M.U.M's the word...

If your hometown was under attack by zombies, or a random infection was rampant and the only chance for survival was escape to somewhere "safe", where would you go?  Be as specific as possible... 

My favourite is The John Rhodes Driver Examination Centre in South-East Brampton Ontario.  Ironically, this little chunk of government owned property is directly north of real-life Malton Ontario (in Canada) and it's about 20 miles from where I live.  The exam centre has been closed for a decade, but it is completely fenced in AND already boarded up. 

Pros:  The building is surrounded by a series of driver-exam roadways (see map image), so from the main building 360 degree visibility would be possible.  The fence would keep the hordes at bay. 

Cons:  To maintain the barricades, an upper-level (or rooftop) entry point would be necessary.  Supplies (food, ammo, etc) would be absent, so you'd have to arrive well-stocked if you planned to stay for any length of time... 

I'd say the prison that's not too far from me. Definitely the safest thing I could think of, it's fenced and the interior can be locked down and sections can be closed off to quell the horde. It also is sure to have some kind of weaponry on sight not to mention transport vehicles if they are necessary.
Otherwise I'd say a place like Walmart, home depot or the sporting goods store near me as they'd contain equipment I could use. (obviously they all have different stuff)
Schools are decent places to defend as well especially if they are built high instead of across, but otherwise provide no tactical advantage.

My overall strategy would involve grabbing improvised weaponry from my house and leaving to collect supplies as quickly as possible. I would also round up a decent group of 3-4 other people, any more is too much. Everybody I know has actually said that the first thing they'd do is call me. :D After we were prepared we would go to where we plan to hold out which would be decided depending on ease to get there and ease to hold out. Preferably we'd try to head out of the city and get to a more rural area.

The best place would be somewhere that could only be accessed by ladder that can be raised or lowered that has it's own power source and plenty of food and other supplies. If I ever somehow end up really rich, I'd build such a place just because. :D
Obviously that's a highly unlikely situation though and thus we'd have to settle.

I think a better question is not where you'd hold out to survive but maybe how you'd escape altogether. Obviously that depends on tons of different variable that can't be accounted for so i figure I'd wing that part of it. The best thing you can have is a good ability to adapt.

My grandparents house
pros- supplies and weaponry already there easy to barricade the doors most windows are to high up steep hills on 1 1/2 side fence around house and part of garage tall space between garage and house can be baricaded to provide more room
cons- living room window is huge and may just be within reach from the ground

overall though the place is the best bet in these areas plus the way the plae is built there will still be access to the garage

I would awaken with most probable my mother at work near Manhattan and my father still in bed. My brother is a firefighter and based on the schedule would have a 50% chance of being home. His wife and my 3 year old niece would probably be home. That would be 5 of us. My grandmother lives acorss the street and me and my brother would probably have to find a way to get her across to our house. Only 3 shorts blocks away from me is a Precinct. I would probably go with my brother there to look for weapons. Try to contact my mom with the phone. Can't imagine going all the way to her job to get her. About 15 minutes from my house is one of the top 10 malls in America (for size), Roosevelt Field Mall. I could imagine us going there. Or Costco. But in such a populated area like mine, I doubt it would be safe. The best thing might just to be stay in my house, with the high windows, and tall sturdy fence. We also have an attic that requires a ladder but you can pull the ladder up. And C-Town (supermarket) is only 2 blocks away. Could be good supplies. I think I would try to hold up in my house with weapons form precinct and food from C-Town.

I mgiht just call you guys up just so we could form the real Malton Urban Militia.

i would try 2 get to a shopping mall that has a gun store with some other survivors when we have enough i would raid the local army base 2 get supplies then i would check the prison and recruit the inmates and yes i would look for u guys too

and i would raid the local cvs 2 get my medicine for my ad-hd

I doubt that would be a good idea Gonzo, unless it starts on one coast and we prepare early, then that would be pretty awesome as we'd allo know more so what to do. Honestly my most likely group would be me, my brother and a couple friends as my parents would most likely be at work and my grandparents are too far away. Even then, it depends where I am when it starts. I may end up just being with a group of people from my school because going excessively out of the way to save family can get you all killed. Cold I know, but I don't think a zombie apocalypse is a time for sacrifice and selflessness.

My crew:  (providing all necessary variables are conducive) 
Flash (my son) 
Matt (my buddy & a zombie expert)
Gary (my uncle & an expert marksman) 
Todd (my cousin who's the only guy I know who might be a better shot than Uncle Gary) 
Nick & Neil (more cousins - one is a tool-maker by trade, the other has a huge IQ) 
...and my wife and daughter even though they would slow us down.

