Easy Fire Building

Here is a quick and simple post.

   Fire is necessary for survival. You can survive a little while without it but you will eventually need it. I'm not going to teach you how to rub sticks together to make fire tonight. The best way to keep from having to do that is to carry a frikin lighter. Not a cool Zippo either, a plain ole BIC Lighter. They are simply the most reliable If you are stranded in the middle of the woods and need fire you will be glad you have that lighter in you pocket. Get a bunch of them, they are cheap. Put one a few in your bug out bag, some in your cars, carry one in you pocket. Stash them everywhere.
  
   If you want something a little cooler get a fire piston. They require no fuel, just natural tinder. Fuel pistons work similar to diesel engines and spark from compression. Hopefully I can get my video camera fixed soon and get a YouTube channel up for you guys to see. If I can get that going I will teach you the cool stuff like fire by hand drills, bow and spindle, fire plow, optics, and more.

WEAPONS: The AK47

   The AK47, or Avtomat Kalashnikov Model 1947, was originally used by the Soviets and most participants of the Warsaw Pact. It is a select-fire, gas piston operated rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm. The AK47 is the most iconic weapon of all time for good reason. It is just plain bad ass! I prefer the AR/M16 platform but the AK is a very close second.
   The AK47, from here referred to as the AK, has plenty of great attributes but it's best of them is it's design. It is rock solid and is renowned for it's durability. If the 7.62x39 were the choice of the U.S. military the AK would be my platform of choice (it's an ammo availability in a SHTF situation thing). They can be thrown in the mud, filled with sand and shaken out, thrown form cliffs, you name it, the AK can take it and more. The sight system is nice but not the best. It is kind of heavy too, factory specs had them weighting in at 9.5lbs but they are more like a full 10lbs. One great thing about the AK is that it can be field stripped in under a minute without much effort. I can tell you factoids until I am blue int he face or you can find a way to try one out. If that isn't an option just follow this youtube link. There are tons of AK related videos there. Bunches of those are the useless AK vs AR crap. I am sick of the argument, they are both great weapons but useless without training and knowledge.

The black AK above is one of my home brew AK's

   In the U.S. we are allowed to own any gun we want, even the really cool auto and suppressed stuff if we get a tax stamp from the ATF. We can also build guns for personal use. I have built a few AK's, most recently I did a run of 7 as part of a group buy and group build. (Don't build just anyone a rifle, these were people I knew very well. Dad, brother, grand dad, close friend, and of course a few for me) I will try to dig up some photos of the process and put a step by step together for the readers. If you can't wait on that just head on over to AR15.com for more AK info than one man's brain can handle. A word of caution though: rebuilt rifles usually don't have serial numbers on their receivers and most police officers do not realize that if you can legally own a gun you can legally build a gun for yourself. Check you state laws before taking my word on it though. Also, AK prices are down right now and can be bought a good deals so it may not pay to build one. There is something cool about knowing that you built it yourself, it adds a little something extra to that whole "This is my rifle, There are many like it, but this one is mine..." thing.

Zombie Splatter is on facebook!

   Join us on Facebook. It is the easiest way to communicate with me. Hopefully you guys will give me some suggestions on what you want me to blog and podcast about. Just click on the ZS logo in this post or on the "Join us on Facebook" button on the side of the page. After that just hit "Like" on the facebook page itself and you will be connected!
   I am really looking forward to podcasting and I have some killer material together that I just need to type up and post. Hit me up on Facebook with suggestions. Also, suggest the blog to your friends. It is never to late to get someone else into prepping until it is REALLY too late! Lastly, if you are interested in becoming a contributing author on Zombie Splatter just contact me on Facebook. More quality content is always a bonus.

Zombie Splatter will be Podcasting Soon

   I will be podcasting on this blog in the near future. I am shooting for a show twice a week. I am still learning how to do this podcasting thing. Will you try the podcast that goes will this post and let me know if you have issues. Just you the email link HERE. Thanks for any input. I think you have to bee using an RSS feeder for it to automatically show up. I will attach a link in each podcast post in case you do not use a feeder. Here is the link to the test.

Assembling a Survival Team

   There is strength in numbers but you are only as strong as you weakest link....blah blah blah, we have heard it a thousand times. The fact of the matter is that it is true. I a group of 25 is stronger than a lone family of 4. It will be much easier to survive if you form or join a survival group. A survival group is just what it sounds like, a group of people gathered together and helping each other survive. Different individual have different skill sets and that can come in handy.
   The first step to forming a survival group is determining who is in the group. It should be friends and family. You don't want to approach random people and ask them to join; they may be the weak link. Write down a list of family and friends that you would want to be around in a survival situation. Beside their names you need to jot down their skill sets.
    (these are made up names)

• Bob Smith- hunting, fishing, fixing cars
• Lara Smith- cooking, gardening, sewing, good with kids
• John Jones- builds houses, fishing, was in the Navy
• Tony Jones- paramedic, has a small farm, natural leader
• Etc

   You all need to get together and have some serious discussions. A leader needs to be predetermined. A rendezvous point needs to be selected as well as some backup spots. It is a good idea to determine how long the group will wait on each other before leaving. In a later post I will be discussing how to, and why you need to, create maps and routes to various rendezvous location.
   Every member of your group is going to prep for their survival in different ways. One person may not think about a scenario that the other did and vice versa. Each of you can benefit from the prepping of others. When the disaster is over you group will be the community in which you rebuild you existence. There is never too much manpower when rebuilding communities.
 

