YOUR perfect place to build a stand?

[acealive1]

so herschel had the farm which by all accounts coulda been some place they stayed forever had they really protected the perimeter enough, rshane's group had the camp ground, morgan had the house.....



what would be your best place in the walking dead universe to hole up?

[rongravy]

The local Wal Mart supercenter. Food, guns, liquids. They even sell alcohol now. Lock up tight the two big main sets of doors and just use the little side doors when/if needed. Put as much of the perishables in the freezer and hope the electricity stays on awhile. Lots of things to do to keep you busy.
As long as you can get it cleared out first...

[Christopher Jon]

Morgan and Wallace

They could very likely still be sitting in that house. Lay low, keep quiet and scavenge what they can was their strategy and it was working for them.

The Camp Ground

I don't think this was ever intended to be a permanent location.

The CDC

Would have been great if it wasn't for the lack of fuel and a crazy doctor intent on suicide.

The Farm

Remote and safe. Could have been a long term home.

Unfortunately for our survivors, safe doesn't make for good TV and they were pushed out of their safe spot and back into the wild.

Motivated by the death of Dale they were in the process of securing the perimeter and preparing for the long hard winter to come. I don't think anybody was expecting a massive hoard of walkers to randomly stumble by their location.

What keeps the story moving and my biggest complaint with the show is that it depends on the characters acting stupidly. Nearly every bad situation and problem they've faced could have been avoided if they just took a second and used their brains.

My perfect place?

I'd find a single vehicle that could hold everybody (they are low on fuel). Head back to the town Rick came from. Get back to familiar territory. That police station wouldn't be a bad temporary shelter to start from. Plan out my next move from there or being that I'm back in my home town I probably already have a list of ideal locations for long term survival.

[zomtom]

I would go to the coast and find a good-sized boat or ship. Hopefully it would have supplies onboard. I would take it out and just sit off the coast until things calmed down and everyone got rested.

[Thorn]

so herschel had the farm which by all accounts coulda been some place they stayed forever had they really protected the perimeter enough, rshane's group had the camp ground, morgan had the house.....



what would be your best place in the walking dead universe to hole up?

Sadly I do not feel any of those choices are very good choices.

1) The camp was exposed, had no defensible walls, and had points of attack all over. It was near a major city that was teaming with undead that was one herd migration away from being wiped out. Yes they had guards and alrms but with a major herd i nthe night, confusion could easily cause your group to get split up and or killed.

2) The Farm seems great but in the situation they were in with a rival group nearby, it makes it less appealing than the camp to me personally. The upside is several structures you can retreat to, a town for foraging (though small and likely picked clean by this point in many ways), the swamps and stream for food, and natural defense (though drying up in the case of the river bed/stream), and a basement as a last resort. I guess this is all well and good but if i am fortifying someplace it is not goign to be an old farm house near a rival gang.

3) Rick's old house/Neighborhood. This seems to me any way an option that is not terrible, it was clearly not looted heavily, and while there are houses it is not a city center, so the walkers would be less and more sparse. There was a military operation near the hospital where you might find more ammo/guns/supplies. The hospital itself, and familiar surroundings. It is not a great "location" meaning the house itself but you could start from there, and as has been mentioned the old police station might be a good temporary base after moving out of the house.

[acealive1]

didnt the police station have propane? woulda been great

[Thorn]

didnt the police station have propane? woulda been great

Yes and hot water because of it ;)

[acealive1]

Yes and hot water because of it ;)



hmm....they shoulda thought about that or something close to it since they're deviating from the comics so much. im half expecting them to hole up in a mall or wal mart now

[Thorn]

hmm....they shoulda thought about that or something close to it since they're deviating from the comics so much. im half expecting them to hole up in a mall or wal mart now

Too funny. With the you know what promised through 2 seasons I think we will basically know where our survivors will be for a while... maybe an the way there though... ;)

[Tricky]

My local territorial army centre, secure compound with a room full of automatic weapons, ammunition, bayonets and a storeroom full of army ration packs that would last for years. I may not stay there long term but I'd certainly head that way to tool up (and hope it wasnt manned by squaddies with orders to shoot looters on sight!)

