I decided a few years ago, that I would start preparing for the Demon Zombie Apocalypse of the Undead.
The first thing I got was a Barnett junior archery set, which was on sale, some years back, which was for sport and entertainment purposes.
This year I thought I would make my Bucket List to complete the Demon Zombie Apocalypse of the Undead build, which took into account many aspects of what was required, and what I could afford which I did through my tax returns since I waited on filing both for this year. There were a lot of changes in my mind when planning out things to acquire for this build. As I was truly trying to figure out what I was trying to accomplish and what goal was I after. Many armchair enthusiasts of planning never really plan, they just say things out loud, yes I know I was once there myself... As I soon realized the archery bow 🏹 and for it's one niche purpose which I came across with writting novels and listening to other authors on how there main charactor the first day of the out break, had such a hard time leaving to go less than 10 yards to the vechile in there driveway.
What did they wish for? A simple bow and arrows to clear the pathway just to get out the front door 🚪, as one guy Mr Howie had the perfect 2nd story window for this oppurinity, yet nor bow in hand for this, and began to throw stuff at the Zombies below in anger at his situation.
My objective was to be that guy who got out the front door 🚪for the very first time in a new world of circumstances, and what was the minimum requirements to achieve this goal. Since I had the junior archery set which I figured to be one of my better investments as I do not need it to be super powerful as I'm only covering about 35 yrds out to the edge of the street or roadway tops, and there would be less arrow losses due to reusability, since it's limited on power, but still effective and efficent to do the job.
Now I came to armor, since I'm old and can not run around anymore due to health... I really need to be more tankish in my build, more paladin, yet I want the plate armor effects but not the weight. So I decided I would go with leather protective shell, as I can still wear this clotheing out on adventures, not just for this build niche. But there is a downside and that is heat and ventalation, so what I came across was a sub protective layer.
This allows for light impacts, like landing on my butt, or being slap or hit by a ramdom Zombie out of the blue and being older this is not a great option to be in. This also allows for a structure for the leather to sit open having small ventalation routes air movement can pass through and this motorcross gear is quite protective. So now this old man can take a tumble and recover from it. Beneth this layer I have my Real Tree wicking under garments, light thin and very comfortable, which is my base layer and easy washable by hand and dries fast, as I also have to consider this is an apocalypse, and things have to be simple, when it comes to hygiene, like having a bottle of Febreze with germ killing properties which can do wonders out in the battlefield, and may help in masking scents down enough to be invisable at times.
As Motorcycle leather is not really washable in the usally way we do laundry and keeping it away from your body is quite ideal a quick spray and some drying time and your good to go. As I'm not directlly sweating into the faberic of it. As the two under layers are both light, airy and wash, dry in no time and a quick spray with Febreze and you are lightly scented. The body with some scented baby wipes and antibacterial gel and we can clean up and feel refreshed out in the battlefield in the harshest conditions. While others are sitting laying around in days of filth. Every thing can be easyly wipe down as well, as far as blood splattering goes, as the shell is not absorbing it, as soon as it lands like other clothing materials do.
The next slection of importance was footware. As I have a tall Hazmat rubber boots, these are actually made for this type of enviroment, and they cover a wide range off the list in check marks as the ideal boots to have in a Zombie Apocalypse, my first pick was because there washable in the quick way. The Zombie Apocalypse is going to get messy at times and walking in that will be your footware, as novelists will love writting about walking in the gore of the blood and guts and not with you new hikers! but I just got them and there clean... or lifting your foot up and losing your shoe yikes... no but no I'm not fishing for it!
Now I can just walk though the blood and gore and not even think about it, a trip across tall grass for a bit and there clean again with a quick spraying and wipe were good to go, back into a vechile without the tracking and stink of other footware, or the cleaning of them, which can be tedious and time consuming. A quick walk into a stream and presto were clean again. Now some may not think thats important try getting to into a nearby town or villiage all covered in black ozzing stink of infection, and now your flagged as a threat, as your appearance is also now considered as more often your cloths will be coming off to be washed and standing naked perhaps in a holding cell for hours. Me they just let me in, no questions asked, because I'm dressed for it, Zombies can not readly bite me anywhere. I have no flesh exposed nor is any of my gear compromising my level of protection, like being able to lift something up and away to expose the flesh like a pant leg or sleeve etc... or get there fingers in there.
Since I was going for the tank paladin build I added in elbow and knee armor, for the street fighter grappler since I have the protective padding in the light armor behind it, I won't feel the impacts onto myself as the impacts are being cushioned, as striking a Zombie might be a waste of time and stamina, but in getting a slight advantage in timing or derailing an attack from yourself or from buddy can go along way in survival. Perhaps the Zombies do alot of hitting or striking as well these things I also had to consider greatly and again I'm not that much in over weight wise as I'm staying relative to a very nominal build and stamina usage. These may not be worn all the time as they are extra protection as they are on the outside of the protective layer, but if your the tank and everyone is tagging from you, little extra never hurts. As to why we see spurs on my rubber boots for the niche purpose of aggroing Zombies in a distance radius as to ring the dinner bell in ear shot, reducing the surpise of walking in front of them while dealing with more of them.
The number one areas for bites is the hands and arms and the head, us writters of novels love to play detective on how some manged to turn into Zombies, as most will not wear all of the protective gear, or none of it... and thinking they have the agility of a cat, then a Zombie comes over in a split second is chewing on an ear or the end of someones nose or torn out the side of the throat and neck area. Or has bitten there foot or calf area, like a crawler would, as it came out from under a vechile.
Being able to stop sign a Zombie right in there tracks, as they make no purchase with there gnashing teeth attacks, it will always be that one Zombie when you least suspect it, will get you, before you even realized it. A medieval plate helmet with a guard over the eye visor prevents wandering fingers and reduce injuries when travelling into the woods, as injury prevention goes a long ways in an Apocalypse.