Shelter from the Living Dead

March 19, 2008

Zombies I got a good reaction to my last zombie article, so I thought I’d continue to another often misunderstood topic with zombies: What are the best places to hide from zombies.

Movies and books generally use the shelter as a story location and, more often than not, as a plot device. In ‘Dawn of the Dead’ the central characters take refuge in a shopping mall. The mall was chosen because it seems, in a general sense, like a perfect shelter as a result of the huge array of supplies it affords. It also proved the perfect location to set a socio-economic commentary, which is what ‘Dawn of the Dead’ was. The movie was a pivotal one in zombie history and, as a result of its cult status, malls have become the cliche shelter against zombies.

Other common shelters from fiction include boarded houses, military bases, funeral parlors, schools, sea ships, and even pubs. The point is: In fiction, the shelter is simply another aspect of the story and not a guide for real zombie shelters.

But, where should you take shelter when the army of undead rise from their cold graves in the inevitable apocalypse?

What is the perfect zombie shelter?

On the face of it there really is no “perfect” shelter. Any shelter, depending on a number of factors (including its upkeep and materials), is prone to failure at a crucial moment. But, we should have an ideal shelter to base our security measures on. It also helps to get all of our ideas down on paper.

To get to the perfect shelter, we must first consider the zombie’s limitations. For this scenario, we’ll be considering the limitations of the “dead” zombie; and in the event of the “live” zombie outbreak, you should disregard the ideas in this post and consider survival tactics aimed at surviving human aggressors.

The dead zombie is a decomposing human.

At it’s core a zombie is a poorly made person whose condition worsens with each passing second. They are easy to outrun and in a one on one match, they are no competition for even the least fit living human. But, as I plan to detail more thoroughly in a future post, they have strengths that lie, primarily in numbers. When you combine their ability to form groups and assimilate their victims as combined with the fact that they can’t easily be killed, the balance swings broadly away from the living and toward the dead.

But, the weaknesses of the individual are also the weaknesses of the group.

A group of zombies is no more capable of scoring a slam-dunk in a basketball game than is an individual zombie. They lack the strength and muscular flexibility to jump that high. A group of zombies can’t run or jump or do cartwheels any better than any one of its members. So, although the group is decidedly more dangerous, it can also be looked at as a single specimen when considering shelter alternatives.

The perfect shelter must play against zombies’ weaknesses.

Let’s look at the zombie, shall we? A zombie is a decomposing person, their muscles don’t heal with strain and every step they take carries them one step closer toward eventual paralysis. So, what can’t a zombie do?

A zombie can’t:

Jump
Climb steep surfaces
Swim
Run
Swing from their arms

This list gives a fairly complete, although generalized view of their physical limits. And, the perfect shelter should take advantage of these.

Given the limits, a perfect shelter would be a boat or a building that is high off the ground with only climbing entrances. The perfect shelter should also include supplies and an easy exit.

Max Brooks the world’s leading expert on zombies suggests a community of houses on pier beams that stand at least ten feet off the ground. The houses would be interconnected by a series of suspended walkways.

I have to say I agree. And, even though this type of shelter invites the possibility of running out of supplies and finding yourself trapped above an ocean of hungry undead; it’s good to keep in mind that no shelter is perfect.

Another alternative is aboard a ship in the ocean. In a ship it’s possible to fish for supplies and evaporate fresh water. Unfortunately, with floating zombies and low tides, the possibility of zombie attack remains, as well as a likelihood of exposure and drowning.

Every person will have preferences when it comes to shelter from the walking dead, and something to keep in mind is that you probably won’t want to be alone – meaning you might have to compromise on your shelter.

But, no matter where you decide to shelter yourself when the zombies roll in, make sure that you keep in mind the zombies’ weaknesses as well as your own. And, more than anything be prepared.

Want to know more about our undead kin? Find more about zombies here: Zombies on The Flowercast

Posted by flowersjustin | Filed Under zombies

Comments

Suzi

Another awesome post! How did I miss this?
How do you feel about high-rises, as in "I Am Legend"? Can dead zombies use elevators?
Love the comic strip too...

flowersjustin

hehehe - Well, you should subscribe to the RSS feed - that way you can be sure to get all of the posts, since they are so random. I think the high rise question is a great topic, and probably deserves its own post.

