Part 1: Preparation.
This is a first draft of my zombie escape plan. Since I have never devised such a plan and have no prior experience fighting zombies, I’m going to need feedback.
I’m going to work under the assumption of several precepts here. First: The zombies are the new sort, meaning they are fast and hungry. RAWR. While Shaun of the Dead was an outstanding movie it was satire and I think we can all agree that when the zombies do come they won’t be that easy to dupe. Second: Milwaukee will not be one of the first cities ravaged but, being a city, it won’t take long. Third: The public works of the nation -water, electricity, television networks, cell phone towers and other services – would be down in roughly the first 48 hours. There will of course be pockets of civilization that hold out longer but I think 48 hours is the longest I can absolutely count on. Third: The looting will start shortly after the power is gone. Fourth: The government will be slow to respond and cannot be counted on to save everyone.
With these precepts in mind the first step I’d need to take would be to find Back. Obvious. This is why it is important that everyone is prepared and recognizes the emergency right away. If we sit around then by the time we get our act together the grid will be down, cell phones will be useless and looting bands of hoodlums will own the streets.
The next step is to have a list of necessities handy. A list will be handy when everyone else is panicking, stocking up on ding-dongs and calling their shrink, we’ll be in Wal-Mart and Lowes. This should probably be kept in multiple places, i.e. the car, the apartment, work. It might even be a good idea to keep one in my work bag in case I am forced to abandon the vehicle.
List of Necessities*:
*this is a basic list based on the capacity of a 2001 Honda Civic. I’ll update it as I go. A later list will be composed for traveling light or hiking.
1. Vitamins and supplements. I assume these will keep and will help supplement the likely poor eating conditions of the next few weeks.
2. Light weight blunt objects. My choice because it is hand will be lacrosse poles minus the head.
3. Gas Cans.
4. Heavy clothes. While we may eventually try to move to warmer climates with the power grid down, winter is coming.
5. Food will obviously be a hard to plan. Non-perishables are a must.
6. Large batteries, including but not limited to car batteries.
7. Duct Tape. Don’t skimp on this.
8. More will be added to this list later.
Purchasing items on the list will come next. It is imperative that this comes first because, being prepared, we will be reacting to the news quicker than most. Credit cards will quickly become useless and bank accounts, these will soon be a memory. I’d suggest maxing the Visa and emptying the bank account to cash. Ruining my credit rating won’t matter so much in the coming months of darkness. I can over buy at this point because some of it can be left behind later if need be.
While the shopping spree is underway, this is a good time to start calling relatives and friends to ensure that they are headed to high ground. I may be implementing a zombie phone tree to make this efficient. Later, I’ll address who has to be called and what plans will be implemented by us with regard to these calls.
Still to come: Is the HQ safe?, consolidating with friends, getting Viana_17 out of Capitol City, and when to trust the roads.
~Forth
