Shelters 102: avoiding deathtraps

[Faran Brigo]

Invariably, I know I'll see someone come in here and talk about a GOOD place to stay, and that will lower my faith in humanity a little bit more, but I digress.

This is about places that might sound great but would actually be very risky or inconvenient. I'm talking about places you go to, if you have to make it yourself it doesn't count. In other words barricading, boarding up and light fortifications of the sort are ok, building a fortress out of your little white picket in the suburbs is not.

I'm going to throw in a couple of obvious ones and a couple of controversial ones to get the ball rolling:

Walmart, police station, hospital, railroad station.

[jim96sc2]

I'd say it is anywhere that I could not sustain myself indefinitely. So apartment buildings, ships, mountaintops, and the artic would pretty much be out of the question.

[Umbrela]

Invariably, I know I'll see someone come in here and talk about a GOOD place to stay, and that will lower my faith in humanity a little bit more, but I digress.

This is about places that might sound great but would actually be very risky or inconvenient. I'm talking about places you go to, if you have to make it yourself it doesn't count. In other words barricading, boarding up and light fortifications of the sort are ok, building a fortress out of your little white picket in the suburbs is not.

I'm going to throw in a couple of obvious ones and a couple of controversial ones to get the ball rolling:

Walmart, police station, hospital, railroad station.

I understand the first three, but I would never have even thought of holing up at a railroad station.

[mattifikation]

I hear "abandoned oil rig" pop up a lot, thanks to that stupid book that came out. I think that would be a terrible idea. Constant exposure to salt water, hurricanes, limited place for food and fuel storage, and no way to escape if you get attacked by pirates. Or zombie pirates.

Oil Rig, is a no go!

[Victor Clark]

I think that the worst place to hold up would be where zombies are grown to remember and wander to: the local shopping mall. For one thing, malls have so many entrances, exits and windows, that zombies could sneak in one way without anyone inside knowing. Also, since the mall has become a big monument in zombie pop culture, many people in a zombie outbreak would run down to their mall, thinking it's a safe haven. Because of this, malls all over America would have hundreds, or even thousands of survivors (and probably more than a few infected) flooding and breaking into the shopping centers, taking all thay could get and killing each other for what they don't have and/or need. And if there are infected people among the crowds of disoriented and panicing survivors, than soon the malls will be completely filled with undead inside and out, just beacuse of poor education and no common sense.

[Umbrela]

Malls, oil rigs, police stations, hospitals, ands stores are all essential concrete coffins. Most of these have been featured in media, with horrible results.

[mattifikation]

Let's not forget military bases: A place to go to be kept in close confinement with other people, be shot if you're bleeding, and have your weapons confiscated regardless.

Same deal for any "refugee center" that might be set up.

[Umbrela]

Office buildings, despite what was said in the book, are another bad idea. Many are located in downtown areas, so getting into one could be impossible.

[Faran Brigo]

I agree with the mall but disagree with the oil rig. I'm not saying it's a good idea but it's a dangerous place for different reasons. Most of them are designed to be relatively self sufficient and fairly sturdy when it comes to exposure to the elements, for economic reasons.

Space? not enough space for food? are you kidding me? are we talking about the same rigs that have multiple decks with separate crew quarters, extraction and common areas? You could probably grow food there if you brought enough soil along, oil rigs are equipped with desalinizers, and as for fuel storage, most of them are sitting on top of oil and natural gas deposits... Oil's useless without refining but gas isn't. I don't think working the controls is simple though.

The real problem with oil rigs is that for one, they're extraction platforms for combustibles, and eventually when (and this is not a matter of "if" but rather "when") enough damage has been sustained to the systems, the whole thing might leak gas or oil and the tiniest spark will make it go up in flames.

[Umbrela]

I agree with the mall but disagree with the oil rig. I'm not saying it's a good idea but it's a dangerous place for different reasons. Most of them are designed to be relatively self sufficient and fairly sturdy when it comes to exposure to the elements, for economic reasons.

Space? not enough space for food? are you kidding me? are we talking about the same rigs that have multiple decks with separate crew quarters, extraction and common areas? You could probably grow food there if you brought enough soil along, oil rigs are equipped with desalinizers, and as for fuel storage, most of them are sitting on top of oil and natural gas deposits... Oil's useless without refining but gas isn't. I don't think working the controls is simple though.

