CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Prepare for the zombie apocalypse

(26 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by kaputnik
  • Latest reply from Roibeard

  1. kaputnik
    Moderator

    There used to be a thread (way back in the wayback days) for planning your zombie outbreak escape route from town and what you would carry on the bike.

    I was minded of this when I read the following article on BBC news this evening;

    Major incident evacuation plan for Edinburgh centre.

    What caught my eye was the following line;

    Residents living in Edinburgh city centre are being urged to make up a "grab bag" of essential items as part of a major incident evacuation plan. The special bag should include medication, car and house keys, cash and bank cards, glasses or contact lenses and items for children.

    Edinburgh is a traffic jam as it is with people "just" trying to get to work / do the school run. Imagine the fun to be had when the air raid sirens go off and the entire city centre of 70,000 people tries to get in their cars and decamp!

    Personally I'd think "brilliant" and hide in my attic to then come out and cycle around the city and appreciate it as being so much lovelier being 100% free of cars.

    Meanwhile the zombies will have gotten everyone else as they were stuck in their cars on the bypass...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. Arellcat
    Moderator

    and items for children

    That's the bit that presumably applies to bicycles.

    Mind you, Brompton riders are already armed:


    The Zombie Apocalypse Will Not Be Motorized by The Prudent Cyclist, on Flickr

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. DaveC
    Member

    Yes I saw you're tweet and wondered how much time and Tax cash the Cooncil waste... err spent on this Elf n Safety exercise???

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. SRD
    Moderator

    :) :) :)

    Must say that i don't 'get' the zombie thing, but this is great.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. kaputnik
    Moderator

    That's brilliant! Wish I'd come up with that design!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. wingpig
    Member

    Perhaps the need to remember car keys is so that the zombies can't get into your car and lie in wait on the back seat. It doesn't sound like very much for a "grab bag" to contain, compared to a food-stocked water-filled civilisation-collapse-withstanding Millennium Cupboard. Perhaps a packet of oatcakes and a bar or two of chocolate too, in case of hunger whilst gridlocked.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. Instography
    Member

    I always understood the idea of a grab bag as being something that sat unused but in a permanent state of preparedness in case of the need to exit in a hurry. Like you have on boats or canoes in case of capsize or sinking.

    Car keys in a grab bag? I think not. All that other in-daily-use stuff? Hardly. Car in an emergency evacuation. Don't think so. They should just send everyone a Ray Mears video and let them catch squirrels in the Gardens.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. kaputnik
    Moderator

    The font of all pointless knowledge calls it a Bug-out bag and suggests you might want to pack;

    * Fire starting tool
    * Maps and travel information (Spoke map of course!)
    * Weather appropriate clothing (e.g., poncho, headwear, gloves, etc.) cape!
    * Lighting (battery or crank operated flashlight, glow sticks) what about dynamo!
    * Firearms and appropriate ammunition
    * Cash and change, as electronic banking transactions may not be available during the initial period following an emergency or evacuation (for essential cake purchases)
    * Duct Tape and rope/paracord for strapping things to your rack
    * Slingshot, pellet gun, blowgun or other small game hunting equipment
    * Wire for binding and animal traps

    (bolds are my additions)

    No mention of car keys!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. splitshift
    Member

    fire arms and ammunition,
    my kind of emergency kit ! take the keys to the harrier jump jet, and the C130, with a parachute so you can mountain bike of the load ramp !
    Hey if zombies are involved then actual facts and reality dont have to be involved.....do they ?
    scott

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. crowriver
    Member

    The special bag should include medication, car and house keys, cash and bank cards, glasses or contact lenses and items for children.

    Either the council officials have no imagination (possible) or else the 'emergency' envisaged is not really much of a bother at all. I mean, where's the petrol coming from? ATMs will all be fully functioning will they? Also imagine the fights over which child gets to take what special toy...

    Aiyaiyaiy!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  11. Cyclingmollie
    Member

    Instography: "I always understood the idea of a grab bag as being something that sat unused but in a permanent state of preparedness in case of the need to exit in a hurry"

    As Edinburgh residents you will be pleased to know that the Council's holding of art in The City Art Centre has a "grab rail" with the most valuable works facing the strong room entrance. If there's a fire they are the ones that get taken out the building to a nearby private gallery. Not sure about the zombie apocalypse though.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  12. Roibeard
    Member

    @Arellcat - Do you think a non-Brompton owner could get away with that?

    Wanders Shuffles off to find the online shop...

    <grumble> Why can't men get the fetching purple?

