Zombie Defense

Since its that time of year, I've been pondering the inevitable Zombie Infestation question. Most of my point of reference has been the current crop of Zombie Defense Training Films: Dawn of the Dead (the next to last one, with Ving Rhames. I want him on my team in a Zombie Defense situation), 28 Days Later (which hypothesizes the most logical reason behind the Zombie Epidemic: its PETA and Earth First's fault. I'm down with that), and of course, Sean of the Dead.

Now, while SOTD is pretty much a comedy, there is some good tactical information in there. Such as, head shots are effective. In fact, they're the only effective method of ZT (Zombie Termination). Also, defensible space is critical. Sean and his group chose a bar (The Winchester), which is really not a bad choice.

So, the first step is to prepare a defensible space. The only disadvantage to The Winchester was the number of windows. The problem with windows is that they're easily broken by application of excessive weight. Therefore, as solid a building as possible (if you're limited to a single building rather than a place like an Army base. I have one of those across the street) with as few windows as possible is prefered. Roof access from the inside with limited to no access without ladders from without is also a good thing, for posting lookouts. The need for defensible space does not change if the arrangements are for a single person. This is unlikely, as chance favors the prepared mind, and those prepared for the Outbreak will have plans in place with others for the common defense. Try to choose a place with few windows, and if windows are unavoidable, try to find a building with bars.

The other factor is that TWD's (The Walking Dead) may or may not have increased strength. I can't really see a logical reason that they would exhibit this in real life, except in the instance of the Rage virus posited by 28 Days Later. This scenario also has the idiosynchracy of increased speed because of the virus. This disease is more of a transformation away from human than it is the reanimation of the dead, but its close enough in characteristics to be considered of the same genre. These factors make hand to hand combat undesirable.

Which brings us to the question of the ZT Loadout. In my particular case, the prefered weapon is my M4gery. Basically, its a 16" barrelled, semi automatic version of the Army's M4 carbine.
Chambered in 5.56mm, its one of the best zombie blasters going. If I had my druthers, I'd prefer a piston driven upper, like the HK 416, for its somewhat increased reliability. The nice thing about 5.56 is that its fairly light weight ammo, so you can carry quite a bit of it. It has good upset from a 16" barrel, which means that its rather explosive-especially with specialized projectiles like the Hornady V-Max. Again, if I had my druthers, I'd include a Surefire Scout Light for target verification. I'd also add an Eotech holosight.

Armor is of limited value in this application. Puncture resistant gear would be a plus, so perhaps riot gear is the best bet. Bulky, put puncture resistant. Full seal goggles are a must. The ESS Profile NVG Turbofans are the hot ticket.

How to carry working gear, then? Currently, I'm using an SOTech Hellcat,


Hosted on Fotki

but I'll be transitioning to an ATS Tactical Gear rig as soon as we're finished making them. ;) I can carry nine mags on the rig, with extra PALS webbing available for more storage. Also required is the Camelbak hydration system carrier. Dehydration is the Zombie Schlayer's verst enemy. In addition to the chest rig (probably over the aforementioned riot gear if I can secure it before the outbreak) I'll be running a Lightfighter RAID pack for extra mags, MRE's, batteries, and various other sundries.

While this is just the very tip of the iceberg, rest assured there's more gear reviews for Zombie Defense Gear coming. I want you all to be prepared.