MORO

I Love Zombies!!!1
I also talk about zombies and other things in my blog...
I have a spanish version and a new english one. Can visit anytime you want: http://zombieword.blogspot.com

Chelsie

Okay, so, I always read about people, constantely talking about "how to survive a zombie attack", and I always ask myself, and anyone I am currently talking to on AIM, the phone, etc, (haha) how people surmise that eventually there will be an army of the living dead.

In Dawn of the Dead, they use "proof" of a priest saying, "When Hell is full, the dead will walk the earth." and whether you're a believer of the Bible or not, it says nothing of the sort. in "The Book of Revelations" it says nothing of zombies, only the pleagues, etc.

I've read on zombie spoof sites, and have conversation with people, about how they "think" zombie storys have "came about", and most people have agreed with this theory that I've read multiple times..

Back in like, well, some long ass time ago.. and this is no joke.
People use to "use magic" and make people "die" and then "bring them back to life". Also, back when they didn't have high tecnology, and they weren't able to tell if a person was actually dead when burried them, and a lot of the times people wouldnt be, and would awake in they're coffin of doom and would tripp out and claw at their casket trying to get out.. and when people would see this, they'd assume "oh shit! zombies!"

and I just ask, because I'm HORRIFIED of zombies.. like, if there's a phobia name for "fear of zombies" I have it.. I can't even look outside at night 'cause I'm too afraid. =(

so what makes people "have proof" of zombies?
other than people using "voodoo", because that's all I've ever came across.

jmoes

what about like a walmart or something as a shelter thy have food and supplies to last you a long time

and plus they have hunting gear and weapons
-guns
-knives
-and ect.

Jack Woods

I dont think so. A walmart would be too easy to get into. You would have tons of entries and exits and you would have to end up fortifying it and stuff.Not to mention all the people that would already be in there. It would just be too hard to set it up safely.

flowersjustin

Jacob,

That's pretty smart, and it's what a lot of people would do. But, because of the problems of multiple entrances (and trying to maintain their stability), rotting food, marauding theives and animals, and the strange draw that shopping centers invariably have on zombies, I would still suggest stocking up on supplies ahead of time and finding a smaller place to stay that is off the ground.

Thanks for the question Jacob.

jmoes

well you know how walmart has those big shelves
put them over the auto doors and you can also lock the auto doors so no one can get in.
and all of the employee doors only have handles from the inside.
and most soups and things dont run out for a few years so it would last a long time. And if your smart drive down to a near by fan and get animals that arnt zombies and take them with you because they will mate and make food you can eat so you can last longer.

flowersjustin

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jmoes

well you do know that cosco has the same consept as walmart but the front doors are all metal lift doors like storages and there imployee do only have handles from the inside so no one could break in.

My idea for a shelter

Hello there,

First time to your site. I have enjoyed zombies in movies and literature since I was a small child. Back then I would run scenarioes on my mind as how to "zombie-proof" the numerouse homes we rented (military brat). I still have a bit of my imagination left from those days long ago.

I live off base these days, but I'm in uniform myself. Military bases would be one of the worst places to hole up in. But if zombies ever did truly occur I know where I would go... The nearest prison. High walls, areas can be secured from one another, #10 cans of food (big ones), weapons for the taking, and best of all... Not only are prisons hard to break out of, they're actually harder to get into!

'd like to thank you for posting your thoughts on zombies. I am going nuts here at work and feel a bit zombified myself atm.

v/r
Chief

flowersjustin

Wow, I've got to say that that is one of the best alternative shelters I've ever heard of. You would potentially face the same "clearing out" problem that shopping center bound survivors would face: That is to say you might get to the prison and realize, after locking yourself in, that you now have to clear out an entire prison full of zombies.

But, if it was already cleared out, or if it were possible to clear it out slowly with a team of helpers - I think you're right that it could be the best zombie shelter available.

Since you're new to the site, you might also check out the follow up to this post Big Box Stores as Shelter from the Living Dead. And, if you'd like to read more you can always do a search on the site for zombies - I have a ton of posts.

Thanks,
Justin

chromerhino

"Clearing out" would be tough. But if the zombie plague were spread through bites, then the prison's isolation would mean you were likely to have an overcrowded complex of uninfected violent criminals. At least until one of the zombies got in...

More on prisons

Thanks for the quick responce,

I've already read all your zombie info here to include box stores. I've also read many of the "Survival Guides" out there on the web. The prison would have the huge #10 cans that would stay good for quite some time. It would also have it's own power (sometimes water) source as well. Not to mention fuel farm and armored vehicles. Locked cabinet has the keys you say? .12 guage at close range or fire axe is my answer.

