Raccoon city survival topic - Hiding in the vent

Imagine yourself in a big mall. There are no zombie around you. Yet...

You take some tools and find air vent shaft, take off the door crawl in and put the door back and nail it with hammer. There are no other ways inside the vent shafts, and there is enough space to live. You took lots of supplies, found mini fridge or w/e to keep your food and water fresh. Can zombies smell you? Theyre in the mall now and theyre wandering around. First, they are dumb, I dont think they know how to use tools and they cant break into. Possible?

Well if we are talking "zombies" as in the Romero style then no probably not gonna find you. If you do make noise or give away your position enough of them may be able to break through your fortified vent, unless it is elevated beyond their reach. The biggest problem is can you deal with this long term. Cabin fever, the realization of what is going on in the world may be enough to drive you crazy in long term confinement. Most humans don't do well without interacting with other people over long periods of time anyway. I think in a zombie outbreak the biggest killer, after the first 3 months will be on a psychological level anyway. People won't be able to cope with the isolation, the constant threat, and the more than likely loss of many many loved ones. Most will just give up. On top of that, after enough time has passed I think other living people would become your biggest threat. You have supplies, they want them... They will kill you for them.

In theory tho, if you could stand the isolation and had enough supplies then yes you could survive indefinitely if you were thorough about securing the area that you are holding up. One thing I did wonder, i know it was just an example but, how would you wire in your electronic devices in a vent? Extension chords would eventually get pulled, generators would give away your location and most importantly kill you if breathed in too much of the fumes, which is likely if you have sealed yourself up... The only way around this that I can think of is to place the generator as far away from you in the vent system as possible( or on the roof considering their is a vent shaft up their) and run your chords through the vent shafts themselves. You would have to have direct access to the generator and a very large quantities of fuel stockpiled. With the generator this far away you wouldn't give away your direct position but it would still be risky.

Well, if by any chance a licker comes around or a zombie evolves into a more advanced stage (crimson head, for example) you're pretty much screwed. Especially in the licker case. Other than that plus what Boblathon said you'd propably be fine.

I was thinking about big ass vent areas, not the small ones. Well, wasnt pointing on being alone and stuff, thats other story, but lets say you are able to hide in there for, ummmm... lets say 3 months? Now, most people are zombies now, and there aint another humans to hunt so they dont have anything to eat. Is it possible that they would die or attack each other in extreme situation? Or is 3 months even enough?

frodomir wrote:

I was thinking about big ass vent areas, not the small ones. Well, wasnt pointing on being alone and stuff, thats other story, but lets say you are able to hide in there for, ummmm... lets say 3 months? Now, most people are zombies now, and there aint another humans to hunt so they dont have anything to eat. Is it possible that they would die or attack each other in extreme situation? Or is 3 months even enough?

In 28 Weeks Later, it said that the infected had starved to death. That is one of the only movies that I can really recall them saying that the zombies died of starvation, while most neglect to say anything about it....it is just something no one had ever thought was important I guess.

Spike991 wrote:

frodomir wrote:

I was thinking about big ass vent areas, not the small ones. Well, wasnt pointing on being alone and stuff, thats other story, but lets say you are able to hide in there for, ummmm... lets say 3 months? Now, most people are zombies now, and there aint another humans to hunt so they dont have anything to eat. Is it possible that they would die or attack each other in extreme situation? Or is 3 months even enough?

In 28 Weeks Later, it said that the infected had starved to death. That is one of the only movies that I can really recall them saying that the zombies died of starvation, while most neglect to say anything about it....it is just something no one had ever thought was important I guess.

I think thats true. I mean the virus need something to stay alive and if zombie have nothing to eat I guess that the virus would just die. Or find another host.

frodomir wrote:

I think thats true. I mean the virus need something to stay alive and if zombie have nothing to eat I guess that the virus would just die. Or find another host.

Oh jesus...don't start this topic up again lol...

NiteKrawler wrote:

frodomir wrote:

I think thats true. I mean the virus need something to stay alive and if zombie have nothing to eat I guess that the virus would just die. Or find another host.

Oh jesus...don't start this topic up again lol...

Riiiight. Life goes on.... As zombie die of starvation

Too many variables with that topic.... Does the virus slow the metabolism so far that it would take forever for the body to burn through the stored energy? Does the virus shut down the systems in the body thus the body no longer requires food as a source of energy? Does the virus mutate the cells in the body to the point that they can sustain themselves indefinitely while infected with the virus? Until they come out with some kind of detailed literature explaining the nature of the virus all we can do is speculate on the ultimate outcome of the host.

frodomir wrote:

Imagine yourself in a big mall. There are no zombie around you. Yet...

You take some tools and find air vent shaft, take off the door crawl in and put the door back and nail it with hammer. There are no other ways inside the vent shafts, and there is enough space to live. You took lots of supplies, found mini fridge or w/e to keep your food and water fresh. Can zombies smell you? Theyre in the mall now and theyre wandering around. First, they are dumb, I dont think they know how to use tools and they cant break into. Possible?

In all fairness if you're in an abandoned shopping mall (cliché) you would probably try to secure the area a.k.a. closing the shutters stopping the zombies/lickers getting in. I get how it would be a momentous task but like in Dead or Alive they manage it because they are in a large group it might be possible.
If however you're living in a vent; is a main purpose of a vent to release trapped carbon monoxide? If this were the case you would pass out within minutes and be dead in a few more. Again hypothetically I suppose without the psychological strain and the constanty threat from the B.O.W.s.

I can imagine a person deciding to hole up in a secure location like Brad Vickers or Dario from RE3. If you remember Dario swears "I'd rather starve to death in here rather than be eaten by those monsters!" However when you're collecting the parts for the tram if you return to the warehouse you started in you see zombies eating Dario.
As this proves, humans rarely ever stick to their resolve for so long; And how long was Jill gone? An hour maybe. And Brad bursts out of a door with cases of drinking water in the cellar with his dead friend.
In all honesty I don't imagine someone lasting long in any zombie apocalypse situation. Obviously there will be the exceptions; Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, Leon Kennedy, Carlos Oliviera.

Hope my limited opinion helps