Surviving the zombie apocalypse

NORTH LIBERTY - Just imagine: a zombie apocalypse has struck the nation. What do you do?

Learn how to survive. More than 20 people gathered at the Zombie Apocalypse Survival Camp on Saturday morning to learn how to survive when civilization breaks down.

John Watson and Guy Cain led the six-hour training session at the North Liberty Community Center and taught people how to purify water, construct emergency shelter, start a fire and survive cold weather.

'There are definitely levels of emergency preparedness. We felt like [a zombie apocalypse] is the top,” said Cain, founder of the Midwest Zombie Apocalypse Survival Camp. 'There's nothing worse than that. If you're prepared for that, then anything below that you can handle.”

Cain, of Wyoming, founded the training program two years ago after he realized his friends had 'bug out bags” - or emergency survival bags - and hadn't tested the tools or learned how to use them. He organized a weekend camping trip among friends, but interest quickly spread and he found 80 people interested in learning about wilderness survival. Soon libraries and community organizations were asking for training sessions. He said it's a subject that interests everyone from small children to older adults.

Jim Lively and his grandson Brian Lively had their own reasons for participating. Brian Lively, 13, saw the event online and wanted to go because of his interest in zombies and the television show 'The Walking Dead.”

But for Jim Lively, a cross-country bicyclist, he wanted to learn how to purify water, which could lighten his load on the road. He doesn't consider himself a wilderness man but said it can't hurt to know how to survive.

'If you get out in a situation where you might need something like this, it's good to have the knowledge,” the 65-year-old said.

The undead have generated a significant fan base in the last few years as zombie-themed television shows, movies, literature and video games have emerged. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention even jumped on the bandwagon several years ago with a zombie preparedness blog. It started out as a 'tongue in cheek” effort to educate new audiences about emergency preparedness that proved effective, the website said.

Cain, 46, said he is into the zombie craze, unlike Watson, 44, who admitted he's more interested in the aspect of wilderness survival. However, Cain said, their class can benefit a wide range of interests.

'The name zombie apocalypse is just a concept. A lot of it is stuff you're going to use to camp. It's good common knowledge to have,” Cain said.

Watson, of Anamosa, led the group outside midmorning so participants could practice starting a fire after a brief session indoors. A group of teenagers clustered around a friend, who cheered when the spark led to a small flame.

'If you can start a fire you will survive,” Cain told the gleeful group.