I admit that I am a bit addicted to analyzing gear and brainstorming every bit of it. Is it enough? Is it too much? Will it get used often? I think this has something to do with my history as a grunt in the Marine Corps or being a Boy Scout. You always wanted to go with the bare minimum on your person so you could be fast when you needed to be, but you had plenty in your pack if things got bad or drawn out past the expected time window. I think the same philosophy should be applied to the zombie apocalypse, and then some. Mobility is survivability, and faster is always the goal.
SITUATION/MISSION
I have camouflaged and stowed a day pack at a fallback/rally point and I am on foot. I am going to be conducting area reconnaissance of a rural town with a discretionary option to conduct limited urban infiltration. There have been gunshots heard coming from the vicinity of the town for the last week, indicating a possible encampment. I must be generally prepared for contact with the undead or the living. The mission, if it does not include infiltration, can take up to 4 hours before departure from the area. The reconnaissance fan method will be utilized in a partial manner, focusing on only a corner of the town that offers open ground for good observation. I will be setting up close range LP/OPs at 4 locations and remaining in each position for 20 minutes to survey. Upon finishing in the last position, I will then reverse the order and reoccupy/resurvey from the positions a second time until I reach the first position. At this point, I will conduct limited urban infiltration if practicable. If I see any useful items, I can fill my pockets and pouches.
If visual contact is made with the living, I am to observe as long as I can do so safely. If spotted visually or engaged, I am to retrieve my day pack and conduct E&E (Escape & Evasion). I am to continue fleeing the area and evading until pursuit has been terminated or I get to a safe hideout. Fire is only allowed to protect myself and escape from the living. I am not to kill any undead on site unless absolutely necessary to preserve stealth. Stealth is to be my primary weapon in order to prevent leaving sign of my presence.
I wanted to give you this briefing to show you how mission planning or “METT-TC” define what you are going to have. Many people have fantasies about their loadout, but from a prepared and experienced perspective, it can be complicated. You need to be flexible and adaptable. If your mission requires you to go out armed with just a folding knife, then that is your loadout. If you are told to go out and ambush some living who will be armed as well, you better believe that I am going out with plates, helmet, and all the ammo I can carry without being a tactical no-go. The mission and some common sense will guide you in your loadout. In this scenario, it is very close to the type of loadout I would need for a scavenging run, or looking for a new hideout. It will have enough to save me in a pinch, but it is minimal in substance.
ALICE IN ZOMBIE LAND
That’s right felluhs, I would take old ALICE LBE with me. Nothing wrong with the LBV88E, but in this scenario I really just want to have a belt system only. I would love to take my British belt kit with me, but I gotta go all American on this mission. ALICE is like the baseball and apple pie of military gear. It is durable, load bearing, modular, customizable, and quite functional. For this mission, I will just be rolling with 3 ammo pouches, a pistol holster w/leg strap, 2 canteen pouches, 4 pistol mag pouches, and a good old SAW pouch. This will be more than enough for storing the gear I need to last me for the few projected hours on mission. Also, a big reason for me going with old ALICE is because many of you will be able to get your hands on it, so it is far more believable than using a custom system from across the pond.
My specific LBE rig has already had some customization done to it. All the metal suspender hooks have been replaced with 550 cord, and the belt is padded with a cut strip of foam sleeping mat that is tied to the belt. I found out a while ago that you can take just the shoulder pads off the LBV88E system and put them on the LBE suspenders. The back portion would have to go as well, but this does make it slightly more load bearing. Now with the 550 cord in place over the metal hooks, there are 8 points of contact on the belt, giving it a well-balanced feel. This modification is not a quick fix since it takes time to find the sweet spot for the suspender height, and then you have to tape everything up securely. But it is worth it if you have the time.
MAKE DO WITH THE BDU
I will not accuse the BDU of being the most functional military uniform, but for most zombie apocalypse missions, these things are money. I’m talking grade A storage space for scavenging, silent pockets for surreptitiously accessing contents, high availability due to many copies/reproductions, and decent durability in the field. You will need to cater the camo pattern to your AO, but who can go wrong with plain old woodland? I will take the durable/thicker NYCO (50/50 Nylon/Cotton) twill variety over the tear and scuff-prone ripstop. Ripstop is lighter and breathes better, but durability is the deciding factor for me. If you can’t find any BDU pants, you should at least try to stick with something that is similar in storage and concealability. No UCP (Universally Crappy Pattern) unless you are operating in a quarry or you dye it sufficiently. If you can score some appropriately colored TruSpec TRU Pants in your size, even better. The good thing about clothing is that you can always add, remove, or shift pockets to your liking.
