Here you will find a few helpful bits of knowledge that may or may not be worth your time to consider for your character's survival. All up to you in the end.
The general rule to remember for post apocalyptic survival is called the rule of 3′s:
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You die in 3 minutes without oxygen
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3 hours without shelter
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3 days without water
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3 weeks without food.
Collect Materials Before You Attempt To Make a Fire.
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Something to make sparks
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Tinder
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Kindling
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Medium Branches
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Wood for fuel
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Oxygen
Weapons
Shotguns pack such an enormous blow that they are by far the greatest weapon for home defense. The noise of a 12 gauge pump deters more crime than any other security system. It is an unmistakable sound and an intruder knows that somebody has a cocked and loaded weapon that they barely even have to aim to cause catastrophic injury or death.
For a pistol I recommend a 9mm or a 357 magnum. I admit I love semi automatics but I really think a revolver is much better to include in a post apocalyptic survival guide, because there are fewer working parts which means less jams. On top of that the design has lasted since the wild west which is the closest thing.
If you can only have one rifle, I’d say the best post apocalyptic survival gun, all things considered, is a .22 caliber rifle with a good scope. The ammo is incredibly cheap (so easier to find in remaining stores and outlits) and light weight. You can easily carry hundreds of rounds and will have no problem taking down small game.
Bows and Crossbows are also awesome for post apocalyptic survival because the ammo has more than one use. They are very quiet and can be very deadly with practice. I mean shit if it is zombies we are dealing with and the bastards can still hear, I would rather pop them in the forehead with a crossbow bolt Walking Dead style, than fire off some loud ass shot... though more realistically people can track the sound and find you.
For the purposes of a post apocalyptic survival guide, no tool is more important to daily life and long term apocalyptic survival than a solid survival knife. Post apocalyptic survival will depend heavily on one of the oldest and simplest tools of mankind. The knife. A knife can be used to scrape tinder, split wood, build shelter, carve up or skin your food, defend yourself and virtually every other task that is necessary for post apocalyptic survival.
A very useful method of filtering water is to use sand, charcoal and cloth.
Take an old pair of jeans or some other durable fabric and tie off a leg. Fill the bottom of the tied off leg with as much charcoal from a burnt out fire as possible. Pour sand on top of the charcoal to form another layer. Layer more charcoal on top of the sand and then complete the filter by putting a second layer of sand on top. The charcoal will bond to many of the toxins and its porous nature makes it an extremely effective filter, especially in tandem with sand which will naturally trap any of the larger particles in the water. Pour your water before or after boiling through the filter and what drips out of the jeans will be pure drinking water.
Useful Tools and Supplies:
- Machetes, Axes, Saws and Chains.
- Shovels, Crowbar, Bolt Cutters
- Crank Radio
- Flashlights
- Rope, Duct Tape, Thermal Blankets, Clothing
- Work Gloves, Boots, Medical Supplies
- Maps, Compass, Backpack, Tarps, Tent
- Rations, Rain Gear, Masks, Fishing line and hooks
- Canteens, cold storage container ... etc.