Team Andrea…on the hunt

Temperamental and rash, Andrea is determined to prove herself. But she remains prone to emotional outbursts that cloud better judgment, and result in foolish half-thought actions. That Andrea does have natural strength and the gumption to use it make her missteps all the more painful to watch. And often in the case of her fellow survivors, that pain is literal.

Who is Andrea? She is a character from The Walking Dead—a series of graphic novels by Robert Kirkman turned into one of the world’s hottest cable television shows by AMC and an insanely talented production crew. They have created cast of characters I have a great deal of love for:

If you aren’t watching the show you should be. From the moment the show begins viewers are taken on the undead ride of a lifetime, watching a cast of beleaguered humans fight not only to survive, but to retain that which makes us most human.

And it is Andrea—more than any other character on the show—that has left me screaming at my television set in equal parts empathy, rage and frustration.

Andrea is The Walking Dead’s most deadly female. Unlike the other women in the main survivor group she is very able to pull the trigger—and this ability is a vital component to both individual, and group, survival. But she is struggling to develop the mental maturity to deal with the new realities of a zombie-infested world. She has the guts. Her physical reactions to danger are never brought into question. Once the proverbial mess hits the fan, she is transformed into a tough-as-nails woman who does whatever is needed of her to draw her next breath. It remains to be seen whether she will survive long enough to become the face of “female power” on the show.

[***WARNING: Spoilers ahead***]

Andrea is a survivor. Anyone who has been through a war zone, natural disaster or other catastrophic event can tell you, no individual really knows how they’ll react in a life-threatening situation until they’re staring down the barrel of an AK-47. Some people freeze, some panic. Some go into survival mode to just get through it, while others become something akin to a battled-hardened army officer—alert, organized, able to take command of the situation. Andrea is able—no doubt thanks in no small part to massive adrenaline rushes—to batten down the emotional hatches and get through jut about anything.

But Andrea’s survival methods are also somewhat dangerous.

She is willing to push herself, but may take on more than she can handle. When walkers bit, infected and killed her last surviving family member, Andrea showed the depth of her constitution. She stayed by her sister Amy’s side—wracked with fear, guilt, sorrow and rage—until the zombification process took hold. It was Andrea who pulled the trigger to end Amy’s zombie existence. It was a moment of great strength, one that most of us would hope our loved ones would have were we to fall to a zombie horde. But it cost Andrea dearly, left her flailing and lashing out….and, yes, potentially dangerous to the other survivors.

She doesn’t listen. In the rush to demonstrate her ability to do more than wash the group’s laundry, Andrea ignored the entreaties of others in the group to take a shot at a possible walker headed towards Herschel’s farm. Now if we ignore the fact that the shot she took was aimed at one of the fan favorites Daryl Dixon and set off a pretty massive outpouring of hate, it remains a stupid move, at best. One walker. A half-dozen able-bodied men with weapons moving to intercept said walker. Why on earth would anyone consider it a good idea to take the shot and risk alerting every zombie for miles? Andrea’s desire to prove herself could cost the group lives.

Andrea is out for revenge. Few of us ever have someone specific to blame when a loved one dies; a mainstay of the human condition that can cause debilitating levels of sorrow. Andrea knows who killed her sister. Walkers. And she will take out every walker she can. In order to avoid the pitfalls usually associated with revenge, Andrea has to find a way to channel her pain strategically and not take ill-advised pot shots at ear-necklace-wearing rednecks.

There is a delicate dance to the life Andrea is molding herself to fit. She must remain level-headed enough to take clean, precise shots at the walkers. However, being able to say, “Now is not the time to fight” and retreat with the people she’s now sworn to protect is a huge skill to utilize. Can Andrea continue to grow into the ultimate zombie slayer? Will she be able to look past her thirst for revenge to do what is needed for the betterment of the group? She is unpredictable at best, downright dangerous to herself at worst. If Andrea falls into the darkness, nothing Dale or the others do will pull her out of a self-destructive tailspin. It is the danger we all face when put into world-altering events.