Not trying to bs here, but I'm actually a champion marksman with a rifle and I'm decent with a pistol and hell, even a bow in a pinch. I'm also proficient in the operation of most firearms. Also in combat I've earned a Tae Kwon Do black belt and I've studied Judo so in a pinch I can escape from one or two zeds. I've also been trained in the use of swords (katanas specifically) and nunchucks which a metal or wood set can easily break skulls so in a pinch that's pretty useful. In a more technical stand point, my father is in construction and I'm taking classes in design that focuses on engineering and architecture so my barricades and other structures and whatnot will be more effective than they could be. As a last point I've been in scouts since I was little and I've picked up quite a few survival skills over the years so even out of civilization I can do alright. When it comes to zombies, I'm the most knowledgeable of everyone I know hence why many would turn to me, they know that I know my stuff.

As for others, my brother has been in scouts as long as me, so together our survival skills are pretty damn fantastic. My brother also is a decent shot with a rifle and he's better with a shotgun. He hasn't been trained in martial arts, but he's stronger than me and I'm sure he could get away from one or two zombies while unarmed as well. As for others, I guess I'd pick people that are entertaining since morale is huge in a survival situation, but they'd also have to be competent, and willing to listen to directions since fighting over leadership can devastate a group which is why I'd try to stick to my friends. All depends who's near me at the time.

On the original note, I thought about things a bit more and I think the ideal location is actually a warehouse store about ten minutes from my house. It has ample food supplies as well as plenty of material to barricade whatever entrances there are. the main entrance is actually a double entrance so we can double cade it and use it almost like an airlock. That would allow us to provide temporary shelter in the outer area without compromising the rest of the structure. This store is also near that sports store so we'd hit that first and load the car with ammo, then get someone inside have them open the big loading door and pull the car inside and seal it behind us. That would allow us to remove the equipment in safety. As a bonus, the store also has a lot of books which means entertainment to help morale. It also has a **** load of other toys and **** to provide entertainment. So, as far as I can figure, that's our best bet. If I think of anything else I'll post it.

Incidentally, I just read the Survival Guide by Max Brooks and found it funny that what I thought about the schools and prisons and whatnot was actually in there. Guess I knew my **** even better than I thought. :D

Yeah I know, I just said it for kicks. In my location I probably wouldn't make it. To get to anywhere remote and abandoned, you'd have to go through the heart of NYC. Zombie central.

Stupid ipod i keep hitting buttons i dont mean to >:( but does anyone have memberships at the zsadw and mmc we live in same province lols

My town is mid sized, not the best, but tolerable. Also, John, I do in fact have an account on the zsad wiki. I've found that some of their info isn't that great. First of all, all info on zombies themselves is speculation, all we have are survival skills for normal survival situations and a skill for tactics especially of a military variety. If you don't have that skill, find someone who does, shut up, and listen to orders or will die or zombify.

Memeh i have an account and im perfectly aware that its speculation i tend to plan for all possible variables and personally when it comes to following military orders been there done that not interested i know more about survival then most of them anyways

I just meant too many people fighting for control will get everyone killed.

 

Isn't NYC fulla zeds right now?  Or are those winos and junkies??

Right :D

Ehh.  ;D

Hahahaha nice one, yea i would probably go to a low populus area and hole myself up in a place with only a few entrances and exits with high security. Then i would make myself a nest on a wall that was sturdy and out of reach of zombies. OwO Where is everyone?

I'm back after a somewhat long absense.
I'd get my old physics teacher. He was a zombie expert, even prepared plans to survive an outbreak.
I live in a large town, not many places to go, but i'll outline a few
Old school
Pros- 4 floors - basement (no idea what is down there), ground, first and second. Reinforced glass windows, windows have chicken wire inside in the scool, heavy doors, huge arse concrete slabs for bricks, power generator, food supplies, loads of science labs with full equipment- even uranium for some reason, weapons, gas pumps (makeshift flamthrowers :) ), ICT rooms with loads of PCs could be usefull, loads of things that can be used for barricades, water purifiers, stairs easy to destroy, lifts can be disabled, loads of room, air purification system, incubators, could easily turn roof into a farm (we had hydroponics stuff as well for demonstrations), transport
Cons - It is only half fenced off for some reason, so ground floor would be a no go.

Gun store
Pros- ..kinda obvious
Cons - food mainly

Military base ~ 20 miles away
Pros - pretty much everything
Cons- Too many people, soldiers likely to shoot on sight, most soldiers are dumb, supplies would run out fast

So i'd probably go for my old school, seeing as how the acrhitects seemed to plan for it to be attacked by zombies.

I agree with ES4 on the school idea.

Didn't I mention schools in general in my first post? :P

Ah but you didnt go into detail.

Did you want me to describe all five or six places I listed in exact detail? :P Anyway, unimportant. That's just the way I is.

Well I skimmed everyones mostly.

Lazy reader :P

I got enough stuff to read these days.

Read...what...who...wha-happened?

