@Gun - I do have a compound bow, camping supplies, appropriate outdoor clothing and gear...Engineering background, so definition can help it jerry-rig equipment

1) trench in front of 2) fence in front of 3) multi story dwelling with no easy access to 2nd floor or higher. Plenty of time to take out trench zombie with non gun weapons during breaks in attacks. Pit to burn bodies downwind of compound. If I had plenty of survivors with me, I am in favor of a phalanx. Set to receive charge with plenty of nice spears, etc.

I would double fence it with razor wire so the pit had fence on inside and out. Look at an ultra-max prisons setup and do it in reverse (keep 'em out, not in). Additionally, going down can also work. Subterranean excavation with an upswinging steel vault door.and distant small air ports/holes with electric fans and solar recharged (or geothermal) batteries. Sure, our descendants would be pale underground dwellers...

Yes, barbed double fence. Spiked trench also.

@Gunfighter06, would the ideal group be 7 so you could play Diplomacy from time to time?

My concern over a fence on the outside of the trench is the damage it might take from a horde pressing up against it. Especially if it has been raining and the ground is soaked with water. Sure the trench and backup fence will protect in case of the outer fence falling, but then I have still have to go fix the outer fence later.

@ Alderian,
"would the ideal group be 7 so you could play Diplomacy from time to time?"

No. After the zombie apocalypse, Diplomacy is banned. We can't have the survivors infighting over last night's Lepanto when they should be fighting off the undead horde.

4' deep cement filled post holes with a 12' long post. It ain't gonna come down even after a rain. And if electrified plus the razor wire on top, zombies can still be shocked.

"And if electrified plus the razor wire on top, zombies can still be shocked."

Only if you've got a generator and an unlimited supply of gasoline.

Why are you so hooked on this gasoline? Geothermal baby! Solar too!

Heck, maybe even a modern windmill or two inside the compound.

It's gonna take a shitload of solar or geothermal to keep a compound-circling fence juiced with enough power to fry zombie-brains around the clock.

"The problem with a river as a barrier is zombies don't need to breath. If the river can be walked out of, they can pull a Pirates of the Carribean [sic] walk across the bottom."

That's assuming that dead, rotting flesh is more dense than water. I know corpses will sink at first then eventually float to the surface after some of the tissue has decomposed and filled with gas. How that applies to reanimated corpses, I'm not sure.

+++ or Hecks. MOST excellent point on group size!

Imagine the meta-gaming, though, after years of playing with the same 6 people...

"If you don't support Bohemia to Munich, I'm going to let the zombies eat your brains while you sleep next time I have the night watch."

I think a river the size of the Mississippi would be a pretty good deterant. The main advantage zombies would have would be sheer weight of numbers, and even if they could cross through the mud, the current, etc., their formations would be significantly disrupted.

Anyway, I went to the library and got the first two seasons of The Walking Dead, is that going to be a good information source for me?

If you can learn from their mistakes, probably.

@ FlemGem

Autoloading shotguns are excellent for crowd control and close quarters. Their theoretical and practical rates of fire far exceed pump-action shotguns. Many autoloading shotguns can accept specialist ammunition such as slugs and sabot slugs in addition to the universal 00 buckshot. Good luck getting your hands on incendiary shells or the new explosive "grenade" shells.

Shotguns are good for inexperienced shooters but their internal tubular magazines make reloading a pain in the ass and shotgun shells are not only bulky but also heavy. 20 rounds of 7.62x51mm NATO takes up the same amount of space as 6 shotgun shells. Reliably and maintenance can also come into consideration, especially in an apocalyptic scenario. Most shotguns, particularly semi-autos do not field-strip for all-but-mandatory cleaning easily or quickly and can be confusing for an inexperienced shooter, whereas weapons like the M14 and M1911A1 field-strip in seconds and seldom need cleaning.

If you DO decide to get a semi-automatic shotgun, I would strongly recommend the Remington 1100. It's the most reliable semi-automatic shotgun in the world. In 1978, a Remington 1100 fired 24,000 consecutive shotgun shells without stoppage, malfunction, breakage, or cleaning. If you can't find an 1100, the old Browning Auto-5 (the *first* semi-auto shotgun in the world, designed by the greatest gun designer who ever lived, John Moses Browning (M1897 Trench Gun, M1911 pistol, M1918 BAR, M1917/M1919 machine gun, M2 heavy machine gun)) will still perform very well.

Personally, I'd take an 1100 over just about any other shotgun in the world, with the possible exception of the M1897 Trench Gun (because of its bayonet lug slamfire capability, and legendary reliability) but good luck finding an original USGI M1897 in this lifetime

I will reiterate, the M14 is the way to go.

The best group is six males (or three male/three female if you are taking sexual needs as a serious consideration) who are relatively small, light, fast, and compact. Ideally, around a <6 minute mile run time, a >225 bench press/>315 squat, and >50 sit-ups in a minute.

