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The correct way to deal with that situation is to arrive in a small town, announce peaceful intent, lay out a skill set, willingness to work, and ask to stay.

More often than not, I suspect they would be allowed to stay and add to the security of the community.

That would be quite magnanimous of you. I have to wonder if a hungry belly might induce, just a few mind you, say a twenty-five or thirty thousand to ... sort of enhance ... or exaggerate their abilities and skill sets. What to do about people who are over 45 years of age and more than 25 pounds overweight ? What if their "skill sets" were developed when they were less than 45 years of age and weren't more than 25 pounds overweight ?

I keep asking about people over 45 years of age and more than 25 pounds overweight because I suspect a significant part of American population falls within this group.

You keep mentioning the 45 yo thing. Let me tell you I am over 45 a bit over weight but I put my experience skill set work ethic up against 80-90 percent of those 20-25 years younger than me. I also grew up with no silver spoon ate beans 4 days or better out of the week, wore hand me downs, learn to sew, wash iron, cook plant and work a garden, and take care of my younger siblings. It was cold in our house in the winter and we shared one window fan in the summer. I camp, hiked fished, was a boy scout and learn to shoot. I have had a job of one kind or another since I was 15. I have work in a foundry, a steel fabricator, I’ve been a janitor, night clean-up in a porcelain fixture factory, dug up trees at a nursery, delivered furniture, managed millions of dollars of equipment and materials on large construction projects (both petrochemical and telecom) self taught carpenter and cabinet maker. I can read, write and do math in my head and don’t need a cash register to be able to make change. Other than HVAC there is not anything I hire done to my house. I’ve manage to accumulate a good deal of prepper knowledge over the last few years. And I do my best to live by two codes the Ten Commandments and James Owen’s Cowboy Code. How many people under 25 do you know that can best that?

And for those that are younger than 45 and might be in good physical health, they need to consider their parents and other family members who may need to rely on them for some of the basics. If travel is involved, could a 40-year old and his wife and kids take the parents and the in-laws and protect them and feed them properly? What about medicinal needs?

Lots to consider when the SHTF...

I keep asking about people over 45 years of age and more than 25 pounds overweight because I suspect a significant part of American population falls within this group.

Although you have a point, IMO you are fixating on the wrong thing. Certainly, physical fitness will be a part of who survives, but not 100% of it. The preparations they have made will also be part. But one's attitude and ability to cope, face the new reality, and adapt will be the most important characteristic of the survivors.

You seem to be obsessed with people over 45 and more than 25 pounds overweight (that would be me). However remember, on the plus side, we will take a lot longer to starve than all those skinny young folks, and eventually we won't be overweight anymore! And this old geezer has enough firepower to defend his home against random zombies and arm a few of his neighbors as well.

My economic situation hasn't been the best the last few years, so buying land and relocating isn't an option for me right now. But I do live on the edge of the Sierra Nevada foothills. If things get really bad, in two hours I can load my SUV with a goodly supply of rice, dried beans, and canned food, camping,prospecting, hunting, and fishing gear, and be at some very remote stream deep in a national forest, camping out and sluicing gold.

People over 25lbs overweight will likely last longer than those who are already underweight, or regular weight...when food is scarce...depending upon which of them has stored some rations....I’m 60....and probably in better shape than many 45 year olds....(and a few pounds overweight)....PLUS older people, in many cases, have better mental acuity for problem solving....IMHO