Today we are going to discuss a necessity in the survival skill department once the Zombie Apocalypse happens and that is having some bite-proof armor. In this case… make chainmail armor out of soda and/or beer can tabs! A video is below the fold. In the ZA you are going to have a lot of time on your hands and we all know that idle hands are the devil’s playground, so let’s stay busy people! The most common way that a zombie can infect the living is through a bite. So while you are out scavenging or killing hoards of zombies you need to ensure that you, pardon the pun, DON’T GET BIT! Let’s take a look at chainmail. Be sure to watch the instructional video and see how to make your own armor out of soda and/or beer can tabs! This will be a survival skill that will make you valuable to your team and ensure that you will survive the zombie apocalypse.
Chain-mail was the earliest form of metal armor and was probably invented before the 5th century by the ancient Celts. The name mail comes from the French word “maille” which is derived from the Latin “macula” meaning “mesh of a net”. The armor itself involved the linking of iron or steel rings, the ends of which were either pressed together, welded or riveted. Until the 14th century, mail was the primary armor for the average soldier. The main use of chainmail was to stop the wearer from being cut by the opponents blade. Mail did nothing to stop the damage from the force of the blow however, and was usually worn over a thick, padded undergarment. From the 1320′s, shirts of mail, known as hauberks or byrnies, were often provided with flared sleeves covering to the middle of the forearms, and were long enough to reach past the wearer’s knees.
But you’re not a blacksmith are you? Nope… neither am I. So let’s look at a way to make your own with none of that leather bib wearing, hammer smashing blacksmith experience. Let’s make it out of something that will be pretty plentiful and easy to gather while scavenging… soda and/or beer can tabs! You can head over to Instructables and be guided step by step how to weave those little tabs together to make a bite proof, flexible, repairable suit of chainmail to protect you from the zombies and ensure that you… Don’t Get Bit! Or… watch the video below. What you’ll need are wire cutters, a staple remover and soda and/or beer can tabs (1000 is a good start).
Not to be a bummer, but real chainmail is not much harder to make than this.. You need metal wire, a spool to wind it on, tin snips and something to help bend it. No hammering needing for butted or welded maile. But this is certainly much more fitting for a ZA situation. But, given electricity and other things using wire will be useless in a lot of towns, and cans of pop or beer will likely be hoarded, it could be hard to find. Awesome stuff though.