The real problem with oil rigs is that for one, they're extraction platforms for combustibles, and eventually when (and this is not a matter of "if" but rather "when") enough damage has been sustained to the systems, the whole thing might leak gas or oil and the tiniest spark will make it go up in flames.

The imminent gas leak alone should be more than enough reason to stay away.

[Faran Brigo]

Key difference there is that an oil rig actually could make a good place to hole up during the early stages of the outbreak, but it's not a long term solution. More like a place to run to until the mainland is less panic stricken, either because the zeds or the survivors won.

[Dave Of The Dead]

Seriously, If you're worried about a gas leak on an oil rig, you should be more worried about a gas leak inside of your own house!

The worst place I think you can go would be the basement of any building. Where are you going to go when a few zombies come stumbling down the stairs?

[Faran Brigo]

My own house's gas supply is a 35kg tank outside, not thousands of cubic feet and piping inside.

I'm not sure which is worse, a basement or a walmart, and I'm guessing walmart. While the basement's got no exits, the wallmart will probably be wall to wall with infected and reanimated.

[Umbrela]

My own house's gas supply is a 35kg tank outside, not thousands of cubic feet and piping inside.

I'm not sure which is worse, a basement or a walmart, and I'm guessing walmart. While the basement's got no exits, the wallmart will probably be wall to wall with infected and reanimated.And the Wal-Mart's numerous exits make it far more difficult to defend.

[Dave Of The Dead]

I think one of the more difficult question is: What would you rather do, spend all your time and efforts barricading your exits, leaving yourself open to attack, OR Spend all your time and efforts defending the exits from the central point, with the doors shut and locked?

[Faran Brigo]

That's not a dificult question at all: any plan that doesn't involve keeping ocassional watch for zombies or raiders is tremendously stupid. It's best to do it slowly but safely, than rush and stay vulnerable.

[JakAttak]

were you need to go is a Sam's club. they got like one door tiny windows and enough food to feed a group for months or years

[mattifikation]

This thread is about places you want to AVOID, not places you want to go to. However, you're half right. Sam's Club is a place you want to AVOID. That's where EVERYONE will be, which means two things:

1. NOTHING there will end up being yours.
2. By the time you can get in and get out, easily half the people there will be INFECTED.

[Faran Brigo]

Invariably, I know I'll see someone come in here and talk about a GOOD place to stay, and that will lower my faith in humanity a little bit more, but I digress.

I don't know if this counts since Sams sucks, but...

[DemonChild]

Prisons...well, that's a twofer there. You got locked up psycopaths on the inside, and undead cannibals on the outside, you're pretty much screwed every way you look at it. The only upsides are there's a ton o' guns and ammo, and its's relatively secure.

[Faran Brigo]

Nah, I think a prison could be a good place to hold up in if the inmates have escaped. It would have zeds in there, but it has lots of space, nice walls and the whole thing's designed with security in mind, not to mention the food, the weapons, etc.

If they haven't, well... I guess we would do all sorts of things in an apocalyptic setting that we wouldn't do if our lives weren't in jeopardy...

[JakAttak]

an older prison would be your best bet with those big-ass 20 ft. concrete walls

[voyager]

Provided you could get a water supply, provided the pipelines fail and the water tower isn't full, there what about Alcatraz Island? There is enough open ground for a small garden and to raise small livestock weather permiting. That is if enough initial supplies and could be brought over by boat to get it started up and to make it till it gets going.

[Daeth]

Stay away from hospitals.... ya there big, but alot of people would be there. plus, like the book, the infected are always brought there.. I'd only Raid one, and even then, a small little suburban one story...

[mattifikation]

Inhabited prison, bad. Abandoned prison, not so bad. Maybe not perfect, since there will be others with the same idea. But most of those people will probably be like-minded zombie-defense enthusiasts, so it would be a case-by-case basis.

[JakAttak]

actually an inhabited prison wouldn't be all bad because the prisoners would probably have the common sense to team up with guards long before anyone else arrives

[DemonChild]

True, but here are some prisoners that would take any chance they could get to get revenge on the guards. I think an old abandoned prison, like previously stated, would be great. Something that is similar to Eastern State. Wouldn't try Eastern State itself, though. That place is in the middle of a city, and it's friggin' haunted.

