The Zombie Security Bandwagon

A while ago, I talked about survival during crisis situations. Today, I want to relate that to zombies.

I've mostly ignored the zombie craze that's dominated popular culture in recent years, but even I haven't been immune. My two major gateways have been the abridged audiobook of World War Z (read by an all star cast), and the film Zombieland. The first was a loan from my then-boss, who had been listening to audiobooks during a slough of road trips. I was amazed at the level of research and analysis that the author had put into writing the book, and the all star voice cast was fantastic. As for Zombieland, I just thought it was really entertaining. Last Summer, I went to see the theatrical adaptation of World War Z, and was pleasantly surprised when it succeeded my low expectations. (They capitalized upon the occasion by releasing an expanded World War Z Unabridged Audiobook; I have yet to listen to it, but a copy of it is waiting for me on the East Coast.)

Beyond that, my interst in zombies was fleeting. I remember being amused when I learned that both Canadian and American officials had used a theoretical zombie outbreak as a tool for thinking about public health issues and emergency management. I even considered participating in the first Survive Norfolk event during my last few weeks in Virginia. Aside from that, I didn't pay it much mind. My ex-girlfriend sort of got the wrong idea about how fixated on zombies I actually was, and was pretty keen to capitalize on that inaccurate knowledge on occasions which warranted gifts. Max Brooks has become the sort of de facto doyen of contemporary zombie literature, so in addition to the first season of The Walking Dead, she gave me a copy of Max Brooks' other major publication, The Zombie Survival Guide. (I got to pack both of these back from the Middle East when I demobilized - the wisdom of sending a bunch of gifts when she knew that I was coming home in a few weeks is still lost on me, but I suppose it's the thought that counts.) The ZSG never got cracked, and was slated for donation until I saw something on Facebook.

My friend Dee posted the attached pictorial of herself opening the Zombie Survival Crate from Man Crates. I had no idea that this company even existed, but in addition to a number of other cool crates and/or ammo cans filled with goodies of one sort another, they offer the aforementioned crate, as well as the Zombie Annihilation Crate and the Zombie Suppression Crate, each of which carries a slightly different load of gear, to include a copy of The ZSG. (For those who are less fixated on fictional monsters, they also offer the Outdoor Survival Crate and Ammo Can.) One could potentially start a good survival and/or camping kit by combining one of these crates with some emergency prep load-carrying equipment from Spec Ops Brand. Of course, with a little bit of ingenuity and some effort, you could probably assemble the entire kit for a bit cheaper.

Fortunately, The ZSG was in one of two boxes of unloadable books that hadn't been taken yet, so I pulled it. One of my best friends actually made national news about a year ago when he attempted to teach an elective class on zombie apocalypse survival skills (link, link), which was almost immediately cancelled because the district authorities folded to parental pressure without ever actually bothering to research what the class was about. Building from the government studies, the Man Crates products, the class my super good buddy attempted to teach, and that post I published last year, it may be worth my time to read The ZSG to see if it contains any relevant illustrations for good personal security practices.

I'll keep you folks posted as I learn more, but in the mean time, have a look at the CDC's Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic pdf, or check out Ready.gov for more information on how to prepare you, your family, and your home for both zombie- and non-zombie emergencies.