In that particular case for me, it was largely dumb luck, I think; the doctor's office was right on the edge of town, so I didn't need to navigate the hordes. I also had Light Step to reduce the sound I make (not that the alarm and shrieker helped with that - entertainment is seeing the entire area around you light up with yellow question marks) and Night Vision (which increases your sight radius in the dark from 1 to 2), which helped quite a bit. I don't think zombies can see more than one tile by default at night, but they do hear things, and they do tend to wander around. It can be helpful to get something noisy to put in buildings you've already emptied or that you don't intend to raid (radios, firecrackers) to draw zombies off, bring a quiet way to open doors (crowbars, lockpicks), and generally be very careful about light sources. Other than that, I don't really have the knack for it, either.
(I understand you said you are no expert at night stealth, but you are apparently more knowledgable than me so bear with the questions- they are also directed toward anyone that might have answers)
So would you say light step is a must have for these purposes? I always take night vision just because it is so convenient for basements and those few times you do need to move in the dark.
I never thought to use noise to my advantage though, regarding distractions. I have seen firecrackers and such before, never used them, though. How long do they last or are they just a one shot lure?
And radios, do I just activate it in my inv then drop it, or activate it on ground? and it will presumably remain on until battery runs out? How loud are they and what range will they lure at?
I always though smell was the bigger issue and only worried about noise with regards to smashing windows or whatnot, but I figure I can mitigate my movement with light step.
That said, how big of an issue is smell? Is that smell reduction trait worth it (there is one, right?) and can I mask my smell by wearing tainted meat or anything?
Thanks.
EDIT: also is there a like 'sneak' movement mode? Increased movement cost for less noise or something?