It's a normal day. You are out doing your regular shopping at your local department store. The only problem is: that today is not a normal day, because today is the beginning of the end of the world as everyone knows it. The apocalypse has just begun right in the middle of your home town. You don't know how it happened, and at the moment "how" is not a priority. So, here you are, in the middle of your local department store and you are forced with a life altering decision to make: where is the first department you run to? You may potentially only have time to make it to one stop in the store before the whole thing is ransacked or destroyed so what is your priority?
[Go ahead and vote, I will provide my opinions below]
*Calming music plays in the background patiently*
Okay, so, a little breakdown of my personal opinion of what each department could provide in the above situation.
Automotive
Are you planning to do some traveling during the end of the world? Perhaps you are heading cross country and with mass travel (planes/trains) out of commission that may mean making the trip by car. If this is the case you may want to dash to your store's automotive department and stock up on various vehicle maintenance products. Perhaps some oil, a battery, filters, an extra tire or two, ...an air freshener.
Pros: If you are traveling by vehicle this is going to ensure that your travel is successful.
Cons: If something more drastic happens to your vehicle, or if becomes impractical to use, you just wasted other potential resources.
Clothing
Surely you do not want to only have one change of clothes for the entire duration of the end of the world! Well, a jog to the clothing department can rectify that situation. Okay, maybe it's not the first place most of us would think of in preparation for a global catastrophe, however, there are some sensible things that could come from pulling articles of clothing off of hangers: coats (heavy winter, or wind/rain resistant), a proper running shoe or hiking boot, or... something else I myself have overlooked.
Pros: If you don't happen to be shopping in disaster appropriate attire you can easily grab an arm load to be dressed for the occasion.
Cons: It's really not very practical and you hopefully have better priorities than clothing in the situation.
[Electronics]
"I don't have time for a disaster, it's Shark Week!" While a 52" HDTV might not be the best thing to try to lug out of a store into a danger filled world, there are some things found in the electronics department that could prove useful. Batteries are a key thing you should be looking for, and not just one type, grab a variety for any devices you may have or find in the wake of the apocalypse. Another thing that may be around would be Walkie-Talkies which could prove useful for short to mid range communication with power lines down. Also, any sort of battery powered AM/FM radio to pick up news broadcasts of the surrounding areas (although, as movies have shown us, you may as well ignore them - they're either a trap or dated by the time you arrive...)
Pros: You won't have to worry about your flashlight dying on you, or learning how to translate Morse Code.
Cons: Most of the devices found here are probably not advantageous in a disaster situation if power is knocked out and are more used by us as a form of leisure - something you don't have the luxury of during the apocalypse.
Garden
Have a bit of a green thumb? Plan on developing one in your new future? Stop by and pick up the proper supplies. Processed food doesn't last forever, eventually you are going to grow tired of eating out of cans for every meal of the day, picking up the correct seeds and perhaps a "How to..." guide can solve that problem in the long run. Another wonderful tool they have in the Garden department: gardening tools. These heavy metal objects easily double into effective melee weapons to ward off would be attackers.
Pros: Good eats and weapons-a-plenty.
Cons: Farming is a long term investment, very dependent on your climate, and not always very profitable; the tools can be outclassed by other weapons.
Pantry/Grocery
Chances are you didn't pack a bountiful meal on your way to the store and as a result don't have much to fulfill your hunger in the coming days, or more importantly, quench your thirst. A good run up and down the pantry aisles is a good remedy for this. Food and water is an essential part of survival, and there is bound to be enough of it in the department store to satisfy your needs for as long as you can ration it out.
Pros: A variety of nutritionally packed food is a good source of energy to keep your mind and body in prime survival mode, instead of focusing on your shrinking stomach eating itself.
Cons: If you're not 'shopping smart' you could be wasting precious time on food that is not going to be of any real benefit to you.
Sporting Goods
The mother lode of survival gear. The department that inspired this topic. The place everyone else will be flocking too... This department has everything from fishing and hunting supplies, to camping gear, to bikes. What doesn't this department have that you'll need in a crisis? A shitload of panicked customers. Yeah, you can find a lot of things back here that you will want and need during the coming days and months, but so can everyone else.
Pros: It has practically everything you could want for surviving long periods of time with otherwise limited resources.
Cons: Everyone is going to be making their way there, making it possible what you want will be gone or that someone could go to extreme measures (read: attack you) to get what you have.
Other
I know I left out some big departments: House wares, Toys, and Pharmacy come to mind. But unless you want to be eating with some fine silverware or trying to pull off some absurd 'Home Alone' antics with toy skateboards and laser guns I don't see house wares or toys being of any logical use. Pharmacy could be useful for someone knowing what they are looking for, but to just start grabbing drugs in hopes of using them or selling them is not always a great strategy.
