While I am more of a vampire fan, my fiance is convinced that the Zombie apocalypse is near and wishes for everyone to be prepared. Knowledge is a great weapon and here I will do my best to educate you about Zombies.
Originally, zombies were people who were brought back to life by a voodoo curse. In these modern times, zombies have come to be created through diseases and mutation. Either way, the basis is the same: They're dead and rotting hunks of flesh that have gained basic functions, such as movement.
Zombies do have a past and memories of that past may be retained, causing the zombie to behave as it did when it was a live human. Other than that, zombies are nearly mindless and obsessed with flesh.
Some good things to know:
1. Zombies were human! They have no supernatural abilities. That is, unless the human they used to be had supernatural abilities.
2. Zombies can't heal. Just as a dead body can not heal if someone slices it open, a zombie can not heal. If you shoot it in the leg, the bullet hole will stay until the reanimation is over. This is also true for internal wounding. Each time a live human exerts his/herself, muscle tearing takes place. Given time, the tearing heals and the muscle is stronger than before. When a zombie exerts itself, there is no healing of the muscles.
3. Because they are dead and rotting, zombies have a limited lifespan. This ranges from three to five years, about the time it takes for a human body to decompose. While this seems like a long time, it is a rather short time to wait out a hostile attack if enough supplies are stockpiled.
4. Zombies feel no pain. This is a problem for living humans. Doing something for too long, like running, will tire out a live human. Zombies can run for hours on end and not tire.
5. They are not agile. This could be because they are not limber due to stiffness of post-mortem muscles. This stiffness also accounts for their characteristic limp-hobbling. Their lack of agility means they can not balance and they can not climb. Swimming is also an issue.
6. Zombies think of one thing only: Flesh. No one knows why. They don't digest it. It serves them no purpose other than to potentially cause an exploding stomach. Because of this, however, live humans have their greatest weapon, that of intelligence. Zombies don't even have the thought to pick up a rock to use as a weapon, whereas humans can think to use cricket bats or guns.
7. The heart and lungs do nothing for a zombie. Severing the head will stop the body but will do little else. The zombie head can still bite and therefore spread the infection. It must be regarded as a threat and destroyed immediately.
There is much more information about zombies all over the internet. The bulk of the information here is from
Zombie Survival Guide. Much more information can be found here. I didn't even make it through half the book before this statement.
Destroying a Zombie
Destroy the brain. Sounds simple, huh? How would you go about it? Some good questions to ask about your weaponry are:
1. Can it crush a skull in one blow?
2. If not, can it decapitate in said blow?
3. Is it easy to handle?
4. Is it light?
5. Is it durable?
Questions 1 & 2 are most important. Questions 3, 4, & 5 depend on your situation.
So let the games begin! Tell us about your Zombie Survival Plan. Where would you stay? How would you scavenge for supplies? What can you add to this thread?
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