Could Zombies Survive Freezing? Pt. 3: Combat

The general concensus from Parts 1 and 2 is that it is possible to freeze a zombie, but the real question may not be could they survive. More importantly, could you?

Roger Ma is the author of one of the single most important tools to have when the Zombie Apocalypse hits: “The Zombie Combat Manual”This is one guy you NEED to have in your Zombpocalypse Survival Crew… but if you can’t you better have his book!

Lucky for you, if you don’t have his book, all is not lost: ZZN is here to help! We recently talked to Mr. Ma to get his advise on fighting off the Living Dead in the dead of winter! Here’s what he had to say (You may want to take notes):

When it comes to understanding the anatomical frailties of the living dead, I tend to take a simple, less clinical approach: in the cold, zombies are generally constricted by the same physical limitations as living humans. The major difference being that should our bodies be unable to maintain function during extreme conditions, we will succumb to the elements. Not so with the undead. Thus, while sub-zero temperatures will cause frostbite, hypothermia and, eventually, death in the living, the undead experience none of these symptoms. Physically, however, the cold will slow a zombie’s movements and, should temperatures drop severely enough, immobilize them like Medusa’s gaze.

Cold weather hand-to-hand zombie combat is particularly harrowing as you need to contend with two adversaries: the undead and Mother Nature. Interestingly enough, the latter may be the more formidable opponent in this setting. There are several issues that require addressing when confronting a zombie in frigid climates:

1) Keep warm, keep agile - the most obvious consideration is your need to keep your body temperature up while at the same time ensuring that your attire does not limit your mobility in combat. A big puffy down jacket may be toasty, but may also impede your upper body dexterity. The best strategy is to wear a snug, wicking technical base layer, with several layers covering that to trap heat between the fabrics. This layering can also aid in preventing an infectious bite from breaking the skin.

2) Protect your hands – in the cold, your extremities are especially vulnerable to the elements. It is often the fingers and toes that are the first victims to frostbite. Should you lose the ability to wield your zombie combat weapon, you’ll be in a frigid world of hurt. You also need to take care that your insulation does not affect your use of the weapon, especially should the tool be coated in cold, wet snow. Adding tacky grip tape or gauze to your all your weapons can aid in retention.

3) Fortify your base – in physical combat, power is not generated so much by the size of your musculature, but by your coordination, balance and physical connection to the ground – this is the reason why a trained, smaller individual can generate much more powerful strikes than an untrained hulking musclehead. In cold weather, all three of these elements can be compromised (try swinging an axe while standing on ice and you’ll see what I mean.) Make sure that you have a powerful base even when standing on snow and ice by wearing solid, heavy boots optimized for slippery conditions and if necessary, augment them with removable traction cleats like Yaktrax or GripOns.

Confronting the undead may be somewhat easier in cold weather. Confronting Mother Nature, however, is another matter.

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