The Ultimate Guide to Urban Survival Strategies

More than half of the world’s population lives in cities and other metropolitan areas with high densities of people. If you’re reading this, you probably reside in a heavily populated urban region and are seeking strategies to get ready for any urban emergencies or natural disasters. Urban places and their inhabitants are most impacted by crises or disasters because there aren’t enough natural resources for them to survive. In addition, during times of crisis, there are various security hazards in addition to electricity, food, and water.

What Does Urban Survival Mean?

You have the same set of fundamental priorities to complete in any survival situation. Everything is essential to life and death, including food, drink, shelter, fire, and first aid. Because of this, wilderness survival mostly focuses on teaching us how to survive in a setting without modern amenities.

At least in the wild, you can exist in the abundance of nature. Not the case in an urban setting. All the concrete and steel that makes up a modern city becomes little more than a wasteland if the utilities like power and water go out, the transportation systems stop working, and supplies run out. Don’t forget to take into consideration the other people you are dealing with in this situation. You just need to worry for yourself and any party you may be in. In a city-wide emergency, you can be trapped among millions of people who are all vying for survival.

The population density of a region determines how quickly available resources will be depleted. People may become more frantic to compete for enough food and whatever goods are left as a crisis continues to linger. Violence has a significant capacity to play a role whenever the social order collapses. Therefore, the urban survivor is a person who makes strategies and gets ready for these scenarios.

Urban Survival Challenges

The fact that you’re trapped in a space with possibly millions of other people presents the biggest obstacle to urban survival. In the event of a serious emergency, societal order may collapse swiftly. In that case, self-defense becomes a top priority. Regrettably, in an emergency, you cannot rely on law enforcement to keep you safe.

For starters, losing electricity or cell service might make getting in touch with them completely difficult. Even in the best of circumstances, cell phones and other communication tools are only able to respond to a crime after it has already occurred. Additionally, given that an emergency won’t be the optimum time, they’ll probably be too busy trying to preserve or restore order to answer every call.

Your safety is your responsibility in a disaster. There are two key factors you need to consider to do that. A means of defense is the immediate one. Find out what self-defense tools are permitted in your area and get as ready as you can. However, you don’t want it to get that far. You should have a plan in place to leave the area in case the situation worsens to the point where remaining put is impossible. You have to consider that your survival supplies, food, and other resources can end up being an attractive target for desperate people if you had the foresight to prepare for a crisis while those around you did not. The most effective way to survive is frequently to leave the situation.

Outdoor travel equipment planning for a mountain trekking camping trip on wooden background

What are the Basics of City Survival?

Being ready is a smart idea, especially when unrest intensifies. The idea of needing to survive after a calamity is a frequent one. The majority of individuals think about bugging out, setting up camp by a stream, learning how to make a fire, and foraging for food. These are useful abilities to possess. But you may have to learn how to survive in a city. 

The abilities required to survive in the wild and cities may not always be the same. Due to the presence of other people, it is also different in a city. The mere occurrence of a calamity does not make criminals vanish; in fact, the likelihood of coming across someone with malicious intentions will increase.

1. Shelter

Shelter is a necessity in every survival circumstance. Whatever has occurred, things will be a lot easier to bear if there is a safe and dry place to remain. Although a person’s home would ideally provide refuge, this isn’t always the case. In certain circumstances, people eject others from their houses. Home is destroyed or damaged in different circumstances. It is crucial to think about where you should go if this occurs.

2. Food and Water

Much longer than without water, one can survive without food. Even though it is technically feasible, that does not necessarily mean it is preferable. Although many natural foods can be scavenged and having some emergency food on hand is a good idea, it might be more challenging to find these in an urban setting.

It is a good idea to do so whenever it is feasible to grow a little garden, even in urban areas. Some gardens designed like capsules may support themselves and produce food all year long with little care. Sprouts are an excellent way to grow food in a small space since they are nutrient-dense but take up little room. Those who can afford it might wish to invest in stocking up some of this just in case since prepackaged emergency food is designed to last up to 25 years or more on a shelf.