6 people because your people can specialize in certain skills and you have 3 two-man teams for standing watch at night. In a combat situation, you can have a 4-man assault team and a 2-man overwatch/base-of-fire team. Example team:

1. Leader - The natural leader of the group. Commander of the group and of the assault team. Calm, rational individual who equally values executive power and democratic will, and is on good terms with all group members. Equipped with the previously described M14/M1911A1/M6/Baseball bat in addition to any maps/radios etc

2. Hunter/sniper - The best shot of the group and also the most skilled hunter. On the overwatch/base of fire team. Charged with feeding the group via hunting. M14 with high-powered optic and bipod. M1911A1 sidearm.

3. Automatic rifleman - Most skilled automatic rifleman. Charged with carrying the most ammunition as well as ensuring fire superiority. May be asked to provide area denial. M14A1 (heavy barrel and bipod) equipped. Multiple Beta C-Magazines carried. Leader of the overwatch team.

4. "Point man" - Role based on "Glenn" from The Walking Dead. Assault team member. The go-to man for close quarters/stealth/scavenging/high risk tasks. Quickest and smallest member of group. Weapons to the person's preference (possibly an old M1A1 carbine with Choate synthetic stock) but M1911A1 carried as sidearm.

5. Designated marksman/medic - A person with medical experience whose M14 is equipped with a moderate power scope (4x possibly) who can provide reasonably accurate long range fire if the sniper/hunter is unavailable. The moderate power scope can be used in close quarters, but with slightly reduced effectiveness. Carries medical supplies in addition to M1911A1 sidearm. Assault team member but may be asked to switch to overwatch team if sniper is unavailable.

6. Mechanic/engineer type - A person with extensive experience in auto/diesel repair/maintenance in addition to general repair/maintenance skills. Gunsmith experience a plus but not necessary, due to the low maintenance requirements of the selected weapons. Same loadout as the leader, but with a tool kit instead of maps/radios. Member of assault team.
_____________

Transport and housing- Entire team to be transported and temporarily housed in two M1117 Armored Security Vehicles. If these are unavailable, two Cadillac Gage Commando vehicles are acceptable substitutes, and may even be preferable due to the latter's amphibious capability. An operable ATV or motor scooter (something quieter than a motorcycle) should be towed behind one of the vehicles so that two team members can scout ahead for fuel in the event that the fuel tanks are depleted.

The eventual objective is to locate a zombie-free island on the coast. To that end, the team will use the aforementioned vehicles to travel to the coast, scavenging supplies along the way and stopping to camp during the night. In the event of a horde whose size has the potential to overwhelm the group, the group simply seals themselves in the M1117s and waits for the horde to pass.

Just my two cents

You forgot the scrounger. The one with the nose for finding supplies and components and ammo and stuff.

I think the best team is made up of an elven archer, a dwarvish warrior, a halfling thief, a half-orc berserker, a mage, and a gnomish tinker/cleric.

@ Draugnar

The Point man is the scavenging specialist, but in theory the entire assault team would fan out and search an area with potentially valuable supplies such as a supermarket while the overwatch team covers them.

Bounce. I put a lot of thought, time, and effort into those posts.

Gunfighter - a little more seriously about the makeup of the group, you're talking about a sub-six minute mile, is that carrying gear and wearing boots or is that wearing jogging shoes and shorts/tank top? And, not to be sexist, but I'm having a hard time imagining being able to find very many women who can run a sub-six minute mile and bench 225. Besides which I'm extremely skeptical of of the bench press as a useful measure of meaningful fitness...I doubt zombies are going to be too impressed with chiseled pecs...maybe pullups instead?

@ FlemGem

You're right about bench press. I suppose pull-ups are a little more fair, and that run time would indeed be in shorts and running shoes. I was just providing a baseline of fitness.

I would place an emphasis on speed and maneuverability with below average to average muscular strength.

Also, all members would be light and compact so as to require fewer calories and water to keep going. Males <160-165 pounds and females <130 pounds.

Rivers would be a good natural barrier because the current would be swift enough to sweep zombies downriver, but it is worth noting that in addition to numerous bridges there are unmapped sections of river shallow enough that could potentially be forded. Also, rivers start somewhere and can be circumvented. I would not depend on rivers for safety.

I would also not favor a "camping" strategy. If you are going to be moving about to scavenge supplies, you might as well adopt a strategy based on movement and avoid known hordes. Also, camping/stockpiling may provide you with insurance as far as the endurance of your supplies, but you are extremely vulnerable to hordes and better-armed malevolent fellow survivors. Travel light, travel fast, and get your hands on some sort of armored fighting vehicle, preferably the M1117 Armored Security Vehicle or Cadillac Gage Commando.

Thanks for agreeing about the bench press, may I take it that you're not a former football player? I have a terribly hard time convincing football players that they're (mostly) wasting their time on the bench. Runners understand, of course, because they don't want to carry an extra fifteen pounds of chest muscles everywhere they go.
Pull ups are a much more comprehensive upper body workout, working the core as well as different arm muscle groups.