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M$5.60  Funded By Mahalo ? |  October 28, 2009 10:51 PM

In a Zombie Apocalypse whats the best form of transportation; Bicycle? Car? Hot air Balloon?...

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Interesting: jeffhoard M$5.25, aw M$0.05, cheapgamer M$0.05

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October 29, 2009 02:34 AM | view on twitter
I'd go for a cruise ship. Granted you would have to be sure no Zombies made it on board but.. space would be available to create a sustainable environment that would be easily defended due to it being at sea. Not to mention a cruise ship already contains all the amenities for comfortable living, long voyages and entertainment.

It would take time but supplies could be gathered to build rain water catching systems, set up on board crops/food producing plants, livestock, etc. in essence a floating island. It's also my understanding Zombies+water don't mix so even safer.

Your biggest issue would be initially surviving to gather the supplies and obtain the cruise ship as well as an able trust worthy mob to live there with you. You'd also need to find someone to operate it or defend it while some one learned. Makes me glad I live in a state with damn near no gun laws. We nearly own an armory and my husband collects knives, swords and blades. Once set up the ship would never have to dock.

The second issue in the beginning would be other survivors trying to steal your brilliant strong hold. Some people are greedy, rather than joining they try to take over.

Edit: To address a side thought I just had. Yes, I know cruise ships run on fuel of some sort. Once fuel supplies ran out you would either have to dock and acquire more OR go all old school and build sails. You could also prepare yourself and then clear a small island of zombies as once they are dead, how is the island going to become re-infected? Transfer your supplies to the island from the ship and you've got a new beginning.


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October 29, 2009 04:05 AM
i'm coming over once word of a zombie apocalypse breaks out.

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October 29, 2009 05:57 AM
I would say go old school and build sails. You'd want to limit the number of times you go ashore. If you did go to shore for fuel, it would have to be a well calculated situation, multiple plans would need to be available. For example, when you get to shore, you'll need an armed wing to set up a perimeter for the gas pumpers, a sniper team on the boat would be helpful too, who knows how many zombies (if any) you'll have to deal with. Besides dealing with zombies, you'd also also have to consider, if there are survivors at the dock, curious of the visiting boat, how will you handle it? If it's just two or three survivors - that would be fine. But what if there are hundreds, they might riot, best is to avoid going to shore as much as possible, because it will be hell each time.

Another option would be, before you get to the point where you need to resort to sails, you could set up a base on an oil rig somewhere, I'm sure a long term fueling facility could be set-up

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October 29, 2009 06:24 AM
Oh.. excellent point Jeff. Most the people I know even have run those oil rigs or helped build them. I can't believe I spaced the oil rig idea. lol I should probably add I didn't come up with this idea on the fly. What my family and I would do in a Zombie Apocalypse has been a conversation I've had many a drunk nights.. I wonder why we as humans are so sure zombies are gonna happen...

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October 29, 2009 06:33 PM
Brilliant!! And hopefully bikini's will be involved....

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October 28, 2009 11:10 PM | view on twitter
I assume the zombies aren't drilling and refining oil, so sooner or later the gas stations will run out. If humans have enough spare time to keep them full, apocalypse ain't what it used to be.

The problem with hot air balloons is you don't have total control of your destination. Still, there are times when floating over dangerous ground situations will be a plus. Of course, they don't take off until you've spent some time inflating them. Unlike the wizard of Oz, you may not have it ready when you need it.

For most circumstances, bicycle is best. When you run out of spare parts you may have to walk.

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October 29, 2009 12:47 AM | view on twitter
I say use a car untill the fuel runs out.Just remember you need to keep moving so it should be easy to keep fueled up between destinations.

Once all else runs out go with the bicycle.But be careful we do not know if they will be the slow "Night of the living dead "zombies or the super fast "28 days later" zombies.

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October 29, 2009 04:06 AM
What if they're dancing zombies like in Thriller?

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October 29, 2009 03:02 PM
LOL!!
For some reason I doubt that!!

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October 29, 2009 06:39 PM
I would be pretty bummed if I encountered fast zombies, slow moving zombies are much more enjoyable and safe for everybody involved.

