Monday, June 18, 2012

Guest Post - Zombie Blog Tour - John O'Brien


Zombie Apocalypse Preparation II



                                                                                    John O'Brien

              So we’ve talked about brains (thinking your way through various scenarios) and conditioning.  These are just two tools of survival although two very important ones.  Then there is the gear you’d need and I’m not talking about what gear for the base camp or sanctuary, it’s about what gear to take on foraging operations.

The first thing is to pack light – the heavier you pack, the less endurance you have if you run into something.  Plus, there is the mobility factor to consider.  Having a large heavy pack on makes it a bit hard to bob-and-weave.  It’s also something that can get snagged on something or be grabbed.  There is not really only one way to do something but this is only intended to inspire the creative and thinking process.  It’s a matter of preference for each person.

If you don’t have something that goes “bang”, forget going out in my opinion.  Yeah, sorry for all the Brits reading this.  I certainly sympathize with you.  Distance and force are your best option for a primary weapon.  Make sure it’s accurate, has decent range, and you don’t have to reload between rounds.  Yep, semi-auto is the best in my opinion.  The caliber is up to the individual but it should be based on your ability to wield it and get back on another target quickly.  It’s not much use if your weapon launches you into the next block each time you fire it – although that may be a good evasion tactic.  My preference is either the .223/5.56 or .308 version of an AR-15 variant.  It’s light, durable, good range, accurate, and I’m quite familiar with the weapon.  I can break it down and clean it in an instant.  The maintenance is a breeze.  Now, if you can get into an armory, so much the better.  An auto is nice, along with the multitude of gear that can be found J.  Auto only works though if accuracy is not fully required.  Headshots will be limited if multiple rounds are leaving the barrel.  Get familiar and accurate with whatever you choose.



A handgun is a nice option for a secondary weapon.  Again, the caliber is a personal preference but I prefer the 9mm as it’s a nice combination between stopping power and accuracy.  Plus, you can carry more rounds in the mag.  I would also carry a crowbar just for the purposes of getting into locked doors of a building.  This would make pretty short work for that.  Yes, a machete and knives for that last stand moment.  No way would I enter a melee with a machete by choice.  Now this is assuming you are fighting zombies.  Keep in mind there will be bad other bad guys out there as well.

Additional items to think about:

A multi-tool

A small coil of insulated wire

A long coil of 550 cord – parachute cord

D-rings

Dehydrated food and water in case you have to hole up for a few days

Flashlight – attached to your primary weapon

Batteries for the flashlight and whatever optics you are using

NVG’s are always a nice thing to have

Compass

Binoculars

Laminated map of the area

Radio – each member should have one

Tac vest or flak vest if bad guys are around

Gloves – thick enough to not cause rope burns

Leather coverings for the arms and shins – or similar



These are just a few thoughts and only give a glimpse.  The main purpose is to just think about possible scenarios and have the gear to open up options just in case.  Avoidance, stealth, and quiet are the best options.  Just don’t weigh yourself down covering every option.



John O'Brien is a former Air Force fighter instructor pilot who transitioned to Special Operations for the latter part of his career gathering his campaign ribbon for Desert Storm. Immediately following his military service, John became a firefighter/EMT with a local department. Along with becoming a firefighter, he fell into the Information Technology industry starting two large casinos in Washington as the Information Technology Manager and becoming the Network Manager for the Washington State Legislature, the Northwest Information Technology Manager for the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Network Systems Manager for Hollywood Video. Currently, John is self employed with his own Information Technology consulting company consulting and managing various businesses with their information technology needs. He also volunteers for a local youth center managing their computer lab. As a former marathon runner, John lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and can now be found kayaking out in the waters of Puget Sound, mountain biking in the Capital Forest, hiking in the Olympic Peninsula, or pedaling his road bike along the many scenic roads.


Web Site
http://anewworldseries.com/

Facebook Profile
http://www.facebook.com/JohnWBOBrien

Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/A_NewWorld

Books

A New World: Chaos
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004W0CL2Y

A New World: Return
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005OSXDE8

A New World: Sanctuary
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006PY6ZAY

A New World: Taken
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007NP3XUE



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All six of us - Todd Brown, Mark Tufo, Ian Woodhead, Armand Rosamilia, John O'Brien and Dave Jeffery - hope you'll keep following us on the Summer of Zombie blog tour, and comment as we go along.



And… one lucky commenter for each blog will receive a Free eBook or Print book from one of the authors! Simply leave a comment with your e-mail address and we'll pick a random winner each day! Simple as that!