DARKNESS
Not the now defunct UK rock band that boasted high-pitched vocals from frontman Justin Hawkins (he would attract too much attention). Nor the Top Cow comic book (although having the power to create anything you desire at night time would be most useful during a zombie apocalypse). The darkness I’m referring to in this entry is actual darkness – the time when there is no light.
In normal warfare, darkness is advantageous as one can use it to move around without being seen, or carry out covert attacks or operations. But in the war against the undead it is a complete hindrance.
The problem with having the undead as an enemy is that they could be anywhere – standing around aimlessly, sitting in cars, under tables, in fridges, in ponds or up trees. This means that when travelling from a to b you have to always be alert.
Darkness can affect your ability to see and therefore affect your vigilance. The use of lights and torches is a bad idea too as zombies will acclimatise to their surroundings and a moving light will attract their attention (whereas during the day, movement could be attributed to anything: other zombies, animals, curtains flapping in the wind, collapsing buildings etc., so a zombie would be less likely to react).
You could use night-time goggles, but although these are useful in some situations, they will restrict your peripheral vision.
In the darkness, zombies will head for you – whether it’s through sight, smell, sound, body heat, who knows? – but they will lock onto you as a target and move in. You won’t be able to see anything. You will be disorientated, lost and a sitting duck with no idea where to head for safety. Do not go out in the dark.
It is much wiser to stay secure during the night-time hours and sleep. It may not nythch safer in the light but at least you will be able to see your surroundings, your enemy and all escape routes and will have a better chance of sensible reaction and survival.
FACT 1: If you are in an urban area that still has power and streetlights, it is marginally safer to go out at night. We still recommend saving your scavenging times for the daytime though, as who knows when the power will finally go off.
FACT 2: The closer you are to the North and South poles, the longer the periods of night, and therefore darkness, so you may have to come up with a way of braving the darkness or prepare for a long-haul buckle down in your safe house. For example, Barrow, Alaska has 720 hours of darkness in one period. That’s 30 days of night – and in that area you’ll also have vampires to worry about. Bummer.