With special thanks to R.C. Murphy

This post originally appeared on www.julietteterzieff.com


Team Dale…ever steady

Everyone, whether fictional or flesh and blood, needs a person they can go to in times of emotional turmoil. That person holds up a mirror to reflect their true self. Without them, we are doomed to keep repeating mistakes, or worse, destroying who we really are by trying to pretend we’re someone different and going against our nature. Dale is that man. He speaks the truth, no matter how hard it is to hear.

Who is Dale? He is a character from The Walking Dead—a series of graphic novels by Robert Kirkman turned into one of the world’s hottest cable television shows by AMC and an insanely talented production crew. Like the tormented character of Shane Walsh, the squirrel-tossing badass Daryl Dixon and the honorable Glenn for all of whom I’ve already expressed great affection, Dale’s tireless battle to honor his fellow man has my unflinching support…and gratitude.

If you aren’t watching the show you should be. From the moment the show begins viewers are taken on the undead ride of a lifetime, watching a cast of beleaguered humans fight not only to survive, but to retain that which makes us most human.

Dale is The Walking Dead’s yoda…or Gandalf, if you prefer. Wise and caring, Dale acts as an elder statesman within the group –tending to group members’ emotional wellbeing, settling disputes and providing a sense of stability and direction in a world gone mad. But as we’ve seen in season two Dale, played so beautifully by Jeffrey DeMunn, is only human. His wisdom is of great value, but—truthfully—is sometimes compromised by his own feelings.

[***WARNING: Spoilers ahead***]

He is a dying breed. More so than the others in the main survivors group Dale –an elder well-educated, worldly man who chooses to remain optimistic and forward thinking—may truly be the last of his kind in the post-zombiepocalyptic world. The group needs Dale, desperately, to keep them morally and ethically grounded. He may not be perfect, no one is, but Dale is the personification of those characteristics from the “old way of living” that must.be.protected. to truly maintain the humanity that binds us all.

Dale sees all. The other members of the main survivors group try repeatedly to get one over on him, to fly under the Dale radar so they don’t have to own up to their behavior. It rarely, if ever, works. T-Dog, for instance, tried desperately to hide how severe his injuries were in the first episodes of the season. In his infection-fueled fever T-Dog became uber paranoid about his place in the group. Who would want to rely on a crippled minority and an old fart, right? Dale set him straight, showing him exactly where he was needed, while also trying what he could to tend to the more pressing matter, the fever about to fry his friend’s brain. In that moment, Dale became like a father to T-Dog. Sometimes we need our parents, even when we don’t realize it.

Dale may not be able to pull the trigger…but is still susceptible to the horrors within. In Shane, Dale finally found the one soul he cannot follow down their chosen path. Shane’s methods in ensuring the people he cares for are shocking to some. He is the trigger man Dale could never be. At the same time, during their confrontations in season two, it is apparent Dale wants to reach that level of practicality Shane is at, the one where he could do to Shane what Shane did to Otis and be able to justify it by saying he did it to keep Andrea safe. But would it really be an effort to neutralize the competition? We still don’t know if Dale’s fatherly nature has given away to more when it comes to her…and how far it could take him.

There was a moment in the season one finale where I literally bit a hole in my index finger to keep from screaming. Dale did what I hope all of us would do in a difficult situation to protect our common humanity. He chose to make the ultimate sacrifice. Andrea later accused him of being selfish. I disagree. Dale’s decision to remain behind at the soon-to-explode CDC if Andrea was staying was a moment of true bravery—one we could all aspire to having (though maybe not in such dire circumstances).

As with many of The Walking Dead characters—and most people in the real world—Dale is defined by the choices he makes. That he consistently errs on the side of traditional morality makes him a force to be reckoned with. He is the group’s greatest defender…the protector of their collective soul.

With special thanks to R.C. Murphy

This post originally appeared on www.julietteterzieff.com


Walkin’ in a Zombiepocalypse

With the holidays upon us, things have been a little hectic around the command center. Not only are processing all the reports coming in of suspected zombie activity, and with the cold temperatures who knows what will happen, the Oracle is dancing around sprinkling tinsel everywhere and has put up so many blinking lights the command center looks like a 70’s discotech. So despite the serious task at hand, command does have the holiday spirit.

