Zombie Attack Survival Guide

As the world becomes increasingly globalized, the threats of viral infection and contagion are more and more present. With an international airport and Lake Tahoe nearby, the Reno/Sparks area is a prime location to attract whatever virus will create hordes of the living dead. However, with its accessibility to survival tools and tactical locations, it is also in a prime position to be a safe haven for the post-apocalyptic zombie world. The following is a collection of resources.  

Where to buy preparation tools
    -As a catch all, Walmart is a fantastic place to buy survival gear:
        2425 E 2nd St Reno, NV 89502
        4855 Kietzke Ln Reno, NV 89509
        5260 West 7th Street Reno, NV 89523
        155 Damonte Ranch Pkwy, Reno, NV 89521
        5065 Pyramid Way Sparks, NV 89436
    -Scheels provides specialized camping gear as well as firearms:
        1200 Scheels Blvd, Sparks, NV 89434
    -For Costco, three words: buy in bulk.
        2200 Harvard Way, Reno, NV 89502
    -REI, though expensive, offers quality camping gear. Plus, it's right next to Costco:
        2225 Harvard Way  Reno, NV 89502
    -Cabela's offers a great selection of firearms and outdoor tools:
        8650 Boomtown Garson Rd, Verdi, NV 89439
    -For a wide selection of firearms at reasonable prices and with great service, Bizarre Guns is the way to go:
        2677 Oddie Blvd, Reno, NV 89512

Recommended literature(note I have seen all of these on www.amazon.com if not the local Barnes and Noble)

How to Survive The End of The World As We Know It by James Wesley, Rawles, Not specifically about zombies, but a sober look at the 'prepper' mentality and tools of the trade. He is the founder of www.survivalblog.com which is the preeminent prepper website in the world, and greatly knows his craft.

Survive! by Les Stroud, This isn't particularly about prepping or zombies, but rather about how to get oneself out of 'worst case scenario' survival situations, such as when lost in the woods, mountains, desert, etc. Much is included about improvised items and fieldcraft(by the host of the popular show 'Survivorman')

The Modern Day Gunslinger: The Ultimate Handgun Training Manual by Don Mann, This is a great complement to a serious exploration of firearms for self-defense, and is very useful in that it gives military and police quality advice and techniques. Extremely useful particularly for the civilian starting from scratch in exploring the use of firearms for defense, even against zombies. Learn now and make mistakes in training, before an army of undead shows up for the big game.

Survival practice

-Firearm training: the Carson shooting range (about 45 minutes outside of the Reno valley) is a hands-off yet well-maintained area where the survivalist-minded can practice their shooting skills uninterrupted.
        4000 Flint Drive, Carson City, NV 89701

-To prepare yourself for the strenuous cardio that a zombie-filled world entails, the Reno-Sparks area offers a variety of hiking trails that range from easy to difficult. Find some of the routes at http://www.renotrails.com/

-Run the Zombie Apocalypse 5K Run

-Participate in the Reno Zombie Pub Crawl every October in downtown Reno (Ok, this might not be a real suggestion for survival practice, but it's really fun.).

Photo courtesy: Gianluca Ramalho Misiti

List of nearby military bases

When the going gets tough, the tough get going...to the nearest heavily-reinforced, armed, food-stocked military bases of northern Nevada. With seemingly endless supplies of Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and ammunition, you're sure to be safe for a relatively long period of time.
    -Naval Air Station, Fallon
        4755 Pasture Rd, Fallon, NV 89496
    -Hawthorne Army Depot
        1 South Maine Ave., Hawthorne, NV 89415
    -Nevada Air National Guard
        1776 National Guard Way, Reno, NV 89502

Tips for maintaining safety

Have a plan in advance:
-Figure out where you will meet your family and friends if you wind up getting separated
-Prepare yourself for what you will do if someone you love becomes infected. They are no longer who they once were, and the only way arrest the spread of infection is by keeping the virus at bay.
-Put together a survival kit. Make sure to include the essentials: food, fuel, blankets, medicine, and field manuals.        

How to slow down a zombie when they attack:
-While it won't hold the flesh-eating undead off forever, here's an easy trick to hold them at bay. Spread out a dozen plastic tarps around your home base, then cover them in something slick, like oil or liquid soap. You'll get a solid 15 minute head start to drive away while the zombies are falling over themselves.