The three essential elements of your apocalypse survival kit

It might seem like a long way off, but if you intend to make it through the apocalypse – zombie or otherwise – you’ll be needing a few special items.  They aren’t difficult to obtain and may seem pretty basic, but for a range of worst-case scenarios, they’re exactly what you’ll need to deal with the situation like a boss.

Glove up

Unless you work in an industry where PPE or Personal Protective Equipment is vital, you might not be accustomed to preventing the transfer of infection with gloves.  However, it’ll become even more essential when antibacterial hand wash, soap, medicines and hospitals are all non-existent.  Before the discovery of penicillin, most people who were infected by bacteria got really ill and often died as a result – so once you’re back in that situation, you’ll need to do everything you can to avoid small injuries – as well as big ones.  Fighting zombies, building barricades and looting, can all play havoc with the skin on your hands, so glove-up to stop them getting damaged.

Your dog

You might see your dog as a cute eating machine with a few sentient qualities that make it fun to be around.  But once civilisation has come crashing down and you’re living in a safe house, surviving on your wits, your mutt will also be a source of warmth, companionship and defence.  Naturally they’ll still need to be fed, but they’ll also help you to find local food sources with their superior sense of smell, and let you catch some shut eye, safe in the knowledge that they’ll let rip with an ear piercing alarm of continual barks whenever someone or something, is approaching your hideout.  Like some do already.

Thrill me honey

Imagine a universe where Tesco is a desolate wasteland, McDonalds has been raised to the ground and Waitrose is home to a pack of feral crawlers.  Sounds great at first, but it also means that our readily available supply of Steve’s Leaves, Spinach, Chicory and Chard salad is gone, along with bread, milk and everything else we need to sustain ourselves.  That’s when packets, tins and dried food will become our true friends, along with an unexpected culinary super hero – honey. It’s sweet, tasty, full of energy and never goes off; well-packed specimens found in tombs have even survived the passing millennia since Ancient Egyptian times.   Honey also has medical applications, like treating minor wounds and burns – start hoarding now.