Water can be more challenging. Having clean water might be extremely difficult if the water entering through the city pipes gets contaminated. Having some on hand will be helpful, but it might be difficult to fill the containers. Longer-lasting clean water can be provided by having a way to boil the water, filters to remove contaminants, and tablets to aid in water purification. Everyone should work to develop the ability to employ water purification methods in the most effective way and at the appropriate times. It is advantageous to have tools for collecting rainwater runoff. Toddler pools are a simple-to-use and reasonably simple-to-store choice. These can be bought on sale and kept beneath a bed.

3. Medicine

For a crisis or emergency, you must have a well-stocked medical kit. Of course, basic pain relievers, basic first aid supplies, and anything else the members of the home might require, including prescription drugs, should be included. A field guide is an additional useful item. Many plants and herbs can be used medicinally. Knowing which plants grow locally can be useful in case of emergency, illness, or injury without access to pharmacies. It is beneficial to understand how to recognize them and utilize them for routine first aid as well because doing so can help you use them effectively in an emergency.

4. Defense

To protect oneself, one’s family, or one’s home could be necessary. Weapons may be required in a tragedy, whether or not they are a regular part of one’s life. Even without using them, firearms can serve as effective deterrents against criminal conduct, and in an emergency where lives are in danger, a competently handled firearm will quickly eliminate the threat. 

Those who have firearms for defense should regularly fire them at a range since they need to be handled appropriately. Most places offer gun use lessons that can instruct on how to hold, load, unload, clean, and shoot a weapon safely if someone who might be using it feels uneasy with it. It is wise to educate yourself as much as you can on the selected weapon. Knives can be handy as weapons, but keep in mind that they won’t do much good if your opponent has a gun.

Critical Urban Survival Strategies

Multiple factors are involved in urban survival. Any prepper’s first step should be to clearly state their goals and make a sound strategy. This entails teaching your entire family the fundamentals of urban survival skills and taking the appropriate precautions for their safety.

Empty Grocery Store Aisle With No Products Available After Sell Out

1. Preparation

To survive an urban apocalypse, the proper level of preparation is crucial. You need to apply the appropriate urban survival skills and equipment to assist you to deal with events when food, water, energy, and security are not readily available. It is difficult to picture a situation in which all necessary supplies would be out of your grasp. Because of this, being ready for emergencies is essential to surviving. Never forget that there is no time for last-minute planning when it comes to survival. So, it’s imperative to have a sufficient supply of food, gasoline, water, and essential medications. A generator or other form of backup power can be useful. The correct security equipment is also necessary to secure your family’s safety.

2. Protection

Any terrible occurrence has the potential to cause anarchy, discontent, and a total collapse of social order. Urban survival can quickly become violent with widespread looting, rioting, and bloodshed. Robberies, home invasions, and car thefts are just a few of the frequent dangers you could encounter.

Therefore, setting up the proper equipment to safeguard your family and your home is essential. Remember that you should always have these goods with you. You’ll be an easy target for the evil guys if you are unprepared and unaware of your surroundings. Make the most of your situational awareness abilities first. Next, you should be proficient in using the weapons and personal defense gear in your bug-out bag as necessary. You could have to change locations at any time. If so, you must be able to defend yourself in an unfamiliar setting.

3. Training

Certain urban survival techniques can be taught through training. Beyond that, consistent practice is necessary to master these abilities.

  • The Use of Firearms
  • Situational Awareness
  • Self-Defense
  • First-Aid Training

To carry a firearm, you also need a license. Maintaining your level of fitness is the other thing. By maintaining good health and fitness, you will be better able to handle the challenges. Each of these is crucial and can improve your capacity for survival. It’s crucial to practice a new skill after learning it to improve your ability. To make sure that everyone in the family is knowledgeable about the fundamentals, you can also hold drills. Everyone should also be trained in basic first aid. During a calamity, you can anticipate that hospitals will be overcrowded. So, it’s up to you to use a first aid kit to the best of your ability to save the lives of friends and family.