[mattifikation]

Criminals don't think like normal people. They think like sociopaths, thieves, murderers, rapists, and self-serving opportunists. And that's the good kind.

You don't want to be where they are.

[OutbreakElite]

My best bet is what me and KanUsurvive have talked about for awhile now.We live in a fairly small town with many churches and all that jazz...when z-day hits every chalrie church is gonna be holed up in a church...BAD IDEA..all of the people and noise from chants and prayers is gonna be a meat magnet for any zombie. We planned out when it intially hits we load up are z-day stuff run up to a very very hidden cave,wait for the riots and looters to die out (basically,let the shit hit the fan,then dry).Afterward we subtley make our way to a local pharmacy where the windows are 12ft above the ground and there is only one glass door that is easily able to be fortified. There,we have medicine,food and i alreay have a small militia of weapons at my house and a nice little camo truck to put it in.
I have had extensive firearm training,and melee traning so has KanUsurvive it will be Me,him,and a few others worth saving.So to conclude,a very nice concrete building with high windows is ideal.

[kanUsurvive]

Yes sir. So if any of you guys out there would like to survive. Feel free to come join outbreakelite and I.

[JakAttak]

on what you were saying about sociopaths and psychopaths they would be in a mental facility not a prison and I think revenge would take back seat to survival

[Darkness]

"Please keep to the topic of BAD places to hold up, NOT good places to hold up. It's not that hard." :roll:

[seeker28]

I think another obvious bad place would be a slaughterhouse, like for beef.

Churches, schools, and stadiums are also all bad.

[Lazerbeak]

For me being on a boat would be bad. Even if it were safe and had plenty of provisions I'd be too seasick to be of any use and I wouldn't be able to hold any food or water down.
Even on a massive cruize ship I was a trainwreck without dramamine.

[JakAttak]

then don't go on ships or beach a tanker on the shore.

[mattifikation]

Being on a boat would be bad for almost anyone. I'm glad you brought it up, because a lot of people seem to think that they'd be able to just steal a boat or ship, take it out to sea, and get by as some kind of pirate for the rest of time.

Big misconception! Even if you knew how to run the ship or boat, you'd still have to go to shore for supplies and to avoid storms.

[Dave Of The Dead]

I talked to one kid who said that living out at sea would be easy. He didn't take in the fact that drinking salt water will make your kidneys burst.

[Faran Brigo]

"Please keep to the topic of BAD places to hold up, NOT good places to hold up. It's not that hard." :roll:

The hard part's deciding if X is a good or bad place, I think that's what the discussion about prisons was really about.

By the by, there aren't sociopaths and psychopaths, they're both obsolete terms for dissocial personality disorder. The vast majority of criminals suffer from DPD, but DPD (basically) means they're incapable of caring about others or their rights (and well-being), but they still understand the consequences of their actions so they go to prison, not mental institutions.

[JakAttak]

umm most crimes are drug related and generally non-violent most murders are crimes of passion and anyone with DPD will be in an institution

[Faran Brigo]

Sure, in a correctional institution, not a mental one. If we tossed any person who suffered some sort of mental disturbance that could be diagnosed with the ICD-10 or the DSM-IV-TR, there would only be mental institutions and not prisons.

It's not about violence. Theft and white collar crime still qualify for DPD. Again, DPD is about disregard for other people's rights or society's rules.

In most countries I know of, I.E. countries with a common law based system, the general attitude is that for you to go to a mental instution instead of a correctional facility is that there has to be awareness of the consequences of your actions, it doesn't matter whether you care or not, just that you realize what you're doing.

Mental retardation, schizophrenia and delirium (except drug induced delirium) would make you qualify for reclusion in mental institutions, DPD does not, never has and it doesn't look like it will in the foreseeable future. By the by, that's wrong, most CONVICTIONS are drug related. This means if I'm involved in 3 drive-by shootings, grand theft auto, arson and breaking and entering, but I'm caught with a dimebag, I get a drug conviction, that doesn't mean I'm not (in layman's terms) a sick bastard, just that they caught me for drugs.

