I’m confused, you’d change your gear based on the assumption that you’re going to run into low to no zombies? I’d always assume you’re going to encounter zombies, and only alter what you are wearing based on needs.
In the case of general looting, your normal gear plus an oversized camping backpack with some sort of improvised quick release system is going to be best. Bring some extra water, since you’re likely to be carrying a lot.
At the first sign of trouble drop your gear so you get back full mobility. Zombies aren’t going to be interested in a backpack, and if it’s human thieves it’ll be better to drop and run than increase your chance of death.
I’d also suggest you carry a smaller and easy to secure secondary pack for vitals like meds, so even if you end up having to fully abandon your larger pack, you’ve not lost the most important things.
I don’t think a full riot gear or similar is realistic to be worn every single day. If you’re planning on raiding a high risk, high reward location then ofcourse I’m going to prepair differently compared to when I’m hiking to check some random houses on the countryside.
Personally, I’d probably opt for mostly hiking clothes, as military camo might be a bit too provocative. Working boots or something similar would keep my feet safe from rusty nails and glass, and cut-resistant working gloves would probably be ideal as well. Wearing a helmet wouldn’t be a bad choice, but realistically, I’ll probably just wear a hat of some sort; it doesn’t really matter. I would likely carry the most essential tools on my belt and keep the rest in a backpack.
If you are not planning on looting construction sites, or 20 years after the apocalypse, you would not worry about rusty nails and helmets. Hiking gear (especially good hiking boots) and hats are very useful if you plan to walk a lot, in order to stay confortable and not too tired. If you use vehicles, working clothes may be good not as much for their protection, but because they are generally more resistant to wear and will last longer, and they are also generally practical and decently comfortable