4. Blending in

Keeping a low profile is one of the best strategies to make it through a hectic urban survival crisis. The secret is to avoid attracting attention to yourself. Make sure your appearance, attire, or attitude doesn’t make you stand out in a crowd. Dress normally, exactly like most people do. It will be wise to change into casual attire as soon as possible if your uniform draws notice. 

Keep all valuables, including firearms, hidden aside from that. Most crucial, stay away from big gatherings and don’t participate. A few careless comments could draw unwanted attention to you and endanger your family. Additionally, keep an eye out for assistance from your neighbors and be subtle about your survival preparations.

Hands of man picking wild green dandelion leaves for health on trail in park or garden backyard closeup of leafy greens

5. Foraging and Scavenging

When the calamity lasts long enough, no matter how well you’ve stocked up, the supplies will run out. That implies you’ll have to go outside and start seeking food. As a result, foraging and scavenging are vital survival skills for any urban survivor. The good news is that you should be able to find all types of edible food if you know where to look. When foraging, it’s preferable to avoid heavily polluted areas or pesticide-treated fields. Large parks, thickets, unoccupied lots, and regions near hospitals, playgrounds, and schools are the greatest places to go. Before you begin foraging, you need how to recognize the appropriate plants. 

To begin scavenging, look through abandoned buildings, apartments, restaurants, grocery stores, malls, petrol stations, and drug stores. The problem is that others will do the same. As a result, you must remain vigilant. It is preferable to avoid obvious options such as the nearby Wal-Mart or local store. Unusual locations, such as warehouses and office buildings, are the ideal choices.

6. Fixing Skills

Do you have the necessary DIY abilities to restore and repair household items? If not, learning a few urban survival skills can be quite useful in the event of an emergency. Things will eventually wear out and break if the emergency lasts long enough. You will not receive a warranty replacement. Pipelines, filtration systems, generators, vehicles, lamps, and other survival equipment are some of the essential items you should be able to maintain. The more you know about survival tools, the better off you’ll be. You can even exchange your skills for important stuff that you may require.

7. Waste Management

Human and household garbage are both dealt with in waste management. You should keep in mind that garbage pickup will be unavailable, and the plumbing system will most likely fail. When it comes to domestic garbage, strive to keep it to a minimum. Bottles, crates, and containers can all be reused. Compost can be made from organic waste. Finally, locate a suitable location where you can either burn or bury the waste.

In an urban situation, however, human waste removal can be a significant difficulty. Purchasing a composting toilet is one option. However, for many people, that is not an inexpensive alternative. In the long term, you’ll have to bury the waste as well. This should be done in a remote location away from food and water supplies.

8. Illumination

The dark can be frightening, if not downright hazardous. It is critical to be able to shed some light on the situation during a power outage. The food you keep will be useless if you don’t have a way to cook it. Make sure you have a source of light and fuel to keep your space illuminated and to cook food when preparing for an urban disaster. Make sure you always have a fully charged emergency light or torch on hand to illuminate your space at night. Candles are another excellent option for keeping your space lighted.

9. Safe Zones

Every city has rough areas. To avoid them, you must know where they are, how to avoid them, and maintain a clear travel path at all times. A thorough city map should be part of your urban survival kit. The truth is, even in a relatively safe area, a riot may erupt in a matter of minutes. If you’re caught in the center of a riot, try to blend in with the mob rather than moving against it. Avoid going out alone by staying with a small group of individuals. When feasible, go to well-lit places.

10. Selecting a Safe Haven

You cannot fight your way out of all the dangers that may arise during an urban crisis. So, if your home is under attack or there is a threat, this is where you will seek refuge. When you don’t have a bug-out place for dealing with survival, you must make the most of your home or domicile. A haven might be a room where you and your family can go for protection. It might even be a closet that allows you to remain hidden. Alternatively, it could be a different area distant from the outside world.

Each emergency circumstance necessitates a unique set of abilities to deal with the problem. To ensure your survival, you must plan for and be prepared for each emergency.