Anyway, I read Monster Island awhile ago, and I gotta add "subway" to the list of bad places to be at. Or any other cramped place with low lighting for that matter.

[JakAttak]

I've said it before I'll say it again NEVER GO UNDERGROUND!!!!!!!

[Faran Brigo]

Another one that should be obvious to everyone but nevertheless doesn't hurt to say: ANY SORT OF PLACE WHERE EVERYBODY'S GOING.

If you heard about it on mass media, if you're being herded into it, or if you know it's an obvious place (like supermarkets and malls), don't even think about it. This unfortunately probably includes locations that would otherwise be ok, like inner city schools, since they'll be full of refugees. Also good is to avoid any structure along a highway.

[JakAttak]

once again I've said it before and it merits repeating more people that live there the more people that die and Z's will always go were the food is.

[secretcog]

As with most thread topics in this forum, I've noticed blatant pessimism. I like humor, and I like criticism, but I keep finding myself reading through a stream of threads and feeling as confused as when I first begun reading it.

Objectivity is a must, but we need to support our claims people: argue, debate, question, think of positive reinforcements for topics we read and/or post.

Let's put this another way. A member replies that a canoe is the best shelter. Another member responds as to why that's the most asinine idea ever constructed. OK, fine! Now, you've told us why it sucks, but how can it work, or be utilized, be retrofitted, yadda, yadda, yadda. The more you know now, the less you'll wish you'd known then!

[DarthJoe8]

A phone booth.:think: I think this would be a very bad place to hide out. It might work for Superman to change in but i wouldn't hold up in one during a ZPAW. :think: That's just me though.

:drinking:

[secretcog]

Civil service, mass transit, stadiums, arenas, along with consumer market places are best to be avoided. I see you've all agreed on that. The oil rigs are a great off-shore command platform.

Homes, well...they're not built like they once were. Almost anyone can punch or kick a hole through a homes wall. Too many windows, and too low to the ground.

Here's a rather new issue we all may be facing; Max Brooks book "Zombie Survival Guide" has told the planet, "Go to schools, castles, and prisons to seek shelter." He just turned our best holdouts into overcrowded riot facilities.

Any smaller sized island would be a good location. Problems could arise since islands are popular vacation destinations. There could be infection already rampant among the local populace. If you could secure one, it would be wise to build an island perimeter along the entire shore line, and then continue this process throughout the area with a secondary containment wall, then separate habitats, also reinforced with a heavily guarded and fortified perimeter.

Consider pirates, political factions, and other groups who will take this opportunity to seize power. Our own world militarys' could splinter among themselves and throw coup d'états! This greatly reduces the secure zones.

Churches may have strong doors, and high windows, but I'm fairly certain they'll be packed with people ranting about Armageddon. Not a good place right off the bat.

Natural fortifications like a cave or a mine. Cave-ins. They may help you avoid major zed populations, but wouldn't you rather be in the fight? Were going to need as many able bodies as possible to contain and then eradicate the infected.

Storage facilities, might work due to the lack of low windows, but they are rarely secure from break in's. How about natural disasters? A hurricane/tornado could tear a door off, or rip a wall out, and we're supper!

Boats could be floating fortresses, but how are you going to fend off rouge warships? Landing parties can resupply us...but again...the natural elements.

Think...urban gorilla warfare against an unarmed opponent. Respect the zed, watch and learn the zed. Move from place to place frequently, and clear and secure those areas you pass through. Until we've won the war! In short...avoid eveywhere for more then a fortnight.

[mattifikation]

Natural fortifications like a cave or a mine. Cave-ins. They may help you avoid major zed populations, but wouldn't you rather be in the fight? Were going to need as many able bodies as possible to contain and then eradicate the infected.

No, I would rather not be IN the fight. Eradicate the infected? Dream on. If a zombie outbreak occurs, living humans will no longer be at the top of the food chain. Talking about sending "able bodies" out to "eradicate" anything is a waste of manpower and suicide. If people are capable of fighting, they should focus on survival, NOT fighting back.

Nature is the only thing that will stop the outbreak, when the zombies either decompose or starve. If mankind is lucky, there will be enough left in hiding to restart the human race. If all the "able bodied whatever go fight the zombies head-on" plan happens, there won't be.

