(Photo: Danny Kim/New York Magazine)

“Everyone will mob the hardware stores to get zombie-fighting supplies, but you shouldn’t overlook secondary sources like Pearl Paint (308 Canal St.) An art-supply store would have everything from X-Acto knives ($3.40) to flammable turpentine ($9.95)." —Brian Ralph cartoonist, Daybreak

“Invest in rope ($199.95 at EMS, 530 Broadway) and some rappelling classes ($120 an hour at Chelsea Piers, West Side Hwy.). Unless you live on the ground floor, chances are you’ll need them!” —Max Brooks, author, World War Z

“You should have a tool kit ($8.99 at Ikea, 1 Beard St., Red Hook), a stormproof flashlight ($25 at EMS), matches ($6 at EMS), a radio ($60 at Tent & Trails, 21 Park Pl.), and a hatchet ($40 at EMS)—it’s a tool and a weapon.” —Kim Paffenroth

“One of those big blue Ikea bags ($3) to hold your stuff. A tin of Altoids ($2 at Duane Reade) in case you might meet that special someone in your bunker. And Slim Jims; they last forever and can be used to distract zombies, as they are made out of humans.” —Colson Whitehead, author, Zone One

“Stock up on batteries ($15 at Duane Reade), water (Dinuba cistern, $152 at Green Depot, 222 Bowery), duct tape ($4.29 at Duane Reade), canned food (soup, $4.19 at Duane Reade), and DVDs (from $9.99 at Duane Reade), and just wait it out locked safely in your apartment. After several months of this kind of existence, being devoured by a flesh-eating dead person won’t seem so bad.” —John Landis, director, Michael Jackson's “Thriller” video, and author, Monsters in the Movies

"Even if it’s hot outside, try wearing a tough winter coat (Helly Hanson Swift jacket, $300 at EMS). You could get chewed on a little bit and still be okay.” —Shinji Mikami, game creator, Resident Evil

"A crowbar ($8.50 at Home Depot, 980 Third Ave.). It’s heavy, so it does a lot of the work for you in head-cracking, plus it can help you pry open doors." —Brendan Riley, professor, Zombies in Popular Media, Columbia College Chicago

Related:

• Archive: “Guides”
• Articles by Dan Kois
• Table of Contents: Oct 24, 2011 issue of New York | Subscribe!