[Thorn]

My local territorial army centre, secure compound with a room full of automatic weapons, ammunition, bayonets and a storeroom full of army ration packs that would last for years. I may not stay there long term but I'd certainly head that way to tool up (and hope it wasnt manned by squaddies with orders to shoot looters on sight!)

I think the idea is locations specific to "The Walking Dead" universe, so places we have seen so far?

[Tricky]

I think the idea is locations specific to "The Walking Dead" universe, so places we have seen so far?

Well, the Atlantic is a bit of an obstacle to me so I'm going on the entire world being infected rather than just the US. But if it was just on whats been shown on TV so far, I'd say the farm, I think as long as you didnt have a big group of people with you making lots of noise and drawing attantion, then you could probably stay there years without trouble. And if zombies came wandering by you could just go upstairs and keep quiet till they wandered off. Get a suppressor on your rifle and you could even pick them off from upstairs without attracting the attention of more walkers or other humans, easy!

[Eyebiter]

Many of the "good spots" will be either occupied by other survivor groups or over run by undead during the first few weeks of a zombie plague. The trick is to find a location remote enough that it's not easy for people or zombies to find, secure enough to offer long term security, and has access to fresh water, food, and shelter from the elements.

[babomb]

An old telephone building. Or a public utility building. Though we didn't see them in the show, they are in fact there. Those buildings are already hardened to intrusion. Many have no windows, those that do have windows, they're all the way up the walls and too small to fit through. Doors to the outside have no handles on them, only locks, many have good solid fences with barbed wire around them. They're always made of concrete cinder blocks. Find a place close by to one to stash vehicles. Throw some camo netting over the vehicles to prevent them being seen from the sky or a far off vantage point.

[acealive1]

I think the idea is locations specific to "The Walking Dead" universe, so places we have seen so far?


i mean it doesnt have to be whats in the comics or the show.......im betting all the choices people are making in this thread are probably viable places the characters in the walking dead could go

[Thorn]

i mean it doesnt have to be whats in the comics or the show.......im betting all the choices people are making in this thread are probably viable places the characters in the walking dead could go

Ah, okay my bad then.

I still like Rick's home town, it seems doable and off the beaten path. I don't think I would hole up in the city or town proper but on the outskirts somewhere and set up safe houses in town the police station being one. Somewhere where the was a building that could be defended not camping outdoors.

[acealive1]

Ah, okay my bad then.

I still like Rick's home town, it seems doable and off the beaten path. I don't think I would hole up in the city or town proper but on the outskirts somewhere and set up safe houses in town the police station being one. Somewhere where the was a building that could be defended not camping outdoors.

no ur good,man. i shoulda said it clearly from the jump lol

[bungi43]

If you’ve got a good group, I think you scout out a small warehouse type building. Something big and strong, but one that doesn’t have a lot of openings.

Also, if you can be in a small city, you can make it look abandoned, and even try to keep others away without it even looking like it’s occupied. Michone had the right idea of keeping walkers around her to keep of other walkers. Herschel had a pretty decent system in place to catch the walkers.

Think back to season 1 Atlanta when Glenn finds Rick. Think of the fenced in areas, all the ins and outs, etc. Now imagine a small warehouse (office building, etc) that has some setup that you’re able to first clear out. You then find a room or two that has exposure, seal it out solidly from the outside (with access to that room from a higher point) and put walkers in it. You then block up (without making it looked blocked up) an area outside that you allow walkers to get into.

You make enough noise from time to time to keep some walkers around, and make it look like an area, that to an outsider, wouldn’t be worth checking because it looks abandoned, and you can see walkers on the ground and maybe at some areas inside.

