People over 30(ish) and dreams of nuclear holocaust.

[Grimbear]

1. Stout brogues
2. An umbrella
3. Five pounds of Gawith's Rubbed Kendal Shag
4. A torch
5. Some string
6. Two bottles of cooking claret
7. The Observer Book of British Birds
8. A warm jumper

9. A Swiss army knife
10. Pair of hiking boots
11. Maybe some food? Reconstituted mashed potato? A peppered sausage?
12. Small first aid kit.
13. Travel scrabble (in case you meet any fellow survivors)

Mad Max ate dog food - right?

I'd want a PIPboy too

[Venusian Broon]

What does one even put in such a survival kit?

14. Sixteen pounds of Kendall mint cake
15. Walking scarf
16. Indoor scarf
17. Pyjamas
18. Small intricate object, like a silver wind-up watch, so that you whilst wandering the post-apocalyptic waste lands, be reminded of all that was lost and how we may never make such objects again.

[Peter Graham]

Good points, both. I hadn't thought this through properly. Looks like I'm going to need a bag too, at this rate! Plus

19. Duck whistle
20. Fishing hat
21. Bar of coal tar soap
22. An apple (agree about the food point)

is there no other way to promote world community feelings than by removing imaginary lines that people feel strongly about?

Alas - none that I can think of. These imaginary lines define in-groups and out-groups and those who take the imaginary lines most seriously - for example, gypsies - tend to suffer the most as a result.

Regards,

Peter

[Venusian Broon]

I would also strongly advise setting up a vast secret cache of an enormous supply of teabags and powered milk (horrible I know, but you may never know where and if your next fresh milk is going to come from.)

Hence as you wander from one shattered survivors group to another you can offer them a heartening brew-up and restore civilisation through the ancient rites of afternoon tea.

"There, there dear. Mummy might have extreme radiation posioning and not feeling well, but after a cup of tea I'm sure we'll all feel a lot better and able to see the positives of our situation."

[James Coote]

My school had a bunch of old copies of a book set in the UK during and after an imagined nuclear war, and told from an ordinary school kid's perspective. For some reason, I decided to read one, and afterwards my teacher, curious of what I thought about it, asked me my opinion on it. I don't think I gave a very intelligent response, but the general upshot was "meh".

It just didn't make any impression on me, reading about surviving the initial blast, struggling with fallout etc. Nuclear war wasn't going to happen, so I was just reading someone's out-dated fears. I must have been about 14 or 15 at the time, around 2001.

As for 9/11, I think that was the first time I started watching the news obsessively. I've only had one nightmare about it, and that was about a year ago.

________

My survival kit would consist of:

1. A durable, comfortable pair of boots

Everything else, you can pick up as you go along. Seriously, everyone thinks a knife and string are useful. They aren't. How often does a burglar use a swiss army knife or a piece of string? Because, once the apocalypse comes, that's what you become.


"We need food. This suburban house looks undisturbed since the apocalypse. Maybe there are some old cans inside? I know, I'll attach my string to my swiss army knife to chuck through the catflap and hook onto the lock latch, whilst you brick the window."

[Grimbear]

Everything else, you can pick up as you go along. Seriously, everyone thinks a knife and string are useful. They aren't. How often does a burglar use a swiss army knife or a piece of string? Because, once the apocalypse comes, that's what you become.

Depends where you are - no? There might be times when out in the wilds would be safer. Towns have large graveyards full of potential zombies.

I'd be out in the forest in a tent.

[James Coote]

Originally Posted by Grimbear

Depends where you are - no? There might be times when out in the wilds would be safer. Towns have large graveyards full of potential zombies.

I'd be out in the forest in a tent.

Terrible idea. Firstly, you have a limited field of view. You can't see what is coming, what direction to run away. It is easy to get lost or disoriented, hard to find others in your party if you get split up.

Secondly, you're a long way from any source of food (let's face it, you probably suck at hunting rabbits and deer, besides it takes a lot more time and energy than scavenging for old cans).

Thirdly, you're out in the cold and wet. You don't want to run yourself down if you don't have to, make yourself susceptible to coughs and colds.

Of course I'm mostly thinking where I live in the UK here. It depends where and when you are, and what the apocalypse type is. I'm sure avoiding zombies in the wilds of Idaho in the summer is better than avoiding nuclear fallout in central London in the winter

I always thought the best place to go in case of nuclear war was a nuclear power plant. You have an energy source, plenty of experts in radiation sickness and dealing with all things nuclear, and plenty of protective gear.

However, that somewhat assumes the nuclear power plant didn't itself get nuked in the war

[Peter Graham]

I would also strongly advise setting up a vast secret cache of an enormous supply of teabags and powered milk (horrible I know, but you may never know where and if your next fresh milk is going to come from.)

Excellent point. However, I wouldn't want to spoil my Earl Grey with milk (especially the powdered rubbish), so now I've got to find lemons too!

Everything else, you can pick up as you go along. Seriously, everyone thinks a knife and string are useful. They aren't.