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October 29, 2009 02:31 AM | view on twitter
That is when Hybrid technology would be at its best. A Hybrid Car with proper protection would be the best form of transport from place to place. Fuel conservation would be critical. You can't have a mad max type vehicle and expect to make it to your destination.

A bike?....Not enough protection. But depending on the zombies it may work,as lisak52 "Night of the Living Dead" zombies or "28 Days Later" zombies.

Maybe a Yacht out at sea..No risk of running into a zombie,Plenty of fish unless they are zombies too.
Source(s):
Zombie fascination and self ideas.


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October 29, 2009 05:02 AM | view on twitter
Large fast fighting boat ( with back-up sails or solar power ) + a jetpack

The boat idea is good, they don't really like water so that will help keep the hordes at bay while I save the world.

A jetpack so I can walk around places when I need to ( get supplies, kill zombies, find friendly dog :) and also take off really quickly if things get tight!

And the jetpack wouldn't use much fuel - mind you the one below is way too big to get around in, I'd have to design a more streamline model

http://www.flickr.com/photos/psbellamy/2821496708/

I'd probably mount guns onto something like this!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/faircompanies/2200621085/

Tags: mahalo, zombies

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October 29, 2009 07:39 AM | view on twitter
Motorcycle because it is open so if need be you can easily bail. It also leaves you open to kick, hit, or shoot zombies as need be and is easy on gas.

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October 29, 2009 10:49 AM | view on twitter
I would think a really big van or an RV or something like on Dawn of the Dead... : )

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October 29, 2009 11:17 AM | view on twitter
I'm going with an armored and weaponized monster truck. Hell on wheels and built Ford tough I think a well crafted monster truck of any brand would be the best.



The rear bed storage could be easily used to store fuel and ammunition and weaponry.(a welder to add layers of armor on the fly wouldn't hurt either) I know it seems like a bad idea to put the four together but hey... it's a Zombie Apocalypse and we all know it is coming. The front spiked plow "persuader" would make getting to the gas station easy and the front mounted cannon will keep them at bay 'till we get filled up.

Here are the 10 other items you will need to survive the Zombie Apocalypse

If Cracked Magazine has an article on this it has to be an imminent concern.


Source(s):
http://www.irondogstudios.com/images/bw1/mek_bw1.html
http://www.cracked.com/article_15643_5-scientific-reasons-zombie-apocalypse...
http://open.salon.com/blog/ryan_clark/2009/10/25/10_items_to_survive_a_zomb...


Tags: zombieapocalypse, zombies

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Helpful: bunnyphuphu, unwirklich, lesliec

Unhelpful: theenlightened

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aw aw
 
October 29, 2009 02:59 PM
Seems like people around here don't plan to live long enough to see the end of gasoline.

Chances are the second zombies attack the roads will be congested with every paniced lunatic clogging up the roads. They'll cause accidents, they'll try to steal each others cars, they will be gathered as a huge road buffet for the walking dead. In other words unless you live in the middle of nowhere your car is worthless.

To adress some of the previous posters reguarding cars/buses/motorcyles/cruise ships and my thoughts on them.

*Buses eat tons of fuel and are loud enough to attract zombies form miles around. Not to mention try getting a bus through gridlock... Sure you can crash trough the first through roadblocks but it won't be long before you slice one of the kneeling hydrolic cables or air brake lines and you bus becomes unuseable.

*Cars need fuel you'll need to gather it. It will distract you from more important stuff, like water & food. Cars break down, get flats, get stolen some of the most dangerous things in a zombie apocalypse is going to be other survivors.

* A cruise ship? Really? Good thing I took those cruise ship captaining lessons. I don't mean to make fun but I don't know a single person who knows how to drive one of these. Not to mention a cruise ship requires an entire crew. Anyone here know how to use sonar? Radar? Maintain huge deisel motors? Those are just a few of the jobs people NEED to be able to do to get one of these things going.

* Motorcycles use less fuel than any of the above they can carry a decent amount of supplies and are easier to navagate through debris and roads that have become parking lots. They can be loud and can attrack zombies though. They need fuel. They offer little in the way of protection just the speed to keep one away from zombies.