There is some risk involved, but I think the goal right now is to keep the living away who can be so much more dangerous. Drawing attention to yourself isn’t the best idea, and a place that would have a basement would be even better as that’s where you go at night and you don’t have to worry about people seeing candles, lights (from a generator) or anything like that. Maybe have your escape area where you leave 1-2 walkers at night so others won’t try to breach it. Kill them each day, do your business, rinse and repeat.

Any area that looks secure is going to draw attention, so the place you are in has to be secure, but not look secure.

[Tricky]

I'm betting Alcatraz or Liberty Island would make awesome hideouts!

[acealive1]

If you’ve got a good group, I think you scout out a small warehouse type building. Something big and strong, but one that doesn’t have a lot of openings.

Also, if you can be in a small city, you can make it look abandoned, and even try to keep others away without it even looking like it’s occupied. Michone had the right idea of keeping walkers around her to keep of other walkers. Herschel had a pretty decent system in place to catch the walkers.

Think back to season 1 Atlanta when Glenn finds Rick. Think of the fenced in areas, all the ins and outs, etc. Now imagine a small warehouse (office building, etc) that has some setup that you’re able to first clear out. You then find a room or two that has exposure, seal it out solidly from the outside (with access to that room from a higher point) and put walkers in it. You then block up (without making it looked blocked up) an area outside that you allow walkers to get into.

You make enough noise from time to time to keep some walkers around, and make it look like an area, that to an outsider, wouldn’t be worth checking because it looks abandoned, and you can see walkers on the ground and maybe at some areas inside.

There is some risk involved, but I think the goal right now is to keep the living away who can be so much more dangerous. Drawing attention to yourself isn’t the best idea, and a place that would have a basement would be even better as that’s where you go at night and you don’t have to worry about people seeing candles, lights (from a generator) or anything like that. Maybe have your escape area where you leave 1-2 walkers at night so others won’t try to breach it. Kill them each day, do your business, rinse and repeat.

Any area that looks secure is going to draw attention, so the place you are in has to be secure, but not look secure.



they had the right idea in the department store, i just wonder what the thinking was on letting the front doors stay bare and almost open like the zombies couldnt get in

[Thorn]

I'm betting Alcatraz or Liberty Island would make awesome hideouts!


Agree I think Islands with sturdy and secure buildings on them, guard towers or structures that provide good line of sight would all be amazing. I have one plan for escape and fortification that involves a certain island near me that I really like, thing is it might not be as good of an option as just getting into the mountains since I have the Catskills and Adirondacks on either side of me basically I have lot's of wilderness and game areas to get to if I need to.

I do love my island fortification idea though ;)

As to the original topic at hand, I think now that they know the extent of the problems, mainly Rick does... and he found his family going home would be a great idea. No CDC, no help coming from the government the world gone to crap marauders out there preying on people... go home and fortify and defend a smaller community you know intimately and work to scavenge from surrounding towns. Honestly seems wiser to me than the course they are on but then again it might not be as enjoyable of a show... but yeah if it were real life I am sure that would be my play were I in Rick's boots.

[Christopher Jon]

I'm betting Alcatraz

No fresh water available on Alcatraz. It really is a rock.

There are several islands off the coast of California, many of which are uninhabited, that would be perfect for what you're thinking. Within reach of Los Angeles are Catalina Island, The Channel Islands and San Clemente Island.

Catalina has a population of 3-4k and is a tourist spot. San Clemente has a small Navy base and air field. The best option is Santa Cruz Island (channel islands). It's uninhabited but has a ranger station and tourist facilities including Scorpion Ranch that is left over from when the island was used for sheep and cattle ranching. There are more islands but this isn't a book report. Remote, but still close to the mainland (Los Angeles) for those times when you need to resupply on booze and porn.

Grab your water wings and doggy paddle on over.

-- -------- Post added at 03:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:30 PM ----------

Whatever happened to the Cholo's? Forgotten season one storyline. They weren't doing so bad and they were in Atlanta.