And now to bring you a little holiday cheer is the commander of the Orange Brigade, our very own RC Murphy. And if this isn’t proof that she’s been spending too much time with the zombie bunnies, then I don’t know what is.

Walkin’ in a Zombiepocalypse (to the tune of Winter Wonderland)
lyrics by RC Murphy

Zombies groan, can you hear ’em?
On the walls, blood is glistenin’
A horrific sight,
A world full of fright
Walkin’ in a Zombiepocalypse.

Gone away is the old world,
Here to stay is a new world
Of death everywhere
And being so scared,
Walkin’ in a Zombiepocalypse.

On the sidewalk lays a rotting body,
It begins to twitch and moan and groan.
He’ll rise, very hungry
We’ll arm up then
And blow that sucker’s
Brains all over town.

Later on, he’ll expire,
As we set him on fire
His face full of rage
We’re saving the day,
Walkin’ in a Zombiepocalypse

 

Everybody SING! Walkin’ in a Zombiepocalypse… Walkin’ in a Zombiepocalypse… Walkin’ in a Zombiepocalypse…

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

from the

ZOMBIE SURVIVAL CREW COMMAND

Juliette Terzieff
Norman Reedus
Jinxie G
IronE Singleton
RC Murphy
Anthony Guajardo
LK Gardner-Griffie
Sean Patrick Flanery
Neil Brown Jr.
Anthony Michael Hall
Ted Raimi
David Della Rocco
Casper van Dien
James Gonzaba
Jim Parrack
Tony Todd
Sam Trammell
Kristin Bauer van Straten
Michael Kenworthy
Elizabeth Schaible
Adrian Kali Turner
Addy Miller
Viviana Chavez
Jim Burleson
J. LaRose
Ernie Hudson
Michael Rooker
Billy Tackett
Paul Phillips
Lora Lapoint
Sarah Quattrocci
Wulfie
Grae Wolffe
and JL Coburn


Happy Birthday to Us!

It has been a wild, crazy, and sometimes downright chaotic twelve months. For those of us who were here when the foundation was laid for the Zombie Survival Crew, those twelve months have flown by. When we sat back recently to look over the progress we’ve made we realized how truly astonishing an accomplishment this empire really is.

And we couldn’t have done it without you, our ever-faithful crew members.

Day by day our numbers grow and we’re introduced to new folks that are eager, ready to take on the shambling horde coming our way with nothing more than a 2×4 and their courage to aid them. The sentiment warms our hearts. It also makes us realize how lucky we are that you all have accepted us so readily. Your support has taken the ZSC from, “I wonder if…” to reality with enough energy left over to drag us into our second year of existence.

We’d like to thank our command crew as well. Without their hard work and dedication, we’d be pretty much brain dead by now—Norman Reedus, IronE Singleton, Anthony Guajardo, Sean Patrick Flanery, Neil Brown Jr., Anthony Michael Hall, Ted Raimi, David Della Rocco, Casper van Dien, James Gonzaba, Jim Parrack, Tony Todd, Sam Trammell, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Michael Kenworthy, Elizabeth Schaible, Adrian Kali Turner, Addy Miller, Viviana Chavez, Jim Burleson, J. LaRose, Ernie Hudson, Michael Rooker, Billy Tackett, Paul Phillips, and the crew members that have really stepped up to save our sanity this year: Lora Lapoint, Sarah Quattrocci, Wulfie, Grae Wolffe, and JL Coburn.

Hope you’re ready; we’re hitting 2012 at a dead sprint. Make sure your shoes are tied.

With lots of love,

Juliette, Jinxie, LK, and RC

And now it’s time for a little cake… who wants the eyeball?


Tying Nice Little Nooses

The Walking Dead 206
Reviewer: RC Murphy

This week The Walking Dead seemed to be missing something. They covered a lot of ground as far as addressing each characters plot arc but there was a key something missing. Oh, I know. Action.