[Behemoth]

No, I would rather not be IN the fight. Eradicate the infected? Dream on. If a zombie outbreak occurs, living humans will no longer be at the top of the food chain. Talking about sending "able bodies" out to "eradicate" anything is a waste of manpower and suicide. If people are capable of fighting, they should focus on survival, NOT fighting back.

Nature is the only thing that will stop the outbreak, when the zombies either decompose or starve. If mankind is lucky, there will be enough left in hiding to restart the human race. If all the "able bodied whatever go fight the zombies head-on" plan happens, there won't be.

Total agreement! Fighting the zombies is the governments job! Leave it to the trained! They will have it all moped up in a few days for slow zombies, maybe a few months for fast ones.

[mattifikation]

Actually, the government would probably collapse in either scenario. The military is trained to cope with all kinds of stresses. Dead people trying to eat them is not one of those stresses. I believe that most would go AWOL the moment they thought of their own lives and families.

[bandits1]

Actually, the government would probably collapse in either scenario. The military is trained to cope with all kinds of stresses. Dead people trying to eat them is not one of those stresses. I believe that most would go AWOL the moment they thought of their own lives and families.
This is very likely. How many soldiers would continue doing their jobs - possibly deployed far away from their families - leaving them to fend for themselves and knowing that they could be attacked by 1038534583 zombies at any time?

Lots of things would change when you're fighting the largest war in history in your own backyard.

[bandits1]

Actually, the government would probably collapse in either scenario. The military is trained to cope with all kinds of stresses. Dead people trying to eat them is not one of those stresses. I believe that most would go AWOL the moment they thought of their own lives and families.
This is very likely. How many soldiers would continue doing their jobs - possibly deployed far away from their families - leaving their wives/kids/parents/siblings to fend for themselves and knowing that they could be attacked by 1038534583 zombies at any time?

Lots of things would change when you're fighting the largest war in history in your own backyard.

[Screwballgunnut]

Total agreement! Fighting the zombies is the governments job! Leave it to the trained! They will have it all moped up in a few days for slow zombies, maybe a few months for fast ones.

Please tell me this is your idea of a sarcastic joke...... PLEASE! The government would manage to pooch screw the zombie mop-up horribly. First they'd have to try to pass a bunch of laws making it illegal to be a zombie, after consulting numerous zombie rights groups and considering the civil rights of all zombies and completing an environmental impact study. Then they'd have to create a new alphabet soup agency FAZER: Federal Anti-Zombie Eradication Response, or some other crap. Then there would be the 8 month delay while they attempted to determine where the funding would come from......Et cetera & ad nauseum.


Think...urban gorilla warfare against an unarmed opponent. Respect the zed, watch and learn the zed. Move from place to place frequently, and clear and secure those areas you pass through. Until we've won the war! In short...avoid eveywhere for more then a fortnight.

Amen brother! IMHO, the secret to surviving in the ZPAW is not to tie yourself down to one fortification. As paraphrased from Patton: fixed fortifications are a testament to the folly of man. Why do I think this is applicable? Simple, the longer you stay somewhere, the longer the zeds will constantly be amassing outside your walls. True, a sharpshooter squad will help with that, but when the time comes that you are forced to bug out (which will happen) you'll have a sea of zeds to fight your way through. I doubt that I would stay anywhere more than a few days, moving further and further away from major population centers, probably moseying down into the wilds of old Mexico, and living off the land and any supplies I might come across in my scavenging/eradication raids.

[diablo166]

any place would be fine if you dug pitch ditchs before hand. if your gonna go down might as well get a beer:drinking:

[Trebek]

Any place that my Ex girlfriend would be. She'd never shut up! "You never think about the zombies' feelings"

That being said, I think any one story structure is a bad idea. it's too easy to be surrounded and you wouldn't have a fallback "destroy the stairs" sort of area should the perimeter get breached.

[NickelobLight]

Oh wow. You guys may have the wrong idea about prisoners & crazy people.

I've worked at a maximum security forensic mental health treatment facility for the last five years. It's where guys get sent when they're either Incompetent to Proceed to trial, or Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity. I was there for a couple of days when Hurricane Frances hit in '04. What's my point?