[acealive1]

i thought we were gonna see them in season 2....i guess i was wrong

[Thorn]

i thought we were gonna see them in season 2....i guess i was wrong

I want to know what happened to Morales and family...

[Mike70]

Many of the "good spots" will be either occupied by other survivor groups or over run by undead during the first few weeks of a zombie plague. The trick is to find a location remote enough that it's not easy for people or zombies to find, secure enough to offer long term security, and has access to fresh water, food, and shelter from the elements.

this is why i will always stick to my original plan. disappearing into the dense and very sparsely populated forest land of southern ohio and northern kentucky, using the ohio river and it's many tributaries. there would be plenty of food in the form of game, both large and small, fishing from the river and its tributaries would work well and you can render water safe for use quite easily. i have been kayaking and boating for as long as i can remember and i know every town, village, creek, river and nook and cranny from cincinnati all the way to portsmouth. there are no really large towns in the 100 mile stretch between cincy and portsmouth, just dinky river towns most of which have populations measured in the hundreds. the kentucky side of the river is virtually an uninhabited wilderness for the entire stretch until you reach maysville.

i'll take my chances on the water any day.

oh and i'm going to assert that my plan fits into the TWD universe because the comics start in Cynthiana, Kentucky, which is barely 50 miles from here. and on a side note: i've always been surprised by the heading off to Atlanta. yeah the CDC is there BUT the National Institute of Health has a major facility in Cincinnati and outside of washington, D.C and Denver, Cincinnati is one of the major hubs of the federal govt. that's why there have been two foiled attempts to blow up the building i work in. The National Revenue Center is located here. every dime collected by the fed. govt. on alcohol, tobacco, and firearms taxes comes right here and then straight across the street to the federal reserve bank. as matter of fact and just for trivia purposes, the entire alcohol, tobacco and firearms industries in the entirety of the US are regulated from Cincy.

i apologize for this non-thread related digression. we now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

[Ragnarr]

Ah yes, water as in the drinking kind. We cannot live without it for more than 3 days, so a fresh water supply is paramount in the z-apocalypse. While you can purify almost any water except saltwater you find with some bleach (1 to 2 drops per gallon I think; check that), the way you can always go is by collecting water condensation.

First, find a water source (ocean, river, lake, etc.). Setup a cooking pot over a heat source. Several inches above the pot, you rig a dome almost like an umbrella (far enough that it will not catch fire or melt). Your umbrella dome should have a wider diameter than the diameter of the cooking pot below. Setup recepticles or a ring-like recepticle underneath the rim of your umbrella to catch the drips of water condensation. Fill Your cooking pot with whatever crap water you have on hand (even urine for all you 20th century astronauts or 18th century sailors out there reading this), and lite the heat source beneath.

You may need to continue this recipe several times depending on how much water you need, but even saltwater will boil so as to seperate the salt (left in pot) from the water in the form of steam. Never tried it myself mind you because my kitchen faucet still works perfectly fine, but it's a good concept to remember if you have lots of water you cannot consume otherwise, and DO have the ability to make fire (AND have an umbrella & cooking pot of course).

[Thorn]

How do we feel about here to make your stand?

http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-beta&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=The+Sagamore+Castle&fb=1&gl=us&hq=The+Sagamore+Castle&cid=0,0,8614689145723125720&ei=2Mx0T6eRGObd0QHQ6ND_Ag&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&ved=0CBUQ_BI

1006
http://startalentinc.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/new_york_wedding_music_sagamore_hotel_wedding.jpg? w=640&h=343

[niiru]

there are a fair number of gated communities in most states now. one of those would probably be nice. usually have pretty high perimeter fences of brick with only one or two entrances. Block one up and clear the community of walkers. Plenty of food and supplies among the houses, usually plenty of green area to start a garden for long term survival. in a climate like georgia's you could do some decent growing, maybe start an orchard with apples, oranges etc. gated communities are usually not too far off the beaten path so you're probably a 15 minute ride from some shopping centers ripe for scavenging. so long as you're able to sufficiently protect the entrances and keep the perimeter roughly clear, you could probably survive for quite some time.