Choose your weapon!

  

This is one of the more fun sides to a zombie survival plan. Weapon choice isn't as cut and dry as one might think. Guns are ideal but need ammo. Blades are good but are only good for close range. Bows are great but arrows are limited and fragile. We can't forget about random items such as ball bats, fence posts, 2x4's, axes, etc.    Let us talk about blades first. You viable options are swords, katanas, machettes. Swords are generally heavy and fairly slow. Don't think you super beastly looking Lord of the Rings replica is going to hold up to the abuse of fighting of a zombie horde. Katanas are lightweight and fast for their size. There are alot of cheap replicas out there though. Replicas are not durable. Machetes are short but tough. I personally prefer the machete. There will be a post that focuses more on blades later.
   Bows and crossbows are good because they have reusable projectiles. An arrow can be used many times but does eventually fail. Crossbows are best, followed by compound bows, and I would just leave the ole' long bow at home. Once again, the details will come in another post.
   Guns make me happy. Assault rifles, hand guns, shotguns, light machine guns, bolt action rifles, and more can be the difference in living or becoming another zombie. Nothing short of explosives can take out zombies like a gun. Your gun selection is very important though. Taking a .50 BMG sniper rifle isn't going to do you much good against a zombie horde. Neither is your kids bb gun. I will break down the pros and cons of each type of gun in a series of class specific posts.
   And we come to the random items part. I am working on a list of various items that are readily available and can be good weapons. I will even teach how to make you own weapons. There isn't much that's more fun than that.
 

WEAPONS: The AR-15

   

   The AR-15 is my chosen rifle system in a survival situation.It is fast, comfortable, and fairly reliable. Many believe that it has reliability issues but that just stems from problems with the M16 during the Vietnam ear. Besides auto stuff is never as reliable and the semi guns. AR-15 rifles, carbines, etc are finally getting to be more affordable. I love how easy it is to change upper receivers and that essentially gives you a new gun but only one upper should be carried in a survival situation. I will take my standard 5.56 upper. My rifle, technically a carbine, is a Smith & Wesson MP15X.  When choosing an AR-15 there are a few things to consider:

1. A 5.56mm chamber is preferred over the .223. You can shoot .223 and 5.56 ammo from a 5.56 barrel but you should not shoot 5.56 from a .223 barrel.
2. Chromed lined barrels and chambers improve reliability and are easier to clean.
3. Lightweight barrels are faster than heavy barrels. We are just trying to survive, not shooting in matches.
4. Don't hang a bunch a "tacticool" stuff of of the rails. I have a vertical fore grip and a flashlight and that is all it is getting.
5. Get a good sling system. 3-point is going to be best in a survival situation.
6. Most AR-15 manufacturers built quality stuff. I don't think Colt is better than DPMS, or SW is any better than CMMG, etc. There are a few companies that make supreme parts, such as Noveske and Daniele Defense, but I don't think their stuff is worth the extra cash. To save money you can build them yourself too. That will save you about $200 usually.

   It is important that you know your rifle. Read the paperwork that came with it over and over again. Also, use AR15.com. You can learn more than you will ever need to know about the AR platform at that site.

   There will be plenty of more posts about the AR-15 in the future. It is one of my favorite topics! Later I will talk about optics, accessories, ammo, and more.

Zombie Roaches Lose Free Will

I am in a hurry so I'm not going to discuss this article. I just copied and pasted from National Geographic. There is a link to the page at the bottom of this post.

"Zombie" Roaches Lose Free Will Due to Wasp Venom

Mati Milstein in Be'ér Sheva, Israel
for National Geographic News

December 6, 2007

The parasitic jewel wasp uses a venom injected directly into a cockroach's brain to inhibit its victim's free will, scientists have discovered.

The venom blocks a chemical substance called octopamine in the cockroach's brain that controls its motivation to walk, the study found. Unable to fight back, the "zombie" cockroach can be pulled into the wasp's underground lair, where an egg is laid in its abdomen. The larva later hatches and eats the still living but incapacitated cockroach from the inside out.

"The whole thing takes about seven to eight days, during which the meat has to be fresh," said study co-author and neurobiologist Frederic Libersat of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Be'ér Sheva, Israel.

"If you kill a cockroach, it rots within a day."

The mature wasp emerges from the bug victim's body after about a month.

The study recently appeared in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

Zombie Science

The team of researchers at Ben-Gurion University believe that the octopamine discovery is an important piece of the puzzle of how the tropical wasp's venom turns its victims into the living dead.

Octopamine is a brain substance that places insects in an alert state, inspires them to move, and allows them to perform demanding physical tasks.