As for zombies already there... Prisons are constructed in cell blocks. Please don't ask how I know so much about prison systems. :p The survivors could clear the undead inhabitants out one cell block at a time. Firearms can not penetrate most prison walls... but you can easily sight in and snipe through a chain link fence, which you will find inside the compound in many areas. These were put in place so that the guards would have a clear view of the prisoners and could also hear what was going on around them.

Back to the zombies already there... They will most probly be in the cells themselves still locked up. Just stay in the middle of the walkway, away from both sides and out of reach, and shoot them through the bars. Make sure you wear leather gloves, combat boots and a nice leather jacket. Biker jackets are my preference due to the fact that the snaps can by undone and the collars can be fastened around your neck for added protection before pulling that riot helmet w/ face shield on. Leather chaps would be an added safety precaution when worn over some denim jeans or a pair of BDU trousers. See? Told you I still had some of my imagination kicking around.

More on prisons

Adding your site to my favortes. Any chance have you seen Diary of the Dead yet?

flowersjustin

And yes I have. It certainly wasn't my favorite Romero film, but it's a
pretty great re-envisioning of the genre - with several interesting things
to say about social media (Not all of which I agree with).

Lee

I have seen diary of the dead. Still quite unsure of it but still enjoyed it.

flowersjustin

If I wasn't already committed, I'd ask you to marry me. But, in all
seriousness, that sounds like a brilliant plan - and unconventional.

When you throw in the fact that most people either wouldn't think of a
prison as a shelter or would steer clear of it because of negative
connotations that existed before the zombie uprising, I have to say that a
prison is moving to my top five places.

Ironback

Let me add some more sugar to the prison idea then;
1. It has it's own medical center.
2. Mauraders/survivors woulldn't be able to sneak up on you and your group easily.
3. You will have open spaces to stretch your legs. The "Yard".
4. If done correctly and there is a break-in. you can opt to loose a small section of your space until you mount a counter-strike.
5. As you mentioned, most live people would steer clear of the place due to negative connotations.
6. The Dead may do the same as #5. Why not? They flock to the Malls do they not? So they'd steer clear of the prisons wouldn't they?
7. Alas, while flattering to say the least, I do believe my wife would have me join the ranks of the walking dead in a heartbeat (or lack thereof) if I took you, or anybody else, up on a proposal.

Thanks for having a great web site and such lively *chuckle* banter.

v/r
Chief

flowersjustin

Stocked medical center, safety from outsiders, and not a hot spot for
frequent visitors... I think you may have found a cool setting for the
next Romero flick... well, actually, now that I think of it, it would
be a terrible setting for a movie - You need constant conflict for a
zombie movie - and after it was cleared out, a prison would be too
safe for horror movie audiences...

Oh well, we'll save it for real life.

As far as number 7 is concerned, my wife would probably object
violently as well - but, I'm sure the intellectual banter would make
it worth it. Hehe.

Well, regardless of our marital situations, thanks for the great
contribution to the site - I'm thinking of creating a new post about
it, or if you'd care to contribute an article, I'll say that I'd
accept it (with proper attribution to you, of course) sight unseen.

sean

wow thanks i feel safe now -.-

andra

isn't timing a funny thing? i'm in the middle of Max Brooks World War Z and feel all the more prepared for the invasion. I live in a house that I feel would be a fairly good shelter from the undead. With a few modifications, it's near perfect.

the fact that i know this and have a master plan scares the crap out of my two roommates...but, they'll be thanking me when they have a safe place to hole up.

great blog...ill be revisiting regularly. thanks!

flowersjustin

Haha - brilliant. And, I consider World War Z one of the best volumes of
information on post-zombie appocalypse, so good reading! You should post
photos of your zombie proof house - or send them and I can look them over in
a blog post.

Thanks for reading,
Justin

sparcs

loooove the prison idea.. all point are valid .. including quality of life 'inside'..

Have to vent..and this seems the ideal place.. Max Brooks apparent lack of anatomy and physiology is so frustrating i couldn't make it all the way thru "zombie survival guide"... i dont know how many notes i made in the margins..

he even suggests a jimmy bar as the ideal weapon... get stuck in 1 sec..

there at least part of my vent done..

excellent article by the way

flowersjustin

Hey sparcs,

Thanks for reading. You're spot on about "Survival guide." Although there is some pretty good advice, he's lacking on the weapons front, although, Brooks did somewhat redeem himself with coming up with a flexible and useful weapon in "World War Z," he lost points because it's not a common item that can be picked up at any hardware store... It has to be made.