Even the criminally insane have common sense. They hated being locked up in their rooms except for the occasional break. However, they realized that they would have hated playing basketball outside in the middle of a hurricane even more. Crazy doesn't mean stupid. Neither does criminal.

If you're in a prison when the inevitable zombie uprising takes place, you would be in an environment with some of the most clever, creative, outside-the-box thinking problem-solvers you can imagine. These guys are CONSTANTLY figuring out ways to outsmart their captors, (CO's in prison, Rehab Specialists in nuthouses). I've seen, with my own eyes, a rope made out of toilet paper that could support a hundred and fifty pound person. Out of toilet paper!! That is the kind of thinking that will enable us to survive when the zombies come to power. Of course, there is the whole "What's in it for me?" mentality they exhibit. However, as my hurricane example pointed out, when the s*** hits the fan, these guys aren't going to put themselves at risk of becoming zombie food.

For my money, a prison is probably the safest place you can imagine. Hell, right now I'm going to work early to be behind thick concrete and plexiglass for when Tropical Storm Fay hits later today.

Oh, and has anybody considered going to a dump? Not usually located in large population centers, thus no reason for there to be zombies around. Thick concrete buildings, good ventilation. Not a bad idea. Of course the smell...:poo:

[DarthJoe8]

Oh, and has anybody considered going to a dump? Not usually located in large population centers, thus no reason for there to be zombies around. Thick concrete buildings, good ventilation. Not a bad idea. Of course the smell...:poo:


And to think, all those leftovers. :think: You might be on to something.

:drinking:

[JakAttak]

This is very likely. How many soldiers would continue doing their jobs - possibly deployed far away from their families - leaving their wives/kids/parents/siblings to fend for themselves and knowing that they could be attacked by 1038534583 zombies at any time?

Lots of things would change when you're fighting the largest war in history in your own backyard.

If it happened now or in the near future we would be especially screwed but cause most of our military is over sea's

[mattifikation]

Wrong again. No dis' to the troops, but in a zombie outbreak we'd be better off without their "help," which would probably come in the form of disarming us and crowding us into "secure areas" that are anything but.

And like I've said, and others have agreed, most of them would probably desert the military to cover their own butts. They would be on THEIR side, not yours.

[stark55]

the military scares me but if i have to i will defend my 2nd. amendment.
to the point for the first month i deem every were but home as a no go.

[woody101]

your own house would be a good idea.
you know it inside out. run ur bath to the brim for drinking water, break ur stairs and replace them with a ladder, and grow food in ur kitchen and dig down in ur garden til u find water and rig it up to a well that u acces from ur bedroom window. also most houses are raised off the ground abit anyway.

but personally i would go with the staship enterprise. (joke)

[ghdeh1]

Anything below a man made dam think about it three years after the outbreak you and your band of survivors are camped out below the hoover and you hear a rumbling sound and you look out side and you see 200,000 tons of water coming really,really fast at you.:cry::cry::x

[JakAttak]

who said anything about dams?

[mattifikation]

He did. Just now, in that post. :-p
hehe

[BioWeapon]

The ISS, sure, it would be a great hideout for the first few months, maybe even a year depending on how it is crewed and supplied - getting on a rocket to it is too diffucult for many, so you don't need to worry about the crowds, but when you have to abandon it (and you will, I doubt you could grow enough food on board, and other things would require replacement), your soyuz escape module will leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere with no pickup coming, and almost no suppliesor defense against the zeds, not to mention it will be very visible to anyone nearby.

In short, you'll be screwed when you return to earth.

As to fighting back, assuming a viral infection, or only the Recently dead resurect - if 50% of the population kills just 2 zeds before being eaten or turning, (or even better, dieing and not rising) - then the infection will not sustain itself.

If 99% of the population is turned while defenseless, each will have to kill 100 zeds to have "done their part" to win the zed war.
Assuming its not some aerosolized virus bioweapon that infects 99.9% of the population right at the start, the zed war is winnable.

And heck... as long as you kill more than one zed before they get you- you are part of the solution, and not the problem.

Victory in the zed war can be assured by having enough of the population prepared for it.