Don’t mistake, I do enjoy watching our survivors grow and evolve to adjust to the harsh reality of the zombie apocalypse. That being said, it is a zombie apocalypse. They are fighting every day to survive. We were spoiled by the fast pace of the first season. The writers couldn’t take an entire episode to tie up all of their loose plot strings before the mid-season finale. That’s what they did here, gave us what I refer to as a “catch up” episode to put the ducks in a row in prep for next week, which from the previews promises the action we missed this week and then some. I hope.

We finally get to see Carl back on his feet this week. Right away it is painfully obvious that being shot has affected how he views the world. Carl is beginning to mature faster than we, with our modern sensibilities, think he should. But there is nothing Lori and Rick can do to stop this natural progression. He is old enough to realize their dire situation and wants to help protect the people he loves. Carl probably sees the world with truer eyes than anyone else when he tells his mother about the missing chicken, “Maybe she got eaten. Everything’s food for something else.” That’s the reality they live in. Some of the survivors simply refuse to see it.

That friggen barn is going to give me fits. Hershel’s ideals surrounding the occupants of the barn seem utterly ridiculous when put in contrast to what we’ve seen our band of nomads go through in and around Atlanta. We know these creatures are dead. We know that the synapses, those electric keys to what makes a human a human, aren’t working. All of this was covered for Rick’s crew at the CDC. There is no cure. These people aren’t sick. They are dead. Again, you can see Hershel’s faith coming in to play. He can’t kill the people he knows and loves. The guilt of putting them down would shatter the last marble he’s got rattling around in his stubborn brain. So instead of doing what we deem humane, he keeps zombie pets. To him it is the right thing because the Bible tells him not to kill. But what does the Good Book teach us about survival? Self defense? Turn the other cheek with a zombie and you’ll get a hole in your face.

Turning a blind eye to other situations can land you in the same sort of hot water, only this time the scars are emotional. Lori tries everything she can to avoid telling Rick about her pregnancy. She talks herself in endless circles about the future and what it could hold for her family. Admittedly, what set her off was the near-death of her son, Carl. As a mother I hope to never, ever be in a similar situation. Watching Lori go through it was bad enough. But… are her fears grounded? She says, “Memories are what keep me going”, then goes on to predict her unborn child’s future of nothing but pain and an early death. Life is what you make of it. If they leave the farm, they have months to find a new home base and settle in before the baby comes. There are plenty of areas similar to Hershel’s farm, in close proximity to cities with supplies, which they could move into. One has to wonder if she is worrying about her baby or what will happen if Rick entertains the idea that the baby isn’t his. She’d lose her hero, her husband, and the only one she can actually trust to keep her and Carl safe.

Dragged into the middle of Lori’s crisis is poor Glenn. He is trying, he really is, but still has a long way to go to be the hero he wants to become. The first step? Learn how to lie better. I’d play poker against Glenn any day. That lack of being able to hide the ugly truth is, unfortunately, a key tool of a leader. Sometimes you need to keep things from others to keep them calm and manageable. Rick does this often to give his crew the sense of stability they need while recovering from injuries. What Glenn isn’t lacking, though, is nerve. When the one person he really sees as his to protect is in danger, he went all Rambo. I would like to remind everyone that severing the spine does not kill a walker. Headshots, guys. Glenn nearly forgot, but it did make for an interesting zombie effect. After his hero moment, Maggie finally acknowledges what is inside his heart. She also sees how, in his effort to become more, to rise in the pack structure, Glenn could get himself good and dead.

If you paid attention to this episode, you will notice that there is one character with his nose in everything. The writers have taken Dale’s position as the “wise old man” a tad too far. We already knew that not much escapes his attention. Dale isn’t out in the woods, cut off from the core of the action. No, he stays perched on top on the RV simply watching. But it really bugs me that they felt in order to tie up all of these story lines they needed to use Dale so blatantly. He’s there when Carl expresses his desire to grow up more. Dale is the one to confront Hershel about the barn’s occupants. Heck, he even tries to help Lori about her baby issues. And the topper, Dale goes nose to nose with Shane about his erratic behavior after Otis’s death. There are other, less obvious ways to wrap things up for the mid-season finale. We didn’t need Dale to narrate it for us. He’s far too good a character to use like that.

