Emergency preparedness makes sense. All you need to know are which emergencies you need to prepare for and how to go about preparing.
Now, I'm not going to give you advice about either. I can no more predict what sorts of emergencies or disasters are likely to happen than I can turn carbon fiber into gold. But, apparently, there are folks who make their living (or at least a pretty good supplemental income) of telling people what disaster is most likely to strike and how to prepare for it. Some think that the disaster will be the result of a war with China or some coalition of Islamic fundamentalists. Others think that the next economic crash will trigger a breakdown in the social order. Still others think the cataclysm will be natural, such as solar flares or climate change.
(For what it's worth, I'd probably pick climate change, which might in turn cause societal breakdowns, which in turn could lead to wars. But, as I said, I have absolutely no predictive powers.)
One thing I find interesting is that nearly all survivalists, however they think the apocalypse will come, believe that a bicycle is an important part of any "survival tool kit". That makes sense when you realize that bikes will be among the few ways we'll be able to get around if fuel supplies or their distribution networks are destroyed. But, of course, if the world comes to an end, the bike shops won't be open and, I imagine, online retailers won't be able to do business. So I've begun to stock tires, tubes, cables, lubes and, yes, even a spare Brooks Pro along with the crates of canned food, bottled water and cases of wine. ;-)
Seriously, though: Bicycles will be useful, but not only as transportation. They can also help you defend against marauding packs of thugs--and zombies.
Yes, there is a bike designed to defend against zombies:
It's actually a pretty clever design, as the motor powers the front wheel as well as the chainsaw. So, I imagine, one could rev the bike up to a pretty decent speed, whether for attacking or defending. Now as to how effective the chainsaw would be against attacking zombies...I dunno.
As for rigging one up or actually using it, all I can say is "Don't try this at home." That is, if you still have a home when the zombies take over.
Now, I'm not going to give you advice about either. I can no more predict what sorts of emergencies or disasters are likely to happen than I can turn carbon fiber into gold. But, apparently, there are folks who make their living (or at least a pretty good supplemental income) of telling people what disaster is most likely to strike and how to prepare for it. Some think that the disaster will be the result of a war with China or some coalition of Islamic fundamentalists. Others think that the next economic crash will trigger a breakdown in the social order. Still others think the cataclysm will be natural, such as solar flares or climate change.
(For what it's worth, I'd probably pick climate change, which might in turn cause societal breakdowns, which in turn could lead to wars. But, as I said, I have absolutely no predictive powers.)
One thing I find interesting is that nearly all survivalists, however they think the apocalypse will come, believe that a bicycle is an important part of any "survival tool kit". That makes sense when you realize that bikes will be among the few ways we'll be able to get around if fuel supplies or their distribution networks are destroyed. But, of course, if the world comes to an end, the bike shops won't be open and, I imagine, online retailers won't be able to do business. So I've begun to stock tires, tubes, cables, lubes and, yes, even a spare Brooks Pro along with the crates of canned food, bottled water and cases of wine. ;-)
Seriously, though: Bicycles will be useful, but not only as transportation. They can also help you defend against marauding packs of thugs--and zombies.
Yes, there is a bike designed to defend against zombies:
It's actually a pretty clever design, as the motor powers the front wheel as well as the chainsaw. So, I imagine, one could rev the bike up to a pretty decent speed, whether for attacking or defending. Now as to how effective the chainsaw would be against attacking zombies...I dunno.
As for rigging one up or actually using it, all I can say is "Don't try this at home." That is, if you still have a home when the zombies take over.