While I wouldn't hide in a basement, if some guy does so with lots of explosives and ammo, and takes out 50 zeds before they get him, more power to him. He just made my life easier

If 50 people crowd into a basement or mall, barricade everything up so they have no escape, and rely solely on the barricade for protection (no effective weapons) and a zed find its way in - then they have made my life more difficult by be creating 50 more zeds.

I might as well just set a fire and kill them all - as they might as well be a high density zed population.

Heck, I might go to wall mart in the early stages just to toss a few molotovs or other instrument of arson and burn the place down, before speeding off to where I want to stick it out - just to reduce zed density

[jagus12]

A church...
the doors might be tough to break and windows are out of reach of any zack, but there should be a shitload of people there praying for their lives, put an infected one there, and you'll have one hell of a carnage... It also reminds me of The Exorcist, and that is no ****ing good...

[jagus12]

I might as well just set a fire and kill them all - as they might as well be a high density zed population.

Heck, I might go to wall mart in the early stages just to toss a few molotovs or other instrument of arson and burn the place down, before speeding off to where I want to stick it out - just to reduce zed density

WHAT! ARE YOU ****ING INSANE? HOW ABOUT ALL THE TASTY SUPPLIES THAT LAY THERE!?

[VideoJunkie]

The bad news is that any building with a shingle roof is a deathtrap, unless zombie firemen are still on the job! Think about the first brush or house fire in dry weather. It's gonna spread. Add a decent breeze and it's REALLY gonna move. At first I was only worried about wooden houses burning, but if you let the shingle roof of a brick home catch the building is in deep trouble. Without a good roof, the elements will quickly take a toll on the structure. Bottom line, if the building isn't all metal or concrete it's a problem and a possible deathtrap.

[mattifikation]

I think you can get shingles that don't burn. I could be wrong though, I don't know much about construction...

[Darkness]

"Cotta Shingles don't burn."

[Victor Clark]

I think you can get shingles that don't burn. I could be wrong though, I don't know much about construction...

I think my house has metal shingles (either tin or alluminum), so I think there could be some exceptions to shingled houses.

[homelitexl]

i found a bomb shelter nearby my house i would use it has a heavy duty door underground only one way in

[Lian]

Shingles are fairly fireproof, it's wood slate houses you have to worry about. The bigger things I'd worry about for a house in fire would be windows cracking due to the heat, and or any wood framework catching fire. A lot of those houses in California that caught up due to embers flying through the air had wood or wood based shingles, with their tile, and cotta shingle roof counterparts next door escaping with singed lawns and little to no smoke damage on the exterior.

[Z0mb1eSlay3r]

Skyscrapers

60 + floors of places to hide....

but 60 +floors of zeds

and if you fighting a zed you might fall out through a window

[mattifikation]

Skyscrapers are also bad because of fires. Skyscrapers are built to withstand fire, but not an endless fire that never gets put out. If one gets out of control, there's not going to be a fire department or a sprinkler system to extinguish it.

You don't want to be in that.

[homelitexl]

heres my paln and you can join me if they ever rise raid bass pro shops all tri county pawn shops home depot {chainsaws and sledge hamers} wal-mart then hide on an oil rig till it blows over come back and live in a prison and don't split up lock the place down and do a full house sweeping search

[mattifikation]

Here's a bad place to go. Got the idea from another poster on here, actually.

THE WOODS.

You see a lot of non-thinkers in the zombie community, and in real-life survivalism discussions as well, whose plans consist entirely of "Pack up a couple days worth of supplies and head into the hills/woods/wilderness/outback/etc."

Why? What's so special about them? What exactly is the plan after that? Enchant your bug-out-bag so that it magically continues to produce food and supplies long after it should be empty? Live in a tent forever?

I just don't understand the bug-out mentality. Sure, if you have some place to go then go for it. But why, if you don't have a destination, would you just pack up supplies to head off into some random hobo lifestyle in the middle of a forest?

[Darius]

This is where i wanna be http://www.etawau.com/Island/Resort/ReefDiveResort/KingWatchTower01.jpg id pack up canned goods and other long lasting stuff take a couple flares with me(obviously its good place to give a signal from) a sleeping bag and destroy the lower section of stairs so that zeds couldnt get up .