Next week is the last episode we’ll get in 2011. There are still a lot of questions to be answered. Is Sophia still alive? Will Lori abort the pregnancy after all? Is Shane finally at the end of his rope? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.


Duct Tape and the Crazy

Ever wonder why every Brigade Commander has duct tape in their Go Bags? There is a perfectly good reason for it, and if you know the crazy boss lady known as our Commander-in-Chief, and have experienced her in person, then you’ll very likely understand our reasoning behind such drastic measures. By the way, this is the very reason we ration the coffee. While it helps her (and us) to function, too much of it makes the woman insane.

Note: if any of you gives her a 5-hour Energy at any con, you will get knocked out by the Amazon brigade, aka Yellow Brigade or Jinxie G and her crew! With a staff. Those hurt. Just sayin’.

Recently, Michael Rooker—leader of our Special Forces—experienced the crazy that is Juliette Terzieff in Cincinnati, OH. As is typical of any convention, Juliette ran around in circles screaming quite often. We’re thankful she didn’t have the crossbow with her. But let’s face it, folks, she doesn’t need to be in attendance at a convention to run around in circles screaming. Smart man that Michael is, he happened to have a roll of duct tape handy and this is what happened . . .

As you can see, Michael’s fatal mistake was that he didn’t duct tape her to a chair, so she was able to get away. It took us a good long while to track her down and tackle her, whereupon we force-fed her because food always calms her down. Garlic and cheese breadsticks, people! That’s all I’m saying.

Lesson learned: ALWAYS duct tape the boss lady to a chair! And make sure she eats!

To learn more about what Go Bag essentials you should have, check out your brigade Go Bag Essentials here. Find your brigade and locate the article on essentials. You’ll need to be logged in/registered as a member to access this area.

Alright, I’m getting ready to ship off to Boston to catch a plane to Atlanta, and then back to the desert where the temperature isn’t below freezing!

*twirls staff*

Jinxie G


Outrunning Z Day

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Our very own Anthony Guajardo shows us a teaser for his short film. Take a gander. I was falling over with laughter. HA!

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Good job, Li’l Gangsta! We’re so proud!


Switching Roles in The Walking Dead

The only warning I got before tuning into a replay of this week’s “The Walking Dead” came from my mother, of all people. I told her I needed to catch up, she replied, “All I’ll say is, when Daryl is the sane one, you know things got bad.” With that statement in mind I tuned in… and quickly realized how right she’d been.

I’ll get back to Daryl in a moment, but we’ve gotta talk about Shane. This man strives to be the hero that Rick is, and fails miserably. He tries too hard. Doesn’t plan his strategy. Shane barges in headfirst and damn anything or anyone that gets in his way. That would be a good trait except for the fact that Shane’s motives are purely selfish. He didn’t go off to fetch supplies for Carl. He rode into the sunset, hoping that the display he made would get him back in Laurie’s good graces. I spent a good chunk of the hour grinding my teeth at Shane.

And because Shane has his head wedged, Glen is beginning to have an identity crisis. His main purpose in the first season was to be the sidekick to the hero. Well, our actual hero isn’t in the game. He’s sidelined with his family, holding their breath to see what the future holds for Carl. Glen can’t help there and he realizes it. The guy trying to be the hero isn’t, leaving Glen to flounder around searching for someone to connect to that he can help. It seems he’s found that in Maggie, but what will happen when Rick is ready to don the white hat again? Will his Tonto abandon the potential Maggie presents to be just a sidekick again? Only time will tell there. I don’t even try to predict what TWD’s writers will do. They’re kinda crazy.

Speaking of crazy… I can’t believe my mother was right about Daryl. It is a trip to watch this character slowly open up to the other survivors. From the get-go we were supposed to think he’s like his brother, but this episode shot that to hell. We actually see Daryl for the first time. It isn’t the hardass squirrel killer in those woods with Andrea, but an intelligent man who was given the short stick in life and still managed to make the best of it. The way he dealt with Andrea and her determination to opt out of life was brilliant. This is a character to watch, not that you guys weren’t already.

