Your Bug out Bag

[Patrick Hand]

I've been reading S.M.Sterling's book Dies the Fire... it's another Post apocalypses novel (hey... I like reading them...)

Anyway, that and a thread in the Steampunk forum (in their version of Beyond Pyracy) about what to do when the zombies attack.... someone mentioned a bug out bag........

So I did a google search, and found another forum all about what to do when the zombies attack.... http://zombiehunters.org/index.php

(this is their main page.. you gotta check out their Forum...bug out bags, guns... all kinda fun stuff....)

So now I'm wondering what would I put into a bug out bag... just in case the zombies or the end of the World as we know it did happened.... ("It's the end of the World as we know it"..... come on everyone.... sing along.... you know the song....... )

I've only just started thinking about this... but was wondering if anyone else has a bug out bag, what is it, and what's in it?

I'll post what I come up with as I start putting one together......

Oh yeah... I also know that preparing for a zombie attack is kinda silly, but that way you don't come off as some kinda survivalist weirdo.... OK... I don't know why surviving zombie attacks isn't as threating... just the way it works I guess......

[Red Cat Jenny]

I fear zombies less that the Governmet's stupidity...

anyway I have a mental bug out bag...

I know what I'd take...and where it is.

I always know where my clothes shoes and keys are when I go to bed. In emergencies past, it became routine.

I can be dressed and out in under 3 minutes from sound asleep. I'm hoping I don't have to.

[Cheeky Actress]

Hmm...I use to think that Zombies were slow moving, dim-witted creatures. Well, that was until I saw, "29 Days".

Change of clothing, meds, a semi-auto with bullets, I.D. /important records, cash...(if not cash, gold/silver or jewerly), glow sticks, flash-lights, batteries, water purification tablets, can food/MREs, salt, knife, a leatherman's tool, pictures of my family and friends, journal

[michaelsbagley]

As far as weapons go... my zombie bug out bag would include a sword.... Guns run out of ammo, and Zombies reproduce quickly... Besides everyone know the only way to finish a zombie is to remove it's head (or blast it off) .... A good gun would be required as well just in case I got cornered by a zombie mob.. But the sword would be the primary means of dealing...

[Hawk the QM]

Read below for my zombie guide.

101 - Surviving the Zombie Invasion

Well your common zombie would be slow and stupid so speed isn't really your main concern. Blunt weapons are the way to go since you don't need to reload them and they are always ready to roll. Now zombies don't feel pain nor do they need vital organs, so an edged weapon won't put out the right kind of hurt. Also, stay away from picks or anything with a point because they can easily get stuck in a zombie skull and would be really hard to get back out. Baseball bats are just too wussy, you'll need a serious ass woopin' object like a sledge hammer. Removing the head will not truly stop a zombie and stabbing them won't do a damn thing. You need to smash that skull in and keep them down. This is the job for the blunt weapon.

Now if you end up facing a crazy, cracked out, run all over the place zombie then get yourself a shield and a one handed mace. Keeping this mongrel off your face is the highest priority so I suggest a clear riot shield so you can keep your eye on him as well. As far as body armor goes, you'll want chain mail. Light and flexible with some major bite resistance. Check your local diving store for shark armor, you'll want this from head to toe if at all possible. Steel tip boots are also good so a zombie doesn't bite through.

PROTECT YOUR NOGGIN. It's your brains their after! I suggest a full face riding helm as it protects your face as well as your brain (or lack there of). Keep it smooth, spikes and other things attached can easily get snagged on corpse clothing.

102 – Zombie Types

Zombie Hordes - The most common of zombie invasions is the horde. This type usually gets bottle necked into an intersection or quiet residential street where they all bump into each other, randomly saying "braiiins". The bottle necking is what concentrates the zombie masses and can easily overrun a government check point. You need some serious "fire" power to put these bastards down and it's best to just avoid these clumps of zombies that smell like wet diapers.

Rogue Zombies - These are either the slowest of the slow or even perhaps the outcasts of zombie societies. A rogue zombie is the type that jumps out of closets and old refrigerators. They come out of no where and these can be dangerous to a stupid zombie hunter. This is why you always wear your zombie protection gear.

Ninja Zombies – These are the type of zombies with no legs. Possibly run over or bodies so decomposed that their legs fell off. This type is commonly found crawling up your leg or across the floor. Not a priority for zombie hunters but you might as well take the time now to re-kill them.

Common Zombie – Slow, stupid and easily conquered. Not much needs to be said about these.

Crack Zombie – The insanely quick zombie that runs screaming at you with blood on their face and fire in their eyes. Crack zombies are extremely dangerous and like a crack head on the run, it will always catch up to you. They never tire, so they will never slow down. Since they hold the strength of three common zombies put together, you may not want to try and overpower them. Try to throw them off balance or even blind side them if you can. These zombies take team work. Get cracking.

