SO yeah yeah we all can't wait to get out there and bust in a few zombie heads. Gather up our friends and family and head to the infamous safe house. Simple enough right? We have beat it in our heads the weapon we would use, and why it’s better than your weapon. We even know what girls house we are going to go to so we can save her and therefore win her love. BUT your lack of attention to details will kill you, her, and the rest of the crew you got to follow you.
And that’s where I come in.
First Aid- Every American household should have at least one First aid kit somewhere in it. Usually in the hallway closet packed away with the guest linens. These pieces of crap will have some gauze, band aids, and maybe some hydrogen peroxide. That is going to get used up the first time you open it. Needless to say, if you plan on bunking up at any location for longer than a week, you are going to need more than that. I suggest at least 6 rolls of gauze, Suture needle and forceps, Hydrogen Peroxide, large and small Band-Aids, Mole Skin (for sore feet), Talcum powder for healthy feet and antibiotics (the ointment too). Hopefully someone in your house would have had the flu or something. Nothing worse than to be completely safe from zombies and then watch someone you love die of an infected cut that wasn’t taken care of. If you don’t have access to sutures a small needle and thread will work in a pinch. Practice sewing up simple tears together on and when you get the technique down, try it on anything rubber. Now you are ready to sew up your friend’s leg when he cuts it on barbed wire.
Food - next to clean water, this is the most difficult and important of all survival tasks. Don’t expect turkeys to be laying on the ground to replenish your health. (Points of castlevania reference) What you bring and what you can scavenge is all you will have at first. Growing food and hunting is a great idea and a must for any long survival scenario, but most people have no experience in this. In order to get an idea of what you can grow and what to hunt, ask yourself where am I headed?
If you plan on staying in the city or suburbia, you are limited on available space and will be busier keeping your borders clean. I would suggest green vegetables like peppers (which are almost no maintenance) or squash. Unfortunately your options for meat will be scarce without trips to your local supermarket, unless you can find stray cats, dogs, and vermin. Just be warned, little is known about the zombie virus and although they may not affect animals like humans, they can still be carriers.
Most plans I have heard involve going north. The benefits of being in a cold tundra environment are easy to see. Almost no infected. The cons are just as easy to see. Agriculture is almost impossible. Food in the north would be mostly fish and wild animals you can catch. Rabbit, deer, and moose are plenty, but are just as keen as you are to survive. Stockpile food as you get it, and only eat what you need. Snowstorms and blizzards are just as a danger to you here as zombie attacks are to the south.
As for me, I plan on going south, possibly to Baja Mexico. The desert is just as unforgiving as the tundra, and water, with less life around it. Along the coast fishing will be my primary food supply along with cactus fruit and seaweed. Corn is also a hearty vegetable that can grow in most soils. Wild snakes are great meat (almost the whole thing can be eaten).

Water- The single most important thing on your list should always be "where can I get clean water?" For those holed up in suburbia should have a decent supply of tap water for a little bit after the initial reports. At the point you begin to suspect, stock up on bottled water just in case though. When you move, take what you can carry and when you get a chance, rehydrate yourself. Iodine tablets or droplets can be bought from any outdoor store, and is highly recommended. Again, where is your destination? What will you do for water there? Do I have the means to turn salt water into drinkable water?

Travel- The last thing I will cover today is traveling. I probably should have done this one first, but whatever, get off my back. :)
Roaming around only works in movies, before you leave the safety of your dwelling for better ground. You need to know a few things. Where is it? How far is it? Are their safe spots along the way to rest? Are there major cities or metros along the way? Is everyone else headed that way? How will I get there? How many of us are going? What supplies to I need to take with me and what will be there when I arrive? If you can answer all of these, then you don’t need me. But most of us (me included) will have a few blanks. Mainly, this has never happened before so we honestly don’t know how the rest of the world will react. If it is like I imagine it to be, the roads will be unusable. Packed, congested, and eventually a riot. Meanwhile the undead are moving right up behind them ready for an easy snack.
So once you have your trip planned, and as SOON as you have reason to suspect incident, this is the time to move. Your team should be ready within 2 hours. Vehicles equipped with off road capabilities will be ideal, but anything that moves will do. If you are headed extremely long distances (500 miles or more) ask yourself if the trip can be taken on water or air. Major airlines won’t be down at first or even a helicopter will do. Look into the private airstrips around your town and see if they can help you out. Otherwise you are driving.
You may want to think about stopping for a rest. May want to think about it. If you can go all the way with switching drivers and rotating naps, do it. But eventually someone will have to pee, rest their eyes, and stretch their legs. In this case assess each stop you make. In the beginning humans will be just as ready to hurt you as much as zombies. Stop away from other vehicles, avoid rest stops, and never ever pick up a passenger. I've never seen a movie where that works out for the better. Have a few members of your team pull sentry while the others relax.
And remember, always have a plan B. Somewhere in the general area or direction. What if your destination is over run? What if it isn’t what you thought it would be? What if it’s burnt to the ground by looters? The last thing you want to do is turn around.

Stay safe out there, more to come