5 Survival Tips Inspired by The Walking Dead

by AJ Santos

Editor’s note: Please welcome AJ Santos to Plan and Prepared. AJ is the chief visionary and doer of things at The Nexus Initiative, proud Eagle Scout and lover of all things Sci-Fi.

With the season 9 première of AMC’s The Walking Dead well underway, it’s only fitting we give tribute to Rick Grimes and the rest of the zombie apocalypse surviving crew.

And just in case you’ve been living off-grid for the past 9 years and haven’t the faintest idea, The Walking Dead is AMC’s hit television drama based off a comic book series with the same name. It depicts a group of absolutely ordinary people working together (most of the time) fighting to survive a post-apocalyptic and zombie-infested world.

But fair warning, don’t get attached to anyone.

Sure, some aspects of the show aren’t all that realistic, like 13-year-old Carl Grimes’ sharpshooter like accuracy — folks, it’s a television show with zombies in it. So, let’s appreciate it for what it is and at the same time, take away some essential survival tips for the real world (and maybe a zombie apocalypse).

As promised, here are 5 real-world survival tips inspired by The Walking Dead:

Tip #1: Be Prepared

Yup, just like the Boy Scouts’ motto, being prepared for any situation is an essential step to increasing your chances of survival to just about anything and everything life will throw at you, including a zombie apocalypse.

As an Eagle Scout, this motto has been instilled into my very core since I was a kid. And as a long time Florida resident, it’s something I’ve applied during every Atlantic Hurricane Season. I’m not looking to fight for cases of water or gas when a hurricane warning is in effect, so we keep a shelf stocked with all the emergency essentials:

Water
Food
Medical supplies
Fuel
And a go bag (see tip #3)

And although a zombie apocalypse is complete science fiction (that I know of) and the chances of one actually happening are highly unlikely (I think), hurricanes and other natural disasters are very real and can disrupt your normal way of life for weeks until help arrives.

Editor’s note: For more tips you can follow to be more prepared, please click here.

Tip #2: Use The Buddy System

Time and time again we see several nail-biting scenes of The Walking Dead gang being caught in a bad situation, walkers (zombies) chomping at their faces with nowhere to go, only to be saved by the skin of their teeth from one of their buddies.

Have you heard the saying “safety in numbers”? Well, guess what, it’s true.

Having a small group of people that you can trust and count on to watch your back, pool your resources together, and help you when you’re in that sticky situation will infinitely increase your chances of survival — there’s no doubt about it.

In the real world, using the buddy system is just as important. Whether you’re going on a long distance hike through the wilderness or taking a backpacking trip to your favorite destination, it’s always a good idea to have someone with you.

Why? Well, why the heck not? Not only will you have someone to share your incredible adventures with, but most importantly, you’ll also have someone there to help you if something unfortunate were to happen, like losing your footing and twisting your ankle. Just consider Murphy’s Law for a second, “whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.”

Tip #3: Put Together A Bug Out Bag (BOB)

In The Walking Dead, Rick Grimes and the gang are constantly on the move (for the most part), sometimes they have to move out so quickly that they abandon crucial supplies. Having a bug out bag prepared with all the necessary survival essentials is important when you only have a moments notice to evacuate.

For those that don’t know, a bug out bag is a portable kit that has essential items you would need to survive for at least 72 hours. Why 72 hours? Glad you asked. This comes from the understanding that several disaster relief organizations can take up to 72 hours to reach people affected by a disaster and offer assistance.

So what should go in your bug out bag?

MOLLE system

Whoa! Not so fast.

First, you want the right bag — something that’s of high-quality and made to last. Look at bags with the following:

Made with thick, durable fabrics
Has chest strap and/or padded hip support straps
Water resistant or includes a shell
High-quality zippers, clips, and snaps
Includes lots of pockets and compartments
Includes a MOLLE system

MOLLE stands for Modular Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment and is a modular system designed with easy access points for attaching gear.

Alright, so what goes into this durable, high-quality bag with a MOLLE system?

Items you’ll want to include:

Water & Hydration Tools
Food Supplies & Tools
Clothing Supplies
Shelter & Bedding Equipment
Firestarting Tools & Gear
First Aid & Medical Supplies
Personal Hygiene Items
Core Survival Tools
Illumination Tools
Communication Devices
Self Defense Tools
Miscellaneous Survival Tools & Supplies

FYI. Bug Out Bags Are Also Often Referred To As:

Click here to begin stocking up

Go Bag
Grab Bag
72-Hour Kit
GOOD Bag (Get Out of Dodge)
INCH Bag (I’m Never Coming Home)
PERK (Personal Emergency Relocation Kit)
QRB (Quick Run Bag)

And for all of my die-hard Walking Dead fans out there, you can build your very own Walking Dead inspired bug out bag.

