10 Important Urban Survival Skills to Master before SHTF

In order to be fully prepared, it is necessary to plan in advance and ensure you have the appropriate gear readily available.

You Could Be Anywhere

When it comes to urban survival, you should consider the possibility of being in any part of the city when a disaster occurs. This varies from the scenario of relocating to a bugout spot or engaging in mobile survival.

Once you arrive at your bugout location, your main plan is to remain there. You have made prior arrangements and ensured that all necessary supplies for an extended period are readily accessible at the location.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need to survive while constantly moving, you will have everything you need either packed in your BOB or you will acquire it during your journey.

When a disaster happens in an urban center, the circumstances can vary. For instance, you might find yourself at your workplace while your children are attending school or daycare. Similarly, you could be attending your son’s soccer game or observing your daughter’s ballet performance.

There is a possibility that you could be shopping in one area of the city with one of your children, while your spouse is in a different part of the city with your other children. However, it is unlikely that all of you will be at home together if a disaster occurs.

You need to be prepared to both bug in at home and be able to get home in any situation, as well as survive on the streets of the city for as long as necessary.

Surviving in an urban center necessitates specific gear that is suitable regardless of your location. It is important to contemplate the items you will constantly carry and those that will assist you in returning home.

Level of Preparation

What do you require? You require the subsequent categories.

The everyday carry, also known as EDC, kit is the essential set of items you must have with you while being away from home, in order to function in your daily routine and work. These include essential objects like keys, wallet, phone, sunglasses, and more.

For preppers, particularly those living in urban areas, this would be considered basic survival equipment, in addition to what was mentioned earlier.

In addition to a few other select items, one could consider including a reliable pocket knife or multi-tool, as well as a discreet set of lock picks or shims, ideally designed to be inconspicuous, and a compact flashlight.

In order to find your way home or to a more suitable location during difficult times, this is the absolute minimum guidance you require.

The GHB (get home bag) serves the purpose of a BOB, mentioned below, but its main objective is to assist you in returning home rather than evacuating from home.

It appears that the two items can be used interchangeably, but the get-home bag specifically emphasizes mobility, short-term support, and defense.

You should always have this bag in your vehicle or keep it at the office or a secure location near your workplace in case you are unable to store it there.

The GHB should contain seasonally appropriate clothing, sturdy footwear suitable for quick movement, rations, water, and weapons, among other items.

In order to expedite your journey back home, it is advisable to keep the GHB as lightweight and compact as possible, ensuring it is easier for you to carry. Once you reach your destination, your BOB and possibly additional supplies should be readily accessible.

The bug-out bag, which is highly valued by many preppers, holds equal significance for urban preppers as well.

Even if you intend to shelter in place, it is still essential to have a bug-out bag since circumstances can deteriorate and you might encounter an extremely dire situation where fleeing becomes the only option.

The main purpose of the bug-out bag is to ensure that you have all the necessary items for survival, including sustenance, shelter, and the ability to move around, whether you are in the city or outside of it, at least for the immediate future.

Due to the significant quantity of equipment and supplies required during a bug-out situation, particularly when traveling by foot, most bug-out bags tend to lean towards larger and heavier backpacks.

Thoroughly testing the BOB for both strength and comfort is crucial as an ill-fitted one can greatly wear you down.

If you own a vehicle and reside in an urban area, it is crucial to ensure that your vehicle is adequately prepared for unforeseen circumstances, just like you prepare yourself.

Some of us achieve this by merely having a get home bag or even a bug out bag in our vehicles.

Whether you choose to do so or not, it is necessary to include supplies that are specific to the vehicle, such as a comprehensive blowout kit containing a full-size spare tire, essential tools and spare parts that are appropriate for handling breakdowns, as well as fluids, light bulbs, and other necessary accessories.

Depending on the location where your vehicle is stored and your usual commute or daily routine, it may be necessary for you to make efforts to hide or disguise the supplies stored in your vehicle. This is done to prevent or decrease the chances of theft.

Critical Urban Survival Gear

If you are in an urban environment and want to survive, there are resources available to you if you know where to find them and have the appropriate tools. However, it is important to note that the tools required in an urban setting differ from those needed in a rural or wilderness setting.

Instead of relying on hunting, foraging, and making do with whatever is available in nature, urban survival may necessitate the ability to break into buildings, steal from locked cars, and scavenge for resources.

In order to survive in the city, you will require tools that aid in accessing water, food, and shelter, as well as ensuring personal protection.

A Regular Backpack

When considering your BOB, it is possible that you may have a camouflage backpack or something that can easily blend in when in the wilderness.

You don’t want this in the city because it will be noticeable. Conversely, you want a backpack that looks as ordinary as possible. Even a fanny pack or laptop bag would suffice, as long as it is sturdy.

