Survival Thread

[niky]

Hmph...

1. Hunting rifle, at least ten boxes of ammunition. Useful both in the wild and when scavenging in the city.

2. Lighter. Liquid fueled, with a flint. For starting fires. When you're out of lighter fluid, the lighter can still be used to start fires in combination with gunpowder, alcohol or other fuels.

3. Pot with a lid. For cooking food and boiling water.

4. A good hunting knife and a whetstone. A knife is useful anywhere. But it ain't useful if you can't keep it sharp.

5. A water container, minimum of two liters. Self explanatory.

6. 10 liter fuel container, plastic. To scavenge gasoline or diesel wherever I can. Also vegetable oil, if possible. Veggie oil isn't as easy to burn as gasoline, but it can be burned, and you can use it in diesel engines or generators in a pinch.

7. A sheet of cloth (blanket?). Can be used for many things. To strain water or oil. For a blanket. For a tent. Strips can be used to bind wounds.

8. Stout walking stick. For defense, walking, and as a makeshift tent-pole.

9. A spool of durable nylon cord, for making fishing nets, baskets, fishing line, for repair of clothes or rucksack, for making traps and etcetera.

10. A box of leather needles (big enough eyes to fit nylon cord) and fishing hooks, as for above.

 

[W3H5]

Well, I'm a big zombie fan, as you may know, and I really do prepare for it, but I think natural disasters are something most of us can relate to. I'm basing mine on an earthquake.

Let me get going with my ten items and see how many useful things I manage to forget. (I'm not going to include the pack as an item. I will however only put on the list things that I currently have in my possession.)

1. Fire making equipment.

Lighters, matches or a flint. I have these things at home. Matches probably aren't the best bet but lighters sure are useful. Fire is useful for warmth, light, cooking, making other tools, using as a signal and helps moral in a desperate situation. Part of my kit includes bicycle a inner-tube as these will light easily even when wet and produce a good flame to start a fire with. I would say fire is one of the most important things.

2. A sharp tool.

This seems a bit general but I have knives of all kinds, a machete and a hand axe stored away in my house. I'd probably take the axe if I could only take one as it has the leverage of a machete, the blade of a knife but is easily stored and carried without to much effort.

3. Waterproof Sheeting.

This would be for shelter, avoiding the elements and perhaps harvesting moisture from rain. I always keep a spare plastic shower curtain in the spare room because my wife complains about cleanliness so that would act as my shelter. It's pretty heavy duty but also light and compact so it can be carried easily.

4. Water purification device.

I'm not fortunate enough to have a quality purification kit at hand but I could probably build a distiller from parts I have lying around the place. To keep things simple, though, I'd just pack a small cooking pot which I could use to boil water over a fire. (Would be nice if a few teabags could be added to this one too.)

5. Flash light.
Recently I was in Burma and picked up a hand powered torch. It has a 8 led beam which is quite bright and is the size of a cigarette box. It has a lockable lever on the handle which is squeezed repeatedly to charge/ use it.

6. Medical supplies/ first aid kit.

Very self explanatory really. Bandages, antiseptic dressings, my medication....

7. Fishing equipment.

I'm quite a keen fisherman. I live right next to the Yangtze and Jailing rivers in Chongqing. Everyone has to eat. Fish are a good source of nutrition and are plentiful. I have a telescopic rod and a small box of tackle that will easily fit inside a pocket on my pack.

8. Change of clothes.

This seems obvious but is usually overlooked by many people. I have a light raincoat which I use for cycling that is fully wind and waterproof. A spare pair of jeans, t-shirt and sweater. If I was to get wet and had no clothes to change into I'd be pretty grumpy and cold.

9. Bedding.

Again, pretty simple. If I'm out of the comfort of my home due to it having been razed to the ground then I'd like to sleep on something softer than the path outside. I have a foam (yoga) mat which I use for sit ups and such. It's not very thick but it's better than the floor. It's also easily rolled up and very light. A cover would accompany this to keep me warm. A sleeping bag would be my first choice but I don't currently own one.

10. Free option.

I'm going to leave this option open as I can't think of anything else right now and I can assure you I've forgotten something important. Also, some items a specific to the situation so I guess you could say this is y wild card slot.

 

[a6m5]

How about the type of shoes, niky? I always wonder: athletic shoes or boots?

