We have a small cabin on a small island on a lake in a remote part of the Canadian wilderness. If we can make it to there, we’ll be okay. Can zombies swim?
I like it! But how do you plan on convincing the prisoners to leave? (Assuming you can get the keys, etc.)
The best idea is a boat at sea. Sure the zombies can walk underwater but you’re okay as long as you stay in water over ten feet deep. Zombies can’t swim.
If they haven’t told you yet, you aren’t on the need to know list.
Oddly enough, I just finished World War Z last night, so I’ve decided that going to sea is a bad idea (it only takes one infected person and you’re on a floating death trap). I would probably hole up at home first. I’ve got enough lumber and tools lying around I could quickly board up everything. After the initial panic died down and the zombies head to the more populated areas. I’d probably make a run for the local National Guard base for supplies/ possible refuge. If that’s already packed then I’m heading into the country. There’s enough abandoned farms out in the boondocks here that I could take. Stay away from people is the best plan.
Promise of free prostitutes at the other end of the bridge?
Doing anything other than staying put is just totally unrealistic. There will be lots of murdering and probably raping and definitely pillaging. Think about how many cops fail to even hit a running target, much less hitting the head. Hand weapons like machetes and bats are laughable. Fires will break out. Best to stay put, hope no one breaks in or burns your shelter down, and try to outlast the mass starvation of living humans.
I plan to Shelter-In-Place, if that location is compromised, fall back to my BOL, I already keep a BOB in the car, and one ready to grab-and-go in the house
all windows have dual-layer blackout curtains, one set right up against the glass, another set over the first set, it’s impossible to look inside the house, noise discipline will also be established, stay vewy vewwy quiet, we’re hiding from Zombies!
In the event of the inevitable Zombie Uprising™, we will destroy the staircases, fall back to the second floor of the house and consider the ground floor a total loss (that’s only if the visual blockages fail)
One room upstairs will be kitted out with indoor hydroponic grow systems for veggies, culinary herbs, and other crops, hydro rigs will be growing food in staggered arrangements, one bank will be starting to grow, one will be at the peak of production, and one will be winding down, ready to be re-seeded
all persons sheltering in the house will be trained in the use of personal defensive equipment, and will have at least one form of defense device on them at all times, be that a knife, a firearm, a bludgeon of some sort, whatever they are most comfortable and accurate with, but they will need to know how to use all of the defensive equipment
there will be multiple backups and repair parts for all defensive equipment, as well as reloading supplies and equipment, all persons sheltering in the house will be trained how to maintain and repair defensive equipment and how to reload ammunition
every person sheltering will be expected to be as self-sufficient as possible, ideally, everyone should know proper bladecraft, how to start fires without lighters/matches, gardening techniques, firearm repair, reloading, campfire cooking, and other rural survival skills
Sadly, however, if you’re not in the group when the Zombie Uprising™ starts, we won’t be able to allow you in, partly for the additional drain on resources, and partly because you might be Infected (“You” meaning the general public, Dopers are welcome, after they pass a screening and quarantine period to make sure they are uninfected, any Doper capable of adding skills and knowledge to the group will be welcome, once they’ve been screened and quarantined)
I don’t know it would take a lot of food stocked away to survive very long. Assuming that you were able to live on nothing but rice, water and vitamins and on 1000 calories/day you would still need to eat 5 cups of rice a day so you’ll need twice that for cooking and probably another 10 for drinking.
So for each week you hide out you need 140 cups of water or 9 gallons and at 6 oz per cup about 13 pounds of rice. So you would need 40 gallons of water and a 50 pound sack of rice per person per month. Even creating a stash of a pallet of rice and a 1500 gallon tank of fresh water is only going to last a family of four 8 months. Since the tank has to be inside you house (I assumed 8’ ceilings) it’ll need a radius of 44’. There is no way to store enough water once the pump systems break down. The best bet is finding a remote freshwater source and setting up a farm.
In case you can’t tell I enjoy over thinking these things.
One of my thoughts while reading World War Z was that apartment buildings would make good shelters. Of course, the first thing you do is to disable elevators (if electricity is still available) and destroy/blockade stairwells for 2 or 3 floors.
The danger would, of course, come from supply runs. Ladders and fire escapes give you access to the street, but you’d have to be quick. Zombies, being about as intelligent as the average supermodel, could easily be duped to one exit, while a resupply team uses a different exit. Depending on the neighborhood (I’m thinking all boroughs of NYC), you could possibly even link buidings of survivors with improvised skyways.
Of course, fire discipline would have to be strictly maintained (no smoking!). Constant armed floor patrols would be necessary, as would quarantine for anyone who returns from a supply run. At least you could last for a little bit until the military starts taking back the city.
What are you doing, flushing it all down the toilet? Anyone know the ins and outs of decent filtration systems for this situation? I wouldn’t rely long-term on the type of water filter I use when I go hiking - but I bet there’s a less portable system that’s a heck of a lot more durable and long-lasting that could recycle quite a bit of that water.
And does anyone have a composting toilet at home?
Considering there’s no real consensus in the poll, did you get what you were looking for?
None of the above-I’m holing up in a Costco.
Only if I let you in chief! I already had dibs!
There are way too many variables for a solid plan. But the core plan would be to hole up at my house for a month or until things settled out a bit. Then load up and drive about a hundred miles to the nearest Walmart Distribution Center to hook up with the people that got there first.
And if I need to remove a few of them to make room for myself and my family, I’ll play it that way. I will try for a diplomatic solution first though.
One thing to remember is to raid a pharmacy. Antibiotics and opiates (for field surgery, etc) will be very important in any apocalyptic scenario.
There’s an old Russian fort within driving distance, with high walls and an on-site well. It’s out of the way enough not to be an obvious place to try and hole up (i.e., mobs of everyone else with the same idea aren’t going to be flocking to it first thing), and it’s not within the blast radius or fallout path of any likely nuke targets.
Not to mention their value as trade goods. Likewise, I’d hit a liquor store- this stuff will have extreme value in trying to buy a spare gun off someone, purchase entry into a fort, or even just to sterilize wounds.
Nice Username / combo.
Although, you should learn how to play nice. 
Are these fast or slow zombies? Each need diffirent approaches, of course, with slow being much easier to deal with (provided you don’t allow them to reach a certain number).
I’d head to my local casino/racetrack. Separate water supply, food, medical supplies, guns (local state police), clear area of view in all directions, money to make fires if needed, and horses to ride away on if all else fails. Oh, and lots of booze.