I can’t believe I didn’t think of this. NR Zombie-Free Cruises:
Jonah,
As a former sailor and deep thinker on issues of zombie preparedness, I want to caution you against thinking too much “inside the box”.
Following a worldwide zombie apocalypse, there will be no form of money and there will be many, many large industrial vessels that can be just taken if you like them. On a large yacht there is often a water-creation system (it’s called reverse osmosis, if you want to look it up).
Sooooo…. your only remaining issue is fuel. And on that you should consider filling a barge with diesel and anchoring it out where only you know where it is. This should last a number of years. Food becomes a matter of how good a fisherman you are. Unless of course you have access to an island of your own – in which case you are set for life.
Good luck in your preparations,
In all seriousness (“because this is such a serious subject?” — The Couch), the cruise ship idea is appealing, though you’d need a serious crew to run it. And the potential for zombie stowaways is enornous. On the upside a cruise ship could carry enough people for a real division of labor, shore parties, schools, etc. I like it.
Update: On the other hand, from a friend and academic (despite his mixed review of my book!):
Jonah,
I saw Zombieland last week and it was the most pleasurable movie experience I have had in years. I am not saying it is a great movie, but it sure is fun.
You need to look at Max Brooks’s World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War for some survival tips. Brooks wrote the Zombie Survival Guide, so World War Z is a kind of practical implementation of the Survival Guide. I am not as keen as you are regarding ships and islands. Zombies may not be able to swim, but they can walk on the solid bottom. This is how the zombies invade Pittsburgh in George Romero’s Land of the Dead. They don’t swim the Three Rivers, they just walk across on the river bottoms. Also, in the remake of Dawn of the Dead they also try to get to an island, I think in the Great Lakes but I am not sure. The problem is that you have to make sure no infected person ever gets on the island. One zombie can really wreck your zombie paradise. So this requires a lot of vigilance. In the movie the zombies get to the island first. It doesn’t end well…unless you are rooting for the zombies.
My personal suggestion is one offered in World War Z, namely go North young man. The thing about zombies is they freeze. In fact, depending on the time of year, [Name of Western/Plains State withheld] where I am would work very well. Certainly from November through March you have a pretty good shot at it being zombie-freezing cold. You have population centers if you need some supplies, so “roughing it” is fairly easy. A tent, a good sleeping bag, a trusty rifle ( I suggest a .223), and some canned fruit and you can live well for some time.
Sadly, I have also put considerable thought into this question. Like I say, we have long winters in [Location withheld]
May I volunteer to be your “un-dead guy”?
Me: A lot of readers tout World War Z as a source, and I have no problem with that — though I haven’t read it either. But this does cut to the whole undead v. biological zombie issue. The undead can walk the ocean floor. The rage virus carriers in the 28 Days movies can’t. Maybe the trick is to take the cruise ship as far North as feasible. Though one doesn’t want to get stuck in the ice, even though that would make a great movie plot.
I will ponder the application for the “un-dead guy” slot. Though I suspect there is ample competition.
Update II: Another World War Z emailer:
You severely underestimate the power of zombies in warm weather.
According to the book mentioned in the subject line, millions of zombies are currently under the surface of the oceans wandering somewhat aimlessly. They would cross under the ocean only to pop up on an island swarming the living without a chance of escape.
Even anchoring offshore would not be peaceful and you can’t just putt around because your fuel would be very, very limited. The undead would be able to pull themselves up the anchor chain towards your boat. Ships do have ‘rat guards’, but you would need something a little bigger to fend off the zombies. But you would still hear them and being trapped on a relatively small boat with the sounds of zombies right outside of your hull would eventually drive you nuts.
Zombies are affected by the cold. They can freeze solid during the winter, which if you can find them makes for easy kills without using bullets which may run low. They also move much, much slower in the cold.
The best place to set up would be in the high foothills of the Rockies or other large mountain chain preferably in a valley with large impassable mountains surrounding it to limit the access to one general direction. You could then defend that direction in the limited summer months while farming. What is grown would have to be limited to what can grow in the limited summer months. But you must have new sources of food.
This is a much better topic than health care!