The overall tone of this episode was hopelessness. Each character had a moment when they looked at the world around them and the pressure became too much to handle. Our survivors are beginning to buckle. They are getting desperate and we all know that desperate people do stupid things. The next couple of episodes are going to be interesting, to say the least.

 


Catching Up with The Walking Dead

Photo © 2011 ZSC, LLC

Season two of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” kicked off with a groan, lurch, and the bang that made viewers jump off their couches. For a show that went through more than a few growing pains during filming of the current season, TWD creators are proving that despite the changes, they are still striving to deliver one of the best-made programs on television. And the proof isn’t in backroom antics; the numbers for the season premiere alone are amazing–7.3 million viewers tuned in to catch the flesh-munching goodness, shattering previous records for a basic cable TV show.

The first episode was light on the bloodshed, but heavy on character focus. We got a serious look at the women who provide the backbone of the survivors. You’ve got the widow finally finding her footing in life after the death of her abusive husband. There’s the woman who has lost everything and everyone she loves and wants nothing more than a way out. And, of course, we have the once-thought widow who is reunited with her husband, but not until after sleeping with his best friend.

There’s a saying, “Behind every great man, there’s a great woman.” We were shown in season one that the women handle more than their share of the work in camp. Since leaving the camp, that work has translated to emotional support, and basically the three have become a collective “mommy”–a mommy with a gun and short temper, apparently. The best thing the creators did with that first episode was hit the women where it hurt–their children. One child goes missing in the middle of a zombie attack, and the other…well, remember that bang mentioned before? It wasn’t a happy moment for our survivors.

Episode two carried on with the deep look at the women in camp. Almost instantly, Laurie knew something was wrong. It’s always been a little creepy when a mother does that; how despite distance, she knows her family is in danger. Too many times it has happened in real life to be simply a story mechanism. This story line is really putting the focus on Laurie and when she tells Rick his place is by her side with their son, you knew he’d sit, stay, and do what she wanted.

We’re also introduced to a new group of survivors out on the farm. You don’t take notice of their women until after the men have all taken off to do what men do, risk their necks without a solid plan. But when Maggie decides to make her presence felt, it is a solid blow that snags your attention. As we put it while discussing the episode, Maggie is the face of girl power in The Walking Dead, no doubt.

On this show, the women are a symbol of hope, while the men try to be realists…to a fault. Survivors of any disaster need hope in order to keep putting one foot in front of another. Without it, they’d be like the corpses in the cars on the freeway, laying there waiting for a slow death. Now we just have to wait and see if that hope can survive the horrific situations thrown their way by fate.

 


Camping During the Zombiepocalypse

From Under the Desk of Commander RC Murphy:

Predictions of the pending troubles state that at the height of the zombie uprising, the undead will overrun major cities. They will run us out of our houses and, in effect, take over our lives as we know it. Staying in the city would be impossible. Heck, some would say it would be suicidal. Your only chance to ensure your family’s safety is to get out.

The ZSC has escape routes being mapped, along with bases for crew members to gather in safety. However, it is essential that you know how to live in the wilderness should you be unable to reach a secure building or ZSC stronghold. These skills will also come in handy should you find yourself ousted from your home after a natural disaster. Shelters fill up quickly, its best to be prepared.

First thing’s first, you’ll need to scout possible camping sites outside of your city. Find one or two choices in each direction, preferably on the same route you will have to take to reach the nearest Safe Haven provided by the ZSC, or Rescue Agencies. An ideal campsite will be near to water and with plenty of trees around it to provide shelter and firewood. Pick a place a distance from the road. This will not only give you privacy, but also warning if someone or something unwanted approaches your camp. Zombies aren’t exactly quiet tromping through a forest.

