Nearly 25% of British people have plan to survive zombie apocalypse, survey says

Golf courses among most practical places to head after attack, according to professor of astrobiology

One in ten of the survey's respondents said they might only be able to live for a week in a post-apocalyptic world (Big Talk/Wt 2/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

One in four British people have have a plan in place to survive a zombie apocalypse, a new survey claims.

The study, commissioned by streaming service NOW TV, found around one in six of those surveyed have considered putting together a survival kit.

The top items people said they should include in this kit include food, water and weapons, a first aid kit, tampons, water bottles, torches and matches.

But nearly one in ten of the survey’s respondents said they may only be able to live for a week in a post-apocalyptic world.

Most believe it will begin in New York City, and then spread to London.

The research was commissioned by streaming service NOW TV to celebrate the return of The Walking Dead, with season nine available to watch now.

NOW TV also partnered with Lewis Dartnell, a professor of astrobiology at the University of Westminster, who put together a list of tips on how to survive an attack.

He also created escape route guides for residents of London and Manchester.

According to Mr Dartnell, your first focus should be getting out of populated areas, rather than hiding in your home.

Mr Dartnell said: “Not only will they become the densest concentrations of zombies, but modern urbanised areas simply won’t be habitable once the technological bubble that supports them disappears: no electricity, running water or gas.

“Very large numbers of people would succumb almost immediately in the packed cities. The ‘average’ survival time would be a matter of days.

“Leave your house behind and head for isolation and make your first destination a camping shop for warm clothing, waterproofs and some sturdy hiking boots.

“Rely on a car GPS device instead of smart phone maps – you’ll soon be losing phone signal when power grids go down.”

“Chapstick, Vaseline and hairspray are all great for helping get a fire started in difficult conditions.

“With regard to weapons I suggest relying on your own ingenuity and resourcefulness, fashioning what you need from metal pipes or nails.”

The survey of 2,000 British people found the average person believes they could avoid being bitten by zombies for just over nine weeks.

One in six said they would watch zombie TV shows for tips on how to stay alive.

How to survive a zombie apocalypse -

Where to head:

Make your first destination a camping shop for warm clothing, waterproofs and hiking boots. You’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors, and when you’re running away you don’t want to slip and break an ankle.

Buy iodine tablets to purify water once the taps run dry. There’s no point in surviving a zombie attack if you’re just going to die from a waterborne disease.

Rely on a car GPS device instead of smart phone maps to find minor roads. You’ll lose phone signal when power grids go down.

Survival hacks:

A plastic bottle must become your new best friend. If it’s summer, disinfecting drinking water by simply leaving it in the sun for a day can become a regular part of your routine (the UV rays kill any germs: a handy trick known as solar disinfection).

An unravelled tampon makes an ideal dressing to stop a wound bleeding, and it’s perfect kindling for starting a fire.

A condom can hold over a gallon of water. Don’t let it rupture in your bag.

Chapstick, Vaseline and hairspray – all great for helping get a fire started in difficult conditions.

Once the refined fuels have disappeared, cars can actually be run using wood as fuel. The process is called ‘gasification’ and was common during the Second World War.

Starting a new community:

Leave your house behind and head for isolation.

Get out of the city. Not only will they have the highest concentrations of roamers, but urban areas simply won’t be habitable once technology disappears.

Head into the countryside and find traditional buildings with fireplaces and wells. A seaside region near a large wood is your ideal new home, offering you access to a wide range of natural resources.

Ideally, a secluded spot with high walls or fences will help keep the swarms of zombies out when you’re settling down more permanently.

Stick together – you’ll never survive the apocalypse as a lone wolf. There’s safety in numbers, but be careful who you pick as friends.

Send scouting parties to find other pockets of survivors, or rig-up a radio transmitter.

How to forage:

In the early stages of a zombie attack you can scavenge food from abandoned supermarkets or distribution centres. Prioritise canned food that will keep for years.

If you forget your tin opener, grind the top of the can in flat circles pushing down onto a paving slab. You’ll quickly wear away the thin metal lip and get the lid off.

The power grid will be out so scavenge a mobile generator from roadworks.

When the diesel runs out, you will need renewables: scavenge solar panels or small wind turbines.

The best kind of rechargeable battery is a deep-cycle lead acid battery. Scavenge these from things like golf buggies. A golf course is one of the most practical places to head for after an apocalypse.

How to prevent sickness:

Always dig your toilets at least 15 meters away from your water source and downhill.

Wash your hands. Soap can be made from scratch by soaking water through the ashes of burned seaweed to extract soda, and then reacting this with slaked lime (made from roasted chalk or limestone) to make caustic soda. Boil this with lard, or any other animal fat or plant oil, to make soap

If you injure yourself, attend to the wound immediately. You can disinfect with alcohol and then close the wound with superglue.

SWNS