Being a long-time fan of the zombie genre, I feel pretty well versed in the skills needed to survive in a post apocalyptic world. I’ve even dreamed about my mad zombie skills. I was pretty impressive.
As my A-Z Blogging Challenge comes to an end, I felt I should take the opportunity to highlight why I’m confident that living in Maine will give me an advantage when the zombies come. And, they will come. It’s only a matter of time.
Here are ten reasons I believe being in Maine will give me an edge during the zombie apocalypse:
- Low Population. With only 1,328,302 people, and a population density of 43.1 people per square mile, according to Enchanted Learning, we will have less zombies to deal with than many other states. Plus, much of our population is concentrated in southern Maine. As you move north, it becomes less populated. We are even home to the 100-Mile Wilderness part of the Appalachian Trail. It’s hard enough for hikers to cross let alone slow-moving zombies.
- Experienced Hunters. We have between 5-8 hunters per square mile according to WideOpenSpaces. While not the highest density state, which is probably a result of our lower population, it’s still a decent amount of hunters who should be pretty helpful in fending off zombies. We do however lack bow hunters, so there will be no Daryl Dixon’s in our post-apocalyptic family unit.
- Minimal Access Points. Maine only borders one other state and Canada. This means fewer access points for zombies to enter. And, as I highlighted in my previous blog post, T is for Trivia and Fun Maine Facts, we have the most shoreline of any state. No one likes to be landlocked in a zombie apocalypse.
- Island Getaways. We have a ridiculous number of islands along our coast, many of them isolated and uninhabited, or sparsely, populated. According to Explore Maine we have over 4,600 islands. It’s good to keep some distance between you and the zombies, or maybe you just need a weekend away from all the mayhem.
- Plenty of Fresh Water. According to the Geographical Digest Series from the University of Maine, we have 5,785 lakes in the state which will provide access to fresh water when society breaks down and bottled water becomes scarce or cost prohibitive.
- Foraging for Food. A relaxing trip to the supermarket, if there really is such a thing, will be long gone once the zombies arrive. You’ll need to resort to foraging for food and Maine has some good options for you. The Maine Primitive Skills School in Augusta even offers foraging classes. I’ve never been to the school but am extremely intrigued by their course catalog.
Don’t forget we have lots of maple syrup too because you should still enjoy something delicious from time to time even during an apocalypse.
- Basements and Garages. With our weather, basements and garages are commonplace in Maine. This may seem unimportant when planning your survival strategy but keep in mind what you find there. Chainsaws, axes and an unending supply of random tools that can be fashioned into weaponry.
When the apocalypse comes I’m heading to my Dad’s basement first. His is organized much better than mine and he has literally ever tool every made plus he still has all his old clam digging supplies.
- Weaponry. Once you find your weapon of choice. What’s next? If you were impressed with access to a foraging class in Maine, I am happy to inform you that we have not one but two survival schools in the state. You can head on over to the Summer or Winter Woodsman course at the Jack Mountain Bushcraft School. These courses teach key survival skills like fire making and shelter building as well as basic axemanship. I’ve never taken their classes either, but might need to add this to my to-do list.
- Baseball Bats. If an axe feels like overkill for you (it’s not), you can opt for a simpler, more classic weapon. Perhaps a baseball bat? They don’t need to be powered up and with the right swing they can protect you just fine. We not only have our own bat manufacturer, Dove Tail Bat Company, but also plenty of trees if you need to fashion a make-shift bat of your own.
- Horror Expertise. Stephen King is from Maine and he’s written about every horrific possibility that might occur including a zombie apocalypse. The movie version of his zombie story Cell has been in limbo for years but just picked up a new distributor and is scheduled to hit theaters on August 26th according to Popcorn Horror. I can’t wait to do a little more pre-apocalyptic research.
I know that some of you may say that winters will be a challenge. And, that may be true but Maine does have a Survival Score of 13.7 and is rated as the 5th-Best Survival State in the country according to Survival States: The Best States for Survivalists. We are also the only state on the Atlantic that made the top 10. I’m pretty confident we’ll be in better shape when winter comes than the zombies.
Hopefully, my theory will not be put to the test but if it is I’m ready. On a personal note, I know I’ll survive the zombie apocalypse because I just survived my first A-Z Blogging Challenge. What could be more challenging than that?
I’m participating in a Blogging A-Z Challenge for April 2016. I will be posting new content every day except Sundays. Each post is associated with a letter of the alphabet, starting with A and ending with Z. My theme for the challenge is Life in Maine, and each post will in some way relate to Maine. There are over 1500 other bloggers participating in the challenge. Click HERE to learn more.
Weekends in Maine 
Congrats on getting to the end and I live your choice as I love those zombie shows! I’ve never been to Maine but I’m not too far away in Ct and it’s on my list! My husband was stationed at Loring AFB back in 71. It’s closed now but he’s told me stories of how cold it is there and they had unbelievable snow amounts. I love antiquing ! I’ll Back to read more on your blog!