The idea is that you want to avoid drawing attention to your GHB or EDC just because of the bag you are using to carry them.

Water Access Tool

Water, due to its weight and bulkiness, cannot be carried with you constantly throughout the day. Nonetheless, if it is free from contamination, there is always a readily available water source in the city surrounding you. Each building, whether for commercial or residential purposes, possesses its own water supply.

Cities pose a distinctive challenge for obtaining water in terms of survival. This is because, on one hand, cities are completely enveloped by water that is confined in pipes, awaiting its release with the turn of a tap, and also present in pools and other reservoirs.

Initially, there will be an abundance of bottled water conveniently available on every corner. However, this situation will, in due course, change.

Regrettably, in urban areas, significant disasters frequently cause a chain reaction where public water sources are gravely impacted. In the best-case scenario, public works may be halted or rendered unreachable.

If you have the appropriate tool to control their valves, specific sources may still be safe and feasible for drinking even in the absence of public water supplies.

In order to prevent water theft, utility and commercial valves frequently rely on specific tools that connect with the valve instead of having their own handles.

To ensure preparedness, it is advisable to always have a four-way water key in every kit. This will enable you to draw a small amount of water for yourself, regardless of the circumstances or the available water source.

Water Filter

It is recommended to have a portable personal water purification system as an additional option apart from the Four Way Key. The top choices for this are the Lifestraw and the Sawyer Mini.

Even though there may be water all around you in a city, as previously mentioned, it may not be suitable for drinking. The massive quantities of bottled water will quickly vanish within a few hours or days, as they are desperately sought by countless thirsty individuals.

In order to safely obtain drinkable water, it is necessary to have alternative methods for both acquiring and purifying found water sources. Similar to any other place on Earth and any survival kit designed for such environments, it is important to include a portable, highly efficient water filter in your kit.

If there comes a time when you need to extract water from a public swimming pool, the rear of a toilet tank, or simply uncertain runoff water flowing out of a downspout or accumulating in a puddle, having one of these will prove to be beneficial.

Water sources in urban environments are more likely to be contaminated with chemicals and biological threats than natural environments, such as the woods or the plains.

Extrication Tool

The extrication tool, also known as a breaking and entering or “B&E” tool, is considered essential for achieving success in urban environments.

This tool is specifically designed to assist us in opening doors or other containers that are meant to be kept closed by smashing, pounding, prying, and raking.

In urban areas, there are physical obstacles that can be life-threatening if you lack the necessary means to overcome them. Trying to tackle these barriers with bare hands or makeshift tools is futile, so it’s advisable to utilize a specialized demolition instrument instead.

Various tools can be used for this purpose, ranging from traditional crowbars to modern multi-purpose tools specifically designed for construction or law enforcement.

Stanley produces their FUBAR range of utility and entry bars, which are perfectly suited for the intended use. The latter variation even incorporates enhancements specifically designed for urban needs, such as the inclusion of hydrant wrenches and attachment points for a sling.

In an urban environment, you can have significant capability with tools that are not necessarily large or heavy.

Lock Picks

Lock picks, despite their questionable reputation, can be a lifesaver in urban survival situations as long as you possess the necessary skills to use them effectively.

When trying to navigate through a urban environment, particularly during a significant SHTF event, you will encounter numerous obstacles.

To safeguard the areas and objects situated behind them, padlocks, as well as conventional door locks and other types of locks, will be utilized.

Lock picks provide a means for a skilled user to swiftly, reliably, and notably covertly bypass common locks.

Many places do not prioritize investing in high-security locking systems, and, with some practice, you will likely be surprised to realize how easily accessible most places are. It is important to note that in many jurisdictions, possessing lock picks without being a law enforcement officer or a licensed locksmith is considered possessing tools for burglary.

If you choose to acquire them without proper permission, make sure to keep them concealed and secure until you have a use for them.

Door Stops and Zip Ties

Urban survival kits often overlook the inclusion of door stops and zip ties, despite their countless benefits in enhancing mobility for individuals and groups and bolstering security during times of retreat.

Door stops serve the purpose of either keeping doors open or closed, depending on the direction in which the door is positioned. Moreover, they prevent one-way doors from unintentionally shutting and latching behind you. This effectively prevents doors from suddenly becoming significantly harder to open, even if the lock and latch mechanisms are successfully bypassed.

It is advisable to consider searching for and buying door stops of tactical grade that are equipped with sharp carbide teeth specifically designed to firmly grip any type of flooring.

On the contrary, heavy-duty zip ties are employed to restrict the movement of door handles or the self-closing or arresting mechanism located at the upper part of other doors, which further inhibits their opening or closing.

Both of these solutions are deserving of a place in any prepper’s kit as they are not only lightweight and compact, but also remarkably quick to implement.

