Day 12

Wasteland Road Rage: Choosing a post-apocalyptic vehicle

In the event of a nuclear explosion massive amounts of people vacate to cities, stuffing themselves into their cars only to get caught in traffic and forced to walk on foot, leaving their vehicles behind on the road. It is the leftover remnants of the tidal wave of people, desperate to escape from the radiation who clogged all the major highways once the first bomb went off. It is tragic to look at, but same time roads clogged with this many vehicles are a great place to look for a suitable post-apocalyptic set of wheels.

Route 114 in Danvers MA is littered with abandoned cars, trucks, buses, military convoys, motorcycles, even dune buggies. In addition car dealerships that lined 114 still have brand new cars in their lots completely untouched, except for the occasional smashed window. A big truck or hummer might seem like the obvious choice, but there are other factors to consider besides raw power. Speed is an element a survivor needs when running from zombies or when being chased by gangs of marauders. A vehicle needs to be fast, so any truck or larger SUV that has a slow start-up speed should not be considered, especially when traveling through city areas.

from geekologie.com. It may be tough but when this runs out of gas

 your

 left with an immobile bunker

Do not sacrifice safety for speed however. Motorcycles and dune buggies are more suitable for traveling light over long distances, preferably in the Western part of the former United States. On the East Coast something that falls in the middle category is preferred, such as a light truck or a muscle car. For larger groups of survivors use convoys instead of a single large bus in case of car trouble. Jeeps are the standard for a post-apocalyptic world. They can be stripped down for speed and efficiency, built up for defense and assault, and can usually carry extra gasoline for when they eventually run dry or extra supplies.

Armoring a vehicle is usually best left to the survivors preferences and needs. If a fast, armored car is required use a truck with a high speed ratings and weld scrap metal over the windows and wheels. For plowing through debris and hordes of zombies in tight spaces, spiked grills and monster truck tires are useful. Bullet-proof siding is useful against wasteland fiends who are well armed but completely unnecessary against zombies or radioactive monsters as they have no bullets to shoot.

Best of luck out there, survivor.

Day 9: Preparation

Made it back to the bunker today. Now the real work begins. I have seen enough to realize that if I am going to survive in this radiated world I need to be prepared much better. Back at my bunker I found all of the supplies I wish I had taken with me, and for good reason. The first thing I needed was glass of water and a bite to eat, but I found what would be one of my most important survival tools hanging on the wall where I left it; an AK-47.

Survival so far has consisted of fighting off radiated zombies, but there’s more than undead hordes that could end your life in the post-apocalyptic world. Gangs of marauders, mutated plants and animals, and of course the ever present threat of fallout radiation. Back at my bunker I figured out just how much supplies I had abandoned in my first flight that I would need.

The first thing on the list was the AK-47. My rifle was certainly more accurate, but what is really needed in the apocalypse is heavier firepower. Accuracy means little when facing multiple adversaries with a single-shot gun that needs to be reloaded every five rounds. The AK's reputation as a user-friendly, incredibly durable machine gun is unmatched in the firearm world. It is a gun for, as Samuel Jackson said in Jackie Brown “when you got to kill every mother- in the room.” Ammo is plentiful, and the magazine of an AK is easy to load and replace.

While a good gun would deal with zombies and any adversaries who might want to cut and gut anyone they see, the environment is also something that could kill. In any good medical kit (yes they are very essential) a survivor who hopes to live out the apocalypse will need some potassium iodide pills. The most common thing that radiation will attack in the body is the thyroid, a reason why many who die from nuclear accidents have thyroid cancer as the direct cause of death. Potassium iodide keeps the glands in the thyroid protected. The second essential piece of medical equipment are water purifying tabs. The odds are their won't be any safe water to drink in stores or buildings, especially in a city or place with no nearby bodies of water. Even then the odds are it will be polluted or contain radiation. Purifying tabs are a must for obtaining clean water when methods like boiling it are too time consuming. 

 

For other gear, a survivor should stock up on clothing. Boots are a must, particularly combat boots, good for running trekking through dangerous terrain and of course giving a swift kick to an undead brain-sucker. Helmets are useful but not very practical, as you are unlikely to be facing flying shrapnel or heavy explosions. Helmets are only useful when driving at breakneck speed across the wasteland or climbing a mountain slope. In most other circumstances a gas mask is better, keeping yourself safe from the deadly fumes and pockets of gas that might kill you.

Survival in the post apocalypse is tricky. Anyone who lives through the nuclear explosions is going to face numerous threats to their existence after wards. For more information check out US Armed Forces Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Survival Manual by Dick Couch, filled with information that can help one survive. A plan is essential even if the odds are against it. Once I finish gathering up the gear I need my plan is to travel south along the coast, hoping to find civilization. Hopefully these tips will help you to, fellow survivor.

Day 7: returning to the bunker

I couldn't be sure, but something told me the increase in mushrooms growing in the region has got to do with radiation. I couldn't know how much radiation had escaped from what the media had dubbed the disaster sites. The closest nuke that had gone off closest to where I was would be in upstate New York, so it might have traveled in the wind over the state. At any rate I managed to get a signal on my laptop, allowing me to get online and research these weird fungi. The first thing that caught my attention was an article of a robot that had come back from the Chernobyl reactor site with samples of black fungus growing on the inside of the wall. This seemed similar to what I saw but these mushrooms were far passed what this robot had brought. Each one was almost a as wide as my shoe, jet black but with a surface so shiny it reflected light. I have been trying to avoid them, which is hard because right now I am staring at a field of them I must traverse to continue with my journey back to my bunker.

