Lions and tigers and zombies, oh my!

Last night, I had an intensively realistic "Walking Dead" dream.  My husband and I are big fans of the AMC show, but we haven't watched it in a few weeks (trying to queue up a few episodes).  I remember I was thinking about the show last night and inevitably, was transported into an dreamworld nightmarish episode.  Fortunately, I was smack in the middle of Shane and Darryl which is where you want to be should said zombie apocalypse ever occur.  After a few hours, most of the details have faded, but in my dream, I distinctly remember that I was without any essential gear to defend myself.  My only weapon was a puny Phillips screwdriver...which if you watch the show you'll know it has saved more than one person, but it would not be my go-to piece of gear if I should I ever find myself in that situation.  Coincidentally, I did successfully take out a flesh-crazed zombie with my silly little screwdriver, but that isn't the point of this story.

Beyond the basics of food, water and antibiotics, I decided to make my own list of essential zombie fighting gear.  I'm certainly missing things that other would find to be important, but this is my blog so I get to make my own lists!  (Gee Whiz! Apparently that tangle with the zombie made me a wee bit crabby today)   If you are new to my blog or don't know me very well, I definitely have a strong geek streak so bear with this episode.  I'm sure we will return to your regularly unscheduled fitness/health motivation in a day or two.

In no particular order, here is Amanda's go-to zombie fighting kit:
Excalibur Axiom SMF Crossbow
At about 5.8 lbs, this is lighter than the average crossbow so it can be carried without too much back strain.  I bought one of these for my hubby for his birthday (potentially, this was a mildly selfish purchase since I wanted access to shoot it too... shhh don't tell him) and it is certified awesome!  This crossbow is capable of producing arrow speeds in excess of 305 feet per second!  It comes complete with a scope, cocking aid (because its a recurve, not a compound), 4 arrow quiver plus 4 Firebolt arrows complete with field points.  Using the cocking aid, I can pull this sucker back in about 5 seconds.  Definitely not what you want in hand to hand combat, but you can pick a few off as they head your direction.

Handgun with a silencer
Really its your choice of caliber here, but the silencer is the important part.  As we all know, zombies are attracted to sounds so quiet is key when you are picking off the loners.

Japanese Katana Sword
Outside of just looking extremely cool, a very sharp katana can cleanly remove a zombie head on the go.  You still have to do your due diligence and make sure the brain is taken out, but it gets the head out of biting proximity.

Ka-Bar Fighting Knife
At 11-3/4 inches total length, this is best for hand to hand combat should you get into a tight space. You can definitely take out the zombie without fear of breaking the blade.  Heck if the US Marines use these for fighting fully alive attackers, they should certainly work for the undead.

Sperian Protection S8500 Bionic Face Shield
Just my personal preference, but it seems that the cast of the "Walking Dead" are always covered in some unmentionable substance during and after a fight.  While I don't want something that's going to get in the way, this just seems like a good idea.  I do see some problems with the concept, but really, who wants zombie goo up your nose, right?

Kevlar Pants, Sleeves, Vest, etc
If it stops most bullets and knives, presumably it stops zombie teeth.  This seems like a no-brainer.(ha, I didn't intend that pun, but it made me laugh when I went back and read this)

This seems like a good starting point and potentially all that I could carry for long distances over rough terrain in a good pair of hiking boots.  Lastly, because I found this to be particularly amusing, here is Emmy Kinney's tips for maintaining a beauty regimen while running from the undead... Enjoy!