Editor’s note: For more on Go bags, please check out these links;

–Go bag for a non-prepper

–EEDC Bag

Tip #4: Learn Simple Water Purification Techniques

Everyone knows that your body can’t go long without water and it’s important to understand that not all water sources are safe to drink.

Also, a zombie apocalypse presents an entirely different scenario to consider, disease-ridden water via zombie contamination. In The Walking Dead, we see this happen when they’re on the farmhouse and a walker contaminates the well water supply. Fair warning, this scene is a bit revolting.

Learning these basic water purification techniques will undoubtedly help you survive if your water supply has been depleted (or contaminated).

Boiling Water
Probably the most well-known way to purify water is heating up water to its boiling point to kill any bacteria living in the water. Some drawbacks with this method are that you need a heating source to boil the water and you need a container to boil your water in. Also, you’ll want to filter the water before and after boiling to remove any solid particles floating around.

Iodine Solution, Tablets, or Crystals
An effective and convenient method, iodine is lightweight and easy to use. It takes about 30 minutes before you can drink the treated water and also tends to leave an aftertaste. Keep in mind that pregnant women (or anyone for that matter) shouldn’t consume high doses of iodine.

Chlorine Drops
We all know that chlorine also has the ability to kill bacteria in water, it’s why we chlorinate swimming pools. Just like iodine, chlorine drops are lightweight, affordable, and easily accessible. You’ll also have to wait 30 minutes before you can drink any of the treated water, though.

Make sure you carefully read the instructions and apply safe amounts of chlorine in your drinking water as too much chlorine could be harmful. In fact, most tap drinking water is required by the EPA to have a detectable level of chlorine in drinking water (up to 4 parts per million) to help prevent contamination.

Ultraviolet Light
These nifty little gadgets, like the SteriPEN, are compact, lightweight, and really awesome. Essentially, you turn it on, swish it around in the water for a few minutes, and the bacteria goes bye-bye. Some drawbacks are that it requires batteries to operate and doesn’t filter out any solid particles in the water.

If used correctly, these devices definitely get the job done. However, it also bears the danger of user error so it’s important to learn how to properly use these devices.

Water Filter
There are a number of really cool devices out there that filter out microorganisms from water. Essentially, a water filter pumps water through a microscopic filter that’s rated for a certain micron size. And depending on the micron rating of your device, smaller organisms, like viruses, can pass through the filter.

Do your research beforehand and make sure you’re equipped with a filter for your specific needs. Editor’s note: We love the Sawyer Mini and highly recommend it.

Editor’s note: For more on long-term water storage, please click here.

Common contaminants and the filter size needed:

Organism	Examples	General Size	Filter Types	Particle Size Rating
Protozoa	Giardia, Cryptosporidium	5 microns or larger	Water Filter	1.0 – 4.0 microns
Bacteria	Cholera, E. coli, Salmonella	0.2 – 0.5 microns	Microfilter	0.2 – 1.0 microns
Viruses	Hepatitis A, rotavirus, Norwalk virus	0.004 microns	Water Purifier	To 0.004 microns

Table Source: Princeton.edu

Keep in mind that there’s a difference between biologically contaminated water and toxic water. Biologically contaminated water is water that contains microorganisms such as Giardia, and other bacteria or viruses. These can easily lead to infections. Whereas toxic water is when water is chemically tainted from pesticide runoffs and the like.

It’s important to note that boiling, chemically treating, and filtering water can remove or kill microorganisms in water, but it won’t remove any chemical toxins.

Tip #5: Fear Management & Keeping It Together

Keeping it together, managing fear, and being in the right mental space is something I feel that gets overlooked a lot. If you can’t keep it together when everything goes to hell, it could be a recipe for disaster. We’ve seen it happen in The Walking Dead when Rick goes a little crazy and becomes delusional (more than once) and with the psychopathic tendencies of The Governor and Negan.

So, if you’re considering giving up because of fear, remember to manage the moment and don’t let fear win. Keep your head on straight and power through.

While the television series, The Walking Dead is entirely designed for entertainment, it doesn’t mean you can’t learn an essential survival tip or two from it. Where and how you learn these survival skills isn’t as important as the fact that you actually learn them and can apply them effectively when the time comes.

What other prepper tips have you gathered from The Walking Dead? Let us know in the comments section below.