OK, here are the rules:

1. Pick your disaster. It could be a natural disaster, collapse of civilization(aka SHTF TEOTWAWKI lol), or zombie apocalypse!
2. Choose 10 items for survival. Must be something you own, or have direct access to. Also explain how you will use them.
3. No vehicles.
4. Before adding your favorite beer cooler, keep mobility in mind.

Clothes, footwear, pack(s) & accessories(hats, watches, etc.) will not count toward your ten. Feel free to add them as bonus additions to your list.

 

[W3H5]

I'm going to go with a good pair of hiking shoes for footwear. I've got an old pair of North Face shoes lying around somewhere that are comfortable, yet durable.

 

[a6m5]

Since you guys are going with a realistic survival, I'll go with the zombie apocalypse! <- I'm not mad, just pumped up.

I need more time though. My first zombie apocalypse list shall be flawless.

P.S. North Face make shoes!?

 

[W3H5]

Unless mine are fake, which, living where I do, could well be the case as I picked them up at a market a few years back for a really good price.

 

[niky]

Personally, of the items, I don't have the hunting rifle, but I have access to a few shotguns. I'd prefer a rifle as you can use it for game. We live near a few malls, would be easy to break in and steal a rifle.

My disaster would be the collapse of civilization. It might be a good idea then to keep some batteries as barter goods, too.

The shoes I'd pick... I don't have. I have a pair of waterproof hiking shoes, but they'll probably only last a year or two. My choice would probably be working shoes... oil-proof thick-soled, maybe with a steel toe. Soles sewn on rather than just bonded on with glue. Something that you won't have to think of replacing for a few years. Which is why I say my current shoes aren't the ones I'd pick.

Zombie Apocalypse... the big problem I see is that you really don't want to travel out in the open during a zombie apocalypse. You want to stay buttoned up in a defensible location with lots of provisions and wait for the zombies to eventually die off. Creatures that can only live off of human brains don't have a whole lot of food sources to pick from after the first few weeks of an outbreak.

 

[a6m5]

Unless mine are fake, which, living where I do, could well be the case as I picked them up at a market a few years back for a really good price.

Oh.

Personally, of the items, I don't have the hunting rifle, but I have access to a few shotguns. I'd prefer a rifle as you can use it for game. We live near a few malls, would be easy to break in and steal a rifle.

My disaster would be the collapse of civilization. It might be a good idea then to keep some batteries as barter goods, too.

The shoes I'd pick... I don't have. I have a pair of waterproof hiking shoes, but they'll probably only last a year or two. My choice would probably be working shoes... oil-proof thick-soled, maybe with a steel toe. Soles sewn on rather than just bonded on with glue. Something that you won't have to think of replacing for a few years. Which is why I say my current shoes aren't the ones I'd pick.

Zombie Apocalypse... the big problem I see is that you really don't want to travel out in the open during a zombie apocalypse. You want to stay buttoned up in a defensible location with lots of provisions and wait for the zombies to eventually die off. Creatures that can only live off of human brains don't have a whole lot of food sources to pick from after the first few weeks of an outbreak.

First of all.... your malls have rifles!? I didn't know you guys rolled like that, too. I still remember learning from the movie "Gremlins" that Americans sold guns in department stores. Growing up in (just about)complete gun ban Japan, that was a shocker.

Collapse of civilization is a good one. I need to add that by the rules. 👍

Lastly, "human brains"? Come on, niky! You haven't seen a zombie flick since The Return of the Living Dead(1985) or something? Truly a great film, but come one, zombies eat more than just brains these days.

Edit: I just noticed the solar flare thread, I think in the opinions forum? This NYDailyNews article says that there is 12% chance that in next ten years, one of these solar flares could possibly cripple power grids. Buy a shotgun now!

 

[niky]

Rifles, handguns and shotguns. But always under lock and key with a mean looking security guard up front. If you know the right people, you can buy a genuine AK47 off the streets that smells of vodka or rice wine, depending on the vintage. The Russian and Chinese government dumped a lot of these on insurgents over the past several decades.

Zombies can eat human flesh. But they're too slow to catch anything else. If you go by the premise that Zombies are meat eaters, then they won't have much ability to catch meat animals once all the slow cats and human-loving dogs are dead. Most wild animals are faster over ground than humans, and much faster than a rotting zombie, which they'll smell a mile away.

If we're going by the premise that these are "Dawn of the Dead Zombies" that run.run.run.run.run.run... then I don't buy that. Creatures need energy to survive. A decaying hunk of human flesh is going to work through energy at a huge rate due to metabolic inefficiencies, especially if we're making them stronger and more energetic than humans. For fast-moving zombies, I give them about two weeks before they all starve out. Slow ones might take a bit longer, but they'll still starve.