Zombie Animals – Humans are not the only life forms capable of becoming zombies. Dogs, cats, birds and sometimes rodents become the living dead and must be destroyed as well. Truthfully, only mammals and birds are subject to these zombie conditions because they are warm blooded. Too bad birds evolved out of lizard form because they fly and are a general pain in the ass. It can be hard sometimes to distinguish an animal zombie from an animal. Keep a sharp eye out for any odd behavior. When in doubt, destroy.

103 – Fun with zombies.

A couple of things to remember during those slow times where zombies are hard to find. Go to a rich cemetery and bring some brains with you. Those super expensive coffins that rich people buy are so strong they keep zombies IN! Spread some brains on the grass and wet it down so the matter soaks into the dirt. Put your ear to the ground and listen to those trapped buggers go crazy.

Zombie dog fights are also fun to bet on and watch. PETA really can't say a damn thing about it because the zombie dogs can't feel pain. Of course PETZA is an organization of total wussies and are easily dominated. They don't feel as much pity for these animals as they do boredom from their mundane lives. Either way, screw 'em.

Strapping a harness to a zombie and attaching them to a carriage fights global warming. Mark your transportation zombie with an orange road worker vest so everyone knows this zombie is doing its part for society. If your transpo zombie starts giving you a hard time, go ahead and dangle some brains on a long stick and they'll run forever. Seriously, they will run all night long.

Duct taping a face mask to a common zombie makes the perfect training dummy. Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin' and will supply you with eons of hunter training. Depending on the level of training you can use a crack zombie. However, they can tear a phone book in half so you may want to use something other then duct tape to keep their helmets on.

By

The QM

Edited November 24, 2008 by Thequartermaster

[MadL]

Oh yeah... I also know that preparing for a zombie attack is kinda silly,......

::casually kicks th' bucket o' brain chum under th' table and walks away quickly...::

[Hawk the QM]

Hmm...I use to think that Zombies were slow moving, dim-witted creatures. Well, that was until I saw, "29 Days".

If it makes you feel better, 29 days didnt actually have zombies. It was an infection that affected the brain causing the subjects to suffer from over rage. They could be shot in the heart and killed because they still relied on vital organs. Thus, not the walking dead. =)

Sweet movie though. 29 weeks later was also just as good if not better.

[Ransom]

Okay, amid all this talk of blunt instruments, guns, bashing brains, and...and...well, just the whole downfall of civilization as we know it, I will speak up for the civilization lover. I will not be dismayed by whoops of "Woosie" flung at me.

I like my creature comforts. I like sitting on my couch of an evening, sipping a lovely Merlot, reading a good book, and feeling secure in the thought that my home is my castle — sort to speak. I don't want to survive a doomsday scenerio that flings us back into the age of the hunter/gatherer, and where the most comfy place you can find is behind a rock somewhere, hiding from zombies. I have no desire to live in an underground bunker, punching out reloads. Or having "butcher the dinner" duties. Or having to perform my "body functions" in a pit out in the wild, with old comic book pages as "paper."

No, I say. Give me comfort, a warm hearth, good books, art, and close friends, or give me death — preferably not by zombie, so I don't come back and bore you with my moaning, and shuffling gait, and end up being clubbed over the head by a former fellow mate.

[Hawk the QM]

Okay, amid all this talk of blunt instruments, guns, bashing brains, and...and...well, just the whole downfall of civilization as we know it, I will speak up for the civilization lover. I will not be dismayed by whoops of "Woosie" flung at me.

I like my creature comforts. I like sitting on my couch of an evening, sipping a lovely Merlot, reading a good book, and feeling secure in the thought that my home is my castle — sort to speak. I don't want to survive a doomsday scenerio that flings us back into the age of the hunter/gatherer, and where the most comfy place you can find is behind a rock somewhere, hiding from zombies. I have no desire to live in an underground bunker, punching out reloads. Or having "butcher the dinner" duties. Or having to perform my "body functions" in a pit out in the wild, with old comic book pages as "paper."

No, I say. Give me comfort, a warm hearth, good books, art, and close friends, or give me death — preferably not by zombie, so I don't come back and bore you with my moaning, and shuffling gait, and end up being clubbed over the head by a former fellow mate.

All the more reason guys like me will be out there ridding the area of zombies. This way no one has to hide in a bunker. There will be troubled times of course, but we'll get 'em back in the graves.

I'll have no emergency bag. I'll just have a good metal club and I'll be in action. There's plenty of stores to loot for canned goods anyway. Yaaaaar!

edit:"

wait a minute. Is this a zombie discussion or emergency kit discussion? I just took the zombie idea and ran with it. =)

Edited November 25, 2008 by Thequartermaster

[Black Syren]

4 BodyGuards!!!

[Red Cat Jenny]

you guys forgot the Anti Zombie spray..I think Febreeze makes it..

Ransom if I bring a good merlot can I come over?

[Captain Jim]

("It's the end of the World as we know it"..... come on everyone.... sing along.... you know the song....... )

Well, I feel fine...

[Rats]

I'm available for body guarding... for bodies that need... guarding... of bodies.... that....guard???

What was I talking about???

Oh yeah....?

Zombie spray!!!

I knew a girl who we referred to as "Beth and Her Hair"...

