Zombie Tech

While there is a large gap to bridge when it come to the choice of weaponry for those fighting zombies, there is also a gap in the technology in regard to the gizmos that people decide to mount on their weapons.
While there is the argument by some for simplicity, a club, bat, or sword, there is just also the argument for more modern weapons such as the AR15/M4 variants and other firearms. While there are few options to add on to your sword other than a different sheath or grip, perhaps a new manner to keep an edge, there are literal tons of options for one to add to their favorite firearm. Here we will look at some of the more modern.
1. The flashlight: While there is no doubt the most here have at least one in their homes, perhaps even one close at hand as you read this, those that are designed at mount on weapons tend to be different from you everyday light. Firstly, those that are high quality(also high priced) tend to be vastly brighter than your average mag light, some reaching well beyond two or three hundred lumens. The flashlight is perhaps one of the most practical of the gadgets that one can mount since in low light environments it is mandatory that you be able to tell friend from foe, though run life for high end lights can leave something to be desired.
2. Red Dot Sight: This is perhaps the hottest of the items that people want to mount on their long guns in today’s world. There are a wide variety of makes, models, and manufactures with prices ranging from as low as twenty dollars to well north of seven hundred or more. While there can be no argument that they help a marksmen get onto target faster the large red dot can force accuracy to be lost in favor of speed, and they are not indestructible, regard what some may have seen or believe. While a well made sight is a great addition they are no replacement for old fashioned iron sights and proper marksmanship.
3. Night vision/ Infrared: While the two, Night Vision and infrared, are two different things they try to accomplish the same thing, allowing one to see in low light or complete darkness without a visible light that may give them away. Some of the latest generations equipment have even gone so far as to combine the two in a kind of hybrid of the two to offer a better picture. However, while being able to see at night is an advantage they narrow the line of sight, are highly expensive and rare outside of military use, and eat batteries alive.
4. Laser Sight: In the writers opinion laser sights tend to have little use in combat, though they are not useless by any degree. They only hold a small bit of use outside of very specific applications. However, this only falls under the visible light lasers, those that are used in conjunctions with night vision have a vast amount of use in marking and aiding in aiming at night. Visible lasers, however, hold a very possible use against the undead since while a human may realize what the red dot being pointed at them is a zombie will not thus allowing for more precise aiming and possibly even a means of distraction.
While is article is only a brief exploration into a subject that could fill a book all of the above carry with them a very real problem. They all rely on batteries to work. Without them they become useless, not even making a good paper weight often enough. With the exception of some red dot sights, which can run from months to years on one set of batteries few of the other gadgets will run more than a day or two at most. While you can carry packs of batteries on you the weight and bulk that they take up can be used in other ways that can better help you survive. Also, with the exception of the red dot sight and to degrees to the laser sight, flashlight and night vision are used primarily for night excursions which should be avoided like the plague since the night gives the advantage to the undead.
Comments (25)







Caleb Hader on 25 Jul 2009 at 5:11 pm #
I agree that using only the high tech sights of today is not the best idea, I do believe that if you need speed in your shooting they can help considerably. I have a red dot, which was designed for a dovetail, but I’m gonna try and alter it so it can fit on a pit canny rail, because it can help me sight in quicker, if I need every second for the situation. This said however, I do not believe you should ever use something that isn’t a constant, whether that’s a rifle scope, or iron sights, because obviously it won’t do you any good to go running around with something that could very well die on you in the middle of shooting your way out of a swarm of either zombies, or worse, feral animals. I would also recommend you learn to point shoot, which I’m sure has been said before, because it can never hurt to be a good shot without aiming.
sean on 25 Jul 2009 at 7:19 pm #
I’m quite surprised that regular optical scopes were’nt mentioned
despite the fact that the article is on technological advancements that could aid in survival i think it’s a bit too specific an article on either technology that could aid survival or one on say modern innovations to firearms would be better for this category.
Sharpshooter on 25 Jul 2009 at 9:42 pm #
well sean i wouldnt call a “regular optical scope” a high tech device. useful? most deffinatly. not not very high tech mate.
Sharpshooter on 25 Jul 2009 at 9:50 pm #
and i would stick relitivly low tech people. the more extravagent it is the harder it is to find replacement parts and fix it. flashlight are ALWAYS a good idea i dont care what kind of apocolypse we have weather it’s zombies, mother nature, or demons from hell. a flashlight is just your best friend in those kind of circumstances!!!
Ronin666 on 25 Jul 2009 at 10:04 pm #
Mounted lighting would be a good idea,stick with the lower powered stuff, 100 to 150 lumens and enjoy reasonable battery life. Head mounted lights are also a good idea to keep the hands free.
I love red dots sights, I had one on a pump action Franchi shot gun back when Australians were trusted with such things. I plan on putting one on my pump action 223 Remington.You still need standard sights tho, nothing electronic is foolproof.
