Valley Survival

New River Valley Survival

Before continuing, you should know that this booklet is not meant as an in-depth survival guide. Rather, it is meant to give you tips and tricks to prolong your survival in a devastating apocalypse. There–fore, while I will give you some basic instructions and how-tos, I will not explain skills in-depth. If there is anything in this section that you do not quite understand how to do, I highly recommend looting a bookstore in search of an in-depth survival guide or similar book.

Survival Primer: What’s Most Important?

Before we get into talking about what you need to survive, we first have to consider which of the topics we will cover are the most vital to your survival. Here are the topics we will cover over the next few pages:

  • Shelter
  • Water
  • Food
  • Weapons
  • Vehicles

You are free to draw your own conclusions about which topic is the most important to your survival, and indeed the answer may depend on your situation: for example, you may already have food and water stockpiles, so you should focus on finding shelter above all. However, I will assume that at this point, you have nothing. Therefore, the following is my order in which you should find resources:

  1. Water. You simply can’t survive with–out water, and NRV weather can be harsh and hot.
  2.  Weapons. There are threats all around. It’s necessary to be prepared.
  3. Food. This could be interchanged with Shelter: both are about equally important. You need energy to survive.
  4. Shelter. You’ll need somewhere to safely sleep at night.
  5. Vehicles. Most NRV towns have everything in walking distance, but a vehicle can help you escape in a flash.

Water

It should come as no surprise that water is an extremely important resource for you to have during this apocalypse. Summers in the NRV can be scorching, and winters can leave you dry and thirsty. Therefore, this section may be the most important of the entire survival portion of this booklet.

Finding a Water Source

Luckily, there are many sources of fresh water here in the New River Valley. Here are two of the easiest and most common ways to obtain water:

  • Bottled Water: This is a great option because the water is already purified and packaged for you! To find bottled water, simply follow the steps in the Looting Stores section. If you choose to go with this option, you’ll have to consider how you plan to transport the water. You should keep your hands free in case you encounter an enemy, so bringing a cart or motor vehicle on your store run will help greatly.
  • Streams, Rivers, etc: Using the New River Valley’s natural resources as a water source is another good option, especially if you set up your shelter near one of these sources. Since we are in the mountains, there are natural water sources within a short walk of just about wherever you find yourself. Further, every water source here is fresh water! If you have a choice, use running water instead of stagnant water.

Purifying Water

If you opt to go with natural sources of water, you’ll want to purify your water to be sure you do not contract an illness. There are two predominant methods to purify water: boiling and iodine. Both methods have different procedures depending on the state of the water (cloudy or clear).

Boiling Water

Boiling Water does not require you to loot a store for iodine, but you will need a campfire or other source of heat such as a stove.

For clear water:

  1. Boil water for 1 minute.
  2. Let water cool. Store in a clean container.

For cloudy water:

  1. Run water through a filter. This can be a cloth, paper towel, coffee filter, or something with similar properties.
  2. Follow steps for clear water.

Information courtesy of CDC.gov

Purifying with Iodine

Using iodine as a disinfectant is preferred if you are far from your shelter. Obviously, you will need iodine for this to work. You can follow the steps in Looting Stores to find iodine. Follow these steps to purify water using iodine:

  1. For clear water, add 5 drops for each liter of water. For cloudy water, add 10 drops.
  2. Stir, then allow to sit for 30 minutes.

Information courtesy of EPA.gov

Storing Water

Safely storing water is just as important as obtaining and purifying it because you do not want it to carry disease-causing bacteria or other microscopic creatures. Follow these tips to safely store your water:

  • Clean your containers when not in use. Any standard dish soap with warm water should do the job
  • Store your containers in a cool, dry place. Water is wet, but you do not want its surroundings to be. Damp areas often harbor disease-causing organisms

Weapons

Having a weapon is extremely important to your survival in a zombie apocalypse. Not only are Silvers a big threat that require adequate weapons to combat, other humans may also pose a threat. See: Other Humans for more information on that topic.

Obtaining Weapons

No matter what type of weapon you’re looking for, you can likely find it somewhere in the New River Valley! Because there may not be weapon stores close to you, having a vehicle is handy for this task. Refer to Finding Vehicles to obtain a vehicle.To find a weapon, follow these steps:

  1. Choose your weapon(s). Before you go, make sure you know what you want. This way, you’ll waste less time at the store.
  2. Scout for the proper store. Not every weapon store will have what you need. Therefore, do what you can to make sure your target store has what you need.
  3. Follow the tips in Looting Stores.

Using Weapons

You should use your weapons sparingly to avoid ammo depletion or excessive wear from overuse. Therefore, you should consider the following criteria before using your weapon:

  • Is there a threat to myself or my friends? If not, there should be no reason so use your weapon.
  • Can I safely escape without using my weapon? It could be better to con–serve your ammo and simply run.
  • If I do need to use a weapon, is there a way I can do it quietly? Loud gun–shots can attract nearby enemies. If possible, use a knife or sword.

Food

Finding food is a very important part of surviving in this new world. You can expect to be moving and working constantly, so you should maintain a food stockpile to give yourself a reliable source of energy.