We emphasized the "her hair" because it was an entire entity on it's own!!

You listen to Ol' Rats when he tells you.. I saw that hair of her's swallow up a couple'a mamby-pamby frat boys once and they done never came out!!!

So I vote fer Aqua-net!!

Edited November 25, 2008 by Rats

[Patrick Hand]

I hate to say it, but a cutlass would be nice (and I already have one...)..... but a flanged mace is soooo much more elegant for killing zombies.... Once I learn how to weld, that will have to be one of my projects....

Oh yeah... most threads kinda have a topic.... I figure this one will go in so many different directions that it isn't worth trying to map it.... just run with it.....

Everything from real bug-out bags, to zombie hunting bug-out bags.... to zombie killing weapons, to "Hey... has anyone noticed that Ransom and Jenny keep drinking that blood colored....they claim it's wine ...you don't think.......just maybe......?"

I haven't gotten much further with what I want to pack in a bug-out bag.... I kinda lost some time reading about First Aid and Trauma kits ...

[Mary Diamond]

While the flanged mace sounds nice, I would see 2 problems with it. 1) flanges might become stuck in zombie (Let Go!), and 2) that sucker is going to feel like a million pounds after a half hour of beating your way home.

I would much prefer a more distanced technique ~ although piano wire would be a lovely option for those more distracted, slow zombies.

[Ransom]

"Hey... has anyone noticed that Ransom and Jenny keep drinking that blood colored....they claim it's wine ...you don't think.......just maybe......?"

.

Vell, I did zay dat my home vas mine castle. Und da Cat und I do share a love of good vein..er, I mean, vine. Vould you care to come up und share a glass of vintage O-Negative with us? Oh, und, don't mind da bats.

Ve don need no stinkin buggy out bag. Ve just vait for you in da dark, und....zink!

[Patrick Hand]

Oh, und, don't mind da bats.

And don't mind the flanged mace......

[Hawk the QM]

Oh, und, don't mind da bats.

And don't mind the flanged mace......

Well on a serious note, I'm sure you're better prepared then I for any type of crisis. I advise like I would someone with nothing in their bag.

Survival bags are just that, what you need to survive. First and foremost you have your rule of 3. 3 minutes without air and your dead. 3 days without water and your dead. 3 weeks without food and your dead. Cover these first. Get a breather mask, not too fancy, you should think debris in the air not mustard gas. For water don't think a mountain of bottles but a way to cure fouled water. Matches, lighters and a big pot for boiling. Food is really tough, so either stock pile what you can or get trapper gear for small game.

Honestly, get a gun. In the most crucial of times, it's not the weather or starvation you should be most worried about, it's people. People that want to plunder everything you have.

Also there's those emergency blankets which are really cheap and work really well. They may be thing but they reflect about 95% of your body heat and that's a life saver.

Now for zombies. See my above post =)

[Capt. Bo of the WTF co.]

On the serious side, I keep a small military surplus bag in my car in case i have to abandon it and hoof it home. I rotate a couple of bottles of water every week to keep it fresh, some USCG high energy food bars, liquid skin and butterfly stitches, some other various small first aid items, small flashlight, compass, big knife and some extra clips of ammo for my pistol. An emergency blanket and poncho top it off. Being familiar with where you are and where you want to be is very important. I suggest studying Railroad routes and water ways to know how you can travel quickly yet unseen as much as possible. Power-line easments and other utilities easments are also good to learn for your area. Any caves or rock-houses nearby your home are also good to know about. We have been preparing for the worst for a long time, at least since Waco, Texas and Ruby Ridge, Idaho. Those folks probably never though it would really happen either.

In any case, I suggest travelling light, make little commotion, and move fast and quiet. have some kind of plan or three in your head at least, and make connections with others that are like-minded and can/will support you if need be. Just my paranoid thoughts on the subject.

Bo

[Patrick Hand]

I still have to write everything down... so far, I've just been mulling it over in my head....

I'm thinking of about 10 days of lightweight food, a first aid kit, clothing and shelter....but I want to keep it as light as possible (and my M1 Garand with ammo belt)

Some Zombie hunters have more than one bag.... one in their car (kinda like what Bo has) another for quick movement, and finally one for longer survival.

If the zombies attacked, I'd head up into the mountains, but depending on the time of year, determines what I'd have to carry. I also would have to cache a lot of stuff... for short term, the M1 would work, (it's heavy, but can be used for hunting and defense) But if it were a prolonged zombie attack, and ammo started running out, I'd want my flintlock .50 Mountain rifle. So with several caches (so if one got found, I still would have the others) I could sneak back and get more stuff when I had a secure hiding place. At the first part of a bug-out, I want just enough to survive, and not too much stuff to load me down... later I could recover some other stuff (My flintlocks would be handy, as would the cutlass... but they are too much to carry at first, so I'd get them later )

There is a Time-Life book on Old Fashioned Living that would be really handy for long-term survival, as well as some of the Foxfire books....

[William Brand]

My bag would start with a Dragunov.