ZOMBIE PREPAREDNESS |

Name: America's 1st Sgt.
Stationed in: Bahrain
Milblog: Castra Praetoria
Email: [email protected]

The CDC recently posted on their Emergency Preparedness and Response blog Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse. How cool is that!

 I've been saying this for years!

While I'm pleased the CDC recognizes the undead threat (completely justifying my entire existence) and provides decent input on emergency preparedness kits for your home and family, I am somewhat disappointed too. At no time do they address tactics, techniques, and procedures to confront/evade the hordes of undead as they methodically advance, brutally satiating their hunger for human flesh and brains. The CDC's general emergency preparedness instructions are sound, but here in the Camp of the Praetorians we are inundated with A type personalities and our response to the plague of undeath is somewhat more predatory. I mean really, what kind of zombie preparedness plan doesn't even mention flamethrowers?

In an effort to help save humanity from succumbing to the zombie virus I offer some suggestions for items you may want to add to your emergency bugout gear in the event of the Zombie Apocalypse.

The largest debate between zombie aficionados seems to be about weapons. Arguments rage over whether it is better to carry guns or hand weapons. If guns, then what type? If hand weapons, what type? Is it better to have a weapon that helps maintain distance from the undead? I will attempt to simplify the final answer on this discourse and provide some illumination on the subject of weapons and weapons of opportunity.

When it comes to hand weapons there are those advocating for the judicious use of baseball bats and others for machetes. Let's get some things straight first:

1.  There is a difference between a weapon and a weapon usable tool. It is wise to consider a tool's primary function when deciding its violent application in any given situation. If its primary intended design and use is for a battlefield then generally you can't go wrong even against zombies.

2.  Everyone knows you can only eliminate zombies by killing the brain. When debating a weapon's effectiveness against hordes of undead I always consider the likelihood of traumatic brain injury caused to a regular human. In the example of a bat vs. machete I suspect more people would receive a traumatic brain injury from the bat. It would be quite a feat of strength to sever someone's head in one or two blows of a machete. Hammer a few nails into the bat and you're really in business.

3. In any situation involving violence against zombies, werewolves, aliens, or the Taliban, America's 1stSgt generally relies on the tried and true mission of the Marine Corps rifle squad as the formula for success: Locate, close with, and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, or repel enemy assault by fire and close combat.

With these points in mind I have listed a few of my preferences below for zombie apocalyptic war gear.

Here we have a Cold Steel Trenchhawk, my personal preference for close quarters plague victim  elimination. This was designed solely to brain another human being, which makes it the perfect hand weapon for our purposes. I am also told by blacksmiths who work forges at the historical Williamsburg, VA smithy that tomahawks are primarily an above the neck weapon. Functionality and history both back my claim, making this my hand weapon of choice during the plague of undeath.

Pictured here is another great piece of gear. The Applegate/Fairburn smatchet (short for smashing hatchet) is 16.5 inches of pure combat blade. It is based on a Welsh fighting knife from WWI. I personally know of a Marine colonel who smacked someone on the top of the head with the flat of the blade knocking them unconscious. Again, history and practical application make this a preferred weapon particularly against filthy zombie scum.

Let's move on to weapon usable tools. By this we mean a contrivance whose primary function and design is not warfare and the destruction of human tissue.

Above we have a Dead On Tools 14-inch wrecking bar. It's primary function is to chisel, smash, crack and chip away at tile, brick, and serve for other pry bar uses. Dead On Tools advertises it as "the baddest, meanest utility bar EVER. The Annihilator will make short work of the most difficult jobs!" Presumably this could include the cracking open of zombie skulls. It also might be handy as you try to break down doors and such while evading the undead menace.

This is a Dead On Tools shingle hammer. I included this to point out how I believe a hammer is probably the single best expedient hand weapon in the "arsenal" of the average person. One has to consider the amount of brain damage which can be inflicted with a nice hammer, vice any other expedient weapon.

On firearms: I will keep this simple as there even more arguments raging over firearms than zombies. Considering the average person couldn't hit the side of a barn with a handgun I am going with the shotgun as number one zombie elimination and defense weapon.  If you miss the head you are bound to hit something and let's face it, the human body can only take so much punishment before it falls apart, undead or otherwise.

I am partial to the Saiga 12 in this instance. It is a semi-automatic, magazine-fed shotgun which makes me shiver with delight. Load this monster up with a 20 or 30 round drum magazine and you just may be able to save your entire neighborhood single handed!

And finally...

There are a lot of haters out there when it comes to the use of Japanese swords against the undead. But we should remember these weapons were specifically designed to separate people from their limbs and heads. Pictured here is an odachi. It is 70 ounces and at a length of 57 inches guaranteed to slay any creatures stalking your neighborhood. If you see the pictures at the top of my blog you will notice I have some modest training with these weapons and can cleave the &*#%$ out of any undead spawn in the blink of an eye.

At any rate, I hope this helps you round out your Zombie Apocalypse Preparedness Kit thereby making you harder to kill during the next outbreak.

Semper Fidelis!

Comments

[fern]

Now I know what I need to have to be prepared. My thanks to you.

[Jack Marquess]

Arguments rage over whether it is better to carry guns or hand weapons. Wash your mouth out and give me .... a long time since boot camp ... guns = artillery pieces on land or sea and what each male carries "This is my rifle, This is my gun, This is for fighting and This is for fun".

Tomahawk tag, young "Native Americans" played before formal training. He tagged anyone else in the circle on the knee - front of back and you are out. Free for-all. You can block the tags with your hand. Rationale when in a tomahawk fight when it is a CA, it is only when you hit a person in the knee that you know that he will go down. Once down he is finished. Any other place and he may get a whack at you if yours is a glancing or not forceful enough blow. I used it for recess when the fields were muddy and you had a small macadam or asphalt space .. the kids needed to get their energy out and they get it out fast with this. Game takes 2-3 minutes with 20 kids. Then start again.
VN '68

[josh]

IF there wers a zombie apocolpse I would be tottaly ready with friends that are wiling to fight, they are quiet and we would make many trips to GANDER MOUNTIAN and to other gun shops.. I personaly thank it would be awesome to have a zombie apocolypse.

[Fancy Dress]

This make me aware about the possibility of having a real zombie. We don't know everything is possible. If this happens I would like to use all the weapons above.

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