I think a better question is what group size is ideal. Too few and you don't have enough manpower to protect the group and gather supplies for extended survival, too many and you've got drama and/or supply shortages. I think that's one thing the comic did a good job talking about that the tv series hasn't really touched much. The TV series has had drama over group politics and ammo, but they haven't been fighting over food scraps.

[Thorn]

I love my little island castle with the bridge to access it that you can easily control access to. Now it might be too close ot the mainland but again as a short term solution it has potential, long term as well if you wanted to work for it.

[acealive1]

ok i found THE perfect place. http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/re/gr2/miami_image002_v2.jpg

[MinionZombie]

ok i found THE perfect place. http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/re/gr2/miami_image002_v2.jpg

Ho yeah! I take it the bride can be tilted up to cut off access? Just add some sea mines for the water, a gnarly fence all around it, and a chopper pad and you'll be good to go. :D

Generally speaking, realistically, I would like to be in a mall or something - but properly defend the doors and all access routes. Strip malls aren't much cop, it'd have to be one of those really kick arse places, like those mega malls ... mind you, if the place is full of zombies, that is a problem - however, if you're tooled up and it's shamblers, then it's not as big a problem.

If you had a boat you could always inhabit those old military watch posts that are off the British coast ... someone posted pics a while ago in the abandoned buildings thread ... you'd have to make them quite livable (although one or two are apparently occupied as residencies), so that would certainly cut you off. Supplies and supply runs are another problem of course, but just in terms of isolation and overall safety you're pretty good ... ... you might have to worry about sea pirates, mind.

[acealive1]

Ho yeah! I take it the bride can be tilted up to cut off access? Just add some sea mines for the water, a gnarly fence all around it, and a chopper pad and you'll be good to go. :D

Generally speaking, realistically, I would like to be in a mall or something - but properly defend the doors and all access routes. Strip malls aren't much cop, it'd have to be one of those really kick arse places, like those mega malls ... mind you, if the place is full of zombies, that is a problem - however, if you're tooled up and it's shamblers, then it's not as big a problem.

If you had a boat you could always inhabit those old military watch posts that are off the British coast ... someone posted pics a while ago in the abandoned buildings thread ... you'd have to make them quite livable (although one or two are apparently occupied as residencies), so that would certainly cut you off. Supplies and supply runs are another problem of course, but just in terms of isolation and overall safety you're pretty good ... ... you might have to worry about sea pirates, mind.


if not this fortress, i'd consider a one floor mall. theres one kinda close by in michigan. if i got ahold of that mall, it'd never fall. not alot of big huge open windows at the entrances either. plus one of the anchor stores is a target.....i'd never get hungry.



the mines your speak of would be cool to see......uh oh here comes the zombies..... *pops head up fast* there go the zombies......

[AcesandEights]

http://www.thebeanbagstore.com/furniture/Cody%20Fort%20Bunk%20Beds.jpg

[acealive1]

http://www.thebeanbagstore.com/furniture/Cody%20Fort%20Bunk%20Beds.jpg


lol perfect!

[Thorn]

ok i found THE perfect place. http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/re/gr2/miami_image002_v2.jpg

Not sure where that is my island castle is actually close to me though so I could get there and could take out the bridge if need be I think it has potential

[acealive1]

Not sure where that is my island castle is actually close to me though so I could get there and could take out the bridge if need be I think it has potential


it's in miami oddly enough. if that moat is deeper than it looks.......infinite safety

[Sammich]

I would go with something like a houseboat or steamboat on the Mississipi River. Static locations eventually turn bad.

[Publius]

if not this fortress, i'd consider a one floor mall. theres one kinda close by in michigan. if i got ahold of that mall, it'd never fall. not alot of big huge open windows at the entrances either. plus one of the anchor stores is a target.....i'd never get hungry.

