Zombie Apocalypse; Blog 3

How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse; Blog 3

Today I’m going to focus on the head and neck. Pretty important area to protect and I have some cool pieces of gear that do that.

Hearing Protection

These are a 3 in 1 headphone system that is low profile. First thing is that they protect your hearing (duh) from high decibel sounds such as gunfire and explosions. The second (and coolest thing to me) is they have a built in mic that does this. The mic automatically blocks out any high decibel sounds while simultaneously boosting lower decibel ones. The lower sounds boosted are footsteps, heavy breathing, clothes rustling, etc. They also have an audio input jack so you can hook in your radio. They run on just 2 AAA batteries which give you around 500 hours of operation time. Pretty badass pair of cans that look like regular DJ headphones.

http://www.opsgear.com/index/page/product/product_id/1968/category_id/274/category_chain/26,274/product_name/PELTOR+Tactical+Sport+Hearing+Protector

Eye Protection

If you have to bash in a zombie brain or fire a gun while wind is kicking up dirt, you need your eyes protected so you can see what you’re doing. Some people will say to use goggles, which is fine by me. Any protection is better than no protection. My only complaint with goggles is they are uncomfortable and have a tendency to fog up. For me, personally, I prefer some large lens sunglasses; specifically these WileyX Pt-3 two lens sunglasses.  They fit tight to the face and have large wrap around lenses, which offer great front and side protection from zombie goo and general debris. They are also military grade. This means they meet the High Velocity Safety standard and the military’s Vo Ballistic Standard. They WILL protect your eyes. Other cool feature is they come with smoked and clear lenses so you can have eye protection in all lighting conditions without worrying about not being able to see. Can’t do that with goggles. http://www.opsgear.com/index/page/product/product_id/600/category_id/272/product_name/WILEY-X+PT-3+Two+Lens+Sunglasses

Neck Protection

           

One of the biggest veins in the human body is in the neck. If that get’s bitten into or cut… That is a very bad situation you don’t want to be in. So I offer you another great piece of gear from our friends at Blade Runner. This is a half balaclava with a drawstring you can use to tie it in place. It has a mesh-breathing panel over the mouth so you can breath but the rest of it is lined with Kevlar. Like the hoodie, it has reached an EN388, 6.2 blade cut resistance level of 2. The microfiber polyester outer layer is wind and water (or infected saliva) proof as well. The other things I like about it is the weight and how discreet it is. It is very light and, when not tied up, looks like a scarf. Full balaclavas will draw a lot of attention to you because you look like a burglar. Even when it is not tied into position, the half balaclava still offers you protection. Full balaclavas don’t have that ability. 

http://www.bladerunner.tv/neck-protection-p-844.html

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how to protect your head. Pretty simple stuff but it goes unchecked by some because of its simplicity. Any little gap in your armor is one more place for a zombie to take advantage of… Your head is no exception so guard it so people don’t have to shoot it.

Be Prepared. Be Smart. Be Incognito.

                                                (8bit) Brandt

Zombie Apocalypse; Blog 2

How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse; Blog 2

This blog will be over the importance of protecting your torso from zombie and human attacks alike while still keeping with the Grey Man idea. I’m going to show you some gear, give a brief description of them, and then close with how they all coincide with the Grey Man Theory; Max protection, minimal detection.

Slash Proof Hoodie

Created by Blade Runner in the UK where knife attacks are prevalent, these hoodies have a level 2 EN388, 6.2 blade cut resistance rating. Thanks to the 180-gram Kevlar lining, these hoodies can stop most knife attack slashes that occur during muggings and knife fights. This means you have a lightweight armor alternative that is on the down low and can help stop a zombie’s bite from ripping through your arm causing infection. Their bite may still hurt since… ya know… you’re being bit… but at least skin wasn’t broken and you aren’t going to turn into a dead head.