-

The big issue with civilization collapse is that you're going to be competing with a few million other people hoarding goods, shooting looters and going bat-guano insane. The gun becomes the number one survival item, right then and there, unless you've done your hoarding beforehand and can sit out the worst of the riots. The hard part is to then make your way somewhere where you can farm a plot and hopefully survive for the next few decades while society rebuilds

 

[W3H5]

Chinese AK47 aka the Type56! Used to be made in my city and about 5 minutes walk from my old place.

 

[a6m5]

W3HS, don't get any ideas.

niky.... do not...... do not scientifically breakdown the zombies! They don't make much sense, and yes, you are right, realistically(now you got me doing it), they should either starve, disintegrate or something... but then, there would be no zombie apocalypse, or it would be too short of a movie.

 

[W3H5]

I've looked into zombie physiology and it's complicated. I won't got into details but it's a long winded thing.

 

[VspecZR1GT2RS89]

This is gonna be a loooonnnng post.

So you're looking to carry over 40lb of weapons and all the associated ammo that they need? All while sustaining yourself on nothing but beef jerky (I don't even see a water bottle on this list.) Seriously dude you need to drop the Syphon Filter/Metal Gear mentality.

Ok, I will confess that was a outrageous list that I made. Should have put only the most needed items to live off by. I've been playing too much of Resident Evil and Dino Crisis recently as well. And don't get me started on The Terminator series, espically T3: Salvation.

And by watching Jurassic Park DVDs, looking at certain clips of JP on YouTube and playing Dino Crisis 2. I was thinking about a incident with the dinosaurs and their return. They can return from either a time machine that went horribly wrong and it backfired, sending the 21st Century back to the Mezosoic Era. Or by Dino DNA preserved from mosquitos being trapped in amber and cross gene engeering to bring back the dinos, then it becomes a disaster and everyone on Earth must fight for surivial in a epic battle between humans and overgrown ancient reptiles.

Man, seriously I'm with some of my ideas and theroies on "what if" themes. I need to get out more often.

Yeah, Vspec, that was the worst survival gear list ever. You can't waste three slots on handguns alone! And you would not believe how much ammo would weigh for all the guns you listed.

I think I understand why people, when it comes to top-whatever survival gears, they do zombie apocalypse. Otherwise, it could be natural disaster, economy collapse, terrorist attack, etc., etc., just too many scenarios.

So let's go with the Zombie Apocalypse. Which ten items would you take with you to survive the zombie apocalypse?

Rules:


[*]Must be items that you own, or have direct access to.
[*]Explain how those items will help you survive.
[*]Keep mobility in mind.
[*]No vehicles.


Does this sound good? Please let me first, as I do like some feedback before we get started. Once we establish the rules, I'll change the thread title to entice more participants!

Yes, I like this setup here. Then we can see what type of disaster and the needed items can hold up against and some of the stuff can be used for another disaster.

But what about a dinosaur rampage? You never know when you should see a raptor, megaraptor or worse, a t-rex walking the street tearing up everything in sight.

Well, I'm a big zombie fan, as you may know, and I really do prepare for it, but I think natural disasters are something most of us can relate to. I'm basing mine on an earthquake.

Let me get going with my ten items and see how many useful things I manage to forget. (I'm not going to include the pack as an item. I will however only put on the list things that I currently have in my possession.)

1. Fire making equipment.

Lighters, matches or a flint. I have these things at home. Matches probably aren't the best bet but lighters sure are useful. Fire is useful for warmth, light, cooking, making other tools, using as a signal and helps moral in a desperate situation. Part of my kit includes bicycle a inner-tube as these will light easily even when wet and produce a good flame to start a fire with. I would say fire is one of the most important things.

2. A sharp tool.

This seems a bit general but I have knives of all kinds, a machete and a hand axe stored away in my house. I'd probably take the axe if I could only take one as it has the leverage of a machete, the blade of a knife but is easily stored and carried without to much effort.

3. Waterproof Sheeting.

This would be for shelter, avoiding the elements and perhaps harvesting moisture from rain. I always keep a spare plastic shower curtain in the spare room because my wife complains about cleanliness so that would act as my shelter. It's pretty heavy duty but also light and compact so it can be carried easily.

4. Water purification device.

I'm not fortunate enough to have a quality purification kit at hand but I could probably build a distiller from parts I have lying around the place. To keep things simple, though, I'd just pack a small cooking pot which I could use to boil water over a fire. (Would be nice if a few teabags could be added to this one too.)

5. Flash light.
Recently I was in Burma and picked up a hand powered torch. It has a 8 led beam which is quite bright and is the size of a cigarette box. It has a lockable lever on the handle which is squeezed repeatedly to charge/ use it.



6. Medical supplies/ first aid kit.

Very self explanatory really. Bandages, antiseptic dressings, my medication....

7. Fishing equipment.

I'm quite a keen fisherman. I live right next to the Yangtze and Jailing rivers in Chongqing. Everyone has to eat. Fish are a good source of nutrition and are plentiful. I have a telescopic rod and a small box of tackle that will easily fit inside a pocket on my pack.

8. Change of clothes.

This seems obvious but is usually overlooked by many people. I have a light raincoat which I use for cycling that is fully wind and waterproof. A spare pair of jeans, t-shirt and sweater. If I was to get wet and had no clothes to change into I'd be pretty grumpy and cold.

9. Bedding.

Again, pretty simple. If I'm out of the comfort of my home due to it having been razed to the ground then I'd like to sleep on something softer than the path outside. I have a foam (yoga) mat which I use for sit ups and such. It's not very thick but it's better than the floor. It's also easily rolled up and very light. A cover would accompany this to keep me warm. A sleeping bag would be my first choice but I don't currently own one.

10. Free option.

I'm going to leave this option open as I can't think of anything else right now and I can assure you I've forgotten something important. Also, some items a specific to the situation so I guess you could say this is y wild card slot.

This is a good list to start off in any given situation. All the basics are listed here. I'll make my list later though.

Personally, of the items, I don't have the hunting rifle, but I have access to a few shotguns. I'd prefer a rifle as you can use it for game. We live near a few malls, would be easy to break in and steal a rifle.

My disaster would be the collapse of civilization. It might be a good idea then to keep some batteries as barter goods, too.

The shoes I'd pick... I don't have. I have a pair of waterproof hiking shoes, but they'll probably only last a year or two. My choice would probably be working shoes... oil-proof thick-soled, maybe with a steel toe. Soles sewn on rather than just bonded on with glue. Something that you won't have to think of replacing for a few years. Which is why I say my current shoes aren't the ones I'd pick.

Zombie Apocalypse... the big problem I see is that you really don't want to travel out in the open during a zombie apocalypse. You want to stay buttoned up in a defensible location with lots of provisions and wait for the zombies to eventually die off. Creatures that can only live off of human brains don't have a whole lot of food sources to pick from after the first few weeks of an outbreak.

^This.

Even though a zombie is a dead human, they still have the craving to eat. Resident Evil games, novels, CGI movies and the movies(which I hate the movies) all say that a zombie has a need to eat flesh are slow and if we kill them in a certain area and secure a city or a town as a HQ for weapons, supplies and a shelter for other suriviors. We are in the green.

Wait until they can't find any food and like any living organism, they will die of starvation and we can start burning the bodies and start civilization again.

Rifles, handguns and shotguns. But always under lock and key with a mean looking security guard up front. If you know the right people, you can buy a genuine AK47 off the streets that smells of vodka or rice wine, depending on the vintage. The Russian and Chinese government dumped a lot of these on insurgents over the past several decades.

Zombies can eat human flesh. But they're too slow to catch anything else. If you go by the premise that Zombies are meat eaters, then they won't have much ability to catch meat animals once all the slow cats and human-loving dogs are dead. Most wild animals are faster over ground than humans, and much faster than a rotting zombie, which they'll smell a mile away.

If we're going by the premise that these are "Dawn of the Dead Zombies" that run.run.run.run.run.run... then I don't buy that. Creatures need energy to survive. A decaying hunk of human flesh is going to work through energy at a huge rate due to metabolic inefficiencies, especially if we're making them stronger and more energetic than humans. For fast-moving zombies, I give them about two weeks before they all starve out. Slow ones might take a bit longer, but they'll still starve.

-

The big issue with civilization collapse is that you're going to be competing with a few million other people hoarding goods, shooting looters and going bat-guano insane. The gun becomes the number one survival item, right then and there, unless you've done your hoarding beforehand and can sit out the worst of the riots. The hard part is to then make your way somewhere where you can farm a plot and hopefully survive for the next few decades while society rebuilds

Civilization Collaspe, the utlimate disaster and utter chaos of humans destroying anyone or anything for mere surivial. As they say when you are prepared for anything... Come at me bro!!!!

 

[MarinaDiamandis]

P.S. North Face make shoes!?

They do, both low-tops and high-tops.

 

[Brett]

niky.... do not...... do not scientifically breakdown the zombies! They don't make much sense, and yes, you are right, realistically(now you got me doing it), they should either starve, disintegrate or something... but then, there would be no zombie apocalypse, or it would be too short of a movie.

I enjoyed the niky's scientific breakdown of the zombies. The only nitpick I had with the breakdown is no use of some diagrams, pie charts, or something.

 

[a6m5]

I'm just about done with my list. I'm up to nine, plus I want to add clothing, etc.

But what about a dinosaur rampage? You never know when you should see a raptor, megaraptor or worse, a t-rex walking the street tearing up everything in sight.

We are easy! But if you are going to make a dino-rampage list, you better make it a one entertaining list!

I enjoyed the niky's scientific breakdown of the zombies. The only nitpick I had with the breakdown is no use of some diagrams, pie charts, or something.

Never mind the charts, where's your disaster + the survival list Brett!? You guys do get a lot of tornadoes there, don't you? but I'd rather see zombie or SHTF survival list.

They do, both low-tops and high-tops.

OK, I've never shopped for North Face, and that may be why I had no idea such thing existed. I google pic searched it, and they were nothing like I pictured. Not only were they normal looking, they were almost....... bland. Not at all like their jackets!

 

[Solid Lifters]

Plague of some type.

1. Victornox Swiss Army Pocket Knife
2. Rifle (Level Action .44 Rem Mag)
3. Shell Casings (.44 Rem Mag)
4. Primers (Large Pistol Magnum)
5. Gun Powder (Win 296)
6. Compact Reloading Press (set up for .44 Rem Mag)
7. Boy Scout Handbook
8. A dog
9. Salt
10. US Army Special Forces Medical Handbook: ST 31-91B

I'm not sure if you meant 'individual items' or 'kits' like others have already posted, but I went with what I thought you wanted.

 

[niky]

I enjoyed the niky's scientific breakdown of the zombies. The only nitpick I had with the breakdown is no use of some diagrams, pie charts, or something.

Don't tempt me. I'll make one.

 

[Brett]

Never mind the charts, where's your disaster + the survival list Brett!? You guys do get a lot of tornadoes there, don't you? but I'd rather see zombie or SHTF survival list.

Yep, loads of tornadoes. The tornado season is quickly approaching.

Don't tempt me. I'll make one.

You better believe I want any of the above!

 

[Michael88]

Disaster: Civil unrest caused by complete economy breakdown or pandemic plague

1.) A reliable bolt action rifle chambered in .308 with a detachable magazine that holds at least 5 rounds, equipped with a sturdy short to medium range scope (1-6 or 2-7x33) with a simple duplex reticle; must have backup iron sights, a weather resistant finish,a good carry sling, and a small pouch with essential spare parts (extractor, firing pin and a set of screws)
(Most important option because with this ''tool'' you can easily ambush and shoot someone from a safe distance who carries all the essential equipment you need.)

2.) Good tough boots. (You won't get far without proper footwear)

3.) Small First Aid kit, should include a flexible tube ( 3 feet), antiseptics, broad-spectrum antibiotic, a needle, a lighter, wound clamps, a small telescopic mirror, tweezers, painkillers, a short 0.5 dia. plastic tube (for sucking chest wounds & tracheotomy ), a sharp scalpel, bandage rolls,dental floss and bandage tape

4.) World map

5.) Compass, one with a lens to start a fire.

6.) Multitool (Leatherman) with pliers, knife, screw drivers that fit your rifle's system and scope mount screws, saw etc.

7.) Bivak Tent. Small portable one-man tent, must have a low profile, easy to set up and the color should be OD, must have enough room for your backpack or vest.

8.) MOLLE modular vest so you have quick access to ammunition, first aid kit and compass and you can store the rest of the equipment on your back.

9.) A small steel can for boiling water, storing water & food etc.

10.) Energy bars / high energy food rations

 

[a6m5]

Brett, come on man, the list! j/k

Actually, I've been too busy to finish up my own list. I might steal an item or two from Michael or Solid Lifters list.

Disaster: Civil unrest caused by complete economy breakdown or pandemic plague

1.) A reliable bolt action rifle chambered in .308 with a detachable magazine that holds at least 5 rounds, equipped with a sturdy short to medium range scope (1-6 or 2-7x33) with a simple duplex reticle; must have backup iron sights, a weather resistant finish,a good carry sling, and a small pouch with essential spare parts (extractor, firing pin and a set of screws)
(Most important option because with this ''tool'' you can easily ambush and shoot someone from a safe distance who carries all the essential equipment you need.)

2.) Good tough boots. (You won't get far without proper footwear)

3.) Small First Aid kit, should include a flexible tube ( 3 feet), antiseptics, broad-spectrum antibiotic, a needle, a lighter, wound clamps, a small telescopic mirror, tweezers, painkillers, a short 0.5 dia. plastic tube (for sucking chest wounds & tracheotomy ), a sharp scalpel, bandage rolls,dental floss and bandage tape

4.) World map

5.) Compass, one with a lens to start a fire.

6.) Multitool (Leatherman) with pliers, knife, screw drivers that fit your rifle's system and scope mount screws, saw etc.

7.) Bivak Tent. Small portable one-man tent, must have a low profile, easy to set up and the color should be OD, must have enough room for your backpack or vest.

8.) MOLLE modular vest so you have quick access to ammunition, first aid kit and compass and you can store the rest of the equipment on your back.

9.) A small steel can for boiling water, storing water & food etc.

10.) Energy bars / high energy food rations

Why world map? Also, how hard is it to make standard bolt-action rifle accept detachable (high cap)magazines? Will it affect feeding ammo reliably?

I'm really wishing I had bought that Remington 700 .30-06 with the iron sights. I understand it's not the best, but $425 was a good deal.

Plague of some type.

1. Victornox Swiss Army Pocket Knife
2. Rifle (Level Action .44 Rem Mag)
3. Shell Casings (.44 Rem Mag)
4. Primers (Large Pistol Magnum)
5. Gun Powder (Win 296)
6. Compact Reloading Press (set up for .44 Rem Mag)
7. Boy Scout Handbook
8. A dog
9. Salt
10. US Army Special Forces Medical Handbook: ST 31-91B

I'm not sure if you meant 'individual items' or 'kits' like others have already posted, but I went with what I thought you wanted.

I think ammo should be a freebie addition, count only as one together with the firearm. 👍 Dog is nice. In case of an emergency...... you know...... I'm kidding.

Lever action eh? I did not see that one coming!

 

[Michael88]

Why world map?

In the case you have to leave the country and cross borders without having to use dangerous roads etc.

Also, how hard is it to make standard bolt-action rifle accept detachable (high cap)magazines? Will it affect feeding ammo reliably?

Totally depends on the rifle, there are high capacity kits for almost any of the common bolt action rifles, some of them are jam-o-matics, others work great,some of them cost in excess of 300 bucks. If you want a bolt action rifle with a detachable magazine get a HOWA, thats a very well made rugged bolt action made from a Japanese manufacturer and magazine kits are EVERYWHERE. Just swap out the trigger guard / fixed magazine and replace it with the kit. They're very popular around here. I think it costs around 50 or 75.
Or the ruger scout, it comes with a great 10 round mag.

But seriously, I think you'd be happier with a rugged semi-auto, get a Saiga, you wont have to worry about getting a bigger mag for it. 👍

 

[a6m5]

I'm not gonna lie to you, I almost thought about getting a AR15 today. S&W M&P 15 Sport was advertised for $649. Since when I was kid playing with plastic bb guns, I've lusted over M16(then M4). I have yet to come even close to one, because the M16 bb guns were very expensive, and so are the real thing.

I have found out that S&W did shave cost where they could, with two of them being dust cover & forward assist. Kind of important for survival or tactical rifle. I've talked myself out of it. Of course, another thing being the .223 caliber. I really should have bought that used Saiga .308, as that one was just about perfect.

Thanks again for the help. 👍 Currently, I'm thinking bolt-action .308 + low end AR15(next year). But I keep changing my mind.

Edit:

It is so hard to say "no"!

P.S. My list got erased by power surge. I'm working on it.

 

[a6m5]

Excuse me for the double post.

My ten items are for the zombie apocalypse(we all know it's coming):

1. Shotgun - Arguably the most effective weapon against zombies. Since I don't own a real rifle, this was a easy choice. With its' short barrel & stock, it's also suited to combat zombie in close quarters.

2. Handgun - My 9mm might not pack much punch, but on the flip side, ammo will be lighter to carry them around. My Glock high capacity magazines will hold 17 or 30+ bullets. Accurate & highly reliable sidearm(perfect operational record).

3. Lighter - Cheap lighters, because I don't smoke. My Swedish firesteel will last as long as I live, but lighters light reliably & instantly.

4. Flashlight - My best flashlight is a lower-end, but effective Nebo Redline. Not the most reliable, but nothing touches it for the price(usually around $25). Bracket mounted onto the flashlight is a firearm mount.

5. Pocket Knife - Cutting tool, or a back-up weapon.

6. Machete - If not my KA-BAR, I'd take a aluminum baseball bat. Machete's scarier and easier to carry. For when you need to kill the zombie silently.

7. Portable Radio - For gathering information on the extent of the zombie apocalypse. Don't laugh at the pic, I really do have the same radio.

8. Emergency Blanket - Face it, this thing is not at all accommodating. But nothing touches it's size or the weight. It will have to do.

9. Food - If I had to evacuate immediately, what I grab will look something like this. Easy to carry non-perishable food + multi-vitamins. I also stock up on can food, but they will be hard to carry around when the zombies are chasing me.

10. Canteen Cup Kit - Sorry for the butchering job, but I wanted to show people who are not familiar with this kit how it worked. It consists of:

1) Canteen - carry water.
2) Cup - can be used as cup, pan, even as a shovel. many uses.
3) Stove - lifts the cup for when you want to heat or cook.
4) Cover - everything in this kit fits neatly inside the cover.

As for my gear: Nike hoodie(all-weather), 5.11 tactlite pro pants, redneck baseball cap(I nominate my gray Powerstroke Diesel right now) and I'd take my Puma crosstrainer for shoes. Not for outdoor survival, but it should do nicely in urban setting, Dawn of the Dead style.

I will use the Maxpedition Versipack to carry tools & ammo, and the food in my super compact & cheap Eddie Bauer camo backpack($10 lol).

In closing, I've realized that while I'd like have a rifle, I need a backpack. A real one.

 

[MarinaDiamandis]

I finally got around to watching a recording of "After Armagedon" on Discovery History. It told the story of a Californian family that survived the initial influenza pandemic, held out for a few weeks in the city, and then decided to head for the cooler, more inhabitable climate of Idaho once the initial pandemic had burned itself out.

It finished with the bud of early wild west-like settlements slowly opening into more stable, advanced communities and the first generation of children who were born into the post-pandemic world (and thus knowing no different) learning about what had been before.

It was certainly interesting, if a little basic, and made me think about what I would do in a similar situation. It's odd to think through your personal skillset and know how much would and wouldn't be useful. Even as a country boy, born and bred, there is a lot more that I could learn to improve my chances of survival (or acceptance into a closed community) in such an event.

Along with this, it's shocking to think that the posters in this thread are better prepared than maybe 60-70% of the world population. Recently I have began taking this type of possible scenario a little more seriously as, with the world's resources soon beginning to spread thin and a new pandemic long-overdue, we are surely bound to end up with some kind of civilisation breakdown?

I have recently applied for a shotgun license, so hopefully I get approved and can tick the firearm box from the list of essentials! I think another area of focus will be improving my vegetable-growing skills, certainly learning how to improve the consistency of my results.

 

[a6m5]

I finally got around to watching a recording of "After Armagedon" on Discovery History. It told the story of a Californian family that survived the initial influenza pandemic, held out for a few weeks in the city, and then decided to head for the cooler, more inhabitable climate of Idaho once the initial pandemic had burned itself out.

It finished with the bud of early wild west-like settlements slowly opening into more stable, advanced communities and the first generation of children who were born into the post-pandemic world (and thus knowing no different) learning about what had been before.

It was certainly interesting, if a little basic, and made me think about what I would do in a similar situation. It's odd to think through your personal skillset and know how much would and wouldn't be useful. Even as a country boy, born and bred, there is a lot more that I could learn to improve my chances of survival (or acceptance into a closed community) in such an event.

Along with this, it's shocking to think that the posters in this thread are better prepared than maybe 60-70% of the world population. Recently I have began taking this type of possible scenario a little more seriously as, with the world's resources soon beginning to spread thin and a new pandemic long-overdue, we are surely bound to end up with some kind of civilisation breakdown?

I have recently applied for a shotgun license, so hopefully I get approved and can tick the firearm box from the list of essentials! I think another area of focus will be improving my vegetable-growing skills, certainly learning how to improve the consistency of my results.

I watched "After Armageddon" on youtube tonight, and I really enjoyed it. Thanks for bring it up. 👍 The show was about an hour & a half long. Fictional story of a family trying to survive a epidemic, but done in a documentary/reality tv style.

Realistically, I don't know if I have it in me to survive a event of such scale. I prepare for what I can, but really, it's geared towards earthquake, riot, flood, something like that. The next step up would be like those doomsday preppers, or people striving for self sustainable living. I don't think I can, or want to go there. I'm way too lazy, and lacks the necessary discipline!

 

[MarinaDiamandis]

One of these on the way to me. Sure, it's not really what i'd take on a difficult hike, but it will be great for camping out! It charges/powers electronic devices by converting heat to electricity!

 

[a6m5]

Why Choose the BioLite CampStove?

Forget the fuel. Our stoves cook your meals with nothing but the twigs you collect on your journey, eliminating the need for heavy, expensive, polluting petroleum gas. It&#8217;s quick to light, fast to boil and clean to use.

Charge your gadgets. By converting heat from the fire into usable electricity, our stoves will recharge your phones, lights and other gadgets while you cook dinner.

Have fun. Like a campfire, you can sit around the CampStove and watch the flames dance as you roast marshmallows and tell stories with friends.

Stay green. By using renewable resources for fuel instead of petroleum, you're reducing your carbon footprint. You'll also keep fuel canisters out of the landfill.

Be prepared. The CampStove isn't just for camping; it's great to have on hand when the power goes out in a storm or other natural disasters. You'll be able to cook and keep electronics charged while power lines are down.

Support a better world. Half the planet cooks on open fires, leading to 2 million premature deaths each year and contributing to global warming. We're using the same technology inside the CampStove to bring clean, safe energy access to families across the developing world.

link

I guess they are taking reservation at this point. $129 MSRP, plus shipping I assume.

I'd wait & find out how reliable this thing would be. Nice size, nice price though. What a cool outdoor/survival gadget!

 

[Michael88]

2. Handgun - My 9mm might not pack much punch, but on the flip side, ammo will be lighter to carry them around. My Glock high capacity magazines will hold 17 or 30+ bullets. Accurate & highly reliable sidearm(perfect operational record)

9x19 can be a great round, just use a good expanding bullet design - a few days ago our police got attacked by a mentally ill woman armed with two kitchen knives, they hit her 9 times with our standard issue Glock 17 9x19mm, she survived and even managed to cut the police officers hand. As far as I know they use soft point 9x19 which is a moderately-expanding round.

Use EFMJ (Expanding full metal jacket), that design has proven to be a very reliable stopper.
EFMJ is a actually a FMJ projectile that has a waxy filling right behind the jacket of the tip, the rest is ordinary lead. They expand hell of a lot and much more reliable than HP's.

But never forget - use a pistol only to fight your way back to the rifle /shotgun or as backup.

 

[ExigeEvan]

From limited experience of being in the middle of 'effing nowhere. Scenario being civil revolt, think London Summer riots on a national scale with perhaps political motivation. Safest place would probably be away from population centres in Brecon or Gower.

This is more of a grab-bag situation, food is less of a concern as not everyone will be a threat. Phone and wallet would be on me at all times anyway.

1) Bivouac/Swag.
It's a tent and a sleeping bag all in one. The modern, simplistic way of doing emergency accommodation.

2) Tarp.
Handy for a number of things. Can be used on wet ground as extra waterproofing (there aren't many things that are really waterproof when you're lying on them on sodden ground), further shelter from heavy rain, to collect water, to waterproof what you're carrying, and other survival methods.

3) Cook set.
Multi fuel burner with small cooking pot. Much easier to cook 2 small portions than one large portion and carry the larger camp set.

4) Very simple first aid kit.
Alcohol hand wash. Anti-septic cream. Sling fabric. Plasters.

5) Patch it, fix it, catch it.
Bag of cable ties. Great for fixing, stitching and catching things.

6) A5 sized road Atlas of the UK.
Need to avoid the population centres, follow rivers and find farms.

7) Hunting knife.

8) Sling-shot/catapult.
Easier to get a hold of than many weapons in the UK, can be used to kill small animals/birds and easy to reload. (Also helps there's a nickel refinery producing BB sized pellets 2 miles away from home).

9) Fire flint.

10) Appropriate clothing.
Hiking boots, waterproof socks, lycra shorts, lyrca undershirt (easy clean, fast drying, warm, doesn't stink quickly), long sleeve top, and thick waterproof jacket.