Gear:
- Hatchet
- Flashlight (wound up and battery powered)
- Knife
- Sewing kit
- Screw driver set
- Cross wrench
- Battery booster
- Crowbar
- Spare tire
- Blankets (at least one)
- Energy bars
- Juice boxes
- Pad of paper
- Pen
- Pencil
- Extra shoes
- Change of clothes
- Mini-car jack
- Booster cables
- Lighter and matches
The uses of a good hatchet are harder to count then heads in a horde. The most obivous use of this item is as a weapon, so obvious it barely needs mentioning. But I will anyway... in another blog. The other uses of this weapon are a great many and I will begin to list them only to show how versitile an item this can be. The hatchet can be used to break glass should you be stuck in the vehicle or find yourself underwater or cut your seatbelt under the same cercumstances. It can also be used to hack through ice which may get your vehicle stuck or be between you and an objective. It can be used to break down doors or weaken walls. It can be used to cut down small trees or break objects to be used for resources (burning or building). As you can see this item is a very valuable asset to your survival efforts. Not to mention the uses of this item as a weapon are almost as varied.
Flashlight:
I mention two flashlights for a very specfic reason. First of all if you aren't alone. It will make things much easier on yourself and raise your survival chances if you do not have to provide the only source of light for a group of any size larger then yourself (ideally every person should have a light source of some kind but you need to balance that with space in the vehicle and resources avalible.) I suggest two types of flashlights also. The reason I do that is battery powered flashlights are easily more reliable and easier to use, thus if you can use it you should. However as time passes and stores become looted and people realize what they need to stock up on batteries will become harder to find and thus a more renewable source of light will be required, thus the wind-up flashlight. Use this whenever you have the luxury of time and relative safety to conserve on the battery life in the better flashlight. Note if possible have a hand-held flood light as well: these are ideal but may be harder to aquire. Make sure for your vehicle to have the battery varity and not the one's which must be plugged into a soccet.
Knife:
DO NOT USE A KNIFE FOR COMBAT AGAINST A ZOMBIE! I will go into this more when I review knives in terms of combat use but this is a warning. A knife will get you too close and unless you are an expert at hand-to-hand combat you will not kill a zombie with a knife. It can be used in combat with raiders or animals however. Regardless of it's inability to be used against the undead effectively this is a valuable piece of gear. It can be used to skin or prepare meat or other food better served cut up. It can be used to sharpen wood to form tent poles, spears, arrows, or impropto building material. A knife can be used to open cans, either cutting open the top: stab it into the side of the can near the top and cut around until it come off or for many cans stab the knife in between the lid and the side and pry it off. A knife can obviously be used to eat with. These uses may seem obvious but can be easily overlooked when looking at an item so often used as a weapon. The list of uses continue and include cutting rope, seatbelts, anything stuborn and needing a good slice through. It can also be used to cut out the seats of your cars to use as blankets, you can pull out the stuffing and sew the seat covers together to make pillows, blankets or if needed clothing. Knives are one of the most useful items to have in a survival kit, the full extend of which cannot be covered in such a sort time but you will see the uses begin to pile up as the blog and survival tips continue.
Sewing kit:
See above for easy use of seat covers to turn into many objects. Sewing kits can also be used for simple repairs on clothing. The more thread you have the more you can do, even creating your own clothes. This requires practise to do well but it's not a difficult to learn the basics of. Put the thread through the small hole in the needle, pull it a couple of inches so it won't easily slip out, then put the edges of the two things you wish to sew together touching, fold over a tips of each piece of cloth and feed the needle through them, then feed it back the other way, continue to do this until you have done the repair or run out of thread, near the end of the thread/repair tie a knot into the thread on both ends so it won't slip through and undo your hard work as easily. This is a very simple explaination but it is actually that simple to sew, however becoming good at it or creating clothes does require practise or lessons. A sewing machine would seem to make a creat asset but infact sewing kits for minor repairs or extreme cercumstances are useful. Sewing machines are large, can be hard to find, heavy and the need for homemade clothing will not be that great. With the amount of retail outlets and "Urbanwhatever" stores everywhere in every city and the break down of society you should be able to have your choice of clothing.
Screw driver set:
Uses for this tool are fairly obvious and those are pretty much all they are good for. But that will come into use if you need to make any emergancy repairs or take pieces from other vehicles. A solid set can be used for prying as well for this reason I suggest having one solid Philips screwdriver (most common in vehicles) and a set with multiple sizes and heads in one to save on space and convience. The solid screwdriver can also be used as a weapon if need be, with enough force the metal end can pierce the skull of an undead making it a good last ditch weapon should you have little to choose from (which if you follow this advice you will have two other more suitable weapons to choose from).
Cross wrench:
Used to change tires. Also usually quite heavy can be thrown at raiders or animals.
Battery booster:
Can be used to boost your vehicle or the vehicle of another friendly survivor. Can also be used to boost a new vehicle to either add to your convoy or replace the one you have. Some boosters can be used to run small appliances or charge batteries. Also light enough to throw but heavy enough to hurt. Don't recommend that type of use for it though.
