The zombie apocalypse is quite literally the stuff of nightmares. Imagining any kind of scenario in which hordes of rotting corpses are roaming around should fill any right-thinking person with dread. And it matters little what kind of zombies they are or how they got infected.

Whether you personally believe that the zombie apocalypse is long overdue or that it's never going to happen, doesn't it pay to be prepared? You know, just in case? We're here to help, and while helping our readers prepare for the zombie apocalypse is a little out of our remit, it's surely better to be safe than sorry.

Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse

It's entirely possible that no one will survive the zombie apocalypse if and when it ever strikes. Countless movies and television shows have shown us that no one is immune from the effects such a devastating event would have on humanity. That includes you. And me, sadly.

However, there are ways to increase your chances of survival. Which is where we come in. After asking our readers for their tips on surviving the zombie apocalypse, we have been able to devise four diverse strategies designed to maximize your chances of riding out the storm.

1. Run For The Hills

house-on-hill

You could use the same tactics that have been used in warfare for countless generations. Namely, head for high ground to seize the advantage over your enemy. However, while zombies are likely to be predictable, this won't be a short fight, so you would have to properly take control of your hilltop home.

Whether that means finding an unoccupied house or building some kind of fortress, creating some sort of territory would be essential. It would then be a case of defending that territory potentially for the rest of your life. And not just from zombies, but from other survivors coveting your fortuitous position.

2. Into The Woods

into-the-woods

You could head into the woods in order to hide away from most of the trouble. The deeper and darker the woods, the better, as you're less likely to be found in the midst of the thick stuff. At least by zombies and other survivors. Unfortunately, you will likely be sharing your home with bears or other meat-eating creatures.

The big problem with hiding away in the woods would be keeping stocked up with supplies. You would either have to make regular sorties into the nearest town and risk being followed back to your hideaway, or learn to survive on nothing but that which nature provides. That Bear Grylls boxset may come in handy after all.

3. Go Medieval

olde-worlde-castle

You could go the medieval route by residing in some kind of fortress . There's a reason that during medieval times the richest and most powerful people built castles. And it wasn't just to show off to their neighbors. They needed a building that was easily defensible in order to keep out the riff-raff and invading armies.

While building a castle may be out of the question, you could take those principles to heart either by building something similar on a smaller scale, or moving into an existing building. Thick, high walls would be essential, as would rooftops suitable for sniping, and an underground escape route should the worst case scenario play out.

4. On The Offensive

toy-tanks

You could reject all notions of staying safe by staying stationary, and instead go on the offensive. After all, the zombies are never going to give up looking for more victims and never going to simply die out. So why not have some fun while trying to outlive everybody else in the same predicament as yourself.

Being constantly on the move would require a vehicle that is both fast and able to withstand wave after wave of attacks from both the undead and the living. A tank would be exceptionally good, but as tanks aren't readily available, a Range Rover, Hummer, or any old SUV would do a job. Oh, and you'll need guns. Lots and lots of guns. And gas. And luck.

Continue The Conversation

With the chances of a zombie apocalypse increasing all the time (at least according to TV) we hope this guide to surviving such an event will prove invaluable. Read it over several times, print out a copy, and share it with your friends and family on social networking sites. It's the only way you'll be able to save yourself and the people you care about come judgement day.

Please continue the conversation in the comments section below, either by giving your verdicts on the strategies outlined above or by offering your own alternative strategy for surviving the zombie apocalypse. Let's keep this discussion going in the hopes that everybody who regularly reads MakeUseOf might survive the undead onslaught.

A Debt Of Gratitude

In order to compile this list of strategies for surviving the zombie apocalypse, we received help from the MakeUseOf community. As always, our readers proved to be an invaluable part of the site you’re reading right now.

The readers we need to thank took the time to answer the question How Would You Survive The Zombie Apocalypse?, and their responses helped us compile this article. Noteworthy comments include those from likefunbutnot, Ken Houdek, bben, and Boter2099.

Image Credits: Pikawil, Drew Mackie, Scott Costello, William Murphy, and Michael Wittmann. All via Flickr