The Weekly Forecast - Humid Tropical

Humid Tropical 
I will start things off with what I assume would be the majority of people's first choice, the tropics. Hey, If you are going to have to battle zombies you might as well do it on a beach with a nice tan right? So besides being golden brown while you brain a zombie what other benefits and disadvantages does trying to survive here bring

Benefits:

Heat: If you’ve ever forgotten those hotdogs on the bbq for a day or two during a summer drink fest then you know what I’m talking about. The main reason the tropics are the tropics is because of the intense heat. I’m sure zombies don’t really care if they get a burn, but when they start cooking it could be an entirely different situation. That and things tend to go rotten a hell of a lot faster when it’s hot. It definitely won't stop them from showing up at your door, but it may slow them down enough to give you a bit of a advantage

Islands:  Another thing that well represents the tropics, are the vast amounts of islands that litter the area. There was a reason that castles had motes. Water forms a pretty decent natural barrier, and most islands come with one hell of a moat built in. It’s a pretty solid natural defence system and requires little to no work to create. I’m sure a few zombies may eventually wash up on the shores but with a little diligence they really wouldn’t be a problem.

Swamps: The tropics are a perfect recipe for creating swampland. Don’t believe me? Go to Florida and look around. One of the main problems with swamps, is they are hard as hell to travel through. Mud, water, vegetation, it all makes for some pretty slow progress. Toss a mindless zombie into that mess and soon enough it will become a permanent fixture of the area. If you can’t kill something the next best thing is incapacitating it and swamps are a natural zombie trap.

Population: This really depends on where you are but in this climate, there are plenty of areas that have a very low population density. There are however some that are extremely high, but I’m hoping that anyone with a brain left in their head would avoid those areas at all cost. All in all I would say there would be much less zombies to worry about than the mainland. Plus many of the humid tropical locations are islands, which means the population is what it is. There won't be many zombies wandering in from another area unless they somehow learn to float

Disadvantages:

Heat: As much as this may help it will also hinder. There are the obvious worries of surviving somewhere with a warm climate, but how does it affect you when zombies are involved? The warmer it tends to get the less clothing people wear. The less clothing you wear the less protection you have. It seems like a fantastic idea to build yourself the ultimate zombie suit, made up of sports equipment and police riot gear. However if you pass out from dehydration 10 min after putting it on you may have to rethink things. Basically you need to find that fine line between protection and not turning yourself into a sauna.

Islands: Another double edged sword. Mostly islands would be pretty fantastic at keeping the zombies at bay. However if one managed to slip through the defenses and things got out of control it makes it much harder to escape.

Weapons: Once you go beyond the all inclusive resorts and tourist traps, many tropical locals don’t have a lot of money and resources. Finding a weapon ironically, probably wouldn't be too hard as they are also known for a lot of violence, However trying to find a good quality weapon could be a big issue. Chances are whatever you manage to scrounge up will either be old, broken, or a crazy MacGyver contraption.

Terrain: Tropical terrain can be unforgiving. We usually just see the beaches and nicely groomed paths, but we forget that once you step off the resort you're into jungle. With a pack of zombies breathing down your neck, getting away could become harder than you would like. There are unlimited amounts of things that could cause major problems for you, that really wouldn’t do much to a zombie at all. Thorns, dangerous plants, deadly animals, there is a pretty long list. Having a poisonous snake hanging off your ass as you try and run away is going to put a pretty large damper on things, for a zombie, it really just becomes a fashion accessory.

Verdict: 

It’s the Tropics! Really if you’re going to have to try and scratch out an existence during a Zombie Apocalypse this is probably the place you want to do it. I didn’t touch on this because it isn’t the point of this post, but take away all the zombies and bring this down to just basic survival, and a tropical island is a pretty easy bet. I also found it pretty hard to come up with some solid disadvantages. So I guess what I’m saying is if the Zombie shit hits the fan, it means it’s time to take a apocalyptic vacation

The Weekly Forecast

So I just returned from vacation, hence the lack of posts, and while I was lying in the sun, I got thinking about how much the climate would play a pretty integral part of Z-Survival. Depending on where you live could drastically alter your plan. Not only would you be worrying about zombies but you would have to take into account the elements and indigenous life.

Right now with all the comforts we are accustomed to, basic survival for most people is pretty damn easy. Thirsty? turn on the tap. Hungry? Open the fridge. Sick? Google your symptoms, panic because Web MD says you're going to die, race to the Dr’s and find out it’s indigestion, it’s all pretty easy. With our current technology and knowledge we can easily turn some pretty inhospitable locations into a decent place to live. But take away those advantages and ask yourself how long before you were braving the roads to find an easier place to call home.

A lot of things would change post zombie outbreak, but climates shouldn’t be one of them. I suppose during the anarchy something terrible like a nuclear launch could happen that could alter things, but if that was the case you’re screwed anyways so worrying about how to deal with zombies wouldn’t really be a problem now would it. So we are going to say the environment pretty much stays intact, and I’ll  take a look at how location changes your survival techniques, by working my way through each climate in separate posts

I’m not going to dive into the basic human needs like, shelter, food, sleep etc. Those needs are the same regardless of what situation you are trying to survive, zombies or no. I’m only going to focus on what changes when you DO add zombies to the mix. What do you need to modify or implement in certain environments because there are zombies wandering around everywhere. How does the weekly forecast affect your survival chances and what benefits or disadvantages does it bring.

Before I start things off it’s important to realize that surviving hinges a lot on being able to adapt to your surroundings. This skill thankfully is not part of a zombies repertoire. They keep plodding along with the same intent regardless of where they are or what’s around them. They are pretty resilient, but not beyond the reach of mother nature, and each climate would effect them differently. This is one of our major advantages. In the next few posts I’ll break down how big of an advantage living in certain climates can give you