Are you ready to be the MacGyver of the concrete jungle? Urban survival skills are not just for wilderness adventurers anymore.
With increasing population density and rapid urbanization, navigating in a crisis situation within the city has become an essential skill.
From natural disasters to power outages and even civil unrest, knowing how to survive and thrive in an urban environment when it counts could mean the difference between life and death.
How to Survive in an Urban Situation
You never know when disaster will strike. You’re not always safe in the comfort of your own home. Sometimes, you’re in the city for business – or maybe your home is in the city.
Being in a survival event in an urban setting is very different from that of someone on a homestead out in the country away from the chaos. When preppers start making plans, it’s usually viewed as something where they’ll live rurally or bug out to the wilderness.
But if something happened when you were downtown, how would you survive and navigate the event? In September of 2001, many were caught in New York City conducting business when it felt as if the world was under attack.
Phone lines went down, transportation was difficult trying to escape the area, and people didn’t have supplies with them that might be needed in this type of event.
Urban settings have unique challenges you have to prepare for, but knowing what to do ahead of time can empower you when and if the SHTF.
Urban Area Survival Risks
Before you start making plans, you need to understand the risks. Every area has its own unique set of challenges. Crime is going to be a big one in the city. Even in minor disruptions, when something happens, people start looting and stealing as well as engaging in violent assaults.
This is often a hive mentality when it starts from a small group of individuals and grows out of control like a wildfire with more participants.
If you’re able to avoid areas when this occurs or carry some sort of protection, this will keep you safe from opportunistic threats.
Don’t rely on law enforcement because in these situations, they’re often overwhelmed and unable to assist you. If you live in the city, fortify your home to make entry more difficult for people who prey on others.
Urban settings are going to be far more crowded than rural ones. And when you have a dense population, you’ll be more susceptible to viral outbreaks, a shortage of supplies and your evacuation route might be clogged.
Another risk you have to consider is not being able to evacuate at all. Transportation might be down. But that’s not the only infrastructure that is at risk. Your trash services, water and plumbing, and communication measures might falter, too.
Don’t forget that urban areas are often a target of bad actors in the world. Terrorists like to do as much damage as possible, so an urban area might put a target on your back. Be aware at all times and remove yourself as soon as you detect a threat.
Urban Survival Skills Every Prepper Needs
To prepare for a survival event in an urban situation, there are different skills you want to learn and master ahead of time. The first one, as mentioned moments ago, is awareness.
Situational awareness is more than just spotting a potential human threat, but also knowing where you will escape and being able to adjust your plans whenever there is any type of disastrous event, such as an outbreak of a disease or even a weather event.
Every time you enter somewhere new that you are not familiar with, look for your exits and make a plan immediately for what you would do if something happened immediately.
One good skill to know is how to become a gray man. The gray man concept is when you blend in so well with your surroundings that you don’t draw any attention to yourself.
This is highly useful in chaotic civil unrest situations, where you don’t want to stand out and become a target.
Other Urban Survival Skills You Should Know
Even in long term survival events in an urban setting, you want to make sure that you are capable of navigating around the city without being detected. You can do this by dressing in neutral clothing and not displaying anything that shows you have supplies or money.
You want to be discreet, yet protected when you go out and about. First aid is another skill that you need to learn for a survival situation in an urban setting. You may have different types of injuries than you would in a wilderness situation.
In the wilderness you might be dealing with insect bites, cuts and scrapes, or sprained ankles due to being in an outdoor setting. In an urban situation you may be dealing with burns, cuts, and illnesses that are spreading easily in a dense population.
One skill you could also learn to help you in a survival event is how to pick a lock. In an urban survival event, you might need access to buildings and resources and this could come in handy, especially if it’s a dire, global event that lasts.
Of course, self defense is an invaluable skill to have as well. Even if you are armed, knowing martial arts can help diffuse a situation and keep you safe if you’re ever caught unprotected.
And another skills you’ll want to know ahead of time is small space gardening. Whether it’s on a balcony or indoors, having a food supply in an urban setting can keep your family fed.
Essential Urban Survival Supplies
The supplies you’ll need in an urban survival event are both similar to and different from what you’d need if you were bugging out. You may not be carrying around a large machete to chop down the brush, but a good multitool can come in handy.
You need a compact tool that can cut, file and repair things. You’ll need clean water, and in an urban environment, you may not have an abundance of natural water sources. So have a portable water filter like the straws or tabs to clean contaminants.
Emergency food is often bulky, and in an urban setting, you might be strapped for space. You may want to have dense, high calorie foods on hand that are compact and shelf stable.
You can pack these in a bug out bag that you keep at work or in your urban living quarters, along with all of the other supplies you need for this type of situation.
Make sure you also have some sort of solar gear to charge up your phone and other gadgets such as lanterns because you don’t want to be in a situation with no electricity where you are surrounded by threats.
Creating an Urban Emergency Survival Plan
The last thing you need to do to prepare for an urban survival situation is make a plan for what you want to do and have your family do in the event of an emergency. Supplies and skills are not enough to help you weather a storm.
Make sure you have a designated safe space for the family to go to, along with a backup place in case the original one is compromised in some way. You want to make sure that place is stocked with basic supplies that will help you and your loved ones survive.
This may not be a home that you own. It could be some sort of community center or public building that will provide relief in a disaster. Another aspect of your plan should be evacuation measures.
In 2001, people had to escape via boat, so you need to have all options on the table and know alternate routes for when you can’t take main highways and roads due to unsafe situations.
Have a detailed map for every person so that they know every inch of the area and how to properly navigate it to safety. Remember, you may not have a car or public transportation – you might be on foot or using a scooter or bike instead.
Have communication methods and ways to signal for help, too. Two-way radios, whistles and even silent hand signals are important to have on hand and know in urban survival events.
Urban Survival Kit
Conclusion: Succeeding in a City of Adversity
Navigating through a crisis in the city can be daunting, but with the right knowledge and preparation, urban survival is indeed possible.
By understanding the unique challenges that come and taking proactive measures to ensure your safety and well-being, you can overcome any crisis that may come our way.
From building strong community connections to learning essential survival skills, there are numerous strategies that you can implement to enhance your chances of thriving in urban environments.
So let’s take the necessary steps today to equip ourselves with the tools needed for urban survival. Remember, with proper planning and a positive mindset, you can navigate any crisis and emerge stronger than ever before. Stay safe, stay prepared!