Weapons

When contemplating each step, rephrase the following statement while keeping the meaning intact. Avoid adding new information and refrain from removing any information: It is not possible to express it in a pleasant manner: In urban settings, the individuals living around you are the main and common dangers you are likely to encounter.

During the kindest times, cities are recognized for having higher than average crime rates, which tend to increase significantly during any crisis when police and other first responders are unavailable or occupied with more pressing issues.

If you find yourself in a long-term survival situation in urban environments, it is highly likely that there will be an increase in organized or disorganized criminal enterprises. This increase could result in higher risks and challenges for you.

To ensure your preparedness, you will need to equip yourself. City regulations, however, often limit your access to firearms and ammunition, hindering your ability to obtain them freely.

However, it is important to rely on the fact that the bad guys will reach their limit and more, if you decide to carry a firearm choose one that you can easily hide until it is necessary.

Long guns will undoubtedly attract a significant amount of adverse consideration, so do not deceive yourself into believing otherwise. In contrast, carrying a concealed handgun will enable you to seamlessly assimilate into your surroundings as you go about your business.

In addition to firearms, close-quarters weapons such as knives, axes, machetes, and similar tools can be effective but come with higher risks. It is also important not to underestimate the utility of non-lethal weapons like pepper spray.

If you think sequentially, the text can be rephrased as follows: Pepper spray, when compared ounce for ounce, is one of the most efficient self-defense tools that an individual can possess. It carries a strong likelihood of incapacitating or demotivating an attacker if administered adequately.

Given the strict regulations regarding weapons in most major cities, it is advisable to extensively acquaint yourself with different improvised and handcrafted weapons for your own benefit.

There are two top choices for weapons: one is called fistload “knuckles”, which are created by driving long nails through a roll of coins and held in the hand, and the other is the well-known “Millwall brick,” a tightly rolled and folded newspaper that forms a strong truncheon capable of cracking a person’s skull.

Even though the criminal underworld has been using many of these tools for a long time, it is still advisable to utilize them to protect yourself in the future.

Comms

Urban environments are filled with tall buildings, concrete structures, underground tunnels, and a complex network of interconnected smaller streets and back alleys. It is quite simple to become disoriented in a city and unexpectedly find oneself trapped or stuck in a remote location.

Because of this, it is crucial to have communication so that you can inform people of your whereabouts, whether it is just the authorities, who may or may not be present.

When considering different means of communication, most individuals tend to opt for their reliable smartphone as the primary choice.

Contrary to expectations, cell phone networks exhibit a higher degree of resilience during emergency circumstances than one might anticipate.

Even if the networks are functioning and being maintained, it is expected that the traffic will significantly increase during the event, making it challenging to connect calls. However, you can still depend on alternative forms of communication such as text messages, emails, and more.

In addition to cell phones, it is highly recommended that you consider investing in a reliable handheld radio or even a high-quality walkie-talkie for your communication needs.

Despite tall buildings blocking radio signals in urban environments, they remain a valuable means of maintaining communication with group members, family, or any potential Good Samaritans.

Radio sets do not depend on any base station or separate tower for functionality, making them completely self-contained.

Make sure you have an ample supply of batteries or other charging options available for your electronic devices. Without power, they will be useless.

Multi-tool

Having a multi-tool is essential for urban preppers because it integrates multiple tools, including a blade, into one convenient and portable unit. The chosen multi-tool determines the availability of various tools, which may include a combination of the following:

• Blade
• Screwdrivers
• Saw
• Fire starter
• Can opener
• Wrench
• Hex wrenches
• Hammer
• Pliers
• Wire cutters

Solar Charger

In an emergency, it is crucial to have a solar charger because it is possible that you could encounter delays while returning home and your cell phone, emergency radio, or GPS could run out of power. Therefore, having a solar charger with you is imperative in the current technological era.

Whether you are unable to access a power source or if the power grid is not functioning, it is still possible to effortlessly charge your essential devices.

It’s All Up to You

It is entirely your responsibility to develop these urban survival skills. Your level of proficiency will directly depend on the amount of knowledge and practice you decide to acquire at present. This will enhance your readiness in comparison to those in your vicinity when a calamity occurs.

If you want, start learning these skills now and take it one skill at a time. You’ll be glad you did.

Final Word

In an urban disaster situation, your main objective is to reach home as expeditiously as you can by following a systematic approach.

If you find yourself in an urban center and have to stay there for a while, it is important to be ready to do whatever is necessary to scavenge and, in extreme circumstances, take belongings from the buildings and vehicles nearby.

To accomplish this, it is necessary to possess the appropriate equipment. Take into account the aforementioned choices and establish a reliable Everyday Carry (EDC) and Get Home Bag (GHB) that can be trusted in even the most dire urban survival circumstances.