Below we’ve included a list of supplies you should consider in addition to what you have in your Go Bags, which should include things like toilet paper, matches, medications, toiletries, clothing, etc…

  • Tent: tent fly, poles, stakes and ropes. Take a practice run in your back yard after purchasing the tent so you know how to set it up. This will be useful if you are forced to make camp in the dark. Tents are sized by the number of average-sized adults that can lie down across the bottom of the tent. Like sardines. Pick a tent that is one or two people larger than the number you plan to have sleep in there. Make that number even bigger if you plan to put your luggage in the tent with you.
  • Hammer/Hatchet: To drive tent stakes. We suggest a sturdy hatchet, which will do double duty to cut wood into kindling for fires.
  • Sleeping Bags: Bags are rated by the highest and lowest temperatures sleepers inside can withstand. Look for a temperature range that fits in the area you live in. Make sure that the lowest temperature rating of the sleeping bag coincides with the lowest average temperature of where you will be camping or lower, just to be safe.
  • Pillows: Comfort is key. If you have a sore neck/back you can’t run from the undead. A small travel pillow will roll up in your sleeping bag to reduce packing space.
  • Tarp: A billion and one uses. They can keep your supplies dry. Be fashioned into a privacy shade for bathing and changing. A tarp can even be used to set up an emergency tent should yours meet with an accident. We really like multipurpose items such as these.
  • Light Sources: For the first couple of weeks, flashlights that run on batteries will suffice. However, if you are forced to camp for long periods of time you will need either a lantern that runs on fuel, or to find a flashlight that doesn’t run on batteries.
  • Ice Chest: Obviously, carrying perishable food for too long is not an option. An ice chest is good for storing your food if you have a large group to feed. (Please note that it will not keep an animal from breaking into your food stores. Food will need to be raised off the ground to prevent bears and the like from stealing it. Also, keep your camp free of food smells. Pack everything, even garbage, away after meals.)
  • Water Jugs: At some point in the preparation process, you all will tire of us harping about water. The fact is, without water you’re going to die and then come back, forcing one of us to put your zombie self down. We don’t want that. Pack a few gallons of water in your camping kit and save the bottles. They can be refilled with purified/boiled water.
  • A Grill: You don’t need to pack an entire barbecue or gas stove in order to be able to cook. Grab just the grill off your barbecue. When you set up camp, make a pit of rocks with a diameter roughly the size of the grill (the grill should rest on top of the pit without falling into the flames). Ta-da! You can cook, purify water, and stay warm without having to figure out just how you’re going to carry that bulky camp stove.
  • Pots and Pans: Yes, we are aware that these items are heavy. Consider the long run, though. It is impossible to tell when, if ever, you will be able to reenter the city again if it is lost to the undead. Look at Atlanta in “The Walking Dead”. So make room for at least one good, large cooking pot and a cast-iron skillet. If you pack carefully, both should fit in the ice chest with your food, limiting what you have to carry.
  • Cooking Utensils: You should already have a knife in your Go Bag, but in addition, pack tongs, a spatula, a large spoon, and a can opener. Go for the heavy-duty, can handle an elephant standing on them type of utensils. Being on the run is hell on equipment. Plus, a sturdy spoon could end up a weapon in a pinch.
  • Aluminum Foil: Oh how we love thee, foil. Let me count the ways… Sounds weird to write poetry for the silver stuff, but it will make cooking in the outdoors so much easier. Got hard vegetables (squash, potatoes, etc…), wrap them in foil and put them down on the hot coals while you cook what meat you have on the grill. Fish is impossible to cook on a grill without losing some. Solution? Foil! You get the point? Foil has other uses. Rumor is one of the commanders has made cannon charges with foil… we do not suggest trying this at home without expert assistance.
  • Eating Utensils: This includes plates, cups, and silverware (spork!). Make sure everything is, again, heavy duty and easy to sanitize.
  • Soap: Lets face it, you need soap. Without it you risk courting a number of nasty diseases that could be killed by a simple scrub and rinse (of your cooking materials as well as yourself).
  • Zip-loc bags: These multipurpose items not only help you organize the items in your Go Bag, but they also allow you to portion foods before storing them. This way you can stash next week’s dried fruit rations somewhere safe without worry.
  • Towels: A stack of towels should keep you for a while. They can be used for personal hygiene, cleaning, heck even as a pillow or a blanket if need be. Cut a large towel into smaller squares to make dishrags and potholders.

These are just the basics to keep you going for a little while. It is better to be prepared for the worst than to be caught with your pants down, right?




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