Whatever the apocalypse may be, everyone assumes that they will be one of the people that make it. This is unfortunately just not true. In the case of a zombie apocalypse you will probably be looking at a survival rate (on the optimistic side) of less than 10%, realistically it could be as low as a 5 or 6% survival rate (and by survive we mean remain human). These are not scientific facts, there has yet to be a zombie apocalypse to get data from, it is a best guess based on population centers and the average person’s reactions to emergencies.

Now, how can you be one of the survivors? How do you go about surviving a zombie apocalypse? The most important thing is to be prepared before it happens. Don’t worry about it if your friends and family think you are crazy. It is better to be safe (and alive) than sorry (and dead). Always hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

Just because there are science fiction movies and books about the subject doesn’t mean that it can’t come true. Remember the communicators that were used on Star Trek? We all carry them today, they are just called cell phones. Watch these movies and read the books. Learn everything that you can. When the outbreak starts to happen, there will still be news sources on the air for a short time. Listen to them. Educate yourself as much as you can as quickly as you can. Your life literally depends on it.

Now we need to go back in time just a little bit. Before the outbreak ever happened, there are several things you need to do. Many of these things will work with any kind of disaster. After all, Noah didn’t wait for the rain to start to build his ark. 

You will hear the same word mentioned many, many times in this article. That is because it is very important. Education. You need to educate yourself in as many areas as possible. Remember, when most of the population wants to eat your brains, you can’t go to the hospital, grocery store, or gas station. All of the things that we take for granted will be gone. You will have to be able to provide any and every need for yourself and your family.

Before we get into all the areas that you will need to learn about, there is another important point that needs to be understood. People are people. Some are good and some are not. Just like in today’s society, you will have groups of people that will see the zombie apocalypse as a way to gain power and control other people. You need to watch out for these people as much as you do the zombies.

One way that you can seriously increase your chances of living more than a few days is have a group of like-minded people that will help each other. There are groups like this that already exist today. One of them is called the Zombie Squad. They have chapters all over the US and a few spread out in other countries. They prepare for the apocalypse before it happens so when it does, they are not caught completely unprepared. Finding one of these groups and learning from them will help you to survive.

Having a group that trains before-hand will let you educate each other. If one person in the group is a paramedic, they can teach everyone else first aid. The same for hunters, farmers, engineers, military, and any one else that has any kind of skill. It is not good enough to just have one person that knows how to do something. Other than the constant threat of zombies, without modern facilities something as simple as a minor cut can become infected and kill you. As a society, we have become too reliant on running down to the drug store and getting antibiotic ointment. After a zombie apocalypse you will not have this option anymore.

Okay, you have done the right thing and got a head start on educating yourself before the zombies are taking over the world. What are some of the things you need to do when there are zombies everywhere and you don’t want to be dinner for the walking dead?

1. Remain vigilant. Whatever you are doing, wherever you are at, make sure that someone is always on guard. You want to know that the zombies are near before they know about you. It is much better to have the choice of fighting or running. If a zombie (or a group) sneak up on you, your choices are more limited. The only way out may be to fight and that is often easier said than done. Remember, it doesn’t matter how the situation happened, a zombie is a predator and you are the prey. How often does the wildebeest win against the lion.

2. Learn fast. When a zombie apocalypse happens, it will be fast. You will not get very much information from the media. They will be off air almost immediately. You have to learn everything you can, and as fast as you can about the zombies. How to kill them, how they find you (sound, smell, sight etc.) and any other information that may help you live another day.

3. Become a scavenger. Since most of the population has become zombies, there will be supplies. The problem is to find them and then to get them. You have to do this without being eaten or infected. 

4. Always think ahead. If you find a source of medicine take it. Just because you aren’t sick at the moment, doesn’t mean that you won’t be in the near future. The same goes for food. What you eat today, your stomach will forget tomorrow. It is better to have several days worth of supplies with you at all times.

5. Decide what your overall plan is going to be. Are you going to be nomadic and move from place to place or are you going to find an easily defensible location that will serve as your base of operations? There is not a correct answer for this question. Both of them have positive and negative points. You (and your group) will have to decide which is the best course of action for you.

6. If you haven’t already done so, arm yourself. Find a weapon that is effective but more importantly, one that you can use. You are going to need it. Zombies will not be the only enemy that you will encounter. With most of the humans gone, wildlife (some of which can be very dangerous) will repopulate at an amazing speed. Also, people will still be people. If you have something that another person wants, in a land without rules, they will try to take it.

7. Remain flexible. This is probably the most important thing that you can do. Situations can and do change. The best laid plans are completely useless if the zombies do something unexpected. Always be prepared for anything because anything can happen. After all, you are living in a world that has been decimated by a zombie apocalypse. Change as the situation does. When something is different than it was, adapt to it and over come it.

This is a basic set of guidelines. There is all kinds of information that can be found almost anywhere. Online, books, magazines, you name it and you can find something about zombies. Of course it is in the genre of science fiction. What isn’t science fiction is basic survival skills. The more that you know about basic survival, the better your chance of surviving after the apocalypse. 

Be proactive, be prepared, and keep your head on your shoulders (both literally and figuratively). Remember, the one great advantage that you will have over the zombies is your intelligence. Use it. Out-smart the zombies and you can stay alive.