True Urban Scenario
While the wasteland model of the urban sprawl tends to grace the pages of books and big screens. I envision a much different scenario. Rather than a world of desolation I see nearly the opposite.
There are 8 and a half million people in New York City. How many of these people will be able to actually bugout? How many of these people are going to just die off? Out of that 8.5 million there will be a huge group left that will be doing everything they can to survive?
I don’t see a quiet walk down an abandoned street. I see a frightened one filled with leery eyes coming at you from windows and across roads. Tension in the air that is so extreme people can snap at any moment. You are a stranger surrounded by enemies and everyone around you feels the same way.
You haven’t eaten right, slept right, drank right or anything else in a long time. Such is the situation with those around you.
There will be leaders. Vicious monsters with influence will govern this type of an urban sprawl. Their reign will probably be small at first but once the people realize no help is coming these despots will rise.
Advanced urban survival requires serious skills and methods outside of just storing gear and food for disaster.
Gears for Fears
I enjoy going down a tactical gear rabbit hole just as much as the next guy. I have been known to lose an hour milling through EDC packs and potential get home bags. That said, gear cannot be your only answer to the problem of collapse. This is particularly true of those in the urban sprawl.
Having tons of quality gear could put you in a better position in some instances. In a tight urban survival situation, you will have to focus on being the least worthwhile target. Your $400 Arc’teryx Jacket is only gonna get you hunted down.
Advanced urban survival requires that you get smart about gear and selective about what gets used outside of your four walls. Remember, there will be no phones or televisions. In a crowd of 8.5 million people will be looking.
The Advanced Urban Survivalists Skill Set
GATHERING INTELLIGENCE
Maybe the most underutilized effort by preppers is the emphasis on gathering intel. With all the gear, storage, weapons and knowledge, so little is put into understanding what is going on around you.
The extent of the average preppers intelligence plan is a solar powered or a windup radio. This just won’t cut it in a serious disaster. Here are three things to add to your urban survival plan to assure you can get a better feel for what’s happening out there.
If you know what the police are doing and where they are you will know what the problems are. You will also know when the police have given up.
A drone gives you eyes in the sky to see what has been affected in your immediate area. It can also help you see threats coming.
- Neighborhood Communications.
You must engage your neighbors before a disaster. This is incredibly important and can be complicated.
ESCAPE AND EVASION
There will be people around. The fact about urban survival is that you will be dealing with the human element. You will rarely know the intentions of these people, but it will pay dividends if you know how to avoid them altogether. Check out this informative video by Black Scout Survival on escape and evasion.
BODY CARE
Taking care of your body in a survival situation is critical. The advanced urban survivalist should be prepared to deal with deplorable conditions in an urban sprawl. The risk of infection and disease will be through the roof in a matter of weeks without running water and waste removal.
I recommend the waterless hygiene system produced by Combat One. This system offers many answers to the issue of personal hygiene and body care in a festering world where water may come at a premium.
Prioritize foot care and hand care as well. You will be grabbing and traipsing through areas that are less than safe. Great boots and great gloves can only do so much. Be prepared to cover and clean out any cuts in these areas.
DEFUSING HOSTILITY
Let me remind you that you are without a single acceptable casualty. Unless you are some sort of reckless lone wolf you are surviving with people you love and care about. Hostility towards others should be avoided at all costs. This is crucial to your survival and the survival of your family.
The advanced urban survivalist will see people and situations long before they see them. This level of awareness should be practiced today. Do not walk into a dire situation. If you are confronted do your best to comply and only resort to violence if there are no other options.
COMMUNITY COHESION
In an urban survival situation, you will need help. The idea that you are gonna spend your whole life scurrying from one hole to another is just not a great one. Who would want to live a rats’ life with a human’s brain? Seems like torture to me.
You must engage your community today to be prepared for the issues of tomorrow. Trust me. This is not an easy job, but it is very possible. The very best resource is a book called Come Unity; Community and its entire 200+ page focus is on the importance of community, how to create your own cohesive neighborhood and the steps therein.
Just How Long Can You Last?
Without community help and serious food and water systems in place, not very long. Urban survival is going to be a struggle, there is no getting around it. If you add these skills to your plan and work at them you will have more of a chance.
Being lost in the woods is scary and dangerous but being lost in your own town, in a world unrecognizable, where friends have become enemies, well, that’s a nightmare.