You gave me an idea to do a post on weapons.

Thanks again,
Justin

Austin

So i gotta question......i got confused about the live and dead zombie thing......umm have u played resident evil 4??? and if so they could jump and run and swim and stuff like that.....same in 28 days and weeks later.....

flowersjustin

Hey Austin,

The alive/dead argument can be summarized by asking whether the creature in
question still has bodily function (eg: is its heart still beating etc.).
So, for example, the zombies in 28 Days Later were living zombies - Which is
why people were able to just wait until they died of starvation.

The major difference for us non-zombies (the ones who have to run from them)
is whether or not they are "healers." Living zombies heal from their
energies and can therefore continue to build muscle mass while dead zombies
continue to deteriorate until their limbs begin to fall off.

The zombies in Resident Evil 4 - because they are capable of so many things
(including, I think, magical things) fit into a category that I have not yet
touched on - Magic Zombies. These are zombies either created through
scientific or magic means who have what can only be described as
supernatural powers.

Hope that answers your question, and thanks for dropping by.

Justin

Lee

Hi there,
Quite simply your own home could offer protection from the living dead. I think as long as you had time to gather enough supplies a Two story house would be sufficient. I live in a Three story town house so the First thing i would do is fortify the ground level ie: Batten up the windows and doors and remove the staircase. By doing the latter your cutting of the living deads only means of entry to the second floor. Their are other houses attached to mine so in the event of needing to make a quick exit i would pass through my loft space untill i came to the last house and then make a run for it (Providing the last house is not already over run). I can't go anywhere without thinking if it would be a suitable place to keep out the infected.

Excellent post by the way!!

Lee p, London

flowersjustin

Hey Lee,
Great plan. Multiple story homes with the staircase knocked out is a great
way to keep your living quarters from the approaching horde. And when you
throw in connections to other houses, it's brilliant - and very similar to
the interconnected houses set on "stilts" idea that Brooks had.

But, you do want to make sure that you have multiple viable exits

And you also make a great point at the end of your comment. Always be ready
- and always think about your surroundings, because it's more likely that
you'll be away from home when the outbreak occurs.

Thanks,
Justin

Ironback

One thing you must take into account is...
What is the density of teh population where you are located geographicaly?

I live in Santa Rosa, CA. I'm going to be up to my armpits in undead when Z-Hour hits. I'm tossing my "earthquake" (that's what I tell the wife & friends it is) box, kids, wife and munitions into the SUV and we're headed to the boonies. I have a nice little high walled prison already picked out.

So even if you knock the stairs out... The zombies may pull an "ant manuver" on you. That's where they don't stop coming. Have you ever seen "Starship Troopers"? Remember where the bugs kept coming and coming? They were crawling over thier own dead to get to the humans. It is my belief that zombies may just do the same thing. And if you live in a high population area... You get the picture.

So have that escape route not only planned out for your domicile, but also for getting out of your neighborhood. and on a side note: I always top off my tank once it hits the 1/2 full mark.

And yes... I know I need therapy. But then again, you've had these thoughts as well... and you're still reading this... and you were thinking scenarioes over in your head as you did so now weren't you? :P

Regards,
Chief

Ironback

Forgot to ask in the last post...

I didn't see a posting about weapons yet. Will you be making one? I have a few ideas I'd like to add once it is up.

~Chief

flowersjustin

You're awesome, Chief. I guess the day has come for me to stop using
my daughter as an excuse to procrastinate - and, I've been looking
forward to doing a post.

I've started the weapons post and it'll be coming at you either
tomorrow or the next day.

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

J

Ironback

As I am looking forward to reading yours. I've been working on a short guide for survival. I'm going to enter a contest with it. I just need a place to post it now...

flowersjustin

Hey Ironback,
If you need hosting for it, I don't mind hosting it here at Flowercast -
Either as a Post on the site itself - or just hosted on the server for
download. And, I'd love to read it.

Let me know if that's what you're looking for.

J

Ironback

Hey J,
Thank you for the offer. My "short" guide has grown a bit in the past two day and I'm up to 19 pages already. But I have so much more I want to put into it!

I have yet to read Brook's survival guide. After reading about his lack of A&P I think I may have an edge on him in that arena. I've been in the military medical field (both emergency and clinical) for quite a few years now.