If enough of you disagree with me I can add an 8th option to the Poll.
So, that's that. You have made your first step onto the rugged path of the apocalypse - hopefully you are wearing your good shoes, it's going to be long walk.
[Go ahead and vote, I will provide my opinions below]
*Calming music plays in the background patiently*
Okay, so, a little breakdown of my personal opinion of what each department could provide in the above situation.
Automotive
Are you planning to do some traveling during the end of the world? Perhaps you are heading cross country and with mass travel (planes/trains) out of commission that may mean making the trip by car. If this is the case you may want to dash to your store's automotive department and stock up on various vehicle maintenance products. Perhaps some oil, a battery, filters, an extra tire or two, ...an air freshener.
Pros: If you are traveling by vehicle this is going to ensure that your travel is successful.
Cons: If something more drastic happens to your vehicle, or if becomes impractical to use, you just wasted other potential resources.
Clothing
Surely you do not want to only have one change of clothes for the entire duration of the end of the world! Well, a jog to the clothing department can rectify that situation. Okay, maybe it's not the first place most of us would think of in preparation for a global catastrophe, however, there are some sensible things that could come from pulling articles of clothing off of hangers: coats (heavy winter, or wind/rain resistant), a proper running shoe or hiking boot, or... something else I myself have overlooked.
Pros: If you don't happen to be shopping in disaster appropriate attire you can easily grab an arm load to be dressed for the occasion.
Cons: It's really not very practical and you hopefully have better priorities than clothing in the situation.
[Electronics]
"I don't have time for a disaster, it's Shark Week!" While a 52" HDTV might not be the best thing to try to lug out of a store into a danger filled world, there are some things found in the electronics department that could prove useful. Batteries are a key thing you should be looking for, and not just one type, grab a variety for any devices you may have or find in the wake of the apocalypse. Another thing that may be around would be Walkie-Talkies which could prove useful for short to mid range communication with power lines down. Also, any sort of battery powered AM/FM radio to pick up news broadcasts of the surrounding areas (although, as movies have shown us, you may as well ignore them - they're either a trap or dated by the time you arrive...)
Pros: You won't have to worry about your flashlight dying on you, or learning how to translate Morse Code.
Cons: Most of the devices found here are probably not advantageous in a disaster situation if power is knocked out and are more used by us as a form of leisure - something you don't have the luxury of during the apocalypse.
Garden
Have a bit of a green thumb? Plan on developing one in your new future? Stop by and pick up the proper supplies. Processed food doesn't last forever, eventually you are going to grow tired of eating out of cans for every meal of the day, picking up the correct seeds and perhaps a "How to..." guide can solve that problem in the long run. Another wonderful tool they have in the Garden department: gardening tools. These heavy metal objects easily double into effective melee weapons to ward off would be attackers.
Pros: Good eats and weapons-a-plenty.
Cons: Farming is a long term investment, very dependent on your climate, and not always very profitable; the tools can be outclassed by other weapons.
Pantry/Grocery
Chances are you didn't pack a bountiful meal on your way to the store and as a result don't have much to fulfill your hunger in the coming days, or more importantly, quench your thirst. A good run up and down the pantry aisles is a good remedy for this. Food and water is an essential part of survival, and there is bound to be enough of it in the department store to satisfy your needs for as long as you can ration it out.
Pros: A variety of nutritionally packed food is a good source of energy to keep your mind and body in prime survival mode, instead of focusing on your shrinking stomach eating itself.
Cons: If you're not 'shopping smart' you could be wasting precious time on food that is not going to be of any real benefit to you.
Sporting Goods
The mother lode of survival gear. The department that inspired this topic. The place everyone else will be flocking too... This department has everything from fishing and hunting supplies, to camping gear, to bikes. What doesn't this department have that you'll need in a crisis? A shitload of panicked customers. Yeah, you can find a lot of things back here that you will want and need during the coming days and months, but so can everyone else.
Pros: It has practically everything you could want for surviving long periods of time with otherwise limited resources.
Cons: Everyone is going to be making their way there, making it possible what you want will be gone or that someone could go to extreme measures (read: attack you) to get what you have.
Other
I know I left out some big departments: House wares, Toys, and Pharmacy come to mind. But unless you want to be eating with some fine silverware or trying to pull off some absurd 'Home Alone' antics with toy skateboards and laser guns I don't see house wares or toys being of any logical use. Pharmacy could be useful for someone knowing what they are looking for, but to just start grabbing drugs in hopes of using them or selling them is not always a great strategy.
If enough of you disagree with me I can add an 8th option to the Poll.
So, that's that. You have made your first step onto the rugged path of the apocalypse - hopefully you are wearing your good shoes, it's going to be long walk.