[Darkness]

"This thread is for places you want to AVOID, not places you would prefer to go. Please keep on topic."

"We have many threads on the other topic. Thank you." :naughty:

"Here's one I dug up for you." :)

http://www.allthingszombie.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15545

[Dave Of The Dead]

This is where i wanna be http://www.etawau.com/Island/Resort/ReefDiveResort/KingWatchTower01.jpg id pack up canned goods and other long lasting stuff take a couple flares with me(obviously its good place to give a signal from) a sleeping bag and destroy the lower section of stairs so that zeds couldnt get up .

Actually... I WOULD list that as a place that I would want to avoid. The fact that it is just a room in the sky makes it able for hundreds of zombies to swarm around it and make it impossible to get out. I'm talking if you somehow get rid of the steel stairs and get enough supplies up there to last for a while. What then? you sit up there until everything runs out and by then you are basically a boat in a sea of undead. Yeah, sure throw some Molotovs down there and wait for them to burn up, but you're also compromising the structure's support. Those flairs won't do anything but attract more zeds, and if someone alive does see that, they'll also hear the groans of a hundred plus undead and be smart enough to stay away. Good luck up there, really.

[manaketes]

Actually... I WOULD list that as a place that I would want to avoid. The fact that it is just a room in the sky makes it able for hundreds of zombies to swarm around it and make it impossible to get out. I'm talking if you somehow get rid of the steel stairs and get enough supplies up there to last for a while. What then? you sit up there until everything runs out and by then you are basically a boat in a sea of undead. Yeah, sure throw some Molotovs down there and wait for them to burn up, but you're also compromising the structure's support. Those flairs won't do anything but attract more zeds, and if someone alive does see that, they'll also hear the groans of a hundred plus undead and be smart enough to stay away. Good luck up there, really.
well thought out. i agree.

[kiltedninja]

The Desert like places are a good one to avoid. The lack of water, plus the fact that dead bodies are preserved by the heat makes for a nasty combo.

[Krazymouse]

Hospital obviously. lots of dead bodies are probably there, and other people might think hospital is safe, which means lots of dead bodies

[mattifikation]

Transylvania.

Because zombies alone are bad enough.

[LycanZombieHunter]

i belive any place where theres a good chance theres people there either could be more zeds, ppl that are turning into zeds or something not worth it. so just plan ahead where to go stock up and pray to whatever god or spirit you belive in

[mattifikation]

Pennsylvania.

Because zombies, werewolves, and vampires combined are less scary than most of my neighbors.

[joerrrrrr]

basements of any kind. you may think your safe and hidden but if a zombie accidentally stumbles in with a couple of friends your trapped

[kiltedninja]

A freezer. I dunno why it's a deathtrap, but I hate being inside them.

[Redfields]

Hospitals(wanna see the possible source?), Zoo(bizzare but definitely true), any locations that flock of not only zombies but, your everyday looter (gun store, police station, malls etc.) I would also avoid convenience stores, lets say you SOMEHOW find essentials in there. Zombies start flocking down the front. You close down the doors and roll down the shutter (because you watched 24 days later). You wait, all safe and sound few days later, you are living on your last bit of supplies, unfortunately, the zombies dont starve like you do. Eventually you are the hungry one, what then? run out and go Rambo? stay in and die a very painful death?(not that the one getting bitten would be very pleasent either...)

Survivors that walk past would not want to risk their lives (lets say you collected quite alot of supplies and the zombies stack up) And mainly Convenience stores are set up in places where it experiences the MOST exposure to the city or district it is in, when the outbreak occurs chances are that alot of zombies are right there too.

Cars/vehicles are also another bad place to camp out. If the zombie is not strong enough to break the glass, a looter/bandit/lunatic will be.

Pretty much anywhere with windows. I have mixed feelings about Hotels but. It does have ALOT of exits and you can find one where with rope, can traverse around the outside and if needed rope down to the bottom floor. (Unless you want to die with a nice high rise view)

[JimiVengeance]

honestly, i find it hard to think of a location that is isnt totally cliche...the bad thing is, most places have become so cliche, that if an outbreak did occur they would be bad places due to over population. i would just get a couple of buddies who are as equally as prepared as i, and drive until we found a location that didnt have to many people occupying it:drinking: