I recently got a copy of Left4Dead 2, and I have been trying to get a grasp of the game. I am not a fan of the first person shooter, in fact I am generally rubbish at them (as anyone who has played C.O.D with me can attest) but since it’s Zombie related and came highly recommended from a few gamer mates that know more about these things than I do. It transpires I am RUBBISH at Left4Dead 2 but I will hopefully get better as I play because my weapon based survival in a zombie apocalypse is pretty terrible! My house mates very nicely told me that
Having spent some time recently playing the game I that I would be rubbish in the apocalypse – I refute this claim but it got me thinking that I should get together my bug out bag…just in case.
The ‘Bob’ is a bag that contains everything you need to survive for a short period of time, until you can start your foraging and get your long term survival plans in place (a post on that will come later)
Food
· Realistically a 3-5 day supply should set you up before you can secure other sources and forage effectively.
· Things which don’t require water to prepare are the best things to get started with.
· If you plan on surviving at home then having a lot of canned food at home is a good start but it can’t be hauled if you plan on surviving at a secondary location.
· List of Recommended food:
§ Protein Bars
§ Energy Food Bars
§ Camp food/travel food
§ Vitamin packs
§ candy –while it lacks nutrients it’s calorie rich.
§ fresh food and vegetables you have to hand
§ Protein powder – can be added to water to create a high calorie drink.
· There are some other sundry items that I will throw into the misc section that sort of relate to this area.
Water
· The average person needs about half a gallon of water per day to maintain life, since the first days will come with a certain amount of exertion you will need more than that.· One gallon per person per day is recommended as a minimum
· As before a 3-5 day supply will get you started.
· Water should be kept in plastic containers since they don’t decompose or shatter in the way other containers or glass would
· A set of water purification tablets or filtration system can be bought cheaply in many survival stores which can be used to prolong your supply.
Health
· You should put a small portable first aid kid in your Bob as a priority, they can be bought in most chemists and pharmacies and contain the essentials to treat wounds (bear in mind no kit will protect from a zombie bite)
· Taking a class in field survival, first Aid and CPR are recommended and a lot of community centers of specialist organisations offer such courses – even the purchase of a good book can offer practical advice (anyone except Bear Grylls)
· You should aim to include:
§ An extensive supply for prescription medications
§ Sterile bandages
§ Sterile gauze
§ Adhesive plasters
§ Antibiotics or antibiotic cream
§ Peroxide – medical not hair dye
§ Face masks/surgical masks
§ Latex Gloves
§ Scissors
§ Tweezers
§ Needles
§ Surgical thread
§ Antiseptic towels and wipes
§ Ipecac or another emetic
§ Safety Pins
§ Sunscreen
§ Insect repellent.
Misc
· Clothing – it should be warm, practical, ideally as many layers as is practical. Layers allow your clothing to be used all year around but you need to thinking about the fact that it will be winter eventually and you need to prepare yourself for that.
§ Vest
§ T-shirt
§ Sweatshirt
§ Zipped Top
§ Coat – for heat
§ Waterproof jacket
§ Poncho
§ Cargo pants/Military surplus – Jeans are impractical when wet although hard wearing
§ Hiking books
§ Extra shoes (running shoes)
§ Hiking socks / thermal socks
§ Gloves, Hat, and scarf
§ Thermal underwear
· I will recommend you buying a set of fencing kit –not necessarily the sword and weaponry but the breeches and jacket as the average kit is 850newton Kevlar that is stab proof and there is no way that a human bit is getting through that and allows you to move freely.
· Other Items:
§ In the early days cash might still be of use so I would recommend keeping a small supply of ready cash just in case you need to buy things, or a credit card with a small limit would be useful if all you are going to use it for is buying early day supplies, after all no one is going to come looking for the money at the end of the month.
§ ID – license or registration – like your ‘dog tags’ should the worst occur.
§ Waterproof bags to protect your gear
§ 1-2 man pop up tent
§ Emergency heat blankets and high visibility/reflective gear
§ Signal mirror
§ Waterproof matches /gas lighter / tinder set
§ Small ‘tool kit’ with electrical tape, rope,
§ Multitool
§ Flashlight – extra batteries are a must, or a wind up torch would be useful
§ Radio – another thing that can be bought that clockwork or wind up.
§ Bedroll /Mummy bag –the more compact the better.
 |
| Z-day or the que to get into Rain on a Friday (Belfast joke sorry) |
· Weapons – this is sort of a case of what you are comfortable with. Gun’s arn’t bad if you are a decent shot but recoil and things can be hard to deal with if you don’t expect them and you don’t have to reload a melee weapon
1. Knife
2. Spade with a sharpened edge
3. Fire axe
4. Claw hammer
Are just suggestions but generally considered a decent start and any decorative swords you may have at home can sometimes be made serviceable if they are of good enough quality.
Make sure you are ready, because when Z-day comes there won't be time to plan then, and when this is outside your door you will need to be ready to roll at a moments notice.
Edit: Apparently I forgot a towel THIS one comes highly recommended.
Edit: Apparently I forgot a towel THIS one comes highly recommended.
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