Zombies are considered an apocalyptic creature. There is no specific explanation for the origin of this concept. The word ‘zombie’ means animated corpse, a person who has had their mind controlled by someone else and is working as a slave. Zombies, by that definition, have been around since man first walked the earth.
They first appeared in the literature “Epic of Gilgamesh,” which stated, “The dead will outnumber the living.” More than half of all zombie movies have been produced since September 11th, 2001. Since the attacks on September 11th, there has been a repeated correlation between the notion of a zombie invasion and terrorism. Both are relentless and hell bent on causing mass chaos. We need to be prepared ahead of time to deal with the chaos that may come in the future.
What is the modern-day definition of a zombie? For all intents and purposes, the term ‘zombie’ can be used as a metaphor for anything that threatens our way of life.
Most people are unsure of how to prepare for and deal with current threats. Civilization is as close as it’s ever been to total collapse. There are so many elements that are putting pressure on us from all directions: the global war on terror, global warming, global financial meltdown, natural disasters, and political instability.
Borders are starting to collapse, as we’ve seen recently in Ukraine, the Middle East, and even on the southern border of the U.S. The collapse of borders only allows the threat to grow more quickly and become stronger.
Our survival is at stake, more right now than ever before. So how do we prepare for a zombie threat?
Mindset: Urgent threats don’t always allow us time to fully process an event and come up with an adequate response. The thought of what may happen to society as a whole when faced with total annihilation can be crippling. This stress could also cause tense relations with neighbors and those closest to you. Panic sets in and everybody loses trust in each other. The psychological aspects of a zombie threat could be more devastating than the physical threat itself; just take a look at the Ebola scare we had not too long ago, or the anthrax scare shortly after September 11th, 2001.
- The knee-jerk reaction most people will have is to barricade themselves in a “safe room” or “bug in” in order to shield themselves from the threat. The problem with this is that you’re preventing yourself from being able to acquire food, water, and other supplies that may be needed.
- You don’t want to face a zombie situation unarmed. If you are unarmed, you need to know how to control the situation and provide yourself an exit strategy through the use of combatives and hand-to-hand combat.
- Today, our zombie threat is not easily seen. Modern-day terrorism is quite terrifying, as our enemy is more often than not unseen and blends into society. They are in our neighborhoods; they don’t look like an army. The war on terror is much like fighting a hoard of zombies. Like zombies, terrorists will continue to hunt us down and they will not stop until we have eliminated them or they have overtaken us. This requires a constant state of situational awareness.
- Let’s talk head shots: Shot placement is critical. You need to be able to disable the threat immediately, which often requires a shot to the face (ideally right above the bridge of the nose). This will most likely have to be done under stress.
- Bugging out should be your last option. Stay in and fortify your home until you’ve exhausted all options. If the only option becomes bugging out, you need to be prepared ahead of time for that possibility. You’ll need to become familiar with woodsman skills and the skills of the 18th-century scouts. You’ll need to know how to gain entry to buildings and houses. When bugging out or evading, another necessity is physical fitness. You need to be physically fit enough to be able to continuously move with your gear on.
- Survival does not only mean stocking up on food, water, and bullets. It also means having the skills to survive, whether that’s in an urban environment or wilderness environment. It’s also not about having fancy gear and gadgets. Survival is about persevering through hardships we are faced with.
- Evasion techniques will be used more than the shooting of your firearms. That single shot you take may give up your position.
- Machete: inexpensive, lightweight, it can be used to clear brush if evading, used to process wood, or used as a weapon of fear.
- Crowbar: inexpensive and can be used to gain entry to get needed supplies for your survival, or as a blunt striking weapon.
- Spearpoint: can be attached to a long stick and used to cook food over a fire, for spear fishing or gigging, and as a lethal stabbing weapon.
- Knives: With a knife, two is one and one is none. I recommend carrying a good quality pocket knife that’s on you at all times and a quality fixed-blade knife in your pack or bag.
- Rifle: An M4 carbine gives you distance/standoff from the threat.
- Handgun: A 9mm Glock 17 is durable, easy to conceal, accurate out to 50 meters, and has good barrier penetration.
- Shotgun: A Remington 870 provides excellent barrier penetration when used with slugs and has devastating terminal ballistics when used up close and personal.
I’m a member of the organization ZERT—Zombie Eradication Response Team. After reading up on the organization, it sounded too cool not be a member of. To some, it may sound corny or childish, but ZERT is much more than just about zombies. They offer professional training courses led by former SOF operators, too. Courses include survival, close-quarter combat, rifle and handgun skills, ropes courses, and team tactics. In addition to their courses, they also offer single-day clinics on various topics.
ZERT also works with gear companies to offer tactical gear to their members at reduced rates.
Once signed up with ZERT, you will be given a callsign and a squadron assignment. From there, you can link up with other members of your squadron to train together and hone your skills as a unit. You also have the opportunity to prove your shooting skills by passing their NSS—National Shooting Standards and the Irregular Warfare Qualification.
This article is only a brief overview of what you need to do to be ready for modern-day threats. Use this article as a guide to finding more in-depth material, resources, and training so that you’re prepared for the unknown. Now is the time to prepare, not once you start hearing reports of imminent danger.
(Featured image courtesy of theadventurepost.com)