Let's face it: No one ever wants to come face to face with a flesh-eating, undead mob. When the decision to fight or flee enters our brains, our sense of self-preservation usually wins out and we quietly run like hell when confronted with the diseased and decayed horde. However, if you must fight them off, it's important to know how to fight smartly and safely. You have to dress appropriately, and be correctly armed. In other words, keep it basic, and keep it simple, Stupid.
When fighting zombies, there's an inherent risk of being bitten by one. A bite from the undead usually leads to infection then eventually zombification. If you wish to live another day and not join the ranks of the walking dead, it's vital to keep your skin covered.
Do not wear short-sleeve shirts, tank tops, or any piece of clothing that exposes any part of your body. Put on long sleeves, leather jackets, sweaters, jeans and long socks. Try to find clothes that completely cover the body from your neck to your toes, like welding overalls or a firefighter's getup. Layer up, as much as possible. Of course, you could go everyday handyman style and wrap yourself in duct tape from head to toe if you can't find anything suitable to wear.
When you need to kill a zombie, it's important to have the right weapons for the job. Basic ones are the best. You don't want anything fancy, heavy, or over the top. Chain sawing zombies is for the movies, people. Chain saws are bulky, hard to control, and are a waste of precious gasoline. Axes are fine if you want to put one or two of the freaks down quickly without a fuss, but aren't great for encounters with large groups of zombies. If you miss, you won't have time to bring the axe back up to protect yourself. Baseball bats are easy to control and lightweight, but still have a lot of hitting power to them. Use aluminum bats, as they will last longer and not break.
If you would rather keep your distance, and if you have experience with them, use firearms. Don't use machine guns; they waste ammunition. Assault rifles are fairly accurate and have select-fire settings, giving you control over the rate of fire. In terms of ease of use, the shotgun is your best bet. Easy to learn, operate, has a wide shot radius; a shotgun performs well when used to insta-kill a zombie with a headshot. Remember to not waste ammo. Aim for the head and make every shot count. Don't go Rambo and start firing off wild shots, or you will be left with nothing but a useless gun and an angry mob of flesh-eaters eyeing you as their next meal ticket.
You have to remember to keep it basic. Dress to cover up, and have the simplest tools. No gung-ho attitude. Keep it basic, and keep it simple, Stupid.