The Bright Side of a Zombie Apocalypse

Civilization may be gone but making a solar panel will provide the electricity you need to power your bunker. A solar panel can be constructed inexpensively with used and/or new parts purchased on eBay, Amazon, and local hardware stores just as we have seen when building a home-made wind turbine (covered in “DIY Wind Energy”). If one has ventured in making a home-made wind turbine, then one will find that many of the same equipment needed to run a wind turbine is also used in a solar power system making a solar panel and wind turbine a “natural” fit within an off-the-grid energy system. Adding a generator running on home-made biodiesel fuel (see, “DIY Biodiesel “), then we have a multi-faceted, “green” approach to supplying your energy needs. Read more about the basics of a solar power system and for ideas on how to construct a solar panel in "DIY Solar Energy."

Make a wind turbine to power your remote get away.

You will have much better luck capturing the wind than a zombie. A home-made wind turbine generator can be constructed inexpensively with used and/or new parts purchased on eBay and other websites selling wind turbines and solar panels. Once constructed, it will be a valuable component of your off-the-grid energy system which can be expanded to include additional turbines and/or supplemented with a home-made solar panel or a generator running on home-made biodiesel fuel (see previous post, “DIY Biodiesel “). Read more to discover what you will need and get ideas on how to build a wind turbine.

What is diseased, dangerous and stinky? Zombies and Blackwater

Disposing of zombies and the liquid waste you produce when going to the bathroom, referred to as “blackwater,” when living off the grid certainly need to be planned or you may find yourself in a dangerous, stinky mess. We probably know more about neutralizing a zombie (e.g., aim for the head) than liquid waste management which can seem all the more dreadful when you have to “relieve” yourself. In a previous post (Composting Toilet: Don’t Let Zombies Get You WhenYou are Most Vulnerable), I discussed how composting the solid waste component is not so primitive a solution one may think but rather a practical and manageable solution when living off the grid. However, it still left the issue of handling (dare I say it) urine, and of course the other liquid waste generated from daily activities in the home commonly referred to as “greywater.” But fear not (at least about disposing liquid waste in a zombie apocalypse); there are several Greywater Systems that can be implemented when living off the grid to "repurpose" the waste we generate. Read more…

Composting Toilet: Don’t let zombies get you when you are most vulnerable.

Nature's Head Composting Toilet

Do not have to go outside in the woods when living off the grid to go to the “bathroom.” Composting toilets have come a long way from a hole in the ground (which is still the cheapest and equally functional option when planned correctly) to commercially made, self-contained, portable units that look like flush toilets. Read more to understand the basics of a composting toilet and what you will need before you “ditch” a toilet.

COMPACT LIVING-  Don’t hide in a shipping container in a zombie apocalypse, live in one!

Hybrid Architecture coined the term “Cargotecture” to describe their designs featuring modular, modern living spaces made from recycled ISO cargo containers – the shipping containers seen stacked on cargo ships and rail cars.
Its affiliate firm, Hybrid Assembly, converts these sturdy, weather resistant and, for all intents and purposes, zombie-proof shipping containers into fully equipped, ready-to-move-in livable spaces ranging from one cargo container to multi-story projects. Besides the beauty of their simple and modern designs, the units can be transported on rail cars, trucks, cargo ships (of course), or airlifted worldwide. If one ever decides to relocate, the whole structure can be transported again. Several standard designs ranging from 160 sq. ft. to 640 sq. ft. are available along with additional options including off-the-grid options.
Read More… for details of the units, options, pictures, and what you need to consider before setting up.

BIODIESEL - Making it is less scary than a zombie apocalypse.

Making your own biodiesel fuel from vegetable oil is a valuable skill.
Biodiesel is an example of an alternative fuel source that can be produced on a small scale to run a diesel powered generator for the home or put directly into existing diesel car or truck engines. Biodiesel is not based on petroleum but rather is made from any animal fat or plant oil making it cleaner burning, biodegradable, nontoxic and free of sulfur and aromatics that harm the environment.

Now, one cannot just pour vegetable oil into a diesel engine. Read More...

Can you make it after civilization is gone?

We’ve seen the movies; we’ve seen the tv shows. Sooner or later you will be faced with a zombie attack. Would you survive? There is no government to help you. Your family and friends may try to eat you. The chances of surviving a zombie attack are slim. But there are rules you can follow to save your life when zombies attack and how to survive after civilization is gone!

Luckily the alive do-it-yourself type folks have been living off the grid already and know what to get, what not to get, how to get it and how to do it. Sign up to receive zombie meter alerts before the zombies attack!