My Zombie Contingency Plan

So I've been reading through a number of blogs and websites offering various zombie contingency plans.
Shamefully (because I am so obsessed with zombies) I do not have a definite contingency plan of my own. This is due to the simple fact that each time I plan one I find serious flaws that will ultimately lead to my death, and, being a perfectionist, I have to decide on an almost flawless plan.
My current plan is simple, but hopefully effective.

I live in a very small city in Ireland called Kilkenny. Kilkenny was build during Norman times and subsequently still has many Norman buildings standing today. one such building is Canice's tower. The tower is made of stone and stands at 108 ft. it was originally used by monks during times of invasion; they would run up the tower and take the ladder with them. They usually stored food and valuables in the tower also.

In my opinion the first place the majority of people in my town are going to run to is the Garda (those are Irish cops) Station or the single gun shop. I already have weapons available to me in my home so I'm taking the possibility of securing more weapons out of the equation.

Making my way to the tower will pose a problem because it is basically on the edge of the town, which means the area will not exactly be devoid of humans (and possible zombies). I cannot take a vehicle because the roads leading to it will probably be jammed with cars. I am hoping on leaving so early on in the panic (or before panic breaks out if possible) that I can reach the tower without too much hassle.

The entrance to the tower has been refurbished since the monks used it. The entrance is high off of the ground with a metal staircase leading up to it. Taking out the staircase (with a lot of force) should make the tower relatively safe. For added safety the first staircase inside of the tower is wooden and can easily be disposed off.

Disadvantages:
1. Too close to town - will draw zombies once everyone is dead/zombies/gone.
2. Wooden staircase and floors are huge fire hazard.
3. Storing food prior to event is impossible as the tower is open to the public; also there is no where to hide food.
4. Travelling there during zombie outbreak could mean death.
5. Not getting there early enough could mean i arrive there only to find the staircase ripped out and entrance boarded up by someone faster than me.

Advantages:
1. Zombies can be easily dispatched from the top of the tower using various long-range weapons.
2. Even if zombies get into the first floor ripping out the staircase will make it impossible for them to go any further.
3. The tower provides a huge amount of storage space for food.

As you can see there is considerable more disadvantages as I would like. This strategy is not my final solution, more a work in progress. I will post any of my better contingency plans soon.

Call Of Duty 5: World At War Der Reise Zombie Map Survival Guide (Map Pack 3)

Yes I've mentioned this particular CoD zombie map before (I think). I nearly had kittens when it was first released because I was so excited. I've been playing it for long enough to develop a really good survival strategy with my friends. And let me tell you there is nothing more rewarding than killing hoards of mindless decomposing zombies with your friends.
Unfortunately I can't post the guide here (though I really want to) as I've alreadly sold it to Brighthub. I'm really proud of this guide as it is really effective.

In other CoD news I have heard rumors that Modern Warfare 2 (that's the new CoD game coming out if you're a NOOB and don't know) will have a hoard/zombie system as well. The rumor is that terrorists will be replacing the zombies though, but I think if they make the terrorists that mindless it could lead to complaints about racism.

Also I have to mention - If you play the Der Reise Map Pack 3 zombie map and you have heard rumors that if you survive enough rounds you will be forced to have a showdown with Hitler himself - this is not true. But it would be awesome.

De-Animator Zombie Flash Game

De-animator is a very basic flash game, but it is also really addictive. The figures in the game are depicted as silhouettes. You play an elderly looking old guy (or it could be a weird looking old lady). Your only weapon is a gun. Click on the zombies to shoot them until you have to reload. Reloading leaves you open to zombies so make sure to de-animate the zombies closest to you first.

The games's main downfall is the fact that a shot to the head will not kill most of the zombies, which dissapointed me a little. Regardless, as a basic zombie game it's good. Think of it as a good exercise to keep your hand-eye coordination at an acceptable level while waiting for a real zombie attack.

Hand-eye coordination is important when shooting in real life too.

