In case you didn’t know … I love books and movies about zombies.  I watch old zombie movies, new zombie movies, play an occasional zombie video game, listen to Rob Zombie … :)

So it’s no surprise I’ve read the Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks.  This book, and the SAS Survival Guide are two of my most favorite books (the MOST favorite book of all time still being 12 Chairs by Ilf and Petrov … although if you don’t read Russian, don’t even bother).

Max Brooks’ Zombie book has an amazing variety of methods of protecting yourself from the attacks of the living dead, as well as ways to kill them quickly and efficiently.  However, the true awesomeness is on the back cover of the book — and since I could not find it on the Internet, I am publishing the entire list:

TOP 10 LESSONS FOR SURVIVING A ZOMBIE ATTACK

1. Organize before they rise!
2. They feel no fear, why should you?
3. Use your head, cut off theirs.
4. Blades don’t need reloading.
5. Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair.
6. Get up the staircase, then destroy it.
7. Get out of the car, get onto the bike.
8. Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!
9. No place is safe, only safer.
10. The zombie may be gone, but the threat lives on.

I suppose another reason this appeals to me is because I grew up in the Eastern Europe in the 80′s … so you can pretty much replace the word “zombie” with the word “communism” and instantly relate to why I like all this.

The lessons of this list don’t have to apply in a post-apocalyptical world of Fallout 3 … they apply here and now.

1. Be prepared.
2. Don’t be easily intimidated.
3. Think before you act.
4. Keep things simple.
5. Protect yourself, your family, and your assets.
6. Seek the high ground, but physically and morally.
7. Stay mobile.
8. Pay attention to your surroundings.
9. Nothing lasts forever.
10. History repeats itself.

This is the real reason I love all this zombie shit — it reminds me to be focused, alert, and prepared.  Don’t believe my being prepared?

Here’s some pics — one day back in May I realized we didn’t have a pantry.  Well, we had one, but it was stocked with a few canned goods and mostly perishables.  I then decided to utilize the space under the stairs to jam pack it full of survival food that would last the two us at least a year.

How to be Poor Survival - Zombie Shelter

Here’s some soup — I know the most economical use of space would be to store canned chicken and dry pasta and then make your own soup, but that’s being almost “too ready” — at least with canned soup you lose a little space, but gain a lot in convenience.

How to be Poor Survival - Zombie Shelter Soup

This would not be long-term survival without SPAM — high fat, high calorie meat with a shelf life of 3 years, easy:

How to be Poor Survival - Zombie Shelter Spam

I picked up a bunch of rice and other grains (wheat, buckwheat).  They don’t go bad, and you can survive on them forever.

How to be Poor Survival - Zombie Shelter Grain

I put together a box of medical supplies — antibiotic ointment, gauze, alcohol, wet naps, etc.  Yes, tampons too.  Oh, I also picked up a sweet hand-cranked radio/flashlight.

How to be Poor Survival - Zombie Shelter Medkit

There you have it.  I don’t have to worry about zombies, but if anything like a hurricane, a flood, or job loss happens, we should be good for awhile.