Most survivors will have access to a motor vehicle of some sort, be it a fully-equipped, post-apocalyptic-ready Hummer or simply a motorised scooter. You should allow at least four to eight weeks before venturing far from your primary survival site. This will give time for the initial chaos to die down. However, even then, driving in a post-apocalyptic landscape will be fraught with danger and unseen hazards, and that’s not even counting the flesh munchers lurking round every corner.
- Maintenance of your vehicle is essential – you do not want to either break down or run out of fuel with a few hundred ghouls watching you.
- Keep below 40mph. Most accidents will occur at speeds above this so keep the speed down unless it’s an emergency. Many roads will have become blocked so expect obstructions.
- Know the capability of your vehicle and adjust your driving style accordingly. Don’t try taking your modern hybrid through a deep ford only to get yourself stuck in mid-river, with salivating zombies on each bank.
- Get in a regular routine of pre-drive checks – tyres, battery, fuel and kit. Do these checks every time before you leave. Don’t get caught out.
- If possible, go for a pre-1981 pickup in well-maintained condition. There is less technology on these older vehicles and you can still reasonably be expected to service them yourself. Get the latest four-wheel drive with onboard computer and you could find yourself stumped.
- Rotate your fuel supplies and add dates to cans so you can monitor usage.
- As a general rule, do not try to store more than 50 litres of flammable liquid in a residential location without some serious specialist storage facilities.
| Fluids | Check your coolant and brake fluid levels and most importantly your washer fluid should be full as you will need to wash away blood smears. |
| Interior | Check any bug-out supplies and you’ve got what you need for the mission. |
| Tyres | Inflated and carry a spare. |
| Bashers | Onboard weapons for bashing. |
| Oil | Routine change and top up. |
| Windows | Clear, with steel mesh secured in place. |
If you are keeping a vehicle, you won’t be able to pop down the local garage for repairs. You will need a well-equipped workshop, with the supplies and skills to maintain your transportation.
In 2010, a member of the Jordanian Royal family with strong links to the anti-zombie community offered a prize via his foundation to any engineer to come up with ‘the perfect anti-zombie vehicle’. The rules called for the creation of a main vehicle, which should have the capacity to transport a group of survivors and be fit for general purpose use, and a smaller vehicle suitable for scouting or small-scale foraging. With the prize-money on offer, several major manufacturers entered and the winning designs, known as the ‘Zombie Killer range’ were announced in Amman in 2011. Few survivors will have the time or resources to commission the building of one of these vehicles, but they are useful as you can take the ideas and implement them on your own vehicle. Think of these designs as the prototypes. Exciting developments such as the zombie scoop and firing platforms may be adapted onto your vehicle.