$1000 will get you pretty good night vision,3K will get you really good night vision. Staying in your hiding place at night will keep you alive. I worked in a film lab in total darkness for 4 yrs and we used night vision quite a lot for running repairs to machines, I can tell you it’s not easy on the eyes, its also bulky and the batteries are not light and don’t last a long time.
Laser sights, hmmm, never tried one but really don’t see the point in this situation.
Sharpshooter on 26 Jul 2009 at 2:04 am #
you know what would be great? torches. fire is easy to make and VERY low tech, cant go wrong!!!
Ryan Elliott on 26 Jul 2009 at 1:00 pm #
Looks like the plans have changed for fortification… time to take over a battery factory.
AlStar on 27 Jul 2009 at 1:13 am #
Personally i have a lamp does not need batteries, use a shaking mechanism to charge. There are also models with a manivel (rotatory thing) to generate power. In this line, i strongly recomend some kind of power source. But I still think it’s not a prob of tech, instead must be creative.
Any gun, battery or combustible will run out relatively fast. I’m on the side of the good ol’ knives, swords or bats (the hittin’ ones). And some explosive or incendiary stuff for the big onslaught.
Some Gasoline or engine oil with the proper part of soap makes a decent napalm that could be used into a molie. In case you dont have a lighter a 9V batt should do the spark. There are plenty docs enough to make a little home made guerrilla.
Well, it’s not hi tech but still useful tech.
Aaron B on 27 Jul 2009 at 1:39 am #
I think it would be quiet resonable to take the factory, if you get it in a short enought time while the power is still on you could use the sheat metal to weald over the windows and doors. Leaveing you with a realy big safehouse, and plenty of space for extra survivers. You could probably dig up some dirt and move it to a solid spot on the roof so you could grow crops. Their is the posability of there being some generaters there.
But back to the attachments, I prefur iron sights and scopes because they will always be there for me when I need them. But I might have some nightvision googles. but what ever happend to talking about actul attachments such as modding a small 12 GA. so you can attach it to the barrel of your rifle, or the 32 mm. gerande launcher, or somthing like a pistol atachment to the barel of the rifle with a quick detach so you could remove it and use it like a usual pistol or leave it on to carry it and use it as a pistol grip to steady your rifle. What I am trying to say is that their is usfuler attachments than this junky technological crap. Because some day you are bound to run out of batterys, wether it be in your lifespan or not but they sould be used sparingly to prolong use. so instead of useing thoughs fansy nightvision googles you could wear a eye patch esentuly ceaping one eye in the dark. (meaning that when its dark out you use your dark ready eye, and when it is light out use your other eye. doing this actuly does help alot.)
Adam on 27 Jul 2009 at 2:02 pm #
Infra-red?
Seriously?
Infra-red works on the basis of detecting body heat.
Dead people do not give off body heat.
Infra-red, therefore, is useless against zombies.
It may help you to see other survivors, but you’d be blind to the zombies, even if they were right in front of you.
Angryvikingman on 30 Jul 2009 at 7:00 am #
Well, making assumptions that zombies will have no body heat may come back to bite you, literally. You never know until it happens. Depending on the IR system, and the ambient temperature, they may show up as shadows on a gray background. Could be a bit tricky in the winter though, with the cold weather and all.
Sharpshooter on 01 Aug 2009 at 11:47 am #
all deppends on what kind of zombies.
insurance appointment setting on 05 Aug 2009 at 1:31 pm #
some good points, but I disagree about the flashlight. If you can see 300 feet then they can see you from 3000 feet. plus it kills batterys.
jordan on 10 Aug 2009 at 1:32 pm #
Adam-
The IR doesn’t work in detecting heat always. Some, the more effective ones in my opinion, work on the basis of seeing IR light and using it like a flash light. Take your camcorder and T.V. remote control into a dark room. Look through your view finder and start mashing buttons on the remote you’ll see flashes of grayish light. If you don’t see anything its because either the remotes IR emitter is to weak or it doesn’t use IR try pointing the remote directly into the lens.
As for technology does it need to be stuff we’ve already got? What about retrofits for existing vehicles and equipment or specialized tools developed exclusively for making the dead act their age if you know what I mean.
In My own personal R&D laboratory I’ve developed a, for lack of a better term, Anti-Zombie Mine.
Basically a fragmentation case packed with explosives mounted between 5 and 6 feet off the ground on a pole detonated either remotely or by wire whiskers sticking out about 8 inches all around the “head” of the device.
I call them Head Hunters.
I thinking a coffee can inside a bigger coffee can with ball barrings sandwiched in between. The inner can holds the explosives of availability and a detonator corresponding with the explosives used.
Mount the whole thing on a pvc and thats all their is to it.
Again if this is ever used in a movie just toss some credit my way and drop my name in the movie, thats all I ask.