We'll see how the guide (soon yto be book) goes. Once again, thank you! Hurry up an post on the weapons. :p I'd like to post a page or two of my ideas on the matter.

~Chief

isabella

i have a quiestion,what is the true origin of a zombie? I mean I've seen the movies but,sometimes it's portriaed as a desies that just randomly starts happening and eltsware is shown as the dead coming out of the ground.

flowersjustin

Isabella,

Thanks for dropping by. You've hit on a great question - and also one that
comes up over and over again in the history of zombies and zombie attacks.
You should check out my post on zombie origins - here's the link:
http://flowercast.net/2008/07/18/where-did-thes...

Thanks,
Justin

Madison

Ok, hold up.

Am I correct in my assumption that everyone on here really believes that there's a possibility of an "invasion" of the living dead? Or is this all just for fun?

flowersjustin

Tee Hee - I'm afraid It's more fun not to tell you.

flowersjustin

Tee Hee - I'm afraid It's more fun not to tell you.

fabio

I think that zombies can climb. How would you know that they can't climb? I think that they are stupid and need to get brains.

Brain

Zombies films have always a stirking of interest, Im reseaching because I want to write the ultimate zombie sceen play that will scare the crap out of poeple, but at the smae time keep poeple on the edge of there seats,
than scare than scare them somemore. Do you have ant advice?

Gabriel

Umm i was Reading your thing..

Let’s look at the zombie, shall we? A zombie is a decomposing person, their muscles don’t heal with strain and every step they take carries them one step closer toward eventual paralysis. So, what can’t a zombie do?

A zombie can’t:

Jump
Climb steep surfaces
Swim
Run
Swing from their arms

This list gives a fairly complete, although generalized view of their physical limits. And, the perfect shelter should take advantage of these.

That is very flaw In Sean Of The Dead They Swung there arms..
In Dawn Of the Dead THey Could run.
In land Of The Dead They Could Swim...aLSO in hosue ofn the dead. they could run and they could swim and they could drag people wich means there muscle strength would be high.
So This site has to be fixed becuase alot of thesrre facts have been proven to be flaw

flowersjustin

Hey Gabriel,
I appreciate you reading my "thing." I wrote before about the running
zombie versus the walking zombie here:
http://flowercast.net/2008/02/26/zombie-locomot...

As far as running zombies in "Dawn of the Dead" I assume you're talking
about the most recent version - and not the original.

When I said "swing from their arms" I meant holding their body weight with
their arms as they hang from something - not swinging their arms as they
walk (and I know you're going to mention the zombie in the parking garage in
the new "Dawn of the Dead," but again - that is based on the running zombie
theory).

And look, a zombie is a dead person whose body is decomposing. One of the
most important things that set dead people apart from living people is their
ability to heal wounds. When a living person exerts strength, their muscles
tear - and when they heal up again, they grow stronger. A dead person's
muscles can't heal - therefore they can't grow stronger - and, in fact grow
weaker every time they use their muscles.

So, please read my other posts, Gabriel - read Max Brooks' "Zombie Survival
Guide" and watch George Romero's original "Dawn of the Dead."

Thanks for reading,
Justin

seany dee

if this degeneration occurs so rapidly, then why have they always got super strength. no matter what film.

angelaa

you should really check out lostzombies.com
if you havent already.

by the way, thanks you for this, its AWESOME!

flowersjustin

I have actually, I've got a user account over there. Pretty neat concept,
and it looks like they finished up their big goal.
And thanks for coming by and leaving a comment.

Talk to you soon,
Justin

Being Kiel Frieden

There's a lot of prison talk going on here, but no mention of the Walking Dead, an amazing comic series which they hole up in a prison for most of the current series... but there were a lot of failed attempts at other locations prior to the prison, its really a beautiful comic and i think most of the people on this site would enjoy it... now... having said that, ive got loads of opinions and theories and hypotheticals and an apocalypse bag in my closet. i'll start posting here soon enough, i've just recently discovered this place...

flowersjustin

Hey,

I'm glad somebody mentioned the Walking Dead - I've been reading it
myself, and trying to get around to posting about it. And, you're
right, the comic nails the prison-as-a-refuge idea. I just recently
finished book 6 of the series.

I'd love to hear more about your "apocalypse bag" by the way. What do
you have packed, etc?

Thanks for reading,
Justin