Hello there Zombie Hungry Populous,

     So in the spirit of deciding whether or not to stay put or get moving during a zombie outbreak, I thought I would tackle a bit more of the specifics.  Namely, I wanted to talk about the types of things you might want to stock up on when boarding up the old homestead.  Now keep in mind that you might wanna keep your stockpile secret so friends don't think you are completely insane (unless you have friends like mine who share the idea that the zombie apocalypse is an inevitability rather than fiction.)

I thought I'd break this down into categories.

A- Food.
     This one is rather easy in my opinion.  Canned foods are your best bet here, as canned food will last quite a while and are easy to stack.  And as an added bonus, during certain can themed mega sales (like how I avoided copyright infringement there...) can be quite cheap.  Now you want to stock up on certain things such as protein, citrus fruits, fats, and green veggies.  Beans are a wonderful source of protein and come in a variety of types to keep things fresh.  You definitely want to stock up on plenty of veggies, especially leafy greens (kale, spinach, collard greens, etc.,) plus some variety in corn, beets, and carrots (some nice minced veggies should do nicely.)  Then you want fruit.  Oranges to be more precise.  Fruit is a good, natural source of vitamins and sugars, as well as a nice way to stave off scurvy.  Then we got to have some fat thrown in there (yes you heard me right, without fat in your diet you can actually starve.)  I'm not sure what kind of fats you can get in non perishable forms, but feel free to be creative here.

B-Weapons.
     This is another essential.  There is a high probability you will have to engage on some hand to hand combat here.  If you are uncomfortable keeping weapons like blades, knives, or firearms, you can use certain household items instead.  Table and chair legs can suffice as bludgeoning weapons, and that goes the same with sports equipment like bats or hockey sticks.  As for my own personal preference, handguns and shotguns make great close quarters weapons when you are trying to secure a household.  I wont get too detailed on this, since you can refer to my earlier post about weapon selection.  Just make sure if you have a firearm, have enough of the appropriate ammunition.

C- Medicine.
     Ok, this is where things get a little more complicated.  First, there are some over the counter medicines you want to stockpile.  Painkillers are the first thing you want to have.  I suggest something along the lines of a low dose aspirin, since it can work to protect your heart (it thins the blood a bit, but I am no doctor.)  Then you have things like cold medicine, allergy medicine, and good old fashioned pepto (which if you are like me is most important.  I can't live without my hot wings.)  But when we get to over the counter medicine,
     I must also mention vitamins.  Vitamins are gonna be a good thing to keep around.  Especially multivitamins, vitamin c, vitamin e, and oil of oregano.  I'm sure there are a ton of others you can choose to keep around, but I think these are essential.  Especially the oil of oregano.  If you haven't heard about this little wonder, google it.  I swear by it.
     Finally, we come to controlled substances.  Now that usually comes with the connotation of illicit drugs, but the most important item here will be antibiotics.  In the post zombie apocalypse world, antibiotics will be worth their weight in plutonium (thats right, plutonium, not gold, not platinum, plutonium.)

D- Building Materials.
     Ultimately, you are only as safe as the weakest entrance to your homestead.  Building materials are key here.  Now it doesn't have to be a matter of keeping lumber in your garage, but some household choices can make the securing process much easier.  Having solid doors on all your interior doors will provide you with some top notch lumber.  Using solid doors to close up your windows and exterior doors will definitely help.  Now as for your exterior doors, using steel doors with steel frames will be exponentially safer than regular doors in the zombie apocalypse. Also, tables can be a good source of lumber.
     When securing your materials around your doors and windows, make sure you use a heavy nail or screw.  Roofing nails are a good choice here, but it is absolutely imperative that you put them in on an angle.  This will make it harder to push out the nails, so I suggest about a 30 degree angle.  Also, putting some buttress type pieces of lumber reaching from the center of your sured up exterior entrance to the floor.  Securing it with nails in both the floor and the entrance should make it nice and sturdy.  I suggest multiple layers of buttressing and more nails than you think are necessary.

E- Entertainment.
     This is a definite essential that most people would overlook.  Why entertainment you might ask?  Think about it.  Apart from the obvious, keeping yourself occupied, you will have to combat cabin fever.  I suggest puzzles, brainteasers, books, and board games.  Anything that keeps your mind and time occupied and fresh.  In the event you have a generator and a good supply of fuel, an occasional movie could also work wonders. (Just remember, you will have to ration your fuel, especially to keep warm in the winter months, and emergency nighttime lighting.)

Ok there folks.  This is by no means an exhaustive list (although exhausting to write) and there is about a thousand things you also want to keep handy.  I definitely reserve the right to revisit this topic, as I am sure there will be more detail requested in time.

Thanks for tuning in.  Stay frosty people...