Looting Stores

It’s finally here! I’m finally writing the section I’ve been referencing constantly. As indicated by how many times I’ve referenced this section, looting stores is an invaluable skill for many more applications than simply finding food. To loot a store, keep these tips in mind:

  • Make sure the store is clear. As with finding shelter, enemies could lurk in any given store.
  • Bring transportation help. Whether it’s a cart, a vehicle, or other people tasked with carrying supplies, make sure you have a plan to transport your haul.
  • Have a list of what you need and any substitutes. You want to be in and out of the store as fast as possible.

Hunting

Hunting is a good way to source food if you are living in the wilderness. The New River Valley has a rich ecosystem with lots of animals to hunt for food. Here are some animals you can find in the area:

  • Bears
  • Deer
  • Rabbits
  • Ducks

 

While hunting, make sure you make as little noise as possible and stay alert of your surroundings. You can use a variety of weapons to hunt, and each specific animal may have a different weapon best suited to taking it down. Once you get a kill, quickly skin it, pick it up and take it back to your shelter. There, you should cook the meat as quickly as possible.

Growing Food

Growing food is a good way to be self-sufficient and minimize the risk of venturing outside your base. This is a complex subject that is best explored in a specialized book, but I will give you some tips to get yourself started:

  • Plan a plot. Make sure the location you intend to grow has fertile soil and is big enough for the plants you intend to grow.
  • Choose a crop(s). You want something that grows fairly quickly.
  • Remember to water your plants! If you want to live this lifestyle, put as much effort as you can into keeping the plants healthy.

Shelter

Using Existing Buildings

This strategy can be risky to set up since Silvers lurk in the dark, but using an actual building for shelter will offer more protection from enemies of both kinds. To use an existing building, follow these steps:

  1. Choose a building. You’ll want to find a building that offers a good vantage point of the surrounding area and will be hard for enemies to infiltrate.
  2. Clear the building. As mentioned, Silvers may be lurking in the building you choose. Therefore, you and your squad will need to carefully clear every part of the building with flashlights out and weapons drawn.
  3. Set up defenses. Think Home Alone, but more deadly. You don’t want enemies sneaking into your home, so fortify the windows and doors and set up traps.
  4. Organize the rooms. Decide where you and your group will sleep, where you will store food and water, and where you will keep your weapons

Creating Your Own Shelter

Living in the Wilderness can be a viable strategy since Silvers and other humans alike are less likely to venture out that far. However, it is also a clearly more complicated endeavor. Follow these steps to set up your own shelter:

  1. Obtain a tent. If you can’t find one, you can setup a makeshift tent or a lean to with a tarp and some branches.
  2. Find a camp location. Since we are in the Blue Ridge Mountains, using a ridge for your camp is recommended since you will have a near full view of the surrounding area.
  3. Set a perimeter. Before doing anything else, define the edge of your camp. Try to make sure the edge is not too far from the center in any direction. This is important for the next step.
  4. Set an early warning system. Set up a wire along your perimeter that, when tripped, will make a loud noise. You can accomplish this with pots and pans or anything metal.
  5. Organize your space. As before with an existing shelter, you need to define where you will sleep, where you will keep your food and water, and where you will keep your weapons.Whether you’re using existing shelter or creating your own, it’s always a good idea to have someone on watch through–out the night in case anything slips past your perimeter. This is why alliances can be beneficial. Check out the Other Humans section for more information.

Vehicles

Transportation is always useful, whether you need a quick getaway or some–thing to transport goods or people with. The New River Valley is also fairly spread out, so if you wish to venture far from your shelter, you’ll probably want a vehicle.

Finding Vehicles

Similar to obtaining weapons, which–ever vehicle you want will be somewhere in the New River Valley! Follow these steps to find a vehicle suitable for your needs:

  1. Choose your vehicle(s). Consider what you will need it for. Escape? Transportation?
  2. Explore your surroundings. Because most of the population has been wiped out, there are vehicles just sit–ting around everywhere!
  3. If you see something you like, take it. Unless it’s clearly in use, its previous owner probably won’t miss it.
  4. If you can’t find what you need, look for dealerships. They’ll even have the keys so you don’t have to spark the ignition!

Jump Starting a Vehicle

If your vehicle’s battery is dead, you need to jump start it. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Obtain jumper cables. These are heavy-duty cables with alligator clips on the ends.
  2. Connect both cables to operational vehicle battery.
  3. Connect other end to matching charges on dead battery. Expect sparks when you connect the second cable.
  4. Turn both vehicles on. Start with the operational vehicle.

Siphoning Gas

Since gas pumps are likely not operational, siphoning gas will be an invaluable skill to keep your vehicle running. Follow these steps to siphon gas:

  1. Obtain a tube. This can be a hose or other long, flexible tube.
  2. Put one end of tube into gas source.
  3. Suck on other end until gas begins to flow. You can then direct the gas wherever you would like it to go: a collection bin, a vehicle tank, or something else.

Using a Vehicle Strategically

Vehicles have a finite limit to their use, with several constraints including gas, electricity, oil life, and tire wear. Therefore, you should only use a vehicle when it is absolutely needed. Such situations include escaping a threat, transporting people, and transporting supplies. Use your best judgement as to whether it is necessary to use a vehicle.