If you're a long-time reader of this site, you may already know that the event that turned me into a prepper was the 2008 financial crisis. It made me realize that the system we all depend on is far more fragile than I ever imagined. What's worse, the fundamental problems that led to the Great Recession were never really solved. Wall Street has managed … [Read more...]
10 Improvised Weapons for Urban Survival
Wilderness survival is about man versus nature. You have to survive no matter what weather events, dangerous terrain, or frightening creatures you encounter. Urban survival, on the other hand, is more about man versus man. There are a limited number of supplies in the city, so you have to get what you need before it's all gone and defend yourself from … [Read more...]
Body Armor for Urban Survival: Here’s What You Need
One of the most overlooked pieces of tactical equipment for civilians, without question, is body armor. Many people are under the impression that body armor is for the military and law enforcement only. This could not be further from the truth. Not only is body armor fully legal in all fifty states, it’s widely available, too. When preparing for SHTF … [Read more...]
10 Sheep Dog Gangs That Will Form After The Collapse
In the prepper community, there's a lot of discussion about what bad guys will do after the collapse. We hear scary talk about gangs of looters ransacking one neighborhood after another, but we don't hear much about gangs of good guys keeping the peace. That's what a sheep dog gang is: a group of good guys with guns who won't tolerate lawlessness. And in … [Read more...]
Surviving a Massive Power Outage in the City
For a Prepper in a Cabin in the Woods a Power Outage is No Sweat. But It’s a Different Story in the City. Urban environments are heavily dependent on infrastructure to deliver basic comforts and needs like water, electricity, natural gas for heating and cooking, and municipal services for security and medical emergencies. These urban environments can become … [Read more...]
How to Read a Map and Contour Lines
Countless times, I've recommended buying detailed paper maps of your local area and all the areas along the path to your bug out location. During a major disaster, satellites might be down and GPS might not be working. If that happens, you need to know how to find your way with paper maps. They will be especially important if you need to take a different … [Read more...]
30 Urban Survival Items You Forgot To Buy
My most popular article by far is 50 Survival Items You Forgot To Buy. The list is interesting to both newbie preppers and experienced preppers because both groups usually find at least a few items they overlooked. Since this site is mainly focused on urban survival, I realized I should make another list, this time of urban survival items. Chances are, … [Read more...]
9 Street Survival Skills for the Concrete Jungle
Major cities may still only take up a small portion of the land mass in the United States, but they are nevertheless home to over 80% of the population. With this being the case, the odds of being caught in the concrete jungle when disaster strikes are quite high. Of course, the survival skills necessary to navigate a city during a disaster – whether it’s … [Read more...]
50 Places to Search for Supplies After SHTF
A while back, I wrote about places to scavenge for supplies in a post-apocalyptic scenario. I thought I came up with quite a few ideas, but Reality Survival & Prepping made a list that's over twice as long. When thinking about scavenging, everyone's first instinct is to head for grocery stores and restaurants. But if you think outside the box, you'll … [Read more...]
Urban Survival Gardening: A Guide for Beginners
According to a 2015 survey, 62.7 percent of people in the United States live in the city, despite US cities taking up just 3.5 percent of the total land area. No doubt, living in a city provides plenty of advantages, from dining and entertainment options to proximity to your place of employment. One advantage that it does not provide, however, is easy … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Open Locked Doors During an Urban Disaster
Opening doors is more than just a metaphor for moving forward. Sometimes, you truly need to open a door. And sometimes that door is locked. You might be surprised at just how often the skill of unlocking doors can come in handy once you have it. I recently lost a key to a cupboard and I haven’t bothered looking for it. I just pick the lock. I’ve even … [Read more...]
10 Gray Man Tips To Help You Blend In During A Crisis
When disaster strikes your city and you are away from home, one of the best things you can do to survive is to become what is called the gray man. No, being a gray man doesn’t mean wearing gray clothing. It primarily means three things: blend in with the crowd, steer clear of confrontation, and avoid being detected by dangerous people. So, how do you … [Read more...]
Top 20 Places to Scavenge for Supplies After SHTF
Some of you might be thinking, "I'm a prepper, I won't have to scavenge for supplies. I already have everything I need." Maybe, maybe not. Even if you've been prepping for years, it's still possible you forgot a few things. But even if you didn't forget anything, you could still end up in a situation where you need something you never thought you'd … [Read more...]
6 Steps to Effective Urban Caching
Survival in an SHTF scenario isn’t just about having supplies. You need to be able to keep those supplies when someone comes to take them. Urban caching is a great way to keep those "emergency only" items secure. The constant stream of looting after every natural disaster highlights just how important it is to keep your most valuable items safe. Having … [Read more...]
The Art of Blending In: 5 Tips From a Counterintelligence Special Agent
One of the main differences between wilderness survival and city survival is that in the city there are far more people to deal with. I've written a little about home security and self defense, but there's something else urban survivalists need to learn about: blending in. There are many reasons blending in could be a useful skill: a disaster hits and … [Read more...]
7 Tips for Avoiding an Urban Terrorist Attack
Although technically a terrorist attack can happen anywhere, it is far more likely to happen in an urban area. In addition, it is more likely to happen at a large gathering such as a concert or sporting event. So whether you live in an urban area or just visit one occasionally to see a singer or sports team, you should learn how to avoid terrorist attacks. … [Read more...]
The 5 C’s of Urban Survival
In case you don't know, the "5 C's of Survivability" is a term coined by survival expert Dave Canterbury from Dual Survival. It's an easy way to remember the things you need to survive in the wilderness. His list includes a cutting tool, combustion, covering, container, cordage. Since they are the most difficult things to reproduce in the wild, you should … [Read more...]
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