If you are handy with a sewing needle, you should take some time to shift your BDU chest pockets to point slightly outward or inward for easier access. You can also just take your chest pockets off and put them on your ankle like the ACU cut. Then you can shift the bigger bottom pockets up a bit. Some people want deltoid pockets instead, but I find that they are not only a chore to reach, but they can also interfere with shouldering the rifle. A small slit pocket on the left shoulder could be handy for bug repellent though. I would also sew an elastic band to the inside of the cargo pockets so that they are able to retain items without being buttoned. Just some ideas. Pockets are handy things when you are on a scavenging mission.
PROPER FOOTWEAR
In a fight against zombies, you have to keep moving in order to stay in the fight. Therefore, quality footwear is essential to quality fighting. For the apocalypse and this mission, I choose Bates Recondo jungle boots. They breathe well, have a tough sole with good traction, but are pretty thin skinned and let water in easy. I have and would use these in the winter time as well. They are well built for heel stomping zombie heads, kicking a door in, and running off-road. I don’t think Bates is making these anymore, but I would go with any jungle type boot if you can get your hands on them. I’d focus on genuine military boots though since they tend to be a bit more durable.
WEAPONS OF CHOICE
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In this scenario, I am going with the same weapons I would use for most scenarios during the zombie apocalypse. I choose my Steyr AUG and my M&P40 2.0 Compact. My M&P40 has a light on it for fighting in the dark.
Why a 5.56 and a .40? The 5.56 ammo is light and mostly works for zombies if it tumbles and generally works against the living. The .40 is effective against both living and undead, even with FMJ ammo. Basically, it is versatile and handy for both types of threats.
For a silent killer, I would have a straight edged Kbar utility knife. The steel is tough, easy to sharpen, and the blade is long enough and capable of penetrating deep into the skull, and then some. You may choose something more designed for stabbing and thrusting like a good old bayonet, but I want something that can do multiple things and is easy to use. And no, I am not bringing a bludgeoning instrument with me.
LOADOUT LIST
- 3 rifle mags: This is ammo for my medium range weapon, so it has less use unless in an emergency.
- 3 pistol mags: My knife doesn’t need to be reloaded so it would be my first option over a gun.
- Rations: This would just be a few hundred calories in the form of hardtack or something just in case I got pinned down somewhere.
- 2 canteens and bottle of purification tablets: I would rather carry an extra 2lbs of water on me instead of die from thirst if I should get pinned down. Insurance worth the weight.
- IFAK: This will be a pretty simple kit consisting of an OLAES Modular Bandage, a Carlisle bandage, gauze, thermal blanket, and pain killers. I have a TQ in each cargo pocket as well.
- Multitool
- Monocular
- 15’ 550 cord
- Compass and map
- Notepad and pen: take notes, record thoughts, or whatever you would want to do
- Chemlights (visible and IR)
- Bic Lighter
- Handheld tactical light
Altogether, all this gear only weighs about 15 pounds. This loadout is relatively light, but if I found some canned food, the weight could start going up pretty fast. Many of these items are contingency items, which would be questioned for their usefulness to begin with. If you are outnumbered a million to one against an enemy that doesn’t sleep, get tired, or have morals, you would be doing yourself a favor to be prepared for a few of your plans to go to hell, figuratively speaking.
YOURS CAN BE DIFFERENT
Yes, your loadout is allowed to look different from mine. Maybe you just go out like a Hollywood survivor and just take one mag of rifle ammo and a revolver. Personally, I would rather take a few things with me to help me survive and fight. My conditioning will help me handle the weight, and the gear will aid me in an easier survival if things go from bad to stupid.
MISSION DEPENDENT
Some people will want to know why I don’t have a million rounds of ammo on me. To put it simply, this is a pretty reasonable amount of ammo for someone conducting recon during a zombie apocalypse. It is highly unlikely that any living will pursue me with a huge force if spotted. No doubt I will need to enact an E&E plan, my pursuers will be just as much a victim of the undead as I. Stealth, deception, and speed are key components in this type of situation. If I am to get ran into a house to get stranded on a roof, a million rounds will only make getting on the roof tougher. In another article, I will cover the different types of missions you could conduct in a zombie apocalypse.
WRAPUP
In this scenario, I am conducting a mission that allows me to maintain a loadout that is very close to standard for the zombie apocalypse. It is light but has a fair amount in case I find myself getting stranded away from my day pack. I will write about my day pack contents in the future as well, so stay tuned. In this world, the likelihood of getting stranded is very high, so it would be wise to gear up accordingly.
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