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Zombie shows are the best! I hope you get a chance to get up to Maine. There are a lot of great antiquing places up this way.
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Love to know of any great flea markets you might know of! Not sure which way to go
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Unfortunately, I’m not up on the current flea markets although I do love a good flea market. I tend to hit weekend yard sales instead. There are always tons of those happening during the nicer weather.
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Huge congratulations on surviving the A-z, if you can do that I’m pretty sure of your chances with zombies. i live in an English village with a population of about 1,000, two rivers, in a valley – reckon we might be ok, too! ~Liz http://www.lizbrownleepoet.com
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Sounds like you’ve got a good spot to survive the zombies too 🙂
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First of all, bravo for finishing the challenge.
Second, on a fun note. You’re right about Mainers doted of survival skills, somewhat superior of others. Wouldn’t be the worst place to hide anyway.
Best to you. Stop by again: I often blog about Maine too!
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I will definitely keep an eye on your blog and look forward to seeing your posts on Maine. Thank you for visiting this month!
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Congrats on finishing the A to Z. Your photos are beautiful. And who can resist a state where I can get a course in basic axemanship and fresh blueberries? Though the thought of Zombies and the place that gave rise to Stephen King does give pause. This is the best way to learn geography! — The Bookwright stopping by from A to Z.
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The A to Z challenge has been a great way to travel without leaving home. So many fun destinations to read about. I appreciate the visit.
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Ha ha – that’s hilarious, Karen. Now I know where to head if the Zombie Apocalypse materialises! 🙂 Well done on finishing the Challenge and thank you for supporting my efforts too – it’s been a great experience.
Susan A Eames from
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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I also really loved the A to Z Challenge. It’s been really helpful to meet so many other bloggers. I’ve learned a lot.
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Great list! Congratulations on making it through the A to Z!
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Thank you and congrats to you as well. It’s been a fun challenge.
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King didn’t have such high hopes for Mainers in The Stand…Like everyone else, they had to escape westward. I had fun discovering your blog during the challenge, even if I ran out of similar experience down the line. I’m certainly glad you represented the Pine Tree State, though!
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That is true about The Stand but I still have high hopes for Maine when the zombies come 🙂 I love Maine and really enjoyed the opportunity to highlight some of the amazing things that make it so special. Thank you for visiting.
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I’m not a fan of zombies, but I am a fan of your blog! Congratulations on completing the challenge!
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Yes, zombies are not for everyone. Thank you so much!
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Your corner of Maine sounds lovely, even without Zombies. Next time I’m visiting friends in Vermont, I’ll have to come up and look for Zombie defense positions, just in case. Greetings from Tacoma, WA, where vampires are more prevalent than zombies–you know, what with all the rain and clouds. Congratulations to you on completing the challenge!
@RhondaGilmour from
Late Blooming Rose
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Washington State is beautiful. We have friends in the Seattle area and I’ve been lucky enough to visit a few times. Congrats to you as well on completing the challenge. It has been a great way to connect with other bloggers.
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Congratulations on completing the challenge!
@ScarlettBraden from
Frankly Scarlett
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A great way to end the challenge! As I read this, Fear of the Walking Dead is on in the next room. Very appropriate.
Congrats on finishing! I’ve enjoyed learning about Maine.
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Thank you so much for your visits and comments during the challenge. It was a lot of fun.
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Ooo, spooky! I hadn’t really given much thought to zombies, my only experience being via the Shaun of the Dead film. I live in rural England so, hopefully, the zombies might give us a miss, although I do only live a few hundred yards from the graveyard so I guess I’d better start preparing!
I have another blog here: Around My Kitchen Table
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I love Shaun of the Dead! It’s one of my favorite zombie movies.
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This is an awesome ending to the A to Z Challenge – and I think Stephen King alone means Maine is well-prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse. If nothing else, they’ll go elsewhere first. Sadly, Wisconsin is only 15th Best. I’ll have to hope my mad animal dressing up skills will be useful in this situation (they won’t).
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If choppy doesn’t mind wearing zombie guts as her costume, you could be safe. It worked on The Walking Dead. 15th is still a respectable survival score too.
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She’d probably try to eat them, which is pretty gross. And I like to think Wisconsin’s score gets reduced because we have a large city. No one in Milwaukee is prepared. Those of us in the country? We’re good to go.
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Congrats on completing the A To Z Challenge yet again! Thanks for dropping by my blog. Maine sounds like the perfect place to hangout in an apocalyptic-zombie era! A lot of benefits to living in Maine I see, pretty self-sufficient and all! Well done!
@KalaRavi16 from
Relax-N-Rave
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Thank you for visiting. I enjoyed the A to Z Challenge. It was fun to connect with other bloggers.
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