* A pedal bike. Theres is no protection big negative. There is also no noise, positive. No fuel requirements except you take good enough care of yourself to be able to use it. Thus you will be more focused on food an water keeping yourself healthy, positive. "Roads? We don't need no stinkin roads!" You can just as easily take a bike across a field, through woods as you can through a jumble of rubble and fuelless crashed cars. Anywhere you can't get it through its easy enough to carry, big positive. When its time to sleep you can pull it up into a tree with you, carry it into the empty building you were lucky enough to find. No need to worry about your transportation getting stolen while you catch a few Z's. Positive. Ok so you get a flat tire? You can ride on rims till you find a new bike. Most people no matter how mechanically challenged can figure out how to fix one. You can out run zombies even the fast ones on a bike as long as you can keep pedaling. Grab a backpack and you can carry enough food and supplies for a few days.

I am missing stuff with the bike thing, I put down everything I could think of off hand. If anyone wants to refute my claims or argue some of my points please reply, I enjoy this topic very much.

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October 29, 2009 03:36 PM
I do know a single person. In fact, I know a whole crew. Summer work on cruise ships is common in my area. I also mentioned it would be necessary to find people to run the ship as well as someone who could operate it or learn to do so.

Since you seem to enjoy punching holes in ideas... a pedal bike is a great short term solution, but long term it's unrealistic. Are you just going to ride the bike about hoping you out survive the undead mobs?

Eventually you need a stronghold, eventually you will have to adapt and do things like learn to operate a cruise ship and make floating islands of joy and rainbows. lol

Well, or get incredibly lucky and find a place on the mainland that is defensible and maintainable by one person.. cause if you can't find people to run a ship you can't find people to help you defend a fort either.

Realism is confined by ones faith in their ability for survival. What's realistic to one is impossible to another. :P

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aw aw
 
October 29, 2009 04:21 PM
The question was about transportation not long term survival. So how many people does it take to crew a cruise ship? I mean minimum to quell my curiosity. I tried to find out on google but no good.

Just as you have a port and cruise ships in your area I have military bases and even a few forts (left over from US revolutionary war times) within less than a days riding distance from me. I live on the coast and also have some small uninhabitted islands nearby. If you can get to the NJ coast area I'll even join your crew, I am a skilled electrican (mostly low voltage communications and security systems), good cook and quick learner.

The issue is that it takes specific skills to crew a ship, most people can hold a weapon and defend a wall. The point I was trying to make is that for most people a bike would be better than a cruise ship,and a zillion times more practical. You should consider yourself lucky you have that kind of opportunity.

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October 29, 2009 05:12 PM
Welcome to Mahalo @aw - Good discussion and thank you for your input, one thing to keep in mind here is the etiquette that surrounds the "unhelpful" button - Sure you may disagree with @unwirklich's answer, but that doesn't make it "unhelpful" for the asker. Use that button with caution. Cheers

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aw aw
 
October 29, 2009 07:03 PM
@ jeffhoard I didn't realize I hit an unhelpfull button on anyone. It was probably a stray click due to the extremely slow internet I have atm. Is there any way I can take that back?

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October 29, 2009 11:58 PM
I suppose my mind set never went to "just right now" so in transportation I automatically think of what will benefit me most in the long run. How many people it takes to run a cruise ship would depend on the ship. I couldn't tell you exactly though I personally have never worked on one, I just have access to many people who have. I'll have to ask.

I don't think much of anything is practical in terms of trying to survive during a zombie apocalypse lol Most people would probably end up on what ever was closest to just get away.. the question seemed to more suggest if any transportation you wanted was available what would you go for?

If it ever does happen, we'll try to come pick you up though :P I'd have to find someone familiar with sailing from Alaska to New Jersey though... that could be tough lol

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October 29, 2009 03:01 PM
Let's break this into several phases with information about the vehicle(s) in each phase.

Phase 1: Outbreak
When the zombie (virus?) outbreak first hits there may be some time before society breaks down. In this situation, stock food, weapons, and survival gear. As the question above states the concern is transportation I will not go into detail on topics of supplies. Feel free to send me a note if you would like me to expand here.

