How to survive a zombie apocalypse: Revamped edition

In the beginning

To start with, not everybody is going to be a zombie survival expert who has played every zombie game, watched every zombie movie, read every zombie book and so on... but you don't need to be. So long as you have some common knowledge on the walking dead. Speaking of which... scenario time.

BAM!!! The zombie apocalypse is here and your street, no your whole country, has been infected with these cannibals. What do you do? You obviously go outside and check on your neighbours, silly! WRONG! Going outside = instant death.

First of all, try to assess the situation. Quietly listen for radio/news updates about your local area and if it appears you're in a precarious predicament, lock the windows and doors and begin gathering your essentials. 

Grab a strong, durable bag if you can - Pack items of absolute importance though. If it's too heavy then your chances of survival will obviously decrease. Lighter packing leaves room for quicker sprints. 

Food-wise, you should be thinking along the lines of tinned/wrapped non-perishable foods such as soup and granola bars. In the long run, maybe you could even bring a pack of seeds and grow your own crops. 

Water is a given and you could even purchase purification tablets or a water filter to ensure that it's safe. If you don't have access to these, then I'd strongly recommend looking up how to purify water the old-fashioned way.

In terms of clothes, once again, keep it simple. Long-sleeved shirts, trousers, socks, underwear, etc. Try and keep all visible body parts covered, the more exposed you are, the more vulnerable to bites and scratches you will be. A thick jacket would be useful in this case and would keep you nice and warm. Depending on your climate, thermals and waterproofs may be a good thing to invest in. Keep long hair tied back and possibly short as you don't want to risk being pulled back and chomped on. Trainers are recommended for a faster get away, boots would probably last longer though. Try and pack a spare pair if there is any space.

Don't forget your first aid kit! This is of extreme importance. It should at least contain some plasters, bandages, sterile dressings, painkillers, alcohol/distilled water for cleaning wounds, and scissors. Better to be safe than sorry. It would be advisable to learn some basic first aid as you never know, you could end up saving a life, even without an apocalypse.

Other items of significant use:

-A torch

-Walkie talkies

-Matches

-Rope 

-Binoculars

-Hygienic essentials (e.g. pads/tampons, wipes, soap)

-A notebook, magazine or even a small game device so you don't die of boredom or insanity

There are so many more items that could be included on here but these are the few that sprang to mind. If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave a comment.

Once everything is tightly packed and secured in your bag, go and grab a weapon. Not everyone will have the advantage of owning a gun or two but if you have them, that's obviously great. Don't forget to bring plenty of ammo. If you're unfortunate like I am, and don't have much, if any, access to such weapons then melee it is. Household objects such as baseball bats, golf clubs, kitchen knives... even a table leg would do. Head shots are key! Rendering the brain useless is what will ultimately defeat the undead - anything else may not fully ensure a swift death and if you are unsure as to whether or not you've actually killed off one of them, quickly go in for the double kill. Hesitation costs lives. Only in the most dire of situations should you draw your gun. Noise attracts these creatures and will only do more harm than good when fired. Try to avoid them if possible, or take them down with your melee weapons. 

Before you set off, check a map and look for the best routes possible. The quieter and less populated, the better. Do a quick tv/radio check to see if they have any safe bases and head out. If there are a few zombies, dispose of them carefully. If you are outnumbered, a clever way of outwitting them as seen in many media depictions, would be to (I know this sounds gross) cover yourself from head to toe in their guts so as to hide your scent and blend in. This isn't guaranteed to work though, especially if it's raining. Another way to clear the area would be to alert their attention to another location. For instance, you could throw an item in a different direction, diverting their gaze from you. 

I wouldn't risk heading to a supermarket or public transportation stations as they will more than likely be crowded and full of the infected. Again, try and pinpoint any safe bases that have been established for the apocalypse, or attempt to relocate to a quieter location such as the countryside.