    Robert

    Posted 12 years ago #

  13. Smudge
    Member

    @Kaputnik "fire starting tool", a wiser man than me, and an expert in the field, pointed out to me once that flints and steels are great fun and a good thing to learn, but a couple of 99p lighters are easier, more reliable, take up no more room, work when wet and weigh next to nothing... mind you, they don't look all "outdoorsy" and Ray Mears ;-)

    As for the cooncil advice, when they said "items for children" I assumed they meant a nice light .410 and ammunition as a 12bore shotgun might be a little fierce for them when the zombies arrive? :-)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  14. spitters
    Member

    This thread is what is known on the "darknet" as "Epic Win"
    @Kaputnik, like your list.
    It is probably worth stopping reading now if you are not rapidly becoming a survival "nut" like I am in danger of becoming...

    I have not one but two grab bags coming together, one for travelling light and the other for more serious situations...

    Yes any grab bag needs food, fire stuff (the debate over lighter/flint left to one side if you need fire in a wet place or rain take wire wool and a 9v battery, short it on the wool it will burn hot enough to burn any wet kindling), water or empty water carrier and purification tablets (when run out of them apply the UV purification, waterproof clothing, maps, (compass - it's small) torch/radio(wind up preferrably), forget cash take gold and jewlery when the banks are dead who wants cash?

    Survival guides all say that your frame of mind can save you, start a fire, cook some food a hot meal does the world of good. Build a shelter but be prepared not to waste too much time on this - you may have to "bug out" again soon.
    First aid kit
    Personal addition Bin bags, folded they take up next to no space at all - handy to help throw together a quick shelter, cover kit/people (two arm holes and a head hole, I have done this before in dire situation)
    They also useful for wrapping and burying any evidence of you having been somewhere (and according to the Nuclear War stories burying your dead)
    Mini telescope "What's that coming over the hill? Is it a Monster/Zombie/Tank?"

    Also in strapped to my grab bag if it is proper zombie apocalypse - large axe - got to love that lootin' for food and loppin' off of the heads 'n'all.
    backup weapon - baseball bat (hey the axe might get stuck in a spinal column, also doubles as handy splint for broken bones/walking stick)

    Oh god - I've gotten carried away haven't I?

    Plans - got to have plans - rendezvous points North South East and West with routes. Depending on the situation and time of day.

    I'll stop now, I have removed the next paragraph as it was really starting to get silly

    Posted 12 years ago #

  15. Smudge
    Member

    Don't think anyone has mentioned the single most important tool, a knife/penknife? Probably not pc, but hey, "Be prepared" ;-)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  16. minus six
    Member

    the three essentials:

    - Millbank Bag

    - Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe

    - Flint and Steel

    Posted 12 years ago #

  17. kaputnik
    Moderator

    @smudge @bax @spitters have you all been reading "The Road" again?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  18. chdot
    Admin

    What k really takes -


    How is it all ever going to fit? by kaputniq, on Flickr

    Not sure if he takes all the illustrations at the start of the What do you take when you go cycling?" Flickr group(?)

    Posted 12 years ago #

  19. Smudge
    Member

    @Kaputnik, nope, I just work in a strange place with strange people (and have stranger friends!) :-))

    Posted 12 years ago #

  20. spitters
    Member

    @kap'nik - nope, just seen enough movies and think that it would be a lot more fun worry about survival/zombies than if I will still be in a job next month

    Posted 12 years ago #

  21. minus six
    Member

    I will admit to having done five week-long survival courses over the past decade, a couple with the redoubtable Ray himself.

    In the long run it all boils down to the ongoing availability of venison and / or salmon. pun intended.

    Off to Norway tomorrow for a fortnight - perfect timing to dig The Road off the dusty shelf for the rucksack..

    Cheers for the reminder!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  22. spitters
    Member

    @bax In the long run it all boils down to the ongoing availability of venison and / or salmon
    Very true
    But as zombies don't eat either and don't drive there should be plenty when the zombies starve to death when there is no more hoomans to munch on

    Posted 12 years ago #

  23. Wilmington's Cow
    Member

    A while back I had an idea for a zombie sitcom - must resurrect that... :D

    Posted 12 years ago #

  24. Uberuce
    Member

    I sold my copy of The Road the other day. Told the girl that bought it to ensure she was in an extremely good mood before she read it.

    One of the best books I've ever encountered, and if you haven't already I firmly believe it's your duty as a human being to read it.

    I'm never going to read it again, though.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  25. Arellcat
    Moderator

    Via The Path Less Pedalled, choose your own zombie apocalypse tee!

    Won't someone think of the children?!
    Keep a low profile
    Now with Xtrazombie goodness

    And for kaputnik* there's even a section with all the designs.

    * Other graphic designers are available.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  26. Roibeard
    Member

    Unfortunately UK postage is quite high and the UK equivalent doesn't have these designs.

    However, I've a friend heading back to the States for Christmas...

    Robert

    Posted 12 years ago #

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