Welcome to the Apocolypse!

[Dedicated_Dad]

In my crippled state, no vehicle means I go nowhere.

As to the firearms, I'd probably stick to either my camp .45/1911 combo, or my sig/KT Sub2k combo. Both have interchangeable mags, I'm confident either could bring down anything up to a deer so I'd have no problems with food or defense inside 100 yards, and I can carry a squat-load of ammo - coincidentally the exact reasons I bought these weapons.

Honestly, I think the most likely scenario at this point isn't going to be caused by FOREIGN enemies...

God help us...

DD

[D5CAV]

The big difference is that Kim's Walk Across America was set in 1600 -- 200 years before Lewis & Clark tried the trip.

Lewis & Clark made it out and back by G-d's grace and some fortunate turns with the natives, and they had a team of about 20. Furthermore, the population of the US was about 6 million at the time of Lewis & Clark.

In 1600, the population was maybe 3 million. With some luck, you might actually make it from one end to the other if you were careful to stay away from the two-legged predators.

In your apocalypse scenario, you have the current US population down 50% to 75%. That's still a population of 80 million to 160 million people. The probability of traveling over 3,000 miles through a population of even 80 million without running into two-legged predators approaches zero.

About the only way I can imagine getting from one end of the US to the other in your scenario is with a cavalry troop or, at a minimum, a cavalry platoon: 4ea M1 Abrams tanks and 5ea M2 Bradley AFVs. Now you're looking at a team of about 50 (200 if you go with the troop, which is more realistic), plus you need to feed each of your mounts about a gallon of fuel for every mile travelled.

If you are not part of a team, you will last maybe 100 miles all by your lonesome (3 days walking). If you have a vehicle, you will be even more noticable, and you will be forced to travel on choke points -- i.e. what's left of roads. The 100 mile estimate still stands (less than 1 day in a vehicle). The only way you'll make it by yourself is to find a working airplane and fly -- but it has to be a big one, because you'll have to do it non-stop.

[Precision]

I'll play.

I am not nearly prepared as I would like to be (nor as Chris and some others are).

I will also not play entirely by the rules.

Rules I will not play by.

going it alone. I will definitely have one travel partner.
Gear that I own. if 50% of the populace is dead, there is gear to be had. Not to mention that if I am traveling cross country then I am going to procure the needed supplies PRIOR to leaving.

My scenario. I live in Florida and rarely go outside of Florida or Georgia, so I will assume I am at my home in Florida. Why I would want to go to the West Coast is beyond me, but we'll let that slide.

The basics
synthetic insulated mummy sleeping bags
2 man hikers tent with rain fly (for each)
water filtration system with back up filter and pre-filter
fire making equipment
good sturdy axe and machete
sharpening stone . . . compass, maps etc
rain gear . . . . basic first aid kit
basic tool set . . . . Proper clothes for 4 seasons
2 100' sections of quality 1/2" organic rope
gun cleaning gear


Weapons
Compound bow with 3 dozen arrows and broad heads
K-bar knife
3 inch folder
SKS with 20 stripper clips loaded and 500 additional rounds iron sights
Ruger 10-22 w scope 4 10 round mags loaded + 1000 rounds of ammo + 50 rounds subsonic
Glock G-17 with 4 spare mags loaded with JHP and 100 additional JHP and 300 additional ball
Ruger Mark III with 4 spare mags loaded and shared ammo with 10-22
Keltec PF-9 2 mags shared ammo with Glock and IWB except while sleeping. you never know.

I would take the time to procure (or make) scabbards (rain resistant) for both rifles. The SKS would be mounted on my horse, the G-17 would be OC on my strong side hip and the PF-9 IWB on weak side appendix. The bow, 10-22 and the Mark III would ride on the pack animal. The 10-22 in its own scabbard sealed to the elements but semi ready. My travel partner would also have a G-17 with a similar amount of ammo and a Remington 700 DBL DM with a 3x9 Nikon monarch in his riding scabbard with 200 rounds of SP ammo.

The horses would rotate duty as pack animal and personal transport on a daily basis.
My research says that max sustained daily distance for a lightly laden horse is 25(ish) miles per day. I will assume an average of 5 miles per day between the mountains and having a pack animal, multiple riders, hunting and the other tribulations. From my East coast location to San Diego (2500 miles) would take about 500 days.

I would leave in early January and roughly follow the I-10 corridor to Tallahassee. From my not so secret location in Florida, Tallahassee is about 300 miles. I assume through the flat lands of Florida I should be well ahead of my 5 mile per day pace (call it 8 mpd), so I should reach Tallahassee in about 5-6 weeks. I plan on building in one day per week as foul weather / rest day. At this point, I would rest myself and the horses for 3-4 days and re-evaluate my pack out as well as experience based issues and resupply on any basics and consumables.

From there, I continue to head west along the I-10 corridor with the next planned stop near Biloxi. This should take another 5-6 weeks on the flat terrain. In the Biloxi area, I would plan for another 3-4 day rest and re-eval / re-supply.

Continuing from Biloxi, I would keep to the I-10 route through to Baton Rouge LA. This leg should take another 3-4 weeks and put me at the Mississippi River after a few days of rest and resupply, I would cross, then follow the Mississippi River north.

Being early April, the weather should be fairly pleasant if somewhat rainy as I travel north along the Mississippi River toward Alexandria, LA and the Red River. I anticipate this leg of the journey will be a little more difficult with terrain changes and following the meanders of a river. This should take another 3-4 weeks and I will take a 3-4 day break before I follow the Red River Northwest to Texarkana TX.

It should take another 5 weeks to Texarkana, following the same rest and resupply protocol.

The next stop is Amarillo, TX. I continue to follow the Red River and this 500 mile leg should take about 13-14 weeks with a 2 day stop in both Sherman and Vernon TX. This should put me into mid to late August heading into New Mexico.

Its late and I'm tired, so the remaining stops would be in Albuquerque, Flagstaff, Sun City, Yuma and finally San Diego. Barring desert difficulties that I am too tired to look up.

This should put me in San Diego around February.

My strategy would be to follow the water. Stay near the coast in the early going as there are plenty of water and fishing opportunities. At the Mississippi, follow that to the Red River and continue west with that as the water and fish source. Avoiding large urban areas by no less than 30 miles.

Attempting to avoid as much as possible large communities and high traffic areas. Barter when needed, take few risks in travel, with the weather, with personal safety. If in doubt, slow down to conserve the horses and food and fatigue. Show NO mercy to bandits and outlaws, but attempt to avoid them if possible.