Shaking off the zombies was easier than I anticipated. I was over the border into New Hampshire and hadn't seen one zombie for over two hours since crossing it. The zombies endurance seems to be weakened by their lack of food. At first this was good news, but it made me realized; had the zombies already eaten everyone else? How long would I travel before seeing an undead face? Just how destroyed was our civilization? I had been in the bunker for almost five weeks after the riots had turned into killing fields, and the radio broadcasts had stopped ten days after I had gone in. how long did it take our civilization to eat itself?

Not wanting to stop, I made my way to a mountain in a state park I had been to, partially walking and then riding on an abandoned bicycle the rest of the way. It wasn't until the next morning I had arrived at the summit, staring down into a valley that had no signs of life in it. I waited until night, hoping to see a light of some sort, shouted out in case someone heard me but it was useless. The surrounding area was deserted.

harsh terrain and cold climates can help slow down attacking zombies

When I came down again I found my shouting had not attracted people but more undead. It was only my knowledge of the terrain that allowed me to fight them off. This time I was even less prepared, and I left behind my bike and many of my supplies in my escape. I ran north-east, losing them again, and that is when I started finding these fields of black mushrooms.

imagine this, but as big as the sole of your shoe

The fungi found at Chernobyl thrives off eating harmful radiation. Once again I am not sure whether to take this as good or bad news. If this is the same fungus is it eating the radiation and making the area decontaminated? Or does this mean I have been walking through a more heavily radiated area than before? This is not fungus like mold but full grown mushrooms, so if they do thrive off radiation this had to be one of the heaviest hit areas. Are they safe to eat? Supposedly the fungus eats away at radiation, similar to the way maggots were once used to eat harmful bacteria off of open wounds. These mushrooms might be a good source of food in the near future, since so much plant life has been extinguished.

A view of the Chernobyl fungi cells through a microscope

Right now it does not matter much, because if I don't make it back to my bunker to resupply I doubt my chances of survival. I haven't seen any animals I can hunt, little vegetation besides the black mushrooms, and most important I am running out of clean water. My ammunition is so low I wouldn't want to risk losing a bullet hunting. I have seen more signs of zombies since turning south again. I will walk around the field of black mushrooms then continue in the direction of the highway. Its only 18 miles back to the Merrimac valley, but I also have to think of a plan for the zombies I know will be waiting for me in that area.

Here's hoping I make it to my next blog post.

-the survivor of the Merrimac Valley

For more information on radiation-eating fungus, click here or here

Lowell's Parking Predicament

Words used to describe the availability of parking at Umass Lowell are rarely words of praise. Some of the students I spoke to said "its improved from last year" and "I can find a space usually." More common were phrases such as "it sucks" "I'm not getting my money's worth" and "If I can't find parking I don't go to class." With the start of a new Fall semester, and increase in the number of freshmen with cars, and overall traffic in the city being worse than ever in recent memory, a place to park your car is of increasing importance to many students in the college.
I spoke to three students, one commuter and two residents with cars, about the conditions of finding a parking space for their vehicles. Evie, a resident with a parking sticker, expressed her outrage at only being able to park at the resident hall where she lived. "The ___ shuttles never arrive on time, and if i could drive to South campus I could actually get there on time for my 8 a.m. class. its ___ that I pay over 200 bucks, and still can't get to class on time." South Campus seemed to be a focal point in many students eyes. Its far from both North and East campuses and is located next to a major traffic junction in Lowell. The main parking lot on South fills up quickly, despite it being one of the largest at the college. Everyone seems to leave between 3:30 and 5, at the same time many people are returning from work, creating even more traffic that slows down school shuttles. Even with this most students prefer taking there car than relying on school transportation.
"Traffic is ___ horrible when I try to leave, but at least they limited to number of freshmen who can park on South." said Sandra, a commuter who parks on South. "When I get here early in the morning, like 7:30-8 o'clock, I can usually find a space at the back of the lot. If you come around 9:30 to 10 though your ___, the whole place is packed." Sandra also described parking on North campus, which has only one commuter parking lot. "Last year I would have to circle the lot, waiting for people to walk back to their cars and taking their spot. I was never on time for my class on North." The idea that students can have cars at the school and commute from home is to increase convenience for them, but is the convenience really that much? It is more accurate to say that these parking lots were useful when they were first built, but they have not increased as the schools population has, creating an 'early bird gets the worm' scenario. Not a fair system when your asking all those birds to pay over 200 dollars for the chance to get a worm (the worm being a good parking space).
Nick, another resident with a vehicle on campus, noted the irony of having a car that could easily take him from the resident hall to campus in 5 minutes, but having to wait 30 minutes for a school shuttle because he is not allowed to park in commuter parking lots. "I can only park in the tiny parking lot behind the Hess station on South, and that only has like 12 spots so there's never parking there. From East Meadow Lane Apartments to South its like a 5 minute drive, but I have to take a school shuttle that has 4 other stops before it goes to South, its ridiculous." When the limited parking, heavy traffic and inability to use a car to go from one campus to the next is taking into account its hard to view having a car at school as a serious benefit. All of the people I spoke to use their vehicles not as a way to get to class but as a way to get to there jobs after class. Paying over 200 dollars to guarantee I can get to my job after class isn't a convenience, its highway robbery.

ever seen the south campus lot this empty? chances are not when you need a space!