Continue reading at the National Geographic site ------->

Purifying water with bleach

   When zombies attack water supply should be one of you top concerns. Water is essential for life but if not treated properly it can kill you. Water isn't too hard to come by. Most of the US has plenty of water running naturally.    Whenever your water supply runs out it is essential to replenish it. With some simple chlorine bleach this can be safely accomplishes. The ideal sterilization process is to filter for sediment, boil, and then bleach it. Boiling isn't always possible though. Filtration and bleach or filtration and boiling are usually enough but both is preferable. Hopefully I don't have to explain how to boil water. When bleaching I have found that 12 drops of unscented bleach to each gallon of water is the best ratio. You want enough bleach to kill microbes but not so much that you make yourself sick. If boiling also, just use 8 drops of bleach. It is important to remember to use unscented bleach. Check out the video below.

   There are plenty of other options for water purification. You can buy tablets that you just drop in water. Some companies make water bottles with purification systems built in. Drops can be used. Lots of companies are using modern technology to create some neat devices that purify water. 

   Humans can go weeks or even months without food but without water our days are very limited.  Below is a crude with information regarding how long we can go without water. Keep in ming that this is not an exact science because there are a lot of variable. Amount of shade plays a big part in water needs as well as activity level, body weight, what you are eating(if anything), and more. We will focus more on water needs at a later date.

120 F / 48.9 C - 2 days

110 F / 43.3 C - 3 days

100 F / 37.8 C - 5 days

90 F / 32.2 C - 7 days

80 F / 26.7 C - 9 days

70 F / 21.1 C - 10 days

60 F / 15.6 C - 10 days

50 F / 10.0 C - 10 days

u top concerns. Water is ess

On the move or hold up

   OK, so the CDC has finally admitted that there has been a viral outbreak and the chaos is building. Zombies are in a rural town but it is only a matter or time before the hit a major city and spread like wildfire. You are now faced with you first decision; do I stay put and barricade my self into my home, or wherever you are, or do I get on the move? The answer is not too clear.    The first thing to consider is how long this epidemic is expected to last. We will have some sort of warning via radio or television. Electricity does not go out immediately folks. If this attack is expected to be short lived, like a 5 day event, it would be better to barricade yourself into you home and wait it out. If it is expected to last weeks, months, or even years it is time to get on the move.
   It is important to keep in mind that most people are going to panic and clog up the road ways. If you can get you vehicle out of town go right ahead, just remember that fuel will be scarce. However you get there you safest places are going to be secluded areas such as: National Parks, wildlife preserves, mountains, mine shafts, etc. More populated areas are going to have higher infection rate which increases the amount of zombies trying to do harm to you and you family.
   It is impossible to make a Plan Z without knowing the variables. I will be discussing more important topics in later posts. I will break down each variable and explain how to apply them to you survival plan. We will even go through how to use Google Earth for planning. 






<------Those ER bars are great. One of these 3600 calorie bars is 3 days worth of food in a survival situation.

Disregard this post. It is simply a mobile upload test.

Sent from my HTC Tilt™ 2, a Windows® phone from AT&T

I have been working on lots of content that will be posted this weekend. Make sure you share this blog with your friends! Knowledge gives you the power to survive the coming zombie attack. Help make sure everyone has the knowledge. DO IT!

OK, so those first two posts didn't teach you much about zombie survival but what they did have a purpose. They showed how a zombie virus can affect living creatures. Now we get into the good stuff.

For the next few posts you can look forward to reading about the important stuff such as:

• Creating a bug out bag
• Choosing your weapons
• General survival tips
• The pro's and con's to getting on the move vs. holding up in one place
• Weapons techniques
• and more

Max Brooks wrote a book, The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead, that was published in 2003. It is a decent book but with some good advice but it has more entertainment value than actual zombie attack survival techniques. You can get it on amazon for just a few bucks.
I will compile a list of must reads on the topic of survival. If this thing gets bad we will still need to know how to survive after the zombies are gone. I don't think they will last but a few days anyways but I will save that for another post.

Rabies+Flu=Z-day

In this blog introduction I mentioned a rabies-flu hybrid virus. I rediscover the link where I read bout the possibility. Check this out!

Here is a crude formula the beginning of a zombie out break: Rabies = Rage, Flu = Highly contagoius

Rabies+Flu=Z-day
Maybe a pictorial diagram will help:

 It seems to me that topping the problem at the source is the best answer. Bulk Purell is good!

Welcome to Zombie Splatter!

   I always believed zombies were part of a worn out comic and horror genre until I read an article about real zombie ants. You can read the article HERE. The article explained how ants were being attacked by a fungus that controled their bodies like it was simply driving it like a car. To me, it isn't too far fetched to think that this fungus or a similar one could evolve enough to have the same effect on humans. Viruses could cause a zombie outbreak as well. Just think what a rabies-flu hybrid could do. 

   I am not of the beleif that bodies will rise from the ground to coordinate an attack on humanity. A viral outbreak could certainly take it's toll though. Just imagine a bunch of people running around with a constant trickle of adrenaline triggered by a very contagious virus. The only things that can keep you from infection is knowledge and preperation.

Don't forget your ant poison!

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