Mayor, keep up.  ;D

I think it was a joke. :P

I know, I was joking too.  8)

My thought on the hole things i that im probly that poor bastered that will get eaten in some funny way and everyone will laugh as there running away, But realy, my thought on it is get a group of bad ass's that like to hunt and shoot, becasue up in wisonsin thats what we love and have, a bunch of guns, then after i got a bunch of people, fo to a small store, withc we have in my town, thank god i live in a small town. then get a buss, get a bunch of gass, and head out on the road, probly at the same time fixing are bus and getting more veachels, and more people, and just stay on the road, alwase moveing, never stay in one place guys, that will get you killed. then once where all steady, stockpile things on a Hauling Truck. bad thing is that you never might know what will hapen, but its wasy better then staying in one spot and letting the hordes of infected pile up untell they do break in and kill everyone:'( And yes, got the idea from resident Eviel

Only problem is what to do if your vehicles break down or you run out of fuel. Always need a backup plan.
Run and gun can be good though, but if its an apocolypse, then your facing several billion zombies. It would take nothing short of an army to bring them down, you wouldnt find enough supplies otherwise.

ES is right, that works until you run out of gas or the cars break down, or you run out of road, or you run out of food in the middle of the desert, or any of those things and more. Remember Murphy's Law. Holding out may not be all that high of hopes, but at least we know where our supplies are and what fortifications we have. Honestly, getting to the middle of nowhere and living off the land would be your best bet, but hunting can be difficult and you must be careful that what you grow doesn't somehow get infected. If you are far enough from civilization I guess those chances are low, but it's still something to consider. besides, growing large amounts of food is difficult, and the more help you have, the more you have to grow because it's all the more you have to feed. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but frankly, I don't think it matters, either way it comes down to survival. The circumstances are the only thing that changes. Besides, unless the out break hits class 3, you may as well hold out, there are far less zombies at a class 2 then at a class 3 and you have a decent chance of survival. If it hits class 4, I hope you have a new place to live.

yes, there is, but if you stay in one spot, thene just let thousands or even millions be outside of your safehouse what the hell do you do next? save a bullet, my guss, thats what id do, just incase. other than that, yea, theres many different senarios that can be put into what would hapen, but if your smart, moveing along the roads, stoping at towns, getting supplies, mabey even a gass hauler. its better thene to let yourself be sitting ducks. mabey stay there for a night, thene keep oveing. but yes, if the vechial dose break down in a dessart, or there are hordes of undead blocking your way, you kind of are a gonner.

You are mostly a goner wherever you go. Probably the best place would be an island that has cliffs instead of beaches. That would eliminate any chance of zombies waltzing up a beach and enjoying a fresh human. Main problem would obviously be getting there, since most boats would either be infested or already taken. Once you get tehre though, surviving would be very easy if it had fertile land and clean water. As well as that, killing zombies would be unecesarry as they wouldn't make it to the island, but if they did the cliffs would prevent them entering, and if they died bodies would be washed away so they wouldnt be able to make a corpse ladder over the cliffs.

That's why it depends on the size of the outbreak. If the situation gets resolved, holding out won't have been so bad. On that note, depending where you hold up it could be the best option for a total apocalypse. If you're in the middle of nowhere in the mountains or an island or whatever isolated location, where you can sustain your own food source and survive off the location then staying in one place would definitely be the best in that regard. I guess hermits have us all beat. :D

Well im screwed where I am. Not really anywhere isolated. Except for a radioactive area (Chernobyl to thank for this), could use that as a trap against some zombies. Other then that I'm kinda screwed here :|

I wounder if the goverment would do anything to stop It, and if they did try and lost, thene what pices of the army would be around, like what would they do? hold out at one of there bases would be my guss, they have the man power and fire power to last. Hell they even have helacopters. if we had one of thows we could get to a safe area without dealing with the infected. thene theres just the problum of landing it.

In the event of a massive outbreak, I would probably head for the nearest mountain.  I would try to convince people to come with me too, a group is much more effective at survival.  Camp up in the snow, and venture down to replenish food, I'm pretty sure that cold, ice and snow would make zombies a lot easier to deal with. Or at the very least, the rocky terrain would slow them down or trip them up, they aren't amoung the most coordinated beings on earth, thats for sure

i'd probably first get some of my friends then find a car then go to the nearest gun store pack some weapons check on our families go to a supermarket and get some food and other things we would need to survive and then find a base or a ocean liner then find a remote island

ok, first thing I'd do is get a map and circle all the area's where thereare hospitals.  contrary to popular belief, hospitals are horrible places to hide.  when a person gets infected (before the apocalypse) they go to the hositals.  in a matter of days, the hospitals would becomeover crowded.  once they become zombies, the hospitals would become infested. zombie apocalypse's always start at the hospitals.

once I have a map of all the danger zones I would, of course, find a place that is in the least danger.  Preferably my friends zombie proof bunker.