Urban survivalism

As part of building the Ultimate Urban Survival Kit (TUUSK) with our team, our conversation focused on urban survival planning and strategy.

We talked about our experiences with the various snowstorms, hurricanes, power outages and terrorist threats we've been through and compared our notes.

In this guide, I'm going to share with you the top 5 urban survival tips that came out of our brainstorming session. If you are not one of the 80.7% of people who live in an urban environment, do not hesitate to share these tips with your loved ones.

Top 5 Urban Survival Tips

Urban Survival Tip #1 - Hurry before the exit lanes get clogged or closed.

The first mover advantage is evident when evacuating a heavily populated area. Once everyone around you has the same idea, the exit routes - bridges, tunnels, highways or trains - will be desperately clogged. To ensure a quick exit:

• Make sure your survival bag is packed, accessible and ready to use.
• Make sure everyone with you is on the same page about when to launch your escape plan and where to meet.

When in doubt, MOVE ! Don't wait for everyone around you to agree, go for it. Be a survivor, not a statistic.

Urban Survival Tip #2 - Prepare for Environmental Hazards

The modern cityscape is full of dangers which are exposed in any type of disaster. Damaged buildings release all kinds of dangerous debris into the air, from asbestos and concrete dust to broken glass and toxic smoke.

We need to make sure our survival bag contains the proper protective gear to get us through such dangers, because you never know what you'll have to step over or walk through to get to safety.

Sturdy shoes, well-made pants, and a long-sleeved shirt should be your default back-up clothes, even in the summer, to protect you from jagged or burning debris. Also, consider having environmental protection gear to protect the rest of your body:

• Eye protection
• Hearing protection
• Respiratory and lung protection
• Hand protection

Urban Survival Tip #3 - Be a Gray Man or Woman

The idea of ​​being a "grey man" (or gray woman) is to be fully prepared but discreet so as not to draw attention to yourself. This serves two purposes:

Being a gray man will help you blend in with the crowd if people stand out or if you're trying to evade a pursuer.

By being a gray man, you will look like a normal person and not a target for aggressive and less prepared people than you.

There are many ways to be a Gray Man and many of them come down to common sense and not announcing your presence:

Wear normal-looking clothing, no camouflage or other tactical-looking gear.

• Remove Any Military Style Logo - The TUUSK bag is equipped with a velcro patch of the RTGS logo that can be removed at any time to slip into the crowd.
• Do not open your survival bag in a public place where others can see that it is loaded with food, water, and survival gear that they may need.
• Avoid unnecessary staring or eye contact
• Conceal any obvious survival gear on you.

Urban Survival Tip #4 - It's better to look like a threat than a target.

In an urban scenario, you are inherently more likely to encounter other people. Some of these people may be aggressive, desperate, or seek to take advantage of others in chaos.

It's best to deter such advances before they even begin by making it look like you're causing more trouble than is worth bothering you.

• Travel in a group if you can, single people are much juicier targets than two or more people who are obviously together.
• Have a self-defense item ready to deploy if approached; it can be pepper spray, a gun, a knife, or some other weapon. Showing that you are armed and ready to defend yourself shows that you are not a target of opportunity
• Be aware of your surroundings - If you are being followed or enter a dangerous area, keep your eyes open and change course immediately.

Keep in mind the advice from the gray man above to avoid attracting the attention of prying people.

Urban Survival Tip #5 - Follow Your Instincts, Not the Crowd

When disaster strikes, 99% of people are totally unprepared. If you're reading this article, you obviously intend to prepare for the worst BEFORE it happens. Stick to your escape plan and improvise if necessary.

If a crowd of people are heading in one direction, it doesn't mean it's the best one for you. You don't have to go in the opposite direction from everyone else, but look for the safest way for YOU to reach your destination.

Follow your instincts when faced with a tough choice, not just the path of least resistance.

Putting these tips into practice

By pairing these 5 tips with a well-thought-out survival bag, you'll dramatically increase your chances of making it out alive in the next urban disaster.

For more urban survival tips based on my real-life experiences, check out this page .

Good luck in your preparations and remember that luck favors those who are well prepared.

Your opinion ?

Do you have an urban survival tip to share? Let us know in the comments section below, thank you!