They're absolutely invaluable! Most British folk are townies. They'd stay in the towns and rip each other apart fighting over the finite and diminishing supply of tinned goods (incidentally, a Swiss Army Knife is useful for getting said tins open). I'd leave them to it - far too dangerous. I'd be out in the countryside where I belong, catching the oodles of by then semi-feral chickens and setting my dogs on deer. Once dispatched (the chickens, that is), hang 'em up by their feet using the string whilst you pluck 'em and then use your knife to gut 'em.

The string is also useful for keeping the tobacco wrapped up and fresh.

The knife also has a corkscrew (for the claret) and an attachment for getting stones out of horses' hooves. The latter will enable me to strike up a deep, lasting and entirely platonic cross-species understanding with a kindly nag, who will become a friend like Champion the Wonder Horse.

Regards,

Peter

[James Coote]

I'll admit the corkscrew is useful for those of us that have wine cellars. However, I can't think of anywhere you're likely to find tins but no tin opener

The supermarket? They sell tin openers. The house? Usually people who buy tins have a tin opener.

Also, I'd expect anyone who knows how to use a knife to have a far better blade than found on a typical swiss army knife

Actually, if you know the environment you're in, then you probably have the best chance of surviving by sticking to that environment. Not necessarily the same location though.

I grew up in the suburbs, and that's the place I know where to find food and how to secure myself, look after myself. The more people who do irrational things like running to the hills / countryside, the better for me

[Venusian Broon]

Originally Posted by Peter Graham

They're absolutely invaluable! Most British folk are townies. They'd stay in the towns and rip each other apart fighting over the finite and diminishing supply of tinned goods

I can see it now.

London a feral wasteland of roaming gangs and sickening acts of violence as people scrabble manically for scraps and power. And it may even get worse after an Apocalyptic disaster.

I've got my escape route out into the country, even from my broadcast position in the People's republic of Hackney - plenty of green spaces to the North-East of me, so I'd slip out via the reserviors and Epping forest.

Deer are a good bet, as with loads of humans dead and no other natural predators the population should explode. So maybe acquire a bow or learn to make one (with the swiss army knive no doubt, and perhaps some of the string - look how useful these items are becoming.)

Originally Posted by Peter Graham

The knife also has a corkscrew (for the claret) and an attachment for getting stones out of horses' hooves. The latter will enable me to strike up a deep, lasting and entirely platonic cross-species understanding with a kindly nag, who will become a friend like Champion the Wonder Horse.

Could even save your life.

"What is it Champion. Is something wrong?"
Champion energetically shakes his head
"Is it the tea man? Is he in danger"
An affirmative neigh
"Down a mineshaft. Oh my god. Quick we have to mount a rescue. Show us Champ."

[Grimbear]

The survival kit talk has taken over this thread - sorry J-WO.

Maybe we should start a new thread about what you would take with you/stockpile in the event of nuclear-fallout/zombie apocalypse/alien invasion.

?

[Peter Graham]

The supermarket? They sell tin openers. The house? Usually people who buy tins have a tin opener.

The supermarkets will be looted clean within the first day or so. Only the Advocaat and the dried chick peas will be left. Supermarket tin openers will be no more than a memory!

Actually, if you know the environment you're in, then you probably have the best chance of surviving by sticking to that environment. Not necessarily the same location though.

Agreed, although I'd definitely stay in the same place. I know where the spring water is, where the food is, where Dave Ten Pints keeps his home made poteen etc.

I grew up in the suburbs, and that's the place I know where to find food and how to secure myself, look after myself. The more people who do irrational things like running to the hills / countryside, the better for me

We'd hold up a hare and a sparrowhawk and ask them to point at the badger. Those that get it wrong would be sent packing whence they came. Don't forget that we have the rifles, too!

Regards,

Peter

[J-WO]

Originally Posted by Grimbear

The survival kit talk has taken over this thread - sorry J-WO.

Maybe we should start a new thread about what you would take with you/stockpile in the event of nuclear-fallout/zombie apocalypse/alien invasion.

?

No problem, mate! Not only is it an insight into everyone's suppressed nuclear psychoses, it also might even come in handy!

I'm mainly lurking at the moment, due to crossing continents (Boston we love you!), but this is great stuff!

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Peter Graham

I know where the spring water is, where the food is, where Dave Ten Pints keeps his home made poteen etc.

I've moved it now and hidden it somewhere different.

Originally Posted by Peter Graham

Don't forget that we have the rifles, too!

“Many a true word is spoken in jest”

Unfortunately, top of your lists should be guns and ammunition. I believe The Death of Grass is an accurate portrayal of what the break up of English society might have been in the 1950's, and I doubt it would be much different today, except a little more violent, and people a little quicker to throw away those social constraints. Whatever you might believe now, when the time comes, only those who really want to survive would survive.

[MstrTal]

Being a "colonial" I didn't want to be the first to bring up firearms but I will admit to carrying everyday. However it is not because i am a redneck, survivalist or a thug! It's because I have a license and a daughter who at 11 looks like she is going on 18 body wise and we don't live in the best of neighborhoods, not to mention she already had an old perv try to get her to climb into his truck a couple of years ago before she developed. Yeah its a pretty bad neighborhood.

Oh I am curious though when you folks say "String" do you per chance mean Paracord?