You really need multiple vehicles to meet your needs. I would go with a RV, Van, or capped truck. You need to have room for two people (covered below). This main vehicle would need to hold a bike, a still, and all of your gear so space is a must. Have a plug in option for electricity so you can have electric gear should you need it. Convert your engine to run on Ethanol.

http://running_on_alcohol.tripod.com/id32.html
http://running_on_alcohol.tripod.com/id2.html

Note some vehicles already are Flexible Fuel, this would be a great place to start.

Buy an electric assist bike kit. http://itselectric.ca/ this will make your bike a better vehicle in rougher situations.

Phase 2: Infection

At this point things are really starting to break down, develop a buddy system if you need to abandon your home you need a person you can trust to travel with you. You have to sleep sometime so having someone who will be awake for emergencies is a must.

It may be desirable to armor your vehicle and have vehicle based weapons or a weapon hatch that your partner can fire from. Note in this phase you also want to be able to defend yourself from other humans who may want to steal your gear so keep this in mind.

If your vehicle fails beyond repair you may be able to use it as a non-mobile base of operations with your bike taking over as your main form of transportation. If electricity is no longer viable you may want to remove the electric bike kit to free up weight.

Phase 3: Quarantine/Devastation

This is the phase where things get better or worse.

If you are able to get into a quarantine or survivalist area, you may end up in a walled town, your vehicle is now your temporary house & your bike is the around town vehicle. Your still will become not only your source of fuel but it may provide you with a tradeable commodity as fuel or booze.

If things get worse, it may start to look like you are among the last survivors . . . In this case your vehicle is your mobile fortress. You may wish to improve armor and Drive. Find out if there are areas where the infected won't survive IE very hot or very cold climates. If zombies can't swim you may want to find an island it should be possible to build a raft or scrounge a boat at this point.

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October 29, 2009 04:18 PM
Note I commented to provide 2 more answers. ^_^ The above is my realistic answer the below are ideals.

If money/gear/supplies were non-issues I would create a Super-Vehicle, using a military ground transport as inspiration.

The something like a high tech Bradly M2 may serve as a good starting point. http://usmilitary.about.com/od/armyweapons/a/bradley.htm It is heavily armored and amphibious. I might lighten the frame a bit as zombie attacks could be repelled by lighter armor, the lighter armor may also allow faster transportation and better use of fuel.

I would have a still and an Ethanol based fuel cell/electric hybrid. The vehicle would also have a wind turbine and solar panels for extra electrical power

If Sci-Fi SUPER vehicles are OK I would use the Enterprise from Star Trek TNG. It would do a scanner sweep every 2 seconds and beam off any zombie related materials. I could scan survivors and beam them aboard.

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October 29, 2009 06:31 PM
My feeling going to be off-road dirt bike. It's fast, it's agile and it can take you almost anywhere you need to go. Quickly.
I say dirt bike vs regular motorcycle or sport bike as with a dirt, you can easily go off road where the zombies aren't!

The drawbacks are that obviously it runs on gas, so you may need to go near a town (which could be infested with zombies) and also it leaves you sort of exposed. Also there's a maintanece issue, but pound for pound, you'll do well on a strong dirt bike - stick to the forest and mountains and nary a zombie shall ye see...

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October 31, 2009 01:17 AM | view on twitter
A helicopter! Or a shuttle bus from the mall?

Personally, I think the best option for the Zombie Apocalypse is an off-road vehicle capable of running over Zombies as you go.

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November 01, 2009 02:05 AM | view on twitter
Horses would be good in some cases because they have an unnatural way of warning when danger is close. They easily maneuver all kinds of terrain and even General Patton thought they did the trick.

I am not saying the horse would be the only means of transportation but at least to get from point A to point B they would work for hauling supplies and getting off the main routes where traffic snarls would be the greatest.

I still like the idea of the cruise ship or even a yacht large enough to keep sustainable supplies until an island could be located where the possibility of zombies isn't a threat.

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November 01, 2009 03:57 AM | view on twitter
I'd have to say that I prefer to be walking home with Michael Jackson from a scary movie, past a graveyard. Those Zombies just want to dance :P

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