Things to do in New Orleans When You're Wet

In the aftermath of New orleans being wiped off the face of the earth, and the complete collapse of society into a state of near barbarism, several folks have inquired -- gently -- about my recommendations for properly preparing for a mini-Apocalypse. Let's start with your all importnat trinity of tools; the very foundation of post-armaggedon preparedness: pistol*shotgun*rifle
For pistols, I am a firm believer in the all-around durability of the Glock. Get a full-size one. You won't be worrying about concealability after the fall of authority. It also provides a more stable shooting platform if you need to lend it to an inexperienced shooter. The big debate in handguns is caliber. Most writers will tell you to get the largest caliber weapon you can handle. I say that 9mm is probably the most practical for an emergency tool. 9mm ammunition is plentiful, and the round is very easy to handle for those aforementioned new shooters. If the police in your jurisdiction have switched to the .40, you should consider buying the interchangeable Glock parts for converting your 9mm pistol into a .40 so you can make use of scavanged ammunition.
You might also consider buying whatever handgun is standard issue for your local law enforcement, again to make use of scavanged ammunition. The Beretta is the most widely issued military pistol, and they issue 9mm. So if you intend to scrounge from National Guard supplies, keep that in mind. I still say, go Glock, as multiple authors have subjected the Glock to multiple torture tests, and it just keeps shooting.
The Remington 870 is perhaps the most popular police riot gun and a variety of attachments are available. A barrel choke that spreads your shot into a fan pattern can be very comforting for a mob scene. Shotguns can be equally useful for hunting and close encounters of the bad kind.
The military has been shifting to the Benelli Super 90. Nice piece. Just be sure to stock up on plenty of 12 gauge buckshot.
For rifles, I recommend an AR-15 or clone as your single rifle choice. There are plentiful spare parts from military and police sources following the ruin of our culture. Is it the perfect all around rifle for all your needs? No, but it will solve all your immediate self-defense need -- because you will always use your rifle, even at short range, for your serious anti-personnel work. Get a short, carbine version to save on size and weight. There are hundreds of attachments for the AR-15, most of them are iseless bells and whistles for our current purposes. If you are an ex-Navy SEAL, or other Operator, maybe you'll find them helpful for close quarter combat, but if you're not an armed professional, the only extra worth considering is a flashlight for target identification. After all, you don't want to shoot Grandma.

If you're thinking of a second rifle, or wnat to know what to loot off the steaming corpses of your enemies, get a scoped bolt-action in .30-06. It can be used for hunting, or for those special applications and hard to reach problems.

Knives are especially helpful to have around in a life-threatening situation. They have the added benefit of being available nearly 24 hours a day, and never running out of ammunition. Get into the habit of carrying a folder. I endorse the continual carry of Swiss Army Knives, and a more substantial folder such as a Spyderco, Cold Steel Voyager, or something from the CRKT series. If you expect to be doing odd jobs while you wait for the authorities to rescue you, add a Leatherman pocket tool. these three items can tackle almost any personal need and are handy in a true emergency.
If you're wandering in a lawless wasteland, you'll need a fixed blade. For general use (not just silently removing roaming marauders), I recommend a Ka-bar. This USMC standard will handle all the larger chores your folding knives can't touch. Plus, you'll have a solid pommel to use as a make shift hammer. There are more expensive knives out there, and if you're a blade-nut, go for it. But for the part-time survivalist, a ka-bar is the best way to go.

A handy item to fill several gaps is the Cold Steel Special Forces shovel. This is an entrenching tool on steroids. It is big enough to use when building an emergency shelter, it can be used as a hatchet, and even as a paddle when you want to direct yourself upstream. The tool is based on an item issued to Russian Spetsnaz, whom are taught to fight it with it as a weapon. Although it may not look like much, it is fearsome in that role.
You'll need two kinds of flashlights. A Maglite for general use -- it's best to get a minimag. And a Surefire for high intensity illumination in a compact package. You can use the Surefire for map reading or lighting your abode, but you'll use up the expensive batteries and burn out the lamp faster than you'll go through the water you "liberated" from the hulk of the grocery store. That's why you want the minimag. Save the Surefire for blinding an opponent at night before you perforate him with your Glock; or for checking out Grandma before you accidentally slot her.

I like to add a super tiny maglite Solitaire to my daily carry kit with my Swiss Army knife. You know, just in case.

So how do you carry all this junk? Well, you don't really. Remember, in our scenario you're defending your little slice of "paradise" until either order is restored, or you see Mad Max pass by in his camel-driven, black Interceptor. So all you really need is a holster or your pistol and a slung bag for your spare magazines. But if you want to go whole hog and get organized, check out Blackhawk gear or Maxpedition hip packs. Your local surplus store should have perfectly servicable load-bearing equipment.

So that's it. Stock up on canned goods. Remember the basic formula is 1 gallon of water per person per day. And for goodness sakes: keep your ammunition dry!