Crowbar:
A nice reliable crowbar is a priceless ally in the battle against the undead. Uses include: prying open doors (cars or buildings), breaking through objects (walls or windows), opening secure boxes, removing pieces of vehicles. It never hurts to have a long piece of iron around. A solid crowbar can also make an excellent weapon, it's solid enough to break bone and has a sharp enough end to go through most materials with a good amount of force.
Spare tire:
You should be able to find an actual tire somewhere to replace the spare tire that comes with most vehicles. The advantage of having this is that you will not need to change the tire again when you find a new one but simply find a new spare. Here is a step by step guide to changing a tire for those who don't know.
Step one - Put the car in park and set the emergency brake.
Step two - Retrieve spare tire and tools from car. With your crowbar or screwdriver, you need to remove the hubcap. Now loosen the lugnuts that are holding the wheel in place using the cross wrench. About ½ turn clockwise. Do not completely remove the lugnuts before jacking up your car so the tire does not drop off and injure you.
Step three - Jack the car up. It is generally easy to find the place to put the jack, either an indent or a rather solid part of the frame. Jack the vehicle far enough off the ground so that a new, fully inflated tire will fit easily under the car. Too much space is better than not enough.
Step four - Now it is safe to completely remove the lugnuts from the flat tires. Be sure to keep track of them, put them in a safe place. You will need them to secure the spare tire. Remove the flat and put it out of your way. Lift on the spare tire. Align the holes before attempting the placement.
Step five - Now the tire is on, replace the lugnuts you have set aside using your lugnut wrench. Tighten opposite nuts as you continue around. Work in a star pattern and only slightly tighten your nuts during this step.
Step six - It is now time to return your vehicle to the ground. Slowly lower the car using the jack. Once the vehicle is safely on the ground, you can finish tightening the lugnuts. Secure them as tightly as you possibly can. Now reattach your hubcap. You did it, you changed your flat! You are now ready to drive off safely until you uncounter one of the many dangers of the new world. Though be sure to replace your tools and equipment so that you can easily locate them next time you need them.
Blankets:
Blankets can be used for shelter, to create tents to keep warm and dry. They can be used of course as normal blankets. They can also be used as clothing if stuffed inside a jacket or sewn. An odd but in times useful way to use a blanket is to block vison. Zombies hunt through a number of means using all of their senses. One you can take away is by using blankets to cover your windows and block lines of sight. This can also be used to hide your from raiders. In all these aspects I suggest fleece blankets as they provide the best warmth for the lightest meterial as a ratio. I would also recommend having at least one of your blankets be a snuggie (a blanket with sleeves) so you can wear the blanket and have all of it's benefits while still being able to opperate the vehicle or other equipement/weapons. Note that a snuggie will hinder you greatly if worn during hand-to-hand combat, make sure to remove it if this becomes even a possiblity.
Energy bars:
Carry at least two or three bars to last one person for one day in an emergancy. More bars are recommended for more people or if longer trips are expected.
Juice boxes:
Light and easily disgarded keep a few around incase need for liquids or sugar is found.
Pad of paper:
Paper can be used to keep information on should you so need. It can also be used to start fires or stuff in clothing for warmth. Paper can also be used for entertainment value. Entertainment should not be a top priority but it should not be completely forgotten, if people are left with nothing to keep their minds occupied than insanity and depression will set into even the hardest survivor over time.
Pen:
To use with the paper. Also makes a good improvized weapon, as proven by Jason Bourne.
Pencil:
Can work underwater and on almost any meterial. Also makes good kindling if in dire need.
Extra shoes:
Shoes will take a lot of wear and tear during your travels and you never know when you will find yourself in need of a new pair quickly. Esspecially if some emergancy wrecks your current ones.
Change of clothes:
Same as the shoes. Clothes can also be used for added layers, shelter or even in a fire.
Mini-car jack:
For changing the tires or doing minor repairs. Also throwable.
Booster cables:
For use to give or receive a boost. With the live battery running begin by connecting the red handled clip to the positive terminal of the dead battery. Then connect the red handled clip to the positive terminal of the live battery. Then place the other black handled clip to the negative terminal of the live battery and the black handled clip to an unpainted metal surface of the dead car (grounding it). Start the car with the dead battery. Remove clips in the opposite manner in which they were placed.
Lighter and matches:
Used to start fires. Not much else. Fires of course can be used for many many things. Lighter and mtaches because if one doesn't work you can try the other, each may not work under certain cercumstances.
Note: I mentioned a choice of clothing in the sewing kit section, while you should be able to make a lot of choices on your style in the new world clothing and style does come into effect during the fight for survival and youshould never put your own life or those of the survivors around you in danger in order to get cool clothes or accessories.
UPDATE: I did not include a firearm on this list for one reason only. Firearms (esspecially handguns) are illegal in many countries and hard to obtain or just keep stored in your vehicle. If you are fortunate enough to live in a place where this is not illegal then by all means I suggest always keeping a rifle and a handgun in your vehicle for defense against the undead or violent raiders.
Anytime I mention firearms or any sort of weapon I am not suggesting you break any laws. You will not be able to help anyone, even yourself if you are in a prison cell somewhere when the apocalypse comes. Federal prisons are the ideal safehouses but too many things can go wrong if you are caught in one when the end comes round.
Good luck, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate,
Mike D.
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