Tommy's Tips

When the world went upside down, one of the things we noticed very quickly was how much we began to rely on our senses again.  Before the Upheaval, we could pretty much get through our days without too much trouble, focusing solely on what was in front of us, and not paying too much attention to the peripherals.  But when survival meant paying attention to the details, it became interesting to see how much we realized we could use our senses to save our lives.

One of the things I noticed right away when the world ended was how quiet it was.  It seemed like the whole world was holding its breath, waiting to scream.  You could hear things a long way away, and it was to the zombies advantage, sadly.  I remember walking down a path and I thought my footsteps were too loud, even though chances were no one could hear them further than three feet away!

Once we got used to them, we realized how valuable they are and how much we can use them to save ourselves.  

The one advantage we have over the zombies is eyesight.  They can't see really well, mostly because the fluid in their eyeballs is clouding up with decaying matter, but they can find you by smell and sound, no worries there.  But if a zombie is far enough away and you don't move suddenly or make noise, they might not know you're there.  I've snuck up on a lot of zombies.

Use your hearing.  Don't listen for the sounds of things that are supposed to be there, listen for what shouldn't.  Dragging sounds have no place in a forest, nor do they belong in a store.

Use your nose.  I've noticed once the crap filtered itself out of the air, my sense of smell has been getting better over time.  Zombies smell, but not as bad as you might think.  Sort out the smells that belong where you are and identify the ones that don't fit.

Trust your instincts.  What people call their intuition is the subconscious mind sorting out the signals coming in through the senses and telling you exactly what is on the other side of that creepy door.  Pay attention.

Later, TC.

Book Update

Just wanted to let everyone know that White Flag of the Dead: Book II is getting ready to print and should be available within the next few weeks.
Also, the first book in the series is now available on Kindle for a one month promotional price of $0.99!

Best thing can buy for under a buck!

Joe

Charlie's Guide

According to the old nursery rhyme, sticks and stones will break your bones.  While I can't make any serious claims about rocks, I can say with some authority that one of the most overlooked items in a zombie  kit is a stick.
Now don't get stupid on me and start telling that I'm crazy thinking a little branch will be effective against zombies. I'm not talking about that kind of stick.
When I say stick, I'm talking more along the lines of a staff or walking stick.  Something about four to five feet in length and made out of some kind of hardwood.  It doesn't have to be fancy, just functional.  Before the fecal matter hit the rotating air mover, there was a company that made serious walking sticks.  These things were made out of aircraft aluminum, had a compass on the top, and the end unscrewed to reveal a nasty six inch blade.  One of those bad boys would be handy in the new world, let me tell you.
Anyhow, if have a functional, serviceable stick, you'll find it is a very  useful item when dealing with the undead.
For example, you can use the stick to safely push the Z down, to be terminated in a more permanent fashion.  Or you can use the stick to lever the ghoul out of the way or over a guard rail.  You can throw the stick at their legs to trip them up, or you can shove the end in their mouths, rendering them impotent while you figure out what to do with them.
Duncan travels with an oak staff, and he likes to trip them up with it before he kills them.  If he's with Tommy, Duncan will trip up a zombie, then hold it down while Tommy kills it.  It's a pretty effective method.
Bottom line, a stick like what I'm talking about will have a lot of uses, so don't count them out until you try them.

Charlie out.

Tommy's Tips

Let's talk about gear for a minute. Specifically, your pack of supplies. It doesn't matter if you use a backpack, a duffle bag, or a garbage bag. Whatever works for you and you can carry comfortably without compromising your ability to engage an enemy.
First, let's talk about consumables. You'll need a source of protein, and jerked beef is a good source. Another good source, believe it or not, is canned cat food. Sure, it tastes like crap, but is high in nutritional value. Granola is good to have; it lasts a while, and homemade stuff is hit or miss as far as taste. Dried vegetables are useful and don't weigh much. Whatever you choose, calculate how much you would eat in a day, then supply yourself for three days.
Water is vital, and you'll need to try to keep at least three liters with you. Keep in mind that water is heavy, and more will be hard on your overall pack weight.
If you can find them, the little packets of powdered nutrition drinks are very useful and beneficial.
Non-consumables should include some form of knife, a blade of at least four inches, but no longer then eight inches. Some kind of cord is necessary, preferably twenty feet or more.. Matches are vital, and candles are very helpful as well. Road flares are useful, but they are one hit wonder. A compass is vital, as is a flashlight. Batteries are essential unless you can find one flashlights that work without the batteries.
Other items will be up to you, but if you use this as a base, you'll be in a good place to survive should you need to.

Later, TC

Charlie's Guide

One of the things I've noticed with a few zombie hunters is the over-reliance on their upper body moves to take out the threat.  Granted, being strong up top has its advantages, but you can't forget that your strongest muscles are your legs.  Rebecca and Sarah have a great move that manages to knock down the Z's without serious threat to themselves.
Sarah will wait for a zombie to come close enough, and she will typically kick the silly thing in the chest, knocking it back and off it's feet, making it a much easier kill.  Rebecca will generally do the same thing, and I have to admit it has its merits.  If you kick it in the chest, it's head might snap down, but it won't have the reach to get your foot.  You have to be careful, though, because if you kick it in the stomach, it can fold over on your foot, and then you are royally screwed.
If the zombie is particularly tall, and there will be a few of them, a jump kick works just as well.  Just watch your landing because it royally sucks to land on your ass after you have just executed a perfect zombie take-down kick.
Round house kicks work pretty good, but they work best against the shoulder.  You goal is to knock them down, and avoid the teeth and hands.
When push comes to shove, sweep the knees.  They will fall back and you can jump on them to finish them off.

Charlie out.

Note from John

Charlie told me he and the crew were doing this and asked if I wanted to toss in a word or three.  I couldn't think of anything else to do at the moment, since Jake decided to take a nap.
When I look back on everything that has happened in the last few years, parts of me are still in disbelief.  I have had people come up to me and remind me of things I've done, things I actually have no recollection of.  I guess after a while, things became kind of a blur.  But I managed to get through it, save Jake, marry Sarah, find a new home, and start the country back on the right track.  I guess it could be worse.
Why did I do it?  Technically, I didn't.  I had help from a lot of people, people I trust with my life.  They kept me moving, kept me from losing it.
I fight for the simple reason I can.  I'm good enough to survive, and that's what keeps me going.

It's what I do.

JT

Tommy's Tips

Here's a scenario.  You're moving well down a road when you begin to see the beginnings of a small town or community.  Before you get bent out of shape, there are more of these than cities, thank God.  You can see several people moving around, some are by cars, others are stepping into buildings.  What do you do?
Your first response may be somewhat canine in nature.  "People!  Oh, boy!  People!"  If you had a tail it would be wagging.
However, a more rational part of your brain might be saying, "Hang on.  Let's take a look before we get all crazy for conversation."
Why should you care or worry?  Well, what if this group just killed everyone in the town and is now looting their stuff? 
Unfortunately, there are people out there who have discovered the lack of enforced laws means survival of the strongest or most ruthless.  What this means for you is you have to make sure of the intentions of your possible friends before you run out with your hand in the air.  Check to see what they are doing, is it something normal people would be doing?  Are quite a few of them carrying a bit too much from one place to another?  Does there seem to be people who are standing watch for some reason?  If they lived there, what are they afraid of?
The point being is running into situations without knowing what you might be getting into is a sure way to come to some grief.  Once upon a time we used to teach children to cross railroad tracks by "Stop, Look, and Listen."  The same rules apply for any situation you are unfamiliar with. 

Later.

T.C.