April 12, 2012 at 5:28 PM ET
If there's one new thing I've learned from "The WalkingDead," it's that in the event of a zombie apocalypse, the crossbow is theway to go.
It means no gunfire to attract other zombies, and using a crossbow will stillcome in handy should a dystopian "Hunger Games" future come to pass. Unlike guns and bullets, it's also possible to retrieve your ammo, ifyou practice proper sanitary guidelines when handling zombie-infected arrows. Survivelong enough however, and eventually you need to restock. Zombie apocalypsesgenerally don't end any time soon.
Good thing Doejo's Map of the Dead includes sporting goods supply stores,along with retail outlets for guns, hardware, liquor and more. The digitaldeveloping agency's interactive "zombie survival map" harvests the GoogleMaps "places" API to pinpointhospitals, radio towers, military and police locations, along with locations toavoid -– such as cemeteries.
View the map's "Danger Zone" version of the mapand you'll see red designations that specify man-madestructures. That's important to know because more buildings mean more living people per capita, and that means,ultimately, more dead people walking around.
The jam-packed island of Manhattan, for example, is all red.The so-called "Capital of the World" is also jam-packed with necessary supplyoutlets, including plenty of so-called sporting goods stores. if you've ever attendeda sale at Barney's however, you know competition for supplies isn't one you'lllikely win.
Wired noted that Manhattan's island status meanscutting outside contagion is easier, but all it takes is a single bite. And ifyou've lived here during any emergency, you know it's also impossible toevacuate. As for those sporting goods stores, Patagonia doesn't seem to includecrossbow supplies, though if lamb's wool cardigans ward off the undead,you're all set.
Your fly-over states are the best bet for survival -- but youdon't need a map to know wide open woodsy spaces mean fewer humans to infect, and good hunting means plenty of places to stock up on arrows.
In the event of a zombie apocalypse, Helen A.S. Popkin will totally pull a Shane on your Otis. Tell her you know she's not who she pretends to be on Twitter and/or Facebook. Also, Google+.
