Zombie Outbreak - where to hide?

[Umbran]

But if the sea floor pressure can smash a human body into jelly, why not a zombie one?

Because the whole "smash a human body into jelly" thing is a vast overstatement.

If you are trying to keep lungs full of air, deep-sea pressures will crush your ribcage, yes. And any air-filled cavities in a human body are a problem. However, a zombie doesn't need to keep any cavities filled with air. he can let his lungs or other cavities fill with uncrushable water.

From there, your body is mostly a big bag of guess what? Salt water! It'll compress only a little bit, under very high pressure - so for a living human being, the extreme depth is a problem because of stress on the skull (a cracked skull won't stop the zombie). Eventually, pressure will even shrink the brain somewhat - just enough to to muss up the synapse length between neurons, and that's a problem. Last time I checked, though, zombies don't care so much about being smart

 

[Darklone]

Leeds Castle would be good, if you're anywhere near it!

Not a prob, there are about 10 good old castles in the vicinity

Last time I checked, though, zombies don't care so much about being smart

BRAINZ!

 

[Umbran]

You know, I hadn't even thought about fish and such... But just being in water (particularly salt water!) would probably be enough to rot the flesh away from the bones, and the ligaments wouldn't last much longer...

But salt water itself doesn't cause rot. Microorganizms in the water (fresh or salt) cause rot. And that process isn't fast in cold, deep water.

The human body is already full of microorganisms that would cause it to rot away - and zombies do rot some. But it seems to me that the process is much slowed in zombies. I think it safe to say that zombies are somewhat resistant to normal decay processes. Their flesh is probably poisonous.

But, if the shark can become a zombie - why can't the microorganism? Your real problem now isn't the zombie-shark. It is the zombie E.coli...

 

[Mark Plemmons]

zombies do rot some. But it seems to me that the process is much slowed in zombies. I think it safe to say that zombies are somewhat resistant to normal decay processes. Their flesh is probably poisonous.

If we're talking "real world" zombies here, I'd say that the rot process wouldn't be slowed, and that the flesh is probably filled with disease and bacteria but not really 'poison.' So a zombie bite is full of nasty bacteria that could make you sick and then die without access to a proper medical facility. Assuming, of course, that it doesn't "turn" you into another zombie then and there.

I still vote for "island" as the safest place. If it's out of sight of zombie-infested land, the zombies have no reason to enter the water and walk there. And if there's miles of ocean between the two - no way they'll make it. Fish will nibble at the bodies, and any really decent ocean trench will be so deep that a zombie will never make it out.

The biggest zombie problem for the people on the island would be if the disease jumps species. Zombie birds could fly to the island from the air, or zombie fish get caught and eaten (or bite swimming humans)...

 

[Darklone]

As mentioned above: Normal animals don't get within 30 ft of undead. So no fish nibbling at zombies.

 

[Jesus_marley]

But, if the shark can become a zombie - why can't the microorganism? Your real problem now isn't the zombie-shark. It is the zombie E.coli...

The question is though. would zombie E. coli only eat your brain?

 

[Kesh]

The people promoting an upper floor of a building and such are missing one important fact: once you're up there, you're trapped. Zombies don't necessarily have a timeframe, and they can hang out below you until you run out of food and water. Then, you starve or get eaten.

Your best bet, if you can escape the initial outbreak, is to go out into the woods or plains somewhere that's relatively unpopulated. Very few bodies to animate, and you can keep away from anyone else who could be infected (or attract zombies). Still not "safe," but it's safer than trying to hole up in a building that people are likely to be near.

 

[Nadaka]

The people promoting an upper floor of a building and such are missing one important fact: once you're up there, you're trapped. Zombies don't necessarily have a timeframe, and they can hang out below you until you run out of food and water. Then, you starve or get eaten.

Your best bet, if you can escape the initial outbreak, is to go out into the woods or plains somewhere that's relatively unpopulated. Very few bodies to animate, and you can keep away from anyone else who could be infected (or attract zombies). Still not "safe," but it's safer than trying to hole up in a building that people are likely to be near.

At the same time however, out in the woods, you have to survive the elements and you will have to head into populated areas to resupply anyway (unless you are a proficient hunter gatherer and have the knowledge to craft your own weapons, clothes, shelter with little more than a sharp rock). Plus you have no shelter from the certain coming of the zombie hoard. They catch you sleeping, your eatin' brains. They surround you, your eatin' brains. With a fortified structure you have relative safety for rest, recovery and hoarding supplies. In the woods, the best you can do is have what you can carry, because you will have to keep moving to avoid the zombies.

 

[Darkwolf71]

Barbara, The "heroine" of the story was essentially a spastic nerfbag for the entirety of the film. the only thing she did was scream. and she survived.

No, Barbra died. The Savini knock-off remake Barbra survived, but the true NotLD Barbra got herself all ate up.

 

[JDJblatherings]

How long do people envision buildings in "civilization" to be liveable. When the water goes off, you are dead in 3 days. When the power goes off, how are you going to see the zombies coming at night? The bigger the building the less vanatge points you have unless you are with a group. Power will be gone within a week, if not sooner.

Get a generator- make lots of noise attract a horde and get eaten.
Stay in the mall or superstore- some sort of instinct draws a whole hell of a lot of zombies (according to source fiction).

Islands are your best bet. Ones with local water and big enoug to farm on wihout much if any starting population. The zombies might get to you but not likely in numbers unless an infected cruise ship runs up onto the beach.