I think I'd pick a Costco or Sam's Club over a regular mall. Often they stand by themselves, giving you a good field of view in all directions. They typically have better geometry than a mall (usually just a big rectangle) which again helps with field of view if you're defending it with few people. Fewer entrances makes it easier to secure. The relatively open floor plan combined with high ground (you can climb on top of one of those high shelves and plink away) makes it fairly easy to clear the inside. And they have huge amounts of bulk food packed for long-term storage, probably lots more than the Target at my local mall. Some Sam's Clubs used to sell ammunition -- now THAT would be something.

[Sammich]

What are you all going to do when you show up at Costco/Sams and the employees and their families already had the same idea? There is also the often repeated fact that when TSHTF the first thing the unprepared do is hit the hardware and grocery stores like a swarm of locusts. Because of this big box stores would be the last place to go to hold out. Remember, if it is easily accessible to you, then it will also be easily accessible to 100s of others.

[Danny]

Its always interesting to think about these when you think about the differences between England and America. For one thing England is still peppered with castles, theres 3 within 20 minutes walk or 40 minutes drive from me. It's such an older country so things like pipes laid for fresh water from the mountains and stuff are centuries old and made to last, things that have been the same for centuries would be pretty damn stable and less likely to 'go bad like old fruit' on you like modern buildings might.

I mean think of all those modern buildings like skyscrapers that need constant maintenance just to ensure their own grandiose size doesn't bring them down, and of course odds are a more modern place being built later had less pick of the land to build on so odds of being on a flood plain or some centralia style underground coal fire waiting to happen and turn the area into so manly sinkholes is more likely.

So where does that leave you in America? Assuming order wont be restored for a long time you need somewhere thats not just 'defensible' but going to last. Look at places like new york city or vegas. Without constant human maintenance on a bee hive level scale of workers constantly at work across the city and beyond its either going to flood and go through incredible structural damage fast or turn into a waterless wasteland.

I'd say, if you can get there before winter head up the pacific northwest around washington. Find somewhere isolated enough to give you time to set up a home before the 'blotting effect' of the outbreak causes country wide saturation and hope you can grab some books on hunting and foraging if you dont know how and try and live off the land instead of scavenging for preserves for the rest of eternity.

[Publius]

What are you all going to do when you show up at Costco/Sams and the employees and their families already had the same idea? There is also the often repeated fact that when TSHTF the first thing the unprepared do is hit the hardware and grocery stores like a swarm of locusts. Because of this big box stores would be the last place to go to hold out. Remember, if it is easily accessible to you, then it will also be easily accessible to 100s of others.

True. I just meant compared to a shopping mall Costco/Sam's would be better. Fewer employees than a mall too, come to think of it. But you're right, avoiding competition is very important too. Your best bet is to already have your own secluded mountain cabin well stocked with supplies. Just about any place we can identify and talk about in a thread like this is bound to be thought of by others such that you're rolling the dice in assuming you'd be able to get there before anyone else or displace anyone who gets there before you and hold it against anyone else who comes.

[acealive1]

I think I'd pick a Costco or Sam's Club over a regular mall. Often they stand by themselves, giving you a good field of view in all directions. They typically have better geometry than a mall (usually just a big rectangle) which again helps with field of view if you're defending it with few people. Fewer entrances makes it easier to secure. The relatively open floor plan combined with high ground (you can climb on top of one of those high shelves and plink away) makes it fairly easy to clear the inside. And they have huge amounts of bulk food packed for long-term storage, probably lots more than the Target at my local mall. Some Sam's Clubs used to sell ammunition -- now THAT would be something.


the only problem i see with those stores is that damn cart door they put in. if they can get to andy through that tiny dog door......then we have a problem.


in my area theres a sam's club and wal mart back to back with a gas pump in front of one. that'd kick all kinds of ass