It’s the end of the world, zombies are shambling about the streets, but you are at a friends house in a strange city. You can readily get to the local pharmacy, what to grab?
- Regular SOAP – Basic hygiene is still very important and this should be your first action for small cuts and abrasions. Harsher cleaners (Iodine, Alcohol) slow how quickly wounds heal.
- Self Adhesive Bandages – Get the multiple size packs so you can cover a range of small wounds.
- Gauze and Tape – For the large cuts. Get the cloth tape, it is stronger, and the individually wrapped 4×4 gauze packs.
- Iodine – to sterilize water and the obvious antiseptic uses. Clean water will shortly became a major issue.
- Antiobiotics – Grab some Amoxicillin. Its a good wide spectrum antibiotic for post apocalypse infections.
- Ibuprofen – low grade painkillers, the point is to keep my mind clear, not get high.
- Chewable Multivitamin – They are easy to digest and don’t put the stress on the kidneys that some highly concentrated solid tablets will. Will help you fight off malnutrition when the food gets scarce.
- Zip-Lock Baggies & Black Sharpie Marker – Put everything in bags to reduce its packaging dimensions and weight.
- Tweezers – Splinters are a bitch.
- Power bars – good source of short term fuel to keep you walking/running until you can get someplace safe.
- Bottled water – this is the tough one. Take a liter, but water is heavy and will slow down your march. But not enough and you rapidly loose effectiveness. If you think you can easily resupply, just take a little. If you are in the high desert, this might be the number one item to take though.
Don’t carry so much you can’t walk. Your primary goal should be to take enough to keep you alive until you can get to someplace safer.
Disclaimer – Remember this is advice for the apocalypse. Its only okay to grab some from the pharmacy when everyone is a zombie. (The lawyers make us say it.)