Are You Ready for A Zombie Apocalypse?

updated 9/19/2023

The only television show I'll make an effort to catch when it's broadcast is The Walking Dead. It all started because my family got hooked during one of the early season marathons. Getting sucked in continues with each new season. I'm not an avid fan. I don't enter the contests. I don't dress the part. I don't watch The Talking Dead. I don't care about what the characters might have been thinking and what the fans think they'll do next. I already said farewell to those who were lost when I watched the episode. I don't mark my calendar and carve out time to catch the next season opener. I also don't faithfully set the DVR so I can watch later, but I have been known to watch when someone else makes the effort. It also takes me a few seasons to invest in learning the names of the ever changing cast. If I haven't learned them by the time they're written off it, it's really okay. I'm still a fan. The question is, why?

First off, I admit I can find TWD and the spin off Fear The Walking Dead disturbing. I also find them fascinating. I'm not the only one. The proof is in the longevity of the show, its spin offs, and it's hordes of passionate viewers. TWD is another form of entertainment in a long list of entertainment options featuring zombies, catastrophe and a healthy story-line. We're fascinated by the end of the world. Several years ago the Center for Disease Control started blogging about preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse. It's a great, irreverent approach to surviving disaster that still has legs and real-world application. If a humorous approach to disaster is what it takes to encourage people to read and implement a survival strategy, it may be a decent investment.

Before the CDC created its plan, the Pentagon was already working on CONOP8888, a  contingency training plan for a zombie apocalypse. When you plan for every eventuality, can you really rule out a zombie apocalypse? Between these two agencies, when it comes to preparing for a zombie apocalypse, as a nation, we should be ready. We've apparently invested a lot of money in being prepared. I still have my doubts that they've covered every possibility and we'd be ready to face the end of the world as we know it. How is that even possible? as soon as you commit to a plan of action and a list, it's going to change. Everyone has a different list of the items we need to have on hand for natural disasters and I'm sure they've forgotten something. I keep most of what I think I'll need on hand to prepare for disaster. I feel reasonably ready. I don't have a machete, but I do have a sword and I think that will work just as well. I know what I'm doing-I watch TWD!

All kidding aside, I've also been watching and reading about how survivors of recent natural disasters prepare and how they share information. We've all seen when resources have been made available and how resourceful people can be when pressed. In some ways people show more creativity than the writers for TWD.

When it comes to natural disasters, we get better and better at predicting them, preparing for them as well as staging and responding for recovery. Obviously, we can't predict everything and there is always room for improvement,  but we are much better prepared than in the past. Our ability to share information through social media and traditional channels has been an amazing feat of technology and ingenuity. The resulting life-saving results are evidence that humans to have the ability to overcome disaster and technology has a place in a post disaster world.

The last minute guy in the checkout line with two shopping carts filled with "necessities" doesn't come close to the level of preparedness survivalists achieve. There is a measure of respect reserved for people who have that level of commitment and resourcefulness. Survivalists prepare for every eventuality. They plan for a world where water doesn't come in bottles and food can't be dropped from a helicopter. They plan for a world without communication systems. They plan for a truly rough world where on the tough survive. For some, those plans include refurbished Panasonic Toughbooks. We know it, because they're some of our customers. If a computer is going to survive a disaster and have a purpose, many people believe that a fully rugged laptop has the best chance.

There is speculation about whether the internet would survive an apocalyptic event. It may survive for a while. It may not. It seems to depend a lot on what kind of apocalyptic event occurs. The worldwide web was apparently killed off by the same zombie virus that killed off most of the U.S. population in The Walking Dead, but sometimes it lives on in movies. Thankfully, it's still only fiction, so who knows?

I think I'm going to have to add one of Bob's  refurbished Toughbooks to my version of a bug out bag. A Toughbook can do anything my traditional laptop or tablet can do. A Panasonic Toughbook can also do a lot of the things my phone can do. I also know that if I drop it when I run, it will survive when all my other technology won't. It can help me stay connected to the rest of the world for as long as that world is there. If I'm serious about communication and can creatively power it, I can use it as part of my radio system. It can be part of my security system if I'm fortunate to have a home. There are many uses for a rugged laptop in a zombie filled world. If nothing else, if I drop my sword I can take aim and swing my Toughbook to take care of a few zombies. Since a fully rugged Toughbook is water-resistant and drop rated, it will still work after I've taken care of my share of zombies for the day. I'll be good to go one way or another. By the way, the CDC does recommend aiming for their heads.