Angryvikingman on 11 Aug 2009 at 11:23 pm #
A small coffee can wouldnt be able to supply enough of a pressurized blast to hurl your projectiles with sufficient force as to kill in a suitable radius. Try a piece of steel pipe. Thread it, and put end caps on it. 2″ diameter pipe ought to do great if you pack it full of black powder. I say black powder because that will be the easiest explosive to manufacture in your home, or that is comercially available to the public, or that doesnt require a license to buy. If you dont believe me, take the coffee can you intended to use, and fill it with powder, then do one my way, bury them both a foot deep and set them off. The crater left from the steel pipe bomb will be larger than the one left by the coffee can because the steel pipe can handle more pressure before it reaches structural failure, thus increasing the size of your blast. But… you didnt hear that from me….
Aaron B on 15 Aug 2009 at 1:29 am #
nothing electronic can be trusted
Perkele-tor on 15 Aug 2009 at 2:56 am #
Everyone should have a Mag-light or a tac-light handy in general.
I agree about the pipes verse cans, but I like Jordan’s idea for perimeter mines instead of grenade type weapons.
While I think all the above sighting apparatus are handy, I usually prefer to carry more food and use good old iron sights. To me, these would seem more handy from a stationary position with a stockpile of batteries, especially flashlights. They could be used to full effect when it counts most at the height of an infestation and discarded when the juice runs out. For travelers I think all electronics should be reserved for reconnaissance. I had a set of PVS-7s on loan for a while which I really liked but I wouldn’t try operating like normal just because I could see at night. On the other hand they would be really good for building searches after all the power goes out.
I also like the ACOG sight because it isn’t an electronic red dot. I’d still have to stick to my iron sights though because our only T-14 is on my girlfriends FAL.
Perkele-tor on 15 Aug 2009 at 3:01 am #
I just remembered an old topic that mentioned silencers, and I think my silenced MkII would be handy for getting around perimeters of groups or hunting near city edges, especially with a night-vision setup.
No one has mentioned technological melee equipment yet, though I think even my best Husqi would be too finicky and messy to use.
The best technology os in the manufacturing. A modern made double bit or broad sword would be handy. I do love my 3lb double-bit steel falling axe. Heavy enough to cut deep but light enough to keep swinging all day, and an edge that won’t quit.
Angryvikingman on 23 Aug 2009 at 9:20 pm #
@ KillerB
Black powder pressure sensitive?
Yeah, because putting powder in a muzzle loader, and using a ramrod and packing a projectile on top of the powder isnt applying pressure?
Its not like I’d get powder in the threads any-fucking-way because I’m smart enough to use a funnel, and NOT fill the pipe all the way. I don’t know why you decided to get on here and curse at me in the fashion that you did, but I’m reporting it to the admins.
Priad on 28 Aug 2009 at 4:19 pm #
I do not know why anyone has not brought this up yet, The best sword to have during the zed apocalypse is by far the katana. It is light, sharp, strong, and if you blacken the blade or buy it blackened it is totally invisible at night. I do know that i never really liked the idea of katanas because of all the nerds and anime shows but after reading about it and getting my hands on one it is one of the singlemost deadly close quarters zombie killer other than the Gurhka kukri which has a curved edge designed for lopping of heads
KillerB on 30 Aug 2009 at 5:32 pm #
Dude it is not that the powder is pressure sensitive. It is that pressure causes heat. So when you thread down the cap then pressure (ie Heat) is applied near a highly combustable substance. Funnel it in. AND still wipe the threads. Or use PVC and add frag using whatever you can find. Using plastic almost completly eleminates the very real possiblity of premature ingnition of your device. SO Angryvikingman…………PEACE.
Nickoli99 on 08 Sep 2009 at 7:44 pm #
Red dot sights an lasers would be helpfull during the initial outbreak, but people should practice marksmanship with iron sights. When batteries run dead you have to be efficiant with what you have. And night vision is great with a rifle but a torch an a remington 870 with folding stock an eight round extended magazine will do.
In my opinion the best set of weopons to have on you is a katana, 9 inch smooth blade combat knive, M1 carbine (or similar weopon) a Beretta m9 chambered in 40 s&w an a fashlight without finite fuel.
Semi auto would be best with a carbine round.
an a smaller caliber handgun gives you a larger magazine capacity
an low recole
3-15 INF on 27 Oct 2009 at 8:27 pm #
I think all of these tools are absolutely practical- weapon mounted taclights are useful for clearing buildings, and red dots are the quickest close quarters site made (especially the eotech holosite).
Just because these tools will eventually run out of juice doesn’t make them a bad idea. What, just because guns will run out of ammo someday makes them unreliable? I’d rather make the first couple of hundred dead with less effort first, thanks. That’s like saying why bother having food if you eventually eat it all.