Should you find yourself in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, you’re going to be in the most difficult situation you have ever faced in your life, without a doubt. No matter what hardships you have endured in the past, if you’re on the run from zombies, you will never be safe, and you’ll never be secure. You will always be the prey, and you will always be in hostile territory. So what can you do to survive?

There are several general rules that you should follow when you’re forced on the run from zombies. The first thing to remember is that it’s best to find a secure shelter to ride out the outbreak; if you must move from this shelter, then remember that your one goal is survival – nothing more and nothing less. You may find that if you’ve been in hiding for some time that the seduction offered by the freedom you have when you leave your shelter will be huge. Do not fall victim to this trap and keep focussed on your survival.

Make sure, if you are leaving your shelter, that you have a reason for doing so and a firm destination in mind. Not only should you have a plan for where you are going, you should have a backup plan for where else may be safe, just in case you find your original destination overrun by the living dead. The last thing you need is for your final stop to be a zombie feeding ground, but with the ever-changing world during a zombie outbreak, an area that was safe when you left may not be safe when you arrive. Be aware.

Try to gather intelligence before you leave your fortress, however difficult this may be. You may be limited to peeking out of the curtains to see how many zombies you will face on the street, but if you have a radio and can use it to communicate with other living humans, do so. Remember to factor in the weather, the safest and most dangerous routes and whether there are any assets you can pick up along the way. If you’re going to leave your fortress blind, be prepared for absolutely anything and be 100% certain that you are ready to handle yourself.

If you are part of a group of survivors that need to move, try not to all travel together. While strength in numbers is great for defending a location from a horde of zombies, travelling in a large group will reduce your chances of survival due to the human error factor. Even bright red hair on a group member can be seen by a zombie and spell doom for your group. Ideally, travel in a group of three, and if there is going to be more than one group, split up and leave at different times, agreeing a rendezvous point for later in the day.

Finally and most importantly: sleep! It sounds crazy during a zombie outbreak, but if you do not sleep you will not be able to function for long. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can power through to your destination on caffeine drinks – you will lose your sharpness, lose your mobility and may ultimately lose your life.

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A zombie survival expert, Laura Watson has a full zombie plan just in case the unthinkable happens!