Camp prepares you for zombie apocalypse
MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP
Mark Scelza draws a line in the dirt with his foot one recent Saturday morning. One side, he said, represents paranoia. The other, preparation.
He constantly teeters on the edge of the two.
“Do I really think the world’s going to end and turn into a zombie apocalypse? I hope so,” he said with a laugh. “It won’t, but you need to be prepared. Maybe it’s not the zombie apocalypse, but what if the power’s out and now you can’t get gas?”
Original Zombie Survival Camp, located in the Pine Barrens section of Manchester Township, offers day and weekend camps featuring trainers with diverse backgrounds, including the military, martial arts, firearms, personal training and mechanics.
Students learn practical life skills, including first aid, handto-hand combat, how to shoot guns and crossbows, how to throw a knife, how to start a fire, and how to find a clean source of water.
Scelza’s wife, Sue Scelza, said when he first came to her with the idea to host a zombie survival camp, she took a long time to agree.
It wasn’t until the two set up a booth at the Asbury Park Zombie Walk and received such a positive response from participants that she jumped on board.
Sue Scelza said her day job isn’t too different from working as a zombie survival camp trainer. She works as a compliance officer for an insurance company. “Part of my job is to handle disaster planning of corporations, to make sure we can continue working if something were to happen,” she said.
At the camp, she specializes in crossbow training. Growing up, she took every archery class she could in high school.
“I’ve always been a bit of a bow aficionado,” she said.
The camp has drawn visitors from all over the country.
Tom and Maria Swenson are back for a second time — the duo made the drive from Concord, N.H.
“We’re really into the apocalypse thing,” Maria Swenson said. “You never know what’s going to happen.”
For Riley Altemose of Lehigh Valley, Pa., the camp was a 15thbirthday gift from her mother, Jane Altemose. The two are big fans of The
Walking Dead, as well as survival shows, such as Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid.
“I just thought it’d be a lot more interesting to give her an experience rather than another gift card,” Jane Altemose said.