a step by step guide to changing a tire for those who don't know.
Step one - Put the car in park and set the emergency brake.
Step two - Retrieve spare tire and tools from car. With your crowbar or screwdriver, you need to remove the hubcap. Now loosen the lugnuts that are holding the wheel in place using the cross wrench. About ½ turn clockwise. Do not completely remove the lugnuts before jacking up your car so the tire does not drop off and injure you.
Step three - Jack the car up. It is generally easy to find the place to put the jack, either an indent or a rather solid part of the frame. Jack the vehicle far enough off the ground so that a new, fully inflated tire will fit easily under the car. Too much space is better than not enough.
Step four - Now it is safe to completely remove the lugnuts from the flat tires. Be sure to keep track of them, put them in a safe place. You will need them to secure the spare tire. Remove the flat and put it out of your way. Lift on the spare tire. Align the holes before attempting the placement.
Step five - Now the tire is on, replace the lugnuts you have set aside using your lugnut wrench. Tighten opposite nuts as you continue around. Work in a star pattern and only slightly tighten your nuts during this step.
Step six - It is now time to return your vehicle to the ground. Slowly lower the car using the jack. Once the vehicle is safely on the ground, you can finish tightening the lugnuts. Secure them as tightly as you possibly can. Now reattach your hubcap. You did it, you changed your flat! You are now ready to drive off safely until you uncounter one of the many dangers of the new world. Though be sure to replace your tools and equipment so that you can easily locate them next time you need them.

Blankets:
Blankets can be used for shelter, to create tents to keep warm and dry. They can be used of course as normal blankets. They can also be used as clothing if stuffed inside a jacket or sewn. An odd but in times useful way to use a blanket is to block vison. Zombies hunt through a number of means using all of their senses. One you can take away is by using blankets to cover your windows and block lines of sight. This can also be used to hide your from raiders. In all these aspects I suggest fleece blankets as they provide the best warmth for the lightest meterial as a ratio. I would also recommend having at least one of your blankets be a snuggie (a blanket with sleeves) so you can wear the blanket and have all of it's benefits while still being able to opperate the vehicle or other equipement/weapons. Note that a snuggie will hinder you greatly if worn during hand-to-hand combat, make sure to remove it if this becomes even a possiblity.

Energy bars:
Carry at least two or three bars to last one person for one day in an emergancy. More bars are recommended for more people or if longer trips are expected.

Juice boxes:
Light and easily disgarded keep a few around incase need for liquids or sugar is found.

Pad of paper:
Paper can be used to keep information on should you so need. It can also be used to start fires or stuff in clothing for warmth. Paper can also be used for entertainment value. Entertainment should not be a top priority but it should not be completely forgotten, if people are left with nothing to keep their minds occupied than insanity and depression will set into even the hardest survivor over time.

Pen:
To use with the paper. Also makes a good improvized weapon, as proven by Jason Bourne.

Pencil:
Can work underwater and on almost any meterial. Also makes good kindling if in dire need.

Extra shoes:
Shoes will take a lot of wear and tear during your travels and you never know when you will find yourself in need of a new pair quickly. Esspecially if some emergancy wrecks your current ones.

Change of clothes:
Same as the shoes. Clothes can also be used for added layers, shelter or even in a fire.

Mini-car jack:
For changing the tires or doing minor repairs. Also throwable.

Booster cables:
For use to give or receive a boost. With the live battery running begin by connecting the red handled clip to the positive terminal of the dead battery. Then connect the red handled clip to the positive terminal of the live battery. Then place the other black handled clip to the negative terminal of the live battery and the black handled clip to an unpainted metal surface of the dead car (grounding it). Start the car with the dead battery. Remove clips in the opposite manner in which they were placed.

Lighter and matches:
Used to start fires. Not much else. Fires of course can be used for many many things. Lighter and mtaches because if one doesn't work you can try the other, each may not work under certain cercumstances.

Note: I mentioned a choice of clothing in the sewing kit section, while you should be able to make a lot of choices on your style in the new world clothing and style does come into effect during the fight for survival and youshould never put your own life or those of the survivors around you in danger in order to get cool clothes or accessories.

UPDATE: I did not include a firearm on this list for one reason only. Firearms (esspecially handguns) are illegal in many countries and hard to obtain or just keep stored in your vehicle. If you are fortunate enough to live in a place where this is not illegal then by all means I suggest always keeping a rifle and a handgun in your vehicle for defense against the undead or violent raiders.
Anytime I mention firearms or any sort of weapon I am not suggesting you break any laws. You will not be able to help anyone, even yourself if you are in a prison cell somewhere when the apocalypse comes. Federal prisons are the ideal safehouses but too many things can go wrong if you are caught in one when the end comes round.

Good luck, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.

Just the begining

Hello fellow survivors and those who wish to survive:

This is a letter to state the intent of what is to follow. There is a battle coming, not a battle between good and evil or between nations but simply a battle for survival. One like we have never faced before. The undead have always been a part of our world. Dating as far back as cave drawings we find records of the undead used for both entertainment and enlightenment.
It is only a matter of time until these small isolated events become a larger full scale outbreak. There are eight-billion people on this planet and very few of them are prepared to deal with the simple truth that the undead do exist.
We find them in every culture and in every situation and era. As long as humans are around to die, the undead will rise from the fallen.

This site will focus on a number of ares:

• Tactics for survival. This includes everything from surviving the infection itself to more importantly surviving in a world destroyed by the infection.
• History and science of the undead.
• Combat with the infected. Ranged and close-quarters.
• Types of undead and infected. Differences, strength and weaknesses.
• Recognizing and containing outbreaks.
• Truth versus myth. Detailed looks into zombies in different forms of culture compared to legends and scientific facts.

The road ahead of us is long and hard. Humanity has no natural predators and we have grown weak in our current pampered state. Much can be learned from Scouts Canada's motto, "Be Prepared."

In conclusion I will do my best to bring you as much information as I can with as much experience and as little bias as I can produce. The rest is up to you.

Good luck, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.