Older People during z-poc

We have a couple of discussions about kids in the z-poc, what about the older people?
At 50 I'm not as fit as I used to be, I can walk all day but running is another question. During winter the arthritis in my hands (too many years of sword polishing with finger stones) doesn't give me full use untill I've warmed up a bit.
On one hand you have the fact that older people tend to be slower and not so fit, on the other they have years of real life experience and knowledge to share.
You gonna leave us behind or take us with you? I can assure you, you won't be taking my stuff with you without me.:)

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Permalink Reply by PRIME_Ω_PREDATOR on May 17, 2010 at 11:14am
I'm wonderin how many youngins will want to hook up and tag along with us older folks. I don't know if I want them slowin me down..
Permalink Reply by Alice on May 17, 2010 at 12:35pm
I will join your team and Papa Doc anytime. =D And don't worry, I will not slow you down ;)
Permalink Reply by PRIME_Ω_PREDATOR on May 31, 2010 at 1:09pm
When and if the Zpoc hits make sure you put a big D on your forehead in permanent marker.
Permalink Reply by Bastion on May 31, 2010 at 1:40pm
Well I'm a youngin but me dad is 54 and he bikes 40+ miles thing is he can't really run but if he's nt carrying too much he could walk forever and he's about as useful as a swiss army knife with 900 tools so that's a plus too
Permalink Reply by Grendel on July 28, 2010 at 12:15pm
I'm 30, fairly good physical shape (actually surprised to find out i lost 10 lbs recently)
but I also have asthma, and my family has a history of respiratory problems that will probably surface in me within the next 10 years. I can bike, hike, walk, swim and row all fine, but can't really run long distances before I get short of breath, can print though, and cover a lot of ground in very short time. basically I plan on mostly avoiding the zombies, keep enough distance between me and them to pick them off with firearms, sprint away from the shamblers, take out the runners first. and worst case scenario, if they get close enough, I'm fairly confident in my ability to fight them off with melee weapons, without getting bit, real worst case scenario and do get bit, like John Leguizamo said in Land of the Dead, I guess I'll see how the other side lives.
Permalink Reply by Tori Luve on August 9, 2010 at 12:54pm
Most younger people are not in great shape or any better shape than their parents esp once they get past their mid 20's - at least not in the US.

I and my husband are in our 50's - we would survive over younger people. Yes, they may be faster when it comes to running, but we can keep a steady pace and hike all day long with a 30+ lb back pack on. We live off grid in high country - we are already 85% "there" in preparation, weapons and skills.

My dad is pushing 80 and if he was anywhere within grabbing distance when TSHTF (he lives 1000 miles away), he'd be the FIRST person I'd seek out. He is like freekin' Lewis and Clark, a former Marine who served in Korea. Our house caught on fire when I was a teen and he later told us, "good thing it didn't make it to the basement cos the entire town would have been gone! BANG" - god only knows what he had stored down there.

The guy can make wine from cement (he actually did that once to prove a point), was an active hunter and trapper up until a few years ago, can look at any weed or plant and knows if it will kill you, paralyze you or nourish you, knows his weapons, makes his own shells, etc. Plus he is a carpenter by trade with extensive knowledge of cement work, can build from scratch (he blue prints "in his head") and is a natural born tinkerer when it comes to alternative uses for things. And his mind is as clear as a bell.

Even though he is slower, mobility wise, now due to a bum leg, but he would prove indispensable. My mom (77) would be handy because she can cook, can, clean, doctor, etc. And she is a doer, not a complainer. She ain't fast, but you just put the people who can't keep up in a transport vehicle truck (on the back of a horse, donkey, whatever) and the people who can keep up, stay on foot as long as possible.

If you are in a stationary location, then, like Poppa said, you need all the experienced hands you can get.

My kids won't probably survive because they live too close to Manhattan - they have the basic knowledge and skills, just wrong place to be at the right time. A hard reality for a parent to deal with.
Permalink Reply by ubduomk on August 10, 2010 at 1:09am
old people (seniors) are always welcome in my group, I can use their knowledge and experience, so long as they are cooperative and not let their age get to them. someone that lets their age get to them is: they're old so therefore they don't need to help out. or use age as away to get special treatment. Older people know things, grew up, lived in ways people like me, a younger generation did not. war veterans know tactics and strategy that may not be common today. (also their war stories may be worth listening to) people who lived during the WW2 rationing years may know how to get by in ways my generation doesn't, such as wood gas. I'd rather take a 55 year old doctor over a 28 year old doctor, typically age = more experience at their profession. I frankly have no idea what people did for fun when there was no TV or internet/computer to fill the time. There are just so many things I don't know that people from an older generation can help me out with. Diversity is also good, While I know what my parents did back when they grew up, I'd also like to know what other people did back when...ever. Different ideas, experiences, its all good.

Older people, seniors,possess valuable skills and information that is scarce in my group. they are always welcome.
Permalink Reply by Tori Luve on August 10, 2010 at 10:40am
"I frankly have no idea what people did for fun when there was no TV or internet/computer to fill the time"

They TALKED to each other, face to face, in RT. LOL
Permalink Reply by Jericho Syndrome on August 10, 2010 at 11:39am
even worse, they used these primitive means of looking at the news with 'news papers' and when far away they either had to 'shout' or use a telephone that couldn't text...and you had to dial there number EVERY TIME you call...dark times right there....


might be off topic but i totally pictured an 80 year old man on a hover-round with a shotgun holding off better than the rest of us....
Permalink Reply by Tori Luve on August 10, 2010 at 12:22pm
yeah, and READ books to learn things, had to put up with telephone "party lines" (re-invented btw, as 3-way calls, LOL)

That 80 yr old dude would be my dad, Jericho - lol and is the first safe place I told my kids on the EC to try to get to before they tried to make it all the way out here to the ranch.

He could outfit them, instruct them and hell, come along for the "ride"
Permalink Reply by Okota on August 11, 2010 at 1:35am
As a generalization I think "older people" have a more adaptive mindset and are more self-sufficient than today's generation of instant gratification. A couple years ago we had a major power outage. I asked my roommate what he was going to do. He's not that much younger than me so it might have something more to do with mindset than age. He said he was going to watch TV till the power came back on! While I read a book enjoying the afternoon sun, he nearly lost his mind sitting on the couch staring into space.

I remember an incident a few weeks ago where a pair of twenty something thugs tried to rob a 71 year old guy. Unbeknownst to the low life robbers, the man was armed. The victim shot one robber center mass and in the head and critically wounded the other. Turns out the victim was a retired Marine.

The detective on the case said, "These criminals ought to realize that most men in their 70's have military backgrounds and aren't intimidated by idiots."
Permalink Reply by Wrecks on August 13, 2010 at 6:30pm
There is a saying: You do not have to outrun the cheetah, just outrun one other person. The Z-poc is as much or more about planning, keeping a level head, and solving problems as it is about running/jumping/climbing. Unless someone needs to be carried (old or young), they will be able to survive on wits and grit. There will be plenty of other people of all ages and levels of fitness who are clueless enough and give us time to flee, while Zack has his meal. The fittest person is not going to melee a six-pack of Zeds and come out clean, no matter what his hormone filled muscles tell him. Similarly someone in a wheelchair could shoot them from a hundred yards out, with his poise and wartime hardened nerves. Every group has room for people with knowledge, wisdom, and character from life experiences. If it means another person has to carry a few extra pounds of gear, I consider it a trade off. It comes down to the person. Some people are just strong.

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