Preparing Your Home For A Zombie Attack

The Following Guide Has Been Written With The Average Citizen In Mind

If you are currently living in a small town or city it is important not to panic when you hear the breaking news of a zombie outbreak. Do Not Try To Flee. Everyone else is thinking the same thing. Think about all the zombie movies with scenes depicting motorways full of discarded vehicles. You will get stuck in this. The alternative is to stay in your home and defend it until you are ready to locate to a safer position.

If you live a one storey house, the first thing you need to do is barricade all doors and windows. Do this in whatever way you feel is necessary. Keep in mind that furniture and boarding will only deter fast-moving zombies for a couple of hours at most.
If you have the option of retreating to a basement, I would strongly advise against it unless you have a water supply available down there. Being at the bottom of a hole when the zombies find a way in is not a nice place to be. If there is no other alternative choose the basement.

If you are currently living in a a two storey house or higher, you will also need to barricade all windows and doors. In the case of a slow moving zombie outbreak retreating to a higher level is the perfect option. In the case of fast moving zombies it may not be such a great idea as you may find yourself defending the second floor with no escape to the ground. In this instance i would advise gathering your supplies to the ground floor and barricading the stairs so a zombie won't find it's way in through an upstairs window and sneak up on you.

If you live in an apartment you are at both an advantage and a disadvantage; the buildings height gives you time to prepare yourself and defend the entrances; while large glass windows can be an easy entry point.
If you find yourself faced with slow zombies, then you just need to wait for the right moment and scale down the building, or, alternatively, fight your way downstairs floor by floor.
those unfortunates who find themselves faced with giant glass windows, no matter how high up, should not presume 'I am too high up for a zombie to get in the window'. Prepare for the worst. Vacate your position. If you can, try find an appropriate room on the ground floor (most people will be gone soon anyway).

Make A Checklist
-Water
-Food
-Weapons
-Entertainment

Water
Always be prepared. As soon as you begin barricading your home turn on all the taps and fill any bats and sinks. The water pressure might not work in the future and you do not want to die from thirst. If you have someone else with you, have them fill buckets and bottles and other containers with water too.

Food
You should have been stockpiling already. If you didn't you could be in a lot of trouble. My advice would be to ration whatever food you have and try to make it last as long as possible. Once people have vacated the area (and hopefully drawn a lot of zombies with them), arm yourself and loot homes nearby. If you are living in an apartment this should be relatively easy.

Weapons
The majority of people have at least one gun in their home. Arming yourself is literally what could save you.

This Article discusses items you can find aroundthe home to defend yourself with.

Entertainment
If you are planning on staying in your home for a considerable period of time, entertainment can be the only thing that stands between you and insanity. Reading a book is a very good idea because it leaves you able to hear any sounds of intrusion. Watching a movie, playing video games and listening to music could get you killed if they are so loud you can't hear a zombie breach your defenses. NEVER listen to music through headphones; they block outside noise.
Board Games are also a good alternative.


Once you have all of the above done, it is important to set guard duty and have someone patrolling the boarder. You can also have someone stationed at strategic positions so they can view and defend entrances.

Have a backpack of all necessary equipment packed and ready to go.

Attempt to stay fit, especially if you are eventually planning on leaving for a safer location.

Try to do everything as quietly as possible. Drawing attention means drawing lots of zombies. If they're fast moving this could mean death.

Zombies Of The Future

I think the most likely way that humans will become zombies is through the evolution of the toxoplasma gondii parasite.

The toxoplasma gondii parasite live an breeds in the intestine of the common cat. When a rat comes into contact with infected cats' feces it too becomes infected. Amazingly, the infection reaches the rat's brain and its normal behaviours is altered.
The rat will completely ignore its survival instinct and become attracted to cats and cats' urine. This leads to the rat becoming easy prey for any nearby cats.
One a cat has digested an infected rat, the parasite grows inside the cat's intestines and the cycle begins all over again.

I find it amazing how a simple parasite can infect a brain and alter a huge part of it completely.
I think it is only a matter of time before the parasite evolves and moves onto larger mammals, and eventually humans.

In the future it is highly possible that we could find ourselves faced with a parasite that turns alters our behaviours, and basically making us into zombies, as we pursue whatever needs the parasite has. A scary thought? For me yes. Simply because it is realistic. Evolution is a fact, and it is only a matter of time before it catches up with us.