Chest Rig

A chest rig is a great piece of gear to have to carry all your combat and first aid items, walkie-talkie, knife etc. Only problem is it makes you look like military/police personnel, which (if you aren’t military or police personnel) is illegal. The one in the picture is a lil to bulky for me. The reason I chose it though was to show one of the main features I love which is the center chest pistol holster. The one I would actually use is lower profile with not as many bells or whistles. Pix further on.

http://www.bdstacticalgear.com/pd_bds_tactical_land_warfare_chest_rig.cfm

Multi Proof Vest

This is more for protection against other people. In a situation where people are probably going to kill you for the shirt off your back, you need all the protection you can get. Another product of Blade Runner, this vest has an NIJ protection level of II; it can stop bullets up to .357 JSP magnum and FMJ 9mm rounds going 1400 FPS and 00 buckshot. It is soft armor and only weighs around 4 pounds so it’s light. This can also stop attacks from edged weapon stabs using up to 16 Joules of force AND stops 100% of all slashes. http://www.bladerunner.tv/Ballistic_Chart.htm

http://www.bladerunner.tv/covert-vests-lightweight-bulletstabproof-vest-threat-level-p-834.html

Bring it all together….

So how does this work in conjunction with the Grey Man Theory?  It’s simple. You have all of your tools at your disposal in a discreet, easy to access set up and you have all the protection you need without broadcasting it. Wear the multi proof vest, throw on a shirt, put on the chest rig and wear the slash proof hoodie over that. When not fighting you can zip up your hoodie and look like a normal person walking the streets. However, as soon as shit hits the fan, you can easily access your weapons or, God forbid, take a bullet from the majority of the handgun and shotgun rounds you will face or a slash from a broken bottle.

The biggest concern I get from people when I talk to them about this set up is this: “But it looks funny wearing my hoodie over my chest rig/tac vest. I look like I’m obviously hiding something under it.” My response to that: You’re carrying to much stuff on your torso. The majority of your gear should be in a sturdy, weight-distributing backpack (which will be in another blog) that allows the rest of your body to move freely and look like you’re not carrying anything.

Here’s a picture of the chest rig I want. It allows me to carry 4 AR15 30 round mags (more than enough), 6 pistol mags, and a 7” knife while staying low profile enough that it doesn’t look funny under a hoodie. Combine this rig with the side body upgrade (picture to the right) that adds 2 extra pockets and a handgun holster, this is an awesome incognito setup. You can build your own chest rig here: http://www.bdstacticalgear.com/pd-bds-tactical-molle-vehicle-operators-chest-rig.cfm

Not convinced that it won’t look funny or will be hard to work with? Try it yourself sometime. If you streamline your rig to the essentials to surviving a short firefight, you would be surprised at how normal it looks. Here are some pics of me as proof.

Now, I’m 6’4” and around 215 pounds. This is a random hoodie in the size I normally wear.  Don’t believe I’m not wearing anything underneath it?

                               

Underneath the hoodie I am wearing a cross draw TAC vest with 4, 30 round mag holders and 3 pistol mag holders. In the cross draw holster I have a full size 1911. This setup is WAY bulkier than the rig I talked about earlier, and even this doesn’t look or feel weird wearing a hoodie over it. If I can pull off a bulky tac vest with a full size handgun; imagine how inconspicuous a low profile chest rig with a subcompact handgun would be.

There you go guys: My thoughts on how to protect your torso and arms and carry some gear. This system will allow you to become more inconspicuous to other survivors. You will look like an unarmed survivor making his way to safety and if the need arises where you have to protect yourself, you will have the element of surprise. If a zombie surprises YOU and tries to bite the arm you used to open a door, you will be confident in the knowledge the bite will not break skin and infect you. All of this while staying lightweight and streamlined, which will allow you to travel faster, travel further, and feel less encumbered by a mountain of gear.

Be Prepared